OU Staff Handbook

 
FACULTY HANDBOOK INDEX
 

The Norman Campus Faculty Handbook is a compilation of the University's major policies regarding faculty and academic matters, along with policies and information on the University’s facilities and general organization. Several other sources, such as the Administration and Finance Guide to Services at www.ou.edu/aa, the Staff Handbook at https: //apps.hr.ou.edu/staffhandbook, the Student Rights and Responsibilities Code at https: //www.ou.edu/content/dam/studentlife/documents/AllCampusStudentCode. pdf, plus college and departmental policies, also provide useful resources for University policies and procedures. The information contained in this online handbook is continually updated. Print copies of the Handbook are made available for the convenience of the university community, but users should check the online version of the Handbook for more current information:   www. ou. edu/provost/handbook.

The Handbook is published for information purposes and should not be construed as the independent basis of a contract with the University. While every effort is made to present the information accurately, the actual text of the policy, procedure or law should be consulted as the authoritative source of information. We encourage submission of corrections or changes to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Questions regarding any academic policy may also be addressed to this office. Questions regarding other policies may be addressed to the office cited at the end of the pertinent policy section.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -30 -05, 8 -6 -07)


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1.1 The University: History and Introduction

Seventeen years before Oklahoma became a state, the University of Oklahoma was founded upon authority of an act of the first legislature of the Territory of Oklahoma.

Approved in 1890 and adopted in its main provisions by the first legislature of the state in 1907, the act stated the purpose of the University was "to provide the means of acquiring a thorough knowledge of the various branches of learning connected with scientific, industrial, and professional pursuits."

Norman was selected as the site for the University, and a 40 -acre campus within a half mile of downtown Norman was purchased for $1,500.

Students were accepted for the first time in the fall of 1892 and were greeted by a faculty of four, which included the president. The first two graduates received pharmaceutical chemistry degrees in 1896.

Maintenance of high academic standards entitles the University to accredited membership in the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission. The general institutional information for the University of Oklahoma is posted at http: //www.ncahlc.org/index.php? option=com_directory& Itemid=192& Action=ShowBasic& instid=1642 . In addition, more than 80 graduate and undergraduate programs at the University have been accredited by various external agencies and professional organizations.

The academic structure of the University includes 22 colleges that are led by academic deans. On the Norman campus are the Graduate College, College of Architecture, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, Michael F. Price College of Business, College of Continuing Education, Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, College of Engineering, Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon Honors College, College of Law, College of Liberal Studies, and University College, the entry point for all new undergraduate students who come to OU directly from high school as well as many transfer students. In addition, University Libraries is led by a dean.

At the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City are the Graduate College, College of Allied Health, College of Dentistry, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and the College of Public Health.

The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine-Tulsa accepted its first students in 1974 and provides clinical instruction in hospitals and other major health institutions in the Tulsa area. The University also offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs at the OU-Tulsa from both Norman and HSC academic programs. In 2008, the College of Medicine at OU-Tulsa realigned its focus and became the first formally named School of Community Medicine in the nation. The School is designed to improve the overall health status of underserved Oklahoma communities, both rural and urban, by providing additional community-based medical student education programs and resident training, and increasing the number of physician graduates.  The School of Community Medicine is an integral part of the OU College of Medicine.

Several of the colleges contain departments and/or schools that are led by chairs or directors who are responsible to their respective deans.

The campus in Norman has expanded to approximately 2,300 acres on which are located more than 250 permanent buildings. The OU Health Sciences center in Oklahoma City is part of a multi-million dollar, 300 -acre Oklahoma Health Center, a grouping of public and private institutions with the University as its nucleus.

The 271 -acre Research Campus brings the University research community together with government and private enterprise to promote high-technology research and education, leading to economic development for the state and nation. Anchoring the campus are the Stephenson Research and Technology Center, which includes OU’s Supercomputing Center for Education and Research, and programs in genomics, bioengineering and robotics; the National Weather Center, home to a complex of federal, state, private, and University meteorological agencies, including OU’s academic and research programs in meteorology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather, research and operations programs; One Partner’s Place and Two Partner’s Place. One Partner’s Place was the first of a series of buildings designed to co-locate private- sector companies on campus to collaborate with the University.

The Research Campus – North houses University Computing Services; Max Westheimer Airport, the University-operated airport that also serves the city of Norman; and Swearingen Research Park, where government agencies and industry have established facilities.

Other research and study units in Oklahoma include the Biological Station on Lake Texoma, the Oklahoma Geophysical Observatory at Leonard near Tulsa, Kessler Farm Field Laboratory in McClain County, and the George M. Sutton Avian Research Center in Bartlesville.


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2.0 UNIVERSITY GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION
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2.1 OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

The University of Oklahoma is part of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education that was established in 1941 when the people of the state adopted an amendment to the Constitution of Oklahoma, Article XIII-A. The system is composed of all institutions of higher education supported wholly or in part by direct legislative appropriations.

(OSRHE)

The amendment also provided for establishment of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as the coordinating board of control of the system. The Board is composed of nine members who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. They serve nine-year overlapping terms.

The Board's responsibilities include prescribing standards of higher education (including those concerning the admission of students) at each institution, determining the functions and courses of study at each institution, granting degrees and other forms of academic recognition for completion of the prescribed courses of study, recommending to the Legislature the budget needs of each institution, allocating to institutions funds appropriated by the Legislature, and determining the fees for all institutions of the system (Article XIII-A, Sections 2 and 3, Constitution of Oklahoma). Their website is http: //www.okhighered.org, the OSRHE Policy and Procedures Manual is located here: http: //www.okhighered.org/state-system/policy-procedures and the academic policy handbook is located here: http: //www.okhighered.org/academic-policy-wksp/aa-handbook2013.pdf.


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2.2 THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA BOARD OF REGENTS

The Board of Regents is constitutionally vested with the governance of the University. Within its authority is the governance of all faculty personnel matters, including without limitation, academic freedom and responsibility, appointment, evaluations, academic misconduct, and academic appeals. Specific provisions pertaining to faculty personnel policies and related matters may be set forth in the Faculty and Staff Handbooks, student handbooks such as the Student Code of Responsibilities and Conduct for the Norman Campus, and/or other official policy documents of the respective campuses. Any modifications to a Board of Regents’ policy in the policy documents referred to above or elsewhere must be made through action of the Board of Regents. Their website is http: //www.ou.edu/web/landing/university_administration.html and the web address for the Regent’s Policy Manual for OU is http: //www.ou.edu/regents/policy.html.


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2.3 ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION

The administrative organization of the University exists to provide leadership and facilitate the academic programs. Fulfillment of these goals can best be achieved in an atmosphere of shared governance, mutual planning and implementing of decisions, and the recognition and encouragement of contributions of members of the University community.


