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FACULTY HANDBOOKChapter FiveCOLLEGE POLICIES
College Policies
Chapter Five
The policies described in this section apply to all faculty and staff of The University of Virginia's College at Wise.
Consistent with federal and state law, the College does not discriminate in any of its programs, procedures, or practices on the basis of age, color, disability, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or veteran status.. The College operates equal opportunity and affirmative action programs for faculty, staff, and students. UVa-Wise is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
The Office of Human Resources is responsible for the enforcement of the College's non-discrimination obligation. A faculty member, staff employee or student having a complaint of prohibited discrimination may file a discrimination complaint with Connie Hope, Equal Opportunity Officer, Resource Center , Room 102, UVa-Wise, 1 College Ave. , Wise , VA 24293 , telephone 276-328-0240 or directly to the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, The University of Virginia, PO Box 400219 , Charlottesville , VA 22904-4219 , telephone 434-924-3200. Complaints are to be submitted in accordance with and are subject to the standards of the “ University of Virginia Discrimination Complaint Procedures .”
The Section 504 Coordinator and the College's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator is Narda Porter, Zehmer Hall, UVa-Wise, Wise , Virginia 24293 , 276-328-0177. Students, faculty, and staff may direct questions and concerns regarding accommodations for persons with disabilities to the ADA Coordinator.
Consistent with federal and state law, it is the policy of The University of Virginia's College at Wise not to discriminate in the administration of any of its educational programs or activities, or with respect to admission or employment, on the basis of age, color, disability, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation or veteran status. The College follows the University of Virginia 's affirmative action and equal opportunity programs for faculty, staff, and students consistent with resolutions of the Board of Visitors and with federal and state requirements.
To carry out this policy, the College takes affirmative action to ensure that all applicants for employment, and all College employees are considered equitably in personnel actions such as hiring, compensation, benefits, transfer, promotion, demotion, layoff, return from layoff, and training and apprenticeship programs.
The University has specific policies and procedures to implement this general policy. The Policy on Discriminatory Harassment states that such harassment in any form is unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Discrimination Complaint Procedures are available to any faculty member, staff employee, or student having a complaint of prohibited discrimination.
A complainant may file a discrimination complaint with the Equal Opportunity Officer. The Human Resources Office is responsible for the enforcement of the College's non-discrimination obligation, including dissemination of the policy. The College is committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action. A copy of the Equal Opportunity Plans, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, the Non-Discrimination Policy, the Policy on Discriminatory Harassment, and the Discrimination Complaint Procedures, is available for review in the Human Resources Office, Resource Center , UVa-Wise, 1 College Ave. , Wise , VA 24293 , 276-328-0240.
As an employer and institution of higher learning, UVA-Wise seeks to discharge its legal responsibilities and serve its diverse and talented community through fair and responsible application of this Policy. This Policy does not allow curtailment of censorship of constitutionally protected expression, nor does it attempt to address behaviors that do not constitute discriminatory harassment. Offensive workplace behavior that does not violate this Policy should be addressed by the appropriate supervisor or office.
