Pizza and Policy: Insights into policy development at UVU
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“Policies take a long time, but they also last a long time.” UVU staff members briefly explained to students and faculty members how policies here at the university are made, and how students can be a part of that process.
Policymaking is a very important part of any institution, especially universities. Thankfully at Utah Valley University, the opportunity is present for all members of the community, students, and faculty alike, to be a part of the policy-making process due to its shared governance model.
On Thursday, April 4th, two full-time staff members of UVU’s Policy Office, Cara O’Sullivan and Miranda Christensen, held a short hour-long public meeting in the Sorensen Center. During the meeting, attendees were able to enjoy pizza while learning about the types of policies enforced on campus, how they work, and how anyone can be a part of the development of new policies.
During Miranda’s presentation, she explained the different types of policy processes, saying, “Policies take a long time, but they also last a long time,” At UVU there are four different types of Policy Processes: Regular, Temporary, Compliance, and Non-Substantive.
The key differences between the four are their lasting impact and the streamlined process to have them implemented. Temporary Policies, for example, are often called Emergency Policies due to a faster and less complicated approval process. However, in comparison, the Regular policy process takes more time to review and implement but will be able to stand the test of time, unlike the temporary process. Then there are Non-Substantive and Compliance Policy approval processes, which are typically reserved for keeping policies and procedures up to date and free of any errors and oversights.
Shortly after the presentation, the room was opened to a general Q&A session, where some useful insights were presented. Notably, a brief question regarding policy surrounding AI was raised as well as others regarding any other significant policies coming down the pipeline in which students might find useful. It was revealed that a policy on the appropriate use of AI is being worked on but is in its early stages. However, a new policy prohibiting professors from assigning coursework over holiday breaks will likely be implemented sometime between now and the fall semester of 2024.
Before the meeting ended, Cara O’Sullivan encouraged those present to reach out to entities such as the policy office, coordinators, subcommittees, as well as the student body (UVUSA) regarding any questions or concerns about policies and procedures, either by reaching out to them directly or leaving suggestions in the green UVUSA Suggestion boxes scattered across campus.
For more information about current UVU policies, how they’re made and how to get involved in their creation, visit the Policy Offices website at uvu.edu/policies.
Matthew is a Freshman studying Software Engineering. In his free time he can be found either listening to music, writing, watching football or playing video games.