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2.3.1 PRESIDENT

As the chief executive and academic officer of the University, the President is responsible to the Board of Regents of the University for the administration of the institution. All authority delegated by the Regents is administered through the Office of the President.

The University officers who report to the President include the Senior Vice President and Provost, Norman Campus; Senior Vice President and Provost, Health Sciences Center; the Vice Presidents for Administration and Finance, Research, Development, Technology Development, Student Affairs and Public Affairs; the General Counsel; the Director of State and Legislative Affairs; the University Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer; the Secretary of the University, who also serves as Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents; the Internal Auditor; and the Director of Athletics and the President of OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center.


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2.3.2 ACTING PRESIDENT

On occasion, the President of The University of Oklahoma, on account of official business, vacation, illness, or other unavoidable cause, is absent from campus. During such absences, it is essential that provision be made so that official business may proceed. Therefore, in the temporary absence of the President, the order of succession for The University of Oklahoma will be as follows:

Senior Vice President and Provost, Norman Campus
Senior Vice President and Provost, Health Sciences Center
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Vice President and General Counsel
Vice President of Executive Affairs

In the event any of the above-named positions are filled by persons in an acting or interim capacity, the line of succession shall automatically be directed to the next position.

In the event the President shall resign, be incapacitated, be on an extended leave of absence, or otherwise be unable to perform the duties of President for a period in excess of 30 days, an Acting or Interim President shall be designated by the Board of Regents. The Acting or Interim President shall have all powers, duties, and responsibilities normally held by the President. Until such time as such Acting or Interim President is designated, the above order of succession shall be applicable.

(Regents, 2 -8 -79, 3 -21 -95, 12 -2 -03, 6 -14 -23)


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2.3.3 SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST, NORMAN CAMPUS

The Senior Vice President and Provost, Norman Campus, is responsible to the President of the University. The chief academic officer of the Norman Campus, the Senior Vice President and Provost provides academic leadership for that campus for instruction, research and creative activity, and centralized academic functions including admissions, enrollment, academic records, financial aid and the bursar. The Senior Vice President and Provost is responsible for intellectual standards; institutional planning and budgeting; and the recruitment, retention, and development of faculty and students. Other responsibilities include program development and review; enrollment management; academic policies and procedures; and personnel actions involving faculty, students, and academic support staff.

Among those who report to the Senior Vice President and Provost, Norman Campus, are the Deans of the colleges on the Norman Campus and the Dean of University Libraries; the Vice Provost for Instruction; the Assistant and Associate Provosts; the Vice Provost for School and Community Partnership; the Registrar; and the Directors of the Carl Albert Center, Institutional Research and Reporting, Instructional Development, International Programs, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Sarkeys Energy Center, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, University Press, Norman Programs at the Schusterman Center in Tulsa, World Literature Today, OU Writing Center, and the Expository Writing Program.

The deans and certain other officials meet periodically as the Norman Campus Deans Council to discuss matters of mutual interest and make recommendations as appropriate. The Senior Vice President and Provost serves as Chair of the Deans Council. The Provost also meets regularly with the Provosts Advisory Councils for Academic Advising, Financial and Administrative Management, General Education Oversight, Institutional Reporting, Women’s Issues and Classroom Renovation.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 8 -31 -84, 9 -1 -86, 1 -1 -88, 7 -1 -92, 7 -17 -95, 8 -4 -98, 9 -12 -00, 3 -1 -05)


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2.3.4 SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND PROVOST, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

The Senior Vice President and Provost of the Health Sciences Center is responsible to the President as the chief executive officer for the Health Sciences Center campus. As the chief academic and administrative officer, the Senior Vice President and Provost is the ranking officer of the University on the HSC campus. The Senior Vice President and Provost is responsible for the complete administration including the academic programs, policies and procedures, the employment of faculty and staff, and research administration.

The deans of the colleges report directly to the Senior Vice President and Provost. His principal staff includes the Vice President for Health Affairs, Vice President for Administration and Finance, Vice President for Research and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

The Deans Council is composed of the deans and the Senior Vice President and Provost, who serves as Chair. The Council meets periodically to discuss common interests and to make recommendations as appropriate.

(President, 7 -21 -81, 8 -1 -92; Senior Vice President and Provost, HSC, 10 -1 -97, 9 -12 -00, 12 -3 -02)


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2.3.5 VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

The Vice President for Development is responsible for the mutual relationships between the University and its alumni and friends and for assisting in the development of the University by obtaining gifts, grants, endowments, and bequests from individuals, foundations, and corporations. This officer coordinates fund-raising and alumni activities for the University and is responsible for the following units: Norman Campus Development, Health Sciences Center Development, and the Alumni Association.

(Vice President for Development, 6 -19 -86, 6 -1 -88, 5 -9 -95, 10 -1 -97)


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2.3.6 UNIVERSITY VICE PRESIDENT FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

The University Vice President for Technology Development is responsible for educating the research community on the potential value of intellectual property and assisting the University of Oklahoma research community in identifying, protecting and exploiting the intellectual property development in the University’s research programs. This officer oversees the functions of the Offices of Technology Development on the Norman Campus, the Health Sciences Center Campus and the Tulsa Campus.

(University Vice President for Technology Development, 9 -11 -00, 3 -24 -05)


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2.3.7 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE (Norman Campus)

The Vice President is a full-time position, which reports directly to the President. The Vice President is one of 22 University Officers at The University of Oklahoma and serves as the chief operating and fiscal officer. The Vice President is responsible for administering a budget of approximately $600 million annually. A staff of approximately 800 employees reports through the administrative structure to the Vice President. Departments within Administration and Finance are Architectural and Engineering Services, Budget Office, Controller, Human Resources, Parking & Transit Services, Physical Plant, Public Safety, Purchasing, and Risk Management and Safety Services.

The Vice President also serves as the President’s chief of staff and serves as the chief business officer, manages the President’s immediate office personnel, and serves as the liaison between the President and faculty and staff governance groups. The Vice President also coordinates communication between the President and other officers of the University, and serves as liaison for the community on behalf of the President.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86, 5 -1 -88, 5 -23 -94, 10 -1 -97, 11 -1 -00, 5 -28 -03, 2 -28 -05)


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2.3.8 VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Vice President for Public Affairs is responsible for furthering OU’s image and promoting OU's teaching, research, and public service missions and strategic goals. The Vice President for Public Affairs oversees the public relations functions -- news, publications and special events -- on the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses and, in coordination with the President of OU-Tulsa, those at the Schusterman Center. The activities of the Division of Public Affairs are designed to enhance relationships with constituencies and increase understanding and support of the university’s missions and goals. Public Affairs is composed of two units that offer a variety of services to students, faculty and staff. Communication Services prepares and disseminates news releases and advisories to the media, engages in public relations activities, and produces and directs promotional plans. The office is responsible for reviewing materials in accordance with the University’s Publications Policy. The Special Events Office enables the University to create a wide variety of activities to heighten community awareness of the University’s mission. This office oversees major university-wide events. The Vice President for Public Affairs also serves as a primary liaison to the media as well as a university spokesperson.