5.3.1 Definition
Discriminatory harassment is contrary to College policy and may also be illegal. The College defines discriminatory harassment as:
If you believe you are experiencing treatment that violates this Policy, you may take the following steps:
If possible, clearly tell the harasser to stop. Make a note of what happened, what you did, and when.If you cannot or do not wish to confront the harasser, or your efforts did not stop the conduct, you may contact your supervisor, the department chair, or a faculty advisor for help.You may also contact the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs at any time whether or not you have taken the above steps. EOP is the office responsible for receiving and addressing discriminatory harassment complaints. You may seek informal help or information from EOP, or you may file a formal complaint. Information on the complaint process is provided below.Regardless of whether you have done any of the above, you may contact a state or federal office authorized to receive complaints of discrimination. EOP can provide information on how to contact these offices.Note : The University maintains a fair and responsive method for reporting and addressing complaints of discrimination, but your assistance is critical to helping the University learn of and address problem behavior.5.3.3 Supervisor ResponsibilitiesSupervisors are responsible for communicating the College's Policy on Discriminatory Harassment to employees, and for taking action when they observe or hear of incidents that may violate this Policy. A supervisor must:• Be receptive and open to concerns of harassment. Know and be able to explain the College's policy and employees' or students' options.• Take action suitable to the circumstances, which may include among other things, talking to persons involved or witnesses, examining other evidence, or arranging for training.• Contact EOP for assistance or to refer matters that have not been resolved.• Make sure that persons who have raised concerns of discriminatory harassment in good faith are not subject to retaliation.• Monitor situations that have been addressed, and follow-up if necessary.Note: Supervisors who do not appropriately handle reports or incidents of discriminatory harassment, or do not refer them to EOP, will be subject to disciplinary action.• Formal Complaint ProcessFormal complaints of discriminatory harassment may be filed with the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs. EOP's procedures for processing harassment complaints are described in the brochure entitled “Discrimination of Complaint Procedures,” which is also available on the website at www.virginia.edu/eop/EOP requires that complaints be in writing and made within 300 days of the last allegedly discriminatory action, but both requirements may be waived at EOP's discretion under appropriate circumstances.EOP will:• Respond to every complaint of discriminatory harassment;• If investigations are conducted, act impartially considering the interests of all parties;• To the extent practicable, protect the privacy of all parties and the confidential nature of the complaint; and• In the case of formal complaints that are not resolved through negotiation, issue a report to both parties, the Chancellor and the relevant Vice Chancellor containing findings and conclusions, and recommending appropriate actions depending upon the circumstances.• RemediesIf it is determined that discriminatory harassment is occurring or has occurred, the University may take any or all of the following actions: making sure that the discriminatory conduct stops; imposing disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment or dismissal from the University; other corrective action such as counseling or training; and steps such as reinstatement, hiring, reassignment, promotion, training, back pay or other benefits as are necessary.5.4 CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICYFaculty members are public officials whose professional activities may create situations in which their private or personal interests are potentially in opposition to their official responsibilities. A faculty member must be sensitive to the potential for conflict of interest situations and act in a manner to minimize their effects.As a matter of state law and College policy, it is the responsibility of faculty members to avoid being in a position of authority over a spouse, a member of the immediate family or an individual sharing the same household who also is employed by the College. A faculty member and his or her spouse or another member of the immediate family may both be employed by the College, so long as the faculty member does not exercise any control over the employment conditions and activities (such as initial appointment, retention, promotion, tenure, salary, leave of absence, grievance advantage) of the spouse or relative. Furthermore, the state Conflict of Interests Act permits dual employment of spouses or other immediate family members, in the following limited circumstances: (a) if both the employee and the family member are in teaching, research, or administrative support positions; (b) if the Board of Visitors finds that it is in the best interests of the institution and the Commonwealth for such dual employment to exist; and (c) if the Board of Visitors ensures that neither the employee nor the family member supervises, evaluates, or otherwise participates in personnel decisions regarding the other.As a matter of sound judgment and professional ethics (see Section 4.10.2), faculty members have a responsibility to avoid any apparent or actual conflict between their professional responsibilities and personal interests in terms of their dealings or relationships with students. It is the responsibility of faculty members to avoid being placed in a position of authority - by virtue of their specific teaching, research, or administrative assignments - over their spouses or other immediate family members who are students at the College. It is also the responsibility of faculty members to avoid engaging in sexual relationships with or making sexual overtures to students over whom they are in a position of authority by virtue of their specific teaching, research, or administrative assignments. In this context, the term "faculty members" broadly includes all full-time and part-time College personnel who hold positions on the academic or general faculty, as well as all teaching fellows, graders, and coaches. These professional constraints derive from AAUP ethical standards and the College's policy prohibiting conflict of interests, in order to ensure that the evaluation of students is conducted fairly and without any perception of favoritism or bias. Equally compelling is the interest in avoiding potential harm to students as well as the liability that could occur, for example, if facts regarding a sexual relationship or sexual overture are demonstrated that support a legal claim of sexual harassment by either party. (See Section 5.3).The Conflict of Interests Act also currently contains other pertinent provisions. For example, a College employee may be allowed to have a contract with another state agency if the contract is awarded through a competitive process and the employee discloses the employee's personal interest in such a contract to the administrative head of that agency. Except under extraordinary circumstances, the College does not buy goods or services from faculty or staff members. Should an occasion arise where such a purchase appears to be in the best interest of the College, the department should contact the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Government Relations and the Provost. An employee is prohibited from soliciting or accepting money or any other item of value for performing official duties, except the compensation or expenses paid by the College. Under the Act, an employee of the College may not use for his own economic benefit confidential information not available to the public and acquired by reason of his/her position.In accordance with the Act and the Ethics in Public Contracting section of the Virginia Public Procurement Act, College employees must not accept personal gifts of any kind, including food and beverages, travel, and tickets to sporting and cultural events, from firms with which the College does business. Gifts of goods or services to the College or to an employee cannot influence the selection of a vendor to provide goods or services to the College. Offers of incentives, free goods and services, gifts, and coupons should be reported to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Governmental Relations and the Provost.The technical details of these and other conflict of interests situations are set forth in the University of Virginia Policies and Procedures Manual and in the Code of Virginia , which should be consulted by all faculty members who may be involved in any such situation. Failure to abide by the conflict of interest principles described above can have serious consequences. Violations of the employment-based restrictions contained in the State Conflict of Interests Act may lead to civil, and if willful, criminal penalties, as well as termination from state employment. Breaches of professional ethics standards (e.g., an abuse of the faculty member's authority over students) may also prompt disciplinary action.Fraudulent TransactionsA deliberate action to obtain an unauthorized personal benefit is a fraudulent transaction. This might include misappropriation of cash or property, unauthorized use of College property, unauthorized use of College employees to perform non-College business, or use of the College telephone system for personal long distance telephone calls. All personnel are responsible for reporting any fraudulent transactions to the Campus Police, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance and Governmental Relations, and the Provost.All solicitations of grants and contracts must be made in the name of "The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia " and authorized by one of the officials designated to sign sponsored program documents on behalf of the College. When processed in this way, the College is legally and financially responsible for fulfilling the contracted requirements of the sponsoring agency. Faculty members are not authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the College. Only the Chancellor is authorized to do so. An unauthorized person signing a contract in the College's name may be held personally liable for the contract.All grant and contract solicitations must be cleared through College administrative channels before submission to a potential funding agency. The channels include the principal investigator who is proposing the research, the Department Chair, the Academic Dean, the Provost, and the Chancellor. The Academic Dean and the Provost are responsible for certifying that the proposal is consistent with the educational and research objectives of the department and the College, that the faculty time allocated is appropriate, and that the various resources available to conduct the proposed research activities are adequate. Once approved by the Provost, a proposal must be reviewed and approved by the Grants Accountant before being presented to the Chancellor. The Chancellor signs the proposal on behalf of the College, only after all of these steps have been followed.Once a grant or contract has been awarded, the award document will be reviewed by the appropriate administrative channels to be sure that the grant or contract does not contain any restrictions or obligations that are contrary to College policies and procedures. It will then be accepted by the Chancellor on behalf of the College. All award documentation must be forwarded to the Grants Accountant upon receipt.5.6 PATENT POLICYAs a condition of employment, the College requires all persons engaged in research to sign the Patent Policy Agreement. This agreement specifies the rights and obligations of both parties when a patentable product is produced in the course of research activities for which an employee has been compensated by or through the College or has used facilities owned, operated, or controlled by the College. The policy of the College is to consider and, where appropriate, assist in the patenting and commercial development of discoveries or inventions that are the product of College research. This policy is intended to provide incentive for creative intellectual effort, to ensure that the respective interests of the faculty member, the College, any supporting sponsor, and society are considered and protected through the development of fair contracts and procedures; to assist the researcher and the College to realize tangible benefits from inventions or discoveries; and to advance and encourage further research.The faculty member is responsible for timely and responsible disclosure of potentially patentable inventions and discoveries. At present the policy provides that the inventor will receive 15 percent of the gross royalties that accrue from inventions for which the College obtains a patent. The College assigns patents to a patent management firm, such as the University of Virginia Alumni Patents Foundation , which negotiates licensing agreements and royalty rates. The College will normally relinquish any claim to an invention or discovery that is judged not to be a product of College-sponsored research. The University of Virginia Policies and Procedures Manual outlines the Patent Policy in much greater detail.The College is committed to maintaining traditional incentives for scholarly work and its dissemination while protecting, within the framework of copyright law, the rights of individuals and the College. Faculty members may write and produce copyrightable materials, copyright those materials, and receive royalties that result from their use. Such materials include, but are not limited to books, articles, artwork, computer software, film and videotape. Faculty members shall retain all rights related to copyright ownership of materials that they have prepared on their own initiative.The Copyright Act of 1976 provides that when a person is employed by someone else to produce a copyrightable work, the employer, not the work's creator, is the author for copyright purposes. Generally, the College will claim an interest in such works only when their creation was part of administrative duties or a specific assignment made by a chair, dean, or other College administrator. A faculty member's general obligation to produce scholarly works does not constitute such a College assignment. Students who are not College employees own any copyrightable works developed in connection with course work.Any potentially valuable, copyrightable materials in which the College may have an interest should be reported by the author through the Department Chair and the Academic Dean to the Provost, who is responsible for administering the copyright policy.