(Vice President for Public Affairs, 9 -14 -98, 3 -1 -05)


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2.3.9 VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF STUDENTS (Norman and HSC Campus)

The office of the University Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students is responsible for fourteen departments that provide the out-of-classroom experience that defines student life for OU students. It provides customized services to meet the needs of students in the areas of career services, leader and volunteer activities, student life activities, student conduct, housing and food, fitness and recreation, equality and gender, student media, student government, counseling and health services. It also provides student affairs services on our Tulsa, Health Sciences Center and Arezzo, Italy campuses.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 7 -1 -86, 7 -18 -95, 10 -1 -97, 9 -18 -00, 3 -1 -05, 2 -25 -16)


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2.3.10 VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH (Norman Campus)

The Vice President for Research is responsible for the development and/or dissemination of official policies in the research and creative activity arena. The Vice President for Research also coordinates with the Vice President for Development to identify funding for research and scholarly and creative endeavors, both in and outside the University.

The Vice President for Research has responsibility for the operation of the Office of Research Services on the Norman Campus. Additionally, the Samuel Roberts Noble Electron Microscopy Laboratory and the Electron Microprobe Laboratory report administratively to the Vice President for Research.

(Vice President for Research, 6 -9 -86, 5 -19 -88, 7 -18 -95, 10 -1 -97, 3 -9 -05)


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2.3.11 UNIVERSITY VICE PRESIDENT FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

The University Vice President for Information Technology is responsible to the President as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses. The Vice President provides leadership for information technology planning, infrastructure, security, operations, project management, research support, and services that advance the mission of the University. Other responsibilities include oversight of departmental IT staff appointments and major University technology acquisitions and initiatives, and the recruitment, retention, and development of a highly skilled IT workforce. A University Technology Advisory Council comprised of campus leaders representing the administration, faculty, staff, and students, meets regularly with the CIO to discuss technology trends and issues, including proposals, investments, resources, and priorities. The Vice President also represents the University with industry, government, the Oklahoma state system for higher education, and other academic institutions.

(University Vice President for Information Technology, 9 -18 -00, 3 -1 -05)


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2.3.12 PRESIDENT, THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, TULSA CAMPUS

The President of OU-Tulsa is the chief executive officer of the OU-Tulsa Campus. The Tulsa President is responsible to the President of OU and coordinates with the Provosts of the University and the Health Sciences Center, and their designated staffs, in developing and administering academic programs, research initiatives, policies, finances, public affairs, development activities, legislative relations, facilities, and strategic planning for OU programs based in Tulsa. The position is the primary liaison between the University and the Tulsa community, with particular emphasis on building synergistic partnerships with Tulsa’s high-growth businesses.

(President, The University of Oklahoma, Tulsa Campus, 9 -18 -00)


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2.3.13 VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY OUTREACH

The Vice President for University Outreach is responsible for developing and implementing outreach and extension activities for the institution. This officer coordinates with university administrators, academic deans and faculty to provide educational, executive and lifelong learning programs to individuals, organizations and communities beyond traditional university boundaries. This office also seeks and obtains grants and contracts, which utilize University faculty and staff to provide training and professional development activities for governmental agencies and businesses. The Vice President for University Outreach also oversees, as dean, the Colleges of Continuing Education and Liberal Studies as well as numerous satellite campuses throughout the state of Oklahoma and around the world.

(Vice President for University Outreach 9 -18 -00)


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2.3.14 VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE/EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

The Vice President for University Governance/Executive Secretary of the Board shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of the Board and shall have the care of all communications and reports made to the Board. The Vice President/Executive Secretary shall notify the President of the University of all votes, orders or resolutions of the Board relating to the management and control of the University or to the teachers and employees therein, and shall be the custodian of the official seal of the Regents.

(Vice President for University Governance/Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents, 11 -30 -00)


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2.3.15 INTERIM OFFICERS

At the time of appointment to the position of Interim President, Interim Senior Vice President and Provost, Interim Vice President, or Interim Academic Dean, the Board of Regents will state whether the appointee is eligible to be a candidate for the permanent positions.

(Regents, 1 -20 -86, 3 -201 -95, 12 -2 -2003)


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2.4 FACULTY SENATE, NORMAN CAMPUS

The Faculty Senate consists of 50 members of the Regular Faculty. Senators are elected to three-year terms by written ballot, and the electors consist of members of the Regular Faculty. Senate seats are allocated to the colleges in proportion to the number of faculty in the college; faculty who are not members of a degree-recommending college are treated as a separate college.

Five students, including graduate and undergraduate, are chosen by the University of Oklahoma Student Association to serve as official student representatives to the Senate. Without voting privileges, they observe, participate in discussion, and maintain communication with the University of Oklahoma Student Association in regard to Senate actions. Similarly, a representative of the Senior Vice President and Provost's Office and six representatives of the Informational Staff Association also may attend Senate meetings and participate, without voting privileges, in Senate discussion.

The Senate exercises the legislative powers of the faculty of the University as delegated by the Regular Faculty and has the power to initiate any legislation requiring approval of the Board of Regents of the University. Subjects for review or legislation may be brought to the attention of the Senate by written communication from any member of the University community or any officially constituted agency.

The officers of the Senate, who also are the officers of the Regular Faculty, are the Chair, the Chair-Elect, and the Secretary.

The Senate meets on the second Monday of each month of the regular school year and on call of the Chair or Chair-Elect or on petition, presented to the Secretary, signed by five members. Meetings are open to all members of the University community and representatives of the news media. However, the Senate may go into executive session by a majority vote of the members present.

(Derived from the Charter of the Regular Faculty and the Faculty Senate)


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2.5 UNIVERSITYOF OKLAHOMA STUDENT ASSOCIATION, NORMAN CAMPUS

Every regularly enrolled student on the Norman Campus is a member of the University of Oklahoma Student Association.

Legislative powers are vested in a legislative branch that consists of an Undergraduate Student Congress and a Graduate Student Senate.

The Undergraduate Student Congress consists of 48 members who serve one-year terms representing academic districts.

The Graduate Student Senate consists of graduate students who are elected by graduate students in their respective departments. Each department of the Graduate College is represented by two delegates.

The executive power is vested in a Student President, who serves for one year following a general election.

The judicial power is vested in a Student Superior Court and such inferior courts as the legislative branch may establish.

The legislative branch makes University-wide student rules and regulations, appropriates all revenues of the Student Association, and confirms or denies nominations made by the Student President.

All bills passed by the legislative branch and enacted by the Student Association, except those dealing specifically with the Student Association's internal operation, are presented for signature of approval to the President of the University. If the President does not approve the bill, it is returned to the legislative branch for reconsideration; if two-thirds of the members of each house agree to pass the bill, it is presented to the Board of Regents of the University for consideration.