Federal copyright law restricts the degree to which a copyrighted item may be reproduced. For example, a single copy may be made for teaching, research, or classroom preparation purposes. Multiple copies may be made provided each copy includes a notice of copyright and if such copying meets certain tests of brevity, spontaneity, and cumulative effect. An explanation of these terms is given in the University of Virginia Policies and Procedures Manual . In general, short items - articles, illustrations, poems - may be copied if there is too little time before they are to be used to request permission for their use from the copyright owner. Such copying should be limited to a single copy per student per semester with a limit of nine instances of multiple copying for one course during a semester. Such copying should not be repeated semester after semester.At the request of a faculty member, the library may copy and place on reserve excerpts from copyrighted works if the library follows the guidelines of the copyright policy. The librarians may be consulted about these guidelines. Restrictions of the copyright law also apply to materials reproduced by the Print Shop.A faculty member who wishes to request permission to use copyrighted materials in a way that lies outside these guidelines should seek permission of the copyright owner. Detailed procedures may be obtained from the college librarians.5.9.1 Software Copyright PolicyIt is the policy of the College to respect the copyright protections given by federal law to owners of digital materials and software. It is against College policy for faculty, staff, or students to use College equipment or services including, but not limited to the College network, to access, use, copy or otherwise reproduce, or make available to others any copyright-protected digital materials or software except as permitted under copyright law (especially with respect to “fair use”) or specific license.The software provided through the College for use by faculty, staff, and students may be used only on computing equipment as specified in the various software licenses.The College regards violation of this policy as a serious matter, and any such violation is without its consent and is subject to disciplinary action. Repeated violations will result in loss of computing privileges, among other sanctions.5.9.2 Computer Usage PolicyEveryone within the College community who uses College computing and communications facilities has the responsibility to use them in an ethical, professional and legal manner. This means that users agree to abide by the following conditions:• Respect for intellectual property rights (e.g., as reflected in licenses and copyrights) and ownership of data.
• The integrity of the systems must be respected. This means that users of systems will not divulge passwords, pins, private keys or similar elements to anyone else, and they will not exploit sessions left open or otherwise misappropriate or steal the "identity" of another user.
• Privacy of other users must not be intruded upon at any time.
• Users must recognize that certain data are confidential and must limit their access to such data to uses in direct performance of their duties.
• The rules and regulations governing the use of facilities and equipment must be respected. Persons responsible for computing devices connected to the network will ensure that those devices are maintained in a secure state in accord with related policy.
• No one shall obtain unauthorized access to other users' accounts and files.
• The intended use of all accounts, typically for College research, instruction and administrative purposes, must be respected.
• Users shall become familiar with and abide by the guidelines for appropriate usage for the systems and networks that they access.
• Respect for individuals' rights to be free of intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyances.
• Access to College computing and communications equipment and facilities may be revoked for reasons including, but not limited to, attacking the security of the system, modifying or divulging private information such as file or mail contents of other users without their consent, modifying or destroying College data, or using the national networks in a manner contrary to the established guidelines. Revocation of access may be done at any time by College system administrators in order to safeguard College resources and protect College privileges.
• If abuse of computer systems occurs, those responsible for such abuse will be held accountable and may be subject to disciplinary action.
5.9.3 Retention of Computer FilesIt is the responsibility of each individual user to backup, to an appropriate medium, and/or make a copy of any electronic mail and/or personal documents that they deem important. The College regards electronic mail and network servers as a method and means to enhance communications and work flow among students, faculty and staff. It is not the responsibility or policy of the College to retain personal email and documents. All records should be retained in accordance with the College policy on records retention and disposition and the Code of Virginia. Records that are retained by an individual, even if they are retained on an electronic medium, are subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act.5.9.4 Data SecurityIt is the responsibility of every individual who uses the College computing network to protect and maintain a secure working environment. This includes privately owned computers that attach to the College network. These responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Installing antivirus software and maintaining current virus definitions.
• Regularly backing up your data files on removable media such as floppy disks,
CD's, Zip cartridges, etc. NOTE: More than one copy of important files is
highly recommended.
• Do not share your login ID or password with anyone. (That includes writing
them down on a “post it” and attaching it to your monitor.)
• Abiding by all laws, policies and guidelines.
• Installing only properly licensed software.• Reporting violators.Refer to section 5.9.2 Computer Usage Policy for additional guidelines for securing the network. Anyone who has reason to suspect a deliberate or significant breach of established security policy or procedure should promptly report it to the Director of Information Technology at ext. 4578 or send an email to abuse@uvawise.edu .The term "gift" refers exclusively to private gifts or contributions from private sources including individuals, foundations, or corporations from which no goods or services are expected and in which no proprietary interests are to be retained by the donor.The Office of Development and College Relations is responsible for encouraging strong financial support for the College and is staffed to advise and assist faculty, departments, and the College in securing greater private support. The development office is the general clearing house for all fund-raising activities throughout the College and is responsible for coordinating private fund-raising efforts. Before any program of fund-raising from private sources is initiated, plans should be discussed with the Office of Development and College Relations as well as appropriate academic leaders before approaching the Vice Chancellor for Development for approval.Private contributions to the College may be for the general purposes of the College as a whole or for the specific use of the College, an individual department, a particular program, area of study, or facility. Gifts may be made directly to the College or to the UVa-Wise Foundation. No foundation can be established without the approval of the Board of Visitors.
This policy sets an institutional maximum on the number of days that a faculty member may spend in paid professional activity while on faculty salary. The Provost may set lower limits in individual cases, but the institutional limits may not be exceeded. The following policy, administered by the Provost, applies to both College Faculty and General Faculty. Full-time faculty members may consult for supplemental compensation outside of the College and, under exceptional circumstances, for internal overload responsibilities within the College as part of their employment contract. This privilege may not exceed an average of one day in seven calendar days during the period of academic employment. Faculty members who hold administrative appointments may undertake external consulting or internal overload responsibilities only with the approval of the Academic Dean and the Provost, or, in the case of the Academic Dean or a Vice Chancellor, the Chancellor.External consulting is construed in the broad sense as outside professional activity in which faculty engage for compensation. Such activity should further the professional development of the individual in a way that will enhance the faculty member's contribution to the College. Only activities implied by the above definition are included in the consulting privilege of a fully-employed faculty member. Outside employment or self-employment that detracts from a faculty member's capability to carry out responsibilities as a full-time employee are in conflict with College policy.The College has no interest in the amount of compensation faculty members receive from external consulting, but the Chancellor, acting through the Provost, is accountable for the amount of time that faculty devote to outside activities, for deciding questions about potential conflicts of interest, and for deciding if any outside activity will jeopardize fulfillment of the obligations assumed by election to the faculty. Therefore, faculty members are required to report the sources and extent of their consulting activities to the Academic Dean and the Provost on an annual basis.Public service and activities in professional organizations that are related directly to an individual's position at the College are considered a normal part of the responsibilities of a faculty member, and they are not chargeable against the permissible consulting privilege.The possibility of internal overload responsibilities that may be undertaken for supplemental compensation arises from the consulting policy and the needs of the College for delivery of continuing education, public service, and research programs that cannot be included within the normal duties of a faculty member. Faculty deliver most services as part of their ordinary duties, but when the intended task clearly lies outside of the faculty member's normal responsibilities, as