(Derived from Constitution of the University of Oklahoma Student Association; Amendments approved by the Regents, 6 -22 -82, 9 -9 -82, 4 -9 -87, 5 -9 -91, 3 -4 -93)


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2.6 STAFF SENATE

The Norman Campus Staff Senate is organized to serve as a representative body of the staff of the Norman Campus of the University and to participate in such policy matters of the University as may directly affect staff appointed through the Norman Campus.

The Senate shall function for the welfare of the University and for the staff they represent and shall function as an advisory and policy referral body to the University administration and to the staff of the Norman Campus.

Member groups shall include without limitation, the Council of Administrative Officers, the Administrative Staff Council, Managerial Staff Council, the Association of the University of Oklahoma Professional Employees, and the Employee-Management Council.

The President is authorized to approve changes in the Charter and By-Laws of the Staff Senate that do not change the purpose of the Staff Senate or the role of the Staff Senate in governance of the University.

(Regents 11 -11 -71, 7 -24 -75, 12 -14 -78, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04)

The general website address for the Norman Campus Staff Senate is http: //www.ou.edu/staff_senate.


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2.7 COUNCILS AND COMMITTEES
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2.7.1 PURPOSE

An effectively organized system of councils and committees is essential to the operation of the University. Councils and committees serve a variety of functions that contribute to the achievement of the University's goals as an educational institution:

(A) They keep the several elements of the University informed of the conditions, policies, and decisions that affect their responsibilities and welfare.
(B) They are a means of marshaling the wide range of knowledge and expertise on all subjects available to the University so that it can contribute to decision-making.
(C) They provide a liaison between officers of the University and other areas of the University, especially the faculty. Through consultation, policy review, and exploration of disagreements, a sound operating relationship can be maintained among all members of the University community.
(D) They bring representatives of the appropriate groups in the University together at an early stage in the process of planning and development of policy and programs.

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2.7.2 RESPONSIBILITIES

To achieve full effectiveness, councils and committees must be:

(A) Representative of the groups appropriate to their particular functions;
(B) Consulted regularly on a schedule that allows time for participation;
(C) Afforded full and immediate access to the information relevant to their interest;
(D) Able to exercise initiative and review actions, as well as respond to proposals put before them; and
(E) Provided benefit of a formal response from the appropriate academic and administrative offices to proposed recommendations or actions.

All councils and committees are given clearly stated charges in writing, and they are asked to make periodic reports to their constituent bodies. The membership of each council and committee is included in the charge. All appointments to University councils and committees by the Faculty Senate are direct appointments and are forwarded to the President for official notification.

The committee structure of the University is kept flexible by periodic review and revision, assuring that committee work does not absorb an undue amount of faculty, staff, and student time. A current listing of councils and committees, their charges, and their membership is maintained in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.


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2.7.3 COUNCILS
(A) Councils
Councils make recommendations to the President on policy and programs in areas of vital significance to the functioning of the University as an educational institution and in special extracurricular areas that deserve the attention of the full representation of the University community. Certain councils are created by the Board of Regents, and their membership and charges are set by the Board of Regents. These include:
Athletics Council (University)
Council on Faculty Awards and Honors (University)
Presidential Professorship Selection Committee
Publications Board (University)
Other councils are established upon recommendation of the Faculty Senate and approval of the President. The President can suggest the establishment of specific new councils to the Senate. Councils can be abolished on recommendation from the Senate and approval of the President. Membership to the following councils is elected by the Faculty Senate and forwarded to the President for official appointment. Councils established in this way for the Norman Campus include:
Academic Programs Council
Budget Council
Campus Planning Council
Council on Continuing Education
Information Technology Council
Research Council
(B) These councils operate according to the following guidelines:
(1) Membership
Membership of the councils will be drawn from the elements of the University relevant to their areas of interest including, as appropriate, faculty, students, and non-academic personnel. Ordinarily, the council membership consists of nine faculty members appointed to three-year terms, with one-third retiring each year. At least one officer of the University administration whose duties are relevant to the work of each council will be designated by the President to be an ex-officio member of the council without a vote. The officer is responsible for assuring that the council is informed of administrative activities and plans appropriate to its charge. When necessary, the officer will provide staff support to the council.
(2) Chair
The chair of each council is elected annually from the faculty members of the council. On the Norman Campus, a select and appropriate group of council chairs will hold ex-officio membership on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.
(President, 8 -6 -85)
(3) Charge to a Council
A charge to a council is recommended to the President by the Faculty Senate. The President gives the charge in writing.

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2.7.4 STANDING COMMITTEES

Standing committees provide the President and his or her staff with counsel and assistance regarding areas of University activity that are important to the fulfillment of an educational mission, but are of less fundamental significance than the areas of council concern. Standing committees are established by recommendation from the Faculty Senate and approval of the President. The President may suggest the establishment of specific committees to the Senate. Committees may be altered in their function or abolished upon recommendation of the Senate and approval of the President.

The membership of a standing committee varies with its function, but faculty participation is desired on all standing committees. The terms of membership are stated in the charge when a committee is established. These standing committees include:

Academic Regulations Committee
Campus Tenure Committee
Commencement Committee (University)
Committee on Discrimination and Harassment
Conflict of Interest Advisory Committee
Copyright Committee
Education Abroad and International Student Services Advisory Committee (University)
Employment Benefits Committee (University)
Environmental Concerns Committee
Faculty Appeals Board Legal Panel
Film Review Committee
Fitness and Recreation Advisory Committee
Goddard Health Center Advisory Board
Honorary Degrees Screening Committee
Honors Council
Tobacco and Parking Violations Appeals Committee
Patent Advisory Committee
ROTC Advisory Committee
Shared Leave Committee
Speakers Bureau
Student Conduct Hearing Panel Pool
University Copyright Committee
University Libraries Committee
University Scholars Selection Committee

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2.7.5 OTHER UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES

Several other types of committees are used as appropriate:

(A) Administrative Advisory Committees
Officers of the University are authorized to establish special advisory committees for subjects not covered by the council or standing committee structure, so long as they do not duplicate the work of the councils and standing committees. These committees are composed of members selected in a way determined by the establishing official. The number and purposes of these committees are reviewed regularly by the President and the Faculty Senate.
(B) Task Forces
A task force is an ad hoc committee designed to accomplish a specific written charge. Members of the task force are selected by the appointing body or officer. Dissolution occurs when the task is completed or at the discretion of the appointing body or officer.
(C) Designated Scholarship Committees
Membership to the following scholarship committees is elected by the Faculty Senate and forwarded to the President for official appointment. The Norman Campus and University-wide committees include:
Bass Memorial Scholarship Fund Committee
Rita H. Lottinville Prize for Freshmen Committee
(Extracted from Structure of University Councils and Committees and from the Charters and the Listings of the Councils and Committees; Presidential Approval 5 -10 -74, 2 -13 -76, 6 -16 -78, 4 10 -81, 4 -17 -81, 7 -1 -81, 4 -24 -86, and 6 -13 -93, 10 -1 -97, 3 -3 -05)

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2.7.6 ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR FACULTY MEMBERS OF A UNIVERSITY COUNCIL OR COMMITTEE

Except as otherwise provided by Regents’ policy, each faculty, staff, and student member is permitted to miss only three regularly scheduled meetings of a University council, committee, or board during an academic year. Absence at more than three regularly scheduled meetings is grounds for removing a faculty, staff, or student member from a University council, committee, or board at the discretion of the chair.