determined by the Provost or the Chancellor, internal overload for supplemental compensation may be approved. (See section 4.8.4).During the academic session when a faculty member is on regular salary, the total time permitted for both external consulting and internal overload assignments together may not exceed one day in seven. This is equivalent to 39 days during the regular academic session and 13 days during the summer, if the faculty member is employed during the summer. For teaching activities, a consulting day consists of both preparation time and contact teaching hours. Three contact teaching hours equals one consulting day under this policy. Both credit and non-credit activities are computed on a contact hour basis, and the rates of pay are established annually by the Provost and the Chancellor.A maximum of 50 contact hours of overload per semester is normally permitted for credit, non-credit, or a combination of credit and non-credit teaching. The Provost, with concurrence of the Chancellor, may approve up to the full consulting privilege of 58.5 contact hours for a given semester. The internal overload for a three-credit hour course is equivalent to 45 contact hours or 15 consulting days under this policy. The rate of compensation may vary up to a maximum 120 percent of the faculty member's daily salary rate, but in no case will the compensation per course exceed that authorized by the Provost and the Chancellor.Faculty members who are employed full-time on salary or wages during the summer will normally be permitted to engage in 33 contact hours of overload activity, or a maximum of 39 contact hours with concurrence of the Provost. A faculty member's total compensation during the summer may not exceed 33 percent of the regular nine-month salary during the previous academic session, except for duties approved on an overload basis.The Chancellor and the Provost are responsible for implementing these policies through established administrative procedures.A faculty member is entitled to engage freely in political and civic activity. This engagement should be consistent with obligations as a teacher and scholar and with the principles of academic freedom. The political and civic positions assumed by members of the faculty are personal ones, and faculty members must ensure that they do not necessarily, nor even inferentially, imply that such positions are endorsed by the College. For this reason, a faculty member must avoid expressing such political and civic positions using College resources, i.e., letterhead stationery.Many kinds of political and civic activity are consistent with effective public service and the College encourages such service. Some activities may involve so much time as to affect adversely the faculty member's ability to perform expected academic responsibilities. In that situation a faculty member should seek a leave of absence. The Provost and the Chancellor are responsible for determining whether a given kind of public service will require modification of a faculty member's full-time employment status or will require some form of leave of absence. Such a leave of absence, should it be required, shall not affect unfavorably the tenure status of a faculty member.The Board of Visitors has established a policy on campaigning for and serving in an elected public office. A faculty member who becomes a candidate for the General Assembly must take a leave of absence without pay during both primary campaigns and general elections, and, if elected, during the time that the General Assembly is in session. Any other time devoted to legislative business must conform to the limits on consulting activity. A faculty member who holds an administrative position is governed by the same policy, except that a leave of absence must be taken from the administrative position during any election campaign, and, if elected, the administrative position must be relinquished at the beginning of the elective office.Any faculty member is free to communicate with members of the General Assembly or Congress, or other elected officials, but in doing so must be careful to distinguish personal opinion from the position or policy of the College. In particular, a faculty member must avoid expressing such an opinion on College letterhead.State law and directives from the Office of the Governor require the College to designate official spokesmen to represent its positions to the General Assembly and to coordinate its legislative proposals through the governor's secretaries. The Chancellor and his designees are the spokespersons.The College communicates its activities openly to the public, principally through mass media and on the College web site. The Office of College Relations releases news and videotape about the College to the print and electronic media. Media requests for information should be directed to College Relations. An exception to this policy is sports information, which is handled by the Sports Information Director in the Athletics Department.Departments and/or faculty who have news regarding conferences and events, recently published books, new research, awards, student accomplishments, or other information of public interest should inform the Office of College Relations. The director will provide advice and consultation in planning external communications and media contacts. Please contact the Director at least three weeks in advance for assistance with press releases, printed programs, posters and other promotional materials needed for campus events.The Vice Chancellor for Development and College Relations, or his designee, is the official spokesperson representing the College in all emergency situations. The Chancellor has responsibility for the College's compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. All FOI requests should be forwarded immediately to the Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, who serves as the compliance officer. Faculty members are free to communicate with the media as private citizens in matters not directly related to the College.Section 40.1-55 of the Code of Virginia provides that any employee who engages in a strike (by abstaining, impeding, or suspending activity of the employing agency) in concert with two or more other employees is considered automatically to have terminated employment. Such a person is not eligible for re-employment by the state during any part of the next twelve months.State statutes and policies control the procurement of all supplies, equipment and services. College Services implements all guidelines and procedures for carrying out these statutes and policies. Please contact your department secretary and/or College Services for these guidelines and procedures. Purchases made without proper approval and procedure could prevent the vendor from being paid through the use of state funds and require the individual placing the order to be held liable for payment to the vendor.With prior authorization, certain expenditures that a faculty member may make are reimbursable. These include travel expenses on College business, authorized relocation or moving expenses, and some petty cash expenditures. Reimbursement for Christmas cards, club membership, parking lot rental fees and parking tickets/fines are prohibited regardless of the source of funds. Other types of expenditures, such as gifts and flower arrangements, are allowed from local funds under special circumstances with appropriate approval.The College encourages faculty to attend meetings of professional associations. For this purpose and other professional development activities, the College annually provides a limited amount of funds to academic departments. The Department Chair is responsible for setting the policies that determine the allocation of these funds. Travel reimbursements from state funds, sponsored program funds, and private gifts are all controlled by the same policies and procedures.Faculty may travel from their normally assigned location or "base" to and from another location, at College expense, to accomplish official business for the College. Local travel which does not involve expenses for meals or lodging, and which is considered a normal function of the employee's position does not require additional authorization. However, faculty must complete the Proposed Travel Pre-approval Form for all other travel and obtain the approval of the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor prior to the trip . Failure to obtain the approval of the Provost may cause the faculty member to be held personally liable for any expenses incurred in the name of the College and/or to repay the College for any charges paid by the College. Travel expenses for official business may be reimbursed to the degree that they have been previously authorized and if funds are available. Travel by private or chartered airline requires prior written approval.
5.18.1 Travel Requiring Advance Approval of the ChancellorAnyone proposing travel which will require reimbursement from a state account must prepare an estimate of the total cost, including all costs associated with transportation, lodging, meals, associated gratuities, conference registration, and training or course fees. Advance approval of the Chancellor is not needed in the case where the total cost of the trip does not exceed $500. In the event that a trip not expected to exceed $500 does in fact exceed this amount, an explanation will be required demonstrating why the original estimated cost was exceeded.5.18.2 Conventions and ConferencesExcept for officers of sponsoring organizations and presenters on the convention or conference program, no more than two persons may attend any single convention or conference that requires an overnight stay. Exceptions to this policy require the approval of the state Secretary of Education.5.18.3 Out of Country TravelAll out-of-country travel must have prior approval before departure. This involves completion of the appropriate form which details the travel destination, cost of the travel and source of funding, the reason for the travel, and the expected benefit of the travel to the College. This form is available in the office of the Provost. It must be signed by the Provost and the Chancellor. The request form will then be forwarded to the Provost's office at U.Va for approval.5.18.4 Meal and Lodging ExpensesTravelers should limit meal expenses to reasonable, moderate costs, and request government rates at hotels. Travelers should select lodging in the economy class. Cost of meals will not be reimbursed unless the travel requires the traveler to be away from home overnight as evidenced by a hotel bill. Maximum rates of reimbursement of in-state and out-of-state lodging and meals are set by the Commonwealth of Virginia and reimbursement shall be in accordance with applicable regulations.5.18.5 Payment of Travel ExpensesTravel expenses for official College business may be paid through various methods to the degree that they have been previously approved and the availability of funds. Airline tickets may be charged to the American Express Purchasing Card, or paid by the traveler and then reimbursed on the Travel Reimbursement Claim form. Airline tickets may not be charged to the College. Conference registration fees may be charged to the American Express Purchasing Card, not to the American Express Travel Card. Some expenses can be directly billed to the College. Faculty members may obtain an American Express travel card to pay for ground transportation, registration fees, meals, etc. by completing an application with the Cashier's Office. The expense voucher must be presented for payment within 8 days from completion of the trip, or in the case of continuous travel, within 8 days of the last date of travel. Expenses must be itemized and supported by receipts or paid bills covering hotel accommodations, automobile rentals, and transportation. The billing procedure usually allows time for filing travel reimbursement forms and receipt of the reimbursement check before the American Express bill becomes due. Additional information regarding travel guidelines may be obtained from the UVa-Wise Office of Accounting Services and the University of Virginia Policies and Procedures Manual .