Absences from regularly scheduled meetings may be made up by attendance at specially scheduled meetings at the discretion of the chair.

(Faculty Senate, 10 -3 -83; Presidential Approval, 4 -5 -84)


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2.7.7 RESIGNATION OF FACULTY MEMBERS FROM COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP DURING LEAVES OF ABSENCE

Faculty members who shall be absent from the University for a regular semester or longer because of sabbaticals, leaves of absence, or other activities shall resign all positions on councils, standing committees, and administrative advisory committees of the University. They shall be replaced for the unexpired portions of their terms by faculty members appointed by the President from the names submitted in accordance with established election procedures.

(Faculty Senate, 11 -12 -73; Presidential Approval, 11 -14 -73)


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2.7.8 ADMINISTRATIVE SEARCH COMMITTEES
(A) Administrative Search Committees
The selection of the President and other administrators is the responsibility of the Board of Regents, and any process leading to that selection is the prerogative of the particular Board in office at the time the selection process is to be initiated. It is suggested that administrative search committees make nominations and recommendations concerning candidates and that the President and the Board of Regents be guided by them in most instances, but it is understood that the President and the Board of Regents shall not be bound by nor limited to nominations and recommendations of administrative search committees.
(B) President of the University
It is recommended that the presidential search committee have representation by faculty, student(s), and staff. The Board of Regents appoints these members from nominees selected by the official faculty, staff, and student governance organizations on each campus. Faculty members shall constitute a majority of those chosen from the faculty, staff, and students.
There shall be twice as many nominees as there are positions. The Board of Regents may designate other members as deemed appropriate.
(C) Senior Vice President and Provosts, Vice Presidents, and Vice Provosts
The senior executive search committee shall have faculty, student, and staff representation. The President shall appoint these members from nominees selected by the official faculty, staff and student governance organization on each campus. There shall be twice as many nominees as there are positions. The President may designate other members as deemed appropriate; provided designees from outside the University shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Regents.
(D) Deans
The Dean search committee shall have faculty, student, and staff representation. The procedure for selecting student and staff representation shall be as outlined above. Upon requesting nominations by faculty members, the President shall designate the number of positions to be filled from (1) the general faculty of the particular college or unit involved and (2) the University faculty at large. There shall be at least one position filled from the University faculty at large from nominations made by the official faculty governance organization. In all cases, there shall be twice as many nominees as there are positions. The President shall make all appointments.
(Regents, 5 -12 -83, 3 -20 -95, 1 -27 -04)

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2.8 COLLEGE AND DEPARTMENTAL ORGANIZATION
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2.8.1 COLLEGE ADMINISTRATION
(A) College Organization
To accomplish its academic mission, the University is divided into colleges with a dean as the chief administrative officer. The dean is responsible for an administrative organization designed to meet the particular needs of the college. Assisting the college deans in the responsibilities of their offices will be such staff, including associate deans and assistant deans, as are necessary to fulfill the mission of the college. The programs and faculty of a college usually are divided into separate units such as schools, departments, or divisions. The purpose of these units is to provide groupings for faculty associated with one or more related academic programs and disciplines. This should lead to more active participation by the faculty in carrying out the work of the college. When a college is divided into separate units, the dean shares (or delegates) many of the specific responsibilities outlined in this policy statement with college staff and the chairs/directors of the separate units. In colleges not divided into separate units, the college organization is similar to departmental organization as described in Section 2.8.2. Some colleges, particularly the Graduate College, College of Continuing Education, College of Liberal Studies, and University Libraries, are organized differently due to their unique mission within the University. Some of the responsibilities outlined in this policy statement will not be applicable to all colleges because of various differences among the colleges.
(B) College Governance Documents
College faculty and administrators shall develop written policies and procedures to provide governance for the college. These governance documents shall be subject to review and approval of the Senior Vice President and provost and must be consistent with current policies of the University Regents, President, and Senior Vice President and Provost. The college governance documents shall be reviewed regularly by the college administration and faculty to insure that they comply with current University and college policies. The college governance documents shall address at least the following subjects:
(1) The mission of the college and any of its separate units;
(2) Administrative organization of the college;
(3) Faculty governance within the college, including college committee structure and rules and procedures for faculty meetings;
(4) Procedures and criteria for hiring faculty, staff, and administrators;
(5) Procedures and criteria for annual faculty evaluation;
(6) Procedures and criteria for promotion and tenure;
(7) Procedures and criteria for evaluation of the dean and chairs/directors;
(8) Other policies defining the operation, authority, and policies of any separate units within the college.
(C) General Responsibilities of the Dean
The dean provides leadership and administrative support to the programs and faculty of the college in performing the missions of teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The dean represents the college in relations with the University Regents, the President, the Senior Vice President and Provost, other colleges, and other administrative officers of the University. The dean is responsible to the President through the Senior Vice President and Provost and is accountable to many constituencies including the faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alumni of the college. Whenever appropriate, the dean is expected to consult with, receive advice from, and communicate to the constituent members of the college decisions and recommendations of importance to the college.
(D) Specific Responsibilities of the Dean
The following is a non-exhaustive listing of examples describing specific responsibilities of the dean. From time to time, the Senior Vice President and Provost or the faculty of the college may suggest additional specific responsibilities. In any particular college, the specific responsibilities of the dean may vary depending on the mission, organization, and size of the college. The specific responsibilities of an individual dean in a particular college must be flexible to respect these differences between various colleges and the leadership style of a particular dean.
(1) To the University at large, the Dean is responsible for:
(a) Representing the college whenever appropriate.
(b) Implementing and disseminating information to college faculty and staff about all policies of the University.
(c) Participating in the Dean's Council by advising the Senior Vice President and Provost concerning strategic planning, budgeting needs, University policy changes, activities, matters of mutual interest, and other priorities of the University.
(d) Assisting the President and the Senior Vice President and Provost in the selection of deans and other University administrative officers.
(e) Providing an annual report to the President and other constituencies concerning the performance of the dean's college.
(f) Cooperating with other colleges in the development of interdisciplinary programs consistent with University goals and objectives.
(g) Contributing to a general spirit of University cooperation and collegiality.
(2) To the College, the Dean is responsible for:
(a) Providing leadership in the organization, operations, development, and evaluation of the instructional, research/creative activity, and service programs appropriate to the college and consistent with University and college strategic planning.
(b) Setting priorities for college-level alumni development and fund-raising activities, and assisting the college and its separate units with implementing and maintaining an active alumni development and fund raising program.
(c) Planning, preparing, submitting, and managing the college budget.
(d) Fostering the welfare of the entire college faculty and staff and encouraging, facilitating, and mentoring their work and professional development.
(e) Recommending the appointment, promotion, and tenure of faculty according to University and college guidelines (see Sections 3.5, 3.7, and 3.11).
(f) Implementing personnel policies concerning faculty and staff of the college.
(g) Providing leadership to the faculty in reviewing, evaluating, and developing appropriate curricula and effective academic programs of study within the college.
(h) Seeking advice from faculty, chairs/directors, and staff on matters affecting the college.
(i) When it is in the best interest of a college to effect reorganization among its units in order to respond to new circumstances or to strengthen existing programs, consulting with and informing the college faculty and staff before recommending approval of a recommendation.
(j) Presiding over meetings of the college faculty.
(k) Assuring that faculty and staff have access to University, college, and departmental policies.
(l) Evaluating the performance of unit chairs/directors and other administrative staff reporting to the dean according to University and college policies. (See Section 2.8.2 (e) and (h)).
(m) Initiating procedures to search for chairs/directors and other administrative staff of the college whenever a vacancy occurs. (See Section 2.8.2 (f)).
(n) Evaluating the facility needs of the college and periodically advising the Senior Vice President and Provost of these facility needs.
(o) Implementing the University Affirmative Action Plan and insuring equal opportunity for all faculty, staff, and students who are job applicants to the college.
(p) Developing strategies to recognize outstanding achievements by faculty and staff through appropriate awards and honors.
(q) Fostering a spirit of cooperation and teamwork within the college.
(3) To the students in the College, the Dean is responsible for:
(a) Providing an academic environment that nurtures all students to succeed to the best of their abilities through counseling, professional advice, and other assistance when necessary.
(b) Providing an academic advising system that informs students of all academic requirements of the college and their progress toward meeting those requirements.
(c) Seeking advice from students on matters affecting the college.
(d) Implementing University and college procedures to insure an ethical and equitable academic atmosphere by enforcing policies involving such issues as academic misconduct, academic grade appeals, and ethics in research.
(e) Developing strategies to recognize outstanding achievement by students through appropriate awards and honors.
(f) Enforcing admission and graduation requirements of the college.
(g) On behalf of the faculty, recommending an appropriate degree for students who have met the requirements as determined by University and college regulations.
(4) To external constituencies, the Dean is responsible for:
(a) Cooperating with and providing college-related leadership to University units that support the alumni development, fund raising, government relations, and public relations efforts of the University.
(b) Communicating with graduates and other appropriate external constituencies concerning matters of interest to the college.
(c) Seeking advice from graduates and other appropriate external constituencies concerning matters affecting the college.
(d) Cooperating with the University in disseminating information about the college to the State Regents, the Legislature, and government entities.
(E) Faculty Responsibility of a Dean
In addition to the administrative responsibilities described above, the dean may be involved in teaching, research/creative activity, and service. The extent of involvement in teaching, research/creative activity, and service should be determined by the dean in consultation with the Senior Vice President and Provost. While the dean is normally granted tenure within an academic unit of the college, the dean does not vote at faculty meetings of the unit.
(F) Appointment of a Dean
The dean is normally appointed on a twelve (12) month basis. The dean of a college shall be initially appointed to a specific term as negotiated by the Senior Vice President and Provost, thereafter renewable by the University Regents upon the recommendation of the President.
(G) Retention of a Dean
The dean of the college serves at the pleasure of the President upon the recommendation of the Senior Vice President and Provost and is entitled to 12 months notice of the termination or non-renewal of appointment unless good cause exists. Where termination is for good cause, it may be immediate and without prior notice. Retention or non-retention of a dean is recommended by the Senior Vice President and Provost after completion of the comprehensive evaluation process under Section 2.8.1 (i)2.
(H) Selection Procedure for a New Dean
The selection procedures for a new dean are described in 2.7.8 ("Administrative Search Committees") of the Faculty Handbook.
(I) Performance Evaluation of a Dean
Evaluation of the dean's performance is carried out by the Senior Vice President and Provost. It includes but is not limited to confidential evaluation by the faculty of the college. The faculty's assessment of the performance of their dean is carried out at regular intervals, as described below. The primary purpose of an evaluation is to provide constructive information toward how well job expectations are being met by the dean. The information will be made available to the dean, as well as to the University officers to whom the dean is responsible. A summary of the performance evaluation of the dean shall be shared with the appropriate college committee or group.
(1) Annual Evaluation
An annual performance evaluation will be conducted of all deans by the Senior Vice President and Provost. The annual evaluation shall include:
(a) A self-assessment by the dean.
(b) Confidential evaluation by the faculty of the college conducted by the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(c) A report to the Senior Vice President and Provost from the college faculty and staff concerning the performance of the dean using the procedures and criteria adopted by the college.
(d) A formal consultation between the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(2) Comprehensive Evaluation
A comprehensive performance evaluation of the dean will occur at least every five years and shall be completed at least 12 months prior to the conclusion of a dean's appointed term. In addition to a compilation of the dean's annual evaluations, the comprehensive evaluation shall include input from the faculty, chairs/directors, and staff, students of the college, and other deans and administrative officers of the University. In planning the comprehensive evaluation, the Senior Vice President and Provost will respect differences among the various colleges. The comprehensive evaluation may include an external evaluation.
(3) Evaluation Procedures and Criteria
The faculty of each college in cooperation with the Senior Vice President and Provost shall develop written procedures and criteria for the annual and comprehensive evaluation of the college dean. Evaluation procedures should provide the opportunity for input into the evaluation from the faculty, chairs/directors, staff, students, and appropriate external constituencies of the college.
(J) Vacancy
Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of a college dean, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall appoint an interim or acting dean of the college until a permanent dean assumes responsibility for the college. Prior to the appointment, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall seek input from representatives of the faculty, chairs/directors, and staff of the college involved to obtain advice on an appropriate candidate for the interim or acting dean. (For the effect of an interim appointment on the selection procedure for a new dean, see Section 2.3.15)
(K) Resolution of a Faculty Grievance Concerning the Dean
Faculty complaints about the dean will normally be resolved internally through meetings between the dean and faculty representatives. If dissatisfaction is widespread and the college is unable to resolve it, the college faculty, by a majority vote, may request that the Senior Vice President and Provost appoint a five member ad hoc committee, consisting of three faculty members who do not hold appointments in the involved college, a dean, and another University officer, to conduct an investigation and report its findings to the Senior Vice President and Provost. After receiving the committee report, the Senior Vice President and Provost will determine an appropriate course of action to resolve the grievances.