When approved by the department head, faculty and staff who have a valid operator's permit may use College vehicles when traveling on official College business. Under certain conditions, students may also operate College vehicles when pre-approved by the Campus Police and when traveling on official College business. All users are responsible for operating the vehicle in a safe and courteous manner, for all traffic citations incurred while the vehicle is assigned to them, for damages resulting from misuse, abuse, or negligence, for reporting needed repairs and maintenance to Fleet Management, and for reporting accidents to the State Police and Campus Police. Use of a state vehicle for personal business or pleasure or transporting hitchhikers is strictly prohibited. Currently, vehicle request procedures are being updated. Please contact Procurement Services, Fleet Management at 328-0101 or 328-0143 for procedures and forms.5.19.1 Vehicle Safety Belt PolicyAll College personnel must wear safety/seat belts at all times while operating College/State vehicles/equipment in or on which such belts are provided. Removal, cutting, or to any other way render safety/seat belt systems inoperable is strictly prohibited. This policy is entirely for the benefit of users, and its sole aim is to reduce injuries in the case of an accident. The safety and protection of persons will more than compensate for the inconvenience of "buckling up".Persons who are ticketed for failure to wear a safety belt may be denied further use of College or State vehicles or equipment, regardless of the impact this may have on the person's continued employment or association with the College.The following policy statements address the use of College-owned equipment by faculty, staff, and students for personal or commercial purposes; and the use of such equipment by individuals and organizations who are not part of the College community. The intent of this policy is to ensure that any extracurricular use of equipment is consistent with the purpose, mission, and goals of the College."College community," as used herein, includes the College, its departments, service units, affiliated or related organizations and foundations, faculty members, staff members, students, groups of students, and institutionally approved student organizations.The administrative head of each unit of the College, or the head of a subunit when so delegated, is responsible for the control and accountability of use of all equipment assigned to the unit and for assuring that use of the equipment is consistent with this policy and the purpose, mission, and goals of the College.College equipment may not be used by College faculty, staff, or students for personal purposes unrelated to the College's mission or for commercial purposes. Likewise, College-owned and provided consumable materials and supplies may not be used for such personal purposes or commercial purposes.Personal activities related to teaching, scholarship and research, or public service promote the College's mission. Accordingly, faculty and staff members may be granted the privilege of occasional and reasonable use of college equipment in connection with their personal academic pursuits and professional development, provided the College incurs no unreasonable costs for materials and supplies, maintenance, and repairs. Approval of these situations are made on a case-by-case basis.Use of College equipment by individuals and organizations not part of the College community is not permitted unless the responsible unit head approves a user request form. Such a form may be approved only when the use meets one of the following criteria:1. The use is in connection with approved College-sponsored activities, events, or
services.2. The use is part of a contractual agreement between the College and a government agency, a private business, or another educational institution; and the agreement has been reviewed for consistency with College policy relative to competition with the private sector and unrelated business income by the administrative head of the related unit.3. The use is by official visitors to the College and is appropriate to the purpose of the visit.
a. The use is in connection with a public service activity and the equipment does not exist elsewhere or is not reasonably otherwise available to the user.The unit head responsible for the equipment may establish a user fee, when appropriate, with the approval of the Office of Accounting Services and the Provost.College-owned equipment may be taken home by College faculty, staff, or students for College business only with the approval of the appropriate unit head.Faculty members must also distinguish between their general obligations as scholars to produce and disseminate knowledge and their personal interests when using College resources such as College letterhead,