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2.8.2 DEPARTMENTAL ADMINISTRATION

An academic unit of a college, hereafter called a department, is administered by a chair (or an equivalent title recommended by the college and approved by the Senior Vice President and Provost and President). The chair provides leadership in matters of policy determined by the faculty of the department, operating within guidelines provided by the University of Oklahoma Regents, University administrative officers, and the college. The departmental faculty is defined as all members with the rank of assistant professor or higher. It does not include unranked renewable term appointees, but unranked renewable term faculty may, at the discretion of the department, be given full departmental privileges. In colleges not divided into separate units, the college faculty is the equivalent of the departmental faculty, and the dean performs the duties and functions of the chair.

(A) Departmental Faculty
The departmental faculty has jurisdiction over matters of policy and procedure and the right to choose its own form of organization, as long as these do not conflict with the rules and regulations of its own college or the University. These procedures will be filed with the Senior Vice President and Provost and the dean of the college. As a matter of principle, the faculty is involved in preparing faculty personnel recommendations, and it elects representatives who participate in transmitting formal recommendations.
On the Norman Campus, the departmental form of organization shall include an elected body called Committee A of that budget unit. The members may be elected from 1) tenured faculty or 2) from both tenured and tenure-track faculty or 3) from tenured, tenure-track and ranked renewable term faculty as the faculty of the budget unit determines and the unit's dean approves. Members shall be elected by secret ballots (with provisions for absentee ballots) at duly called faculty meetings in accordance with the procedure formally established by the faculty of each budget unit. Modes of nomination, the number and eligibility of elected members, and terms of office also shall be established by the faculty of each budget unit. The head of the budget unit may serve as chair of Committee A, except that a unit's dean may or may not serve, depending on the unit's formally established procedures. Unless a separate faculty committee established and elected by the voting members of the unit has been assigned any of the following responsibilities, Committee A shall prepare and transmit to the chair formal recommendations as to (1) annual faculty evaluations, (2) budget requests/allocations, (3) increases in salaries of faculty, (4) faculty awards, unless donors have specified that the decision be made through another process, (5) hiring of new faculty, (6) tenure and promotion matters, and (7) such other matters as may be transmitted to Committee A from time to time. (8) Unless a separate faculty committee established and elected by the voting members of the unit has been assigned that responsibility, Committee A shall provide annual written evaluation and guidance, jointly with the Chair, to all tenure-track faculty to aid in their efforts to obtain tenure. Minority opinions may be noted in any formal recommendation forwarded by Committee A.
(B) Departmental Chairs
The chair has a leadership function and is accountable both to the department and the dean for the performance of this function. The chair represents his or her department in relations with other departments, with the deans, and with other administrative officers of the University. The chair is expected to encourage and facilitate the work, quality, and professional development of the department. He or she shall take the initiative in reporting the needs and championing the causes of the department to the dean. This includes a basic responsibility for obtaining merited recognition of faculty members with respect to promotions, salary increases, and support for career development. Other leadership functions include implementing the Affirmative Action Plan, strategic planning, conducting program review, and making tenure recommendations.
(C) Specific Responsibilities of the Chair
The chair provides leadership in all matters of policy as determined by the faculty, dean, and Senior Vice President and Provost. The chair determines procedures for carrying on the work of the department. Such functions shall include (but not be limited to):
(1) determining time and frequency of faculty meetings (at least monthly);
(2) establishing policy for expenditures from departmental budget;
(3) with advice and consultation from Committee A (or such other faculty committee as the voting members of the unit may establish and elect), determining teaching assignments and class schedules for the department; preparing annual faculty evaluations and making recommendations to the dean concerning budget requests/allocations, for increases in salaries for faculty, faculty awards (unless donors have specified that the decision be made by another person or through another process), and hiring of new faculty, tenure, promotion, annual reviews of the progress of tenure track faculty in their efforts to obtain tenure.
(D) Expectations of the Chair
In addition to the administrative responsibilities described above, the chair is expected to be involved in teaching and research/creative activity. The extent of involvement in teaching and research/creative activity should be determined by the dean in consultation with the chair and Committee A.
(E) Evaluation of the Chair
Chairs will be evaluated annually by their dean and departmental faculty. Committee A (excluding the chair) shall prepare an annual evaluation of the chair's teaching, research/creative activity, and service (other than departmental administration) using the standard process and forms for faculty evaluations. For evaluating the administrative effectiveness of the chair, Committee A should solicit formal input from the entire faculty and staff of the unit. These evaluations, together with the dean’s evaluation of the chair's performance, will be discussed with the chair and will be used by the dean as the basis for determining the chair's salary increase.
(F) Selection of Chairs/Directors
(1) Prior to initiating search and nomination procedures for department chair, the faculty of the department should meet with the dean of the college to discuss the needs and expectations of the department as they relate to the appointment of a new chair, the role of the chair, and the type of search (i. e., internal or national) that most likely will assure that an appropriate candidate is recommended and to discuss any budgetary considerations related to the search and appointment of a new chair.
(2) Subsequently, the faculty will recommend to the dean whether the search should be internal or national.
(3) If the dean does not concur with the department faculty's recommendation, the dean will meet with the department faculty to discuss reasons for disagreement. However, the dean's decision will be final and must be consistent with the University's Affirmative Action policies.
(4) For national searches, a search committee will be formed consisting of elected departmental faculty members, one or two students reflecting undergraduate majors and graduate students to the extent appropriate, and members appointed by the dean, including one current department chair. Elected departmental faculty shall constitute the majority. The search committee will review applications and, in consultation with the departmental faculty, will recommend to the dean the candidates for on-campus visits.
(5) After the campus visits, both the search committee and the faculty will rank the acceptable candidates and recommend them to the dean. The dean will forward his/her recommendation to the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(6) The campus Senior Vice President and Provost will approve all appointments of department chairs prior to submission to the President's Office and the Board of Regents.
(G) Appointments of Chair/Directors
(1) Because the University operates on a year-round basis, the chair normally is appointed on a 12 -month basis.
(2) The length of the initial and subsequent appointments shall be fixed at four years.
(3) Normally, an administrative supplement is added to the chair's base salary to be effective during the term of the appointment as chair.
(H) Reappointment
Approximately 12 months before the end of the chair's term, elected members of Committee A shall initiate the proceedings to obtain a formal recommendation from the faculty concerning the reappointment of the chair and transmit it to the dean. If the dean does not concur with the departmental faculty's recommendation, the dean will meet with the department faculty to discuss reasons for disagreement. However, the final decision for reappointment shall be made by the dean.
If the decision is made to recruit a new chair, then the procedure under "Selection of Chairs/Directors" should be followed.
(I) Adjudication of Faculty Grievance Concerning the Chair
Faculty complaints about the chair normally will be resolved by the appropriate dean. If dissatisfaction is widespread and a dean is unable to resolve it, Committee A or the unit faculty by a majority vote may request that the Senior Vice President and Provost appoint an ad hoc committee, consisting of three faculty members who do not hold appointments in the affected college, to conduct an investigation and report its findings to the Senior Vice President and Provost. After receiving the committee report, the Senior Vice President and Provost will determine appropriate courses of action to resolve the grievances.
(Presidential Approval, 3 -1 -45, Revised 3 -25 -49, and as printed in the 1962 Faculty Handbook; Revised, Presidential Approval, 5 -10 -76, 5 12 78, 7 -12 -78, 1 -3 -86, 11 -5 -86; Revised in part, Regents, 7 -28 -93, and President, 7 -20 -95, 3 -15 -05)

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3.0 Faculty Policies and Information
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3.1 FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES

It is the policy of the University to recognize and implement the functions assigned to it by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. These functions are teaching; research and creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach. The responsibility for carrying out this policy is shared by the Board of Regents, administrative officers, and the Regular Faculty.

Since 1942, the Regular Faculty has actively participated in the origination, formulation, and implementation of University policies through a democratically elected Faculty Senate. Today, there are two Senates, one for the Norman Campus and one for the Health Sciences Center Campus. The charter of the Norman Campus Faculty Senate is in Section 10 of this Handbook or can be viewed at www.ou.edu/admin/facsen.


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3.1.1 THE REGULAR FACULTY

The Regular Faculty of the University is composed of all faculty members with regular appointments including tenure-track, tenured, and renewable term appointments at the ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor.

Additional policies related to the Regular Faculty and the Faculty Senate are contained in the Charter of the Regular Faculty and Faculty Senate.


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3.1.2 THE GRADUATE FACULTY

Those who are appointed to the faculty of the University of Oklahoma also may be appointed to the graduate faculty. Additionally, on recommendation of the department and with approval of the Dean of the Graduate College, a member of the Graduate Faculty may direct and/or co-direct doctoral dissertations. Only those who are actively involved in research/creative activity should direct the original work of others. Appointments to the Graduate Faculty are governed by criteria that have been developed and approved by the department/school and then by the Dean of the Graduate College. Individuals wishing such an appointment should contact the chair/director of the recommending department/school or the Graduate College for additional information.

(Derived from the Charter of the Graduate Faculty, Appendix C, Regents 1 -30 -20; Graduate Dean, 9 -12 -84)

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3.2 ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY
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INSTITUTIONAL ACADEMIC FREEDOM

The accumulation and exchange of knowledge are among the preeminent purposes of the University, and the acknowledgement of individual academic freedom is one of the cornerstones to ensure such purposes are achieved. Equally important in meeting these goals is the recognition of the right inherent in the responsibility of the Board of Regents to govern the University. “[I]t is the business of a university to provide that atmosphere which is most conducive to speculation, experiment and creation. It is an atmosphere in which there prevail ‘the four essential freedoms’ of a university – to determine for itself on academic grounds who may teach, what may be taught, how it shall be taught, and who may be admitted to study. ” Sweezy v. New Hampshire, 354 U. S. 234, 263; 77 S. Ct. 1203; 1 L. Ed .2 d 1311 (1957)


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3.2.1 ACADEMIC FREEDOM

The 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 Interpretative Comments of the American Association of University Professors has long been recognized as providing valuable and authoritative guidelines for policy and practice in American colleges and universities. The section on academic freedom below is essentially a restatement of these principles, with some modification and extension consistent with their intent and with later declarations by the Association. In the formulation that follows, these principles have been adopted as University policy by the Board of Regents.

(A) Faculty members are entitled to full freedom in research and publication, subject to any restrictions set by law or by applicable codes of professional ethics, and subject to adequate performance of their other academic duties and to stated University policy on outside employment; but, except under conditions of national emergency, a faculty member should not undertake to do research on University time or using University facilities or funds under any agreement which would (except for a definitely and reasonably limited time) prohibit open communication of the results.
(B) Faculty members are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but it is inappropriate for a teacher persistently to intrude material that has no relation to the subject of instruction.
(C) As members of the community, university teachers have the rights and obligations of any citizen. They measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of their responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. In speaking or acting as private persons, faculty members should avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for their college or university. As a citizen engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, the university teacher has a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.
(D) As citizens, university teachers should be free to engage in political activities consistent with their obligations as teachers and scholars. Subject to University policy some activities, such as seeking election to an office for which extensive campaigning is not required, or service in a part time political office, may be consistent with effective service as a member of the faculty. More extended or intensive activity may require that the faculty member should come under the normal rules and practices respecting leaves of absences; and it should not affect the tenure status of a faculty member, except that time spent on such leave does not count as probationary service.
(E) Freedom of access to recorded knowledge being essential to learning and research in a democracy, the right and the obligation of the university to provide a full range of materials on any subject, even though some views might be currently unpopular or controversial or appear incorrect, shall not be infringed. The principles of academic freedom shall apply to the presence of materials and also to those who provide and those who use them.
The University of Oklahoma endorses the 1957 declaration of the American Association of University Professors which “... asserts the right of college and university students to listen to anyone whom they wish to hear,... affirms its own belief that it is educationally desirable that students be confronted with diverse opinions of all kinds, (and) therefore, holds that any person who is presented by a recognized student or faculty organization should be allowed to speak on a college or university campus. ” Duly constituted organizations at the University may invite speakers without fear of sanctions. However, in the exercise of these rights, it is clearly recognized that:
"Membership in the academic community imposes on students, faculty members, administrators, and trustees an obligation to respect the dignity of others, to acknowledge their right to express differing opinions, and to foster and defend intellectual honesty, freedom of inquiry and instruction, and free expression on and off the campus. The expression of dissent and the attempt to produce change, therefore, may not be carried out in ways which injure individuals or damage institutional facilities or disrupt the classes of one's teachers or colleagues. Speakers on campus must not only be protected from violence but must be given an opportunity to be heard. Those who seek to call attention to grievances must not do so in ways that significantly impede the functions of the institution." (1970 Declaration of the AAUP Council)

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3.2.2 ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY

The concept of academic freedom shall be accompanied by an equally demanding concept of academic responsibility. Nothing in the following statement is intended to abridge in any way the principles and procedures advanced in the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure with 1970 Interpretive Comments of the American Association of University Professors. This statement is derived in substantial measure from the AAUP 1966 Statement on Professional Ethics as revised in 1987.

(A) Faculty members, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end faculty members devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty. Although faculty members may follow subsidiary interests, these interests must never seriously hamper or compromise their freedom of inquiry.
(B) As teachers, faculty members encourage the free pursuit of learning in their students. They hold before them the best scholarly and ethical standards of their discipline. Faculty members demonstrate respect for students as individuals and adhere to their proper roles as intellectual guides and counselors. Faculty members make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct and to ensure that their evaluations of students reflect each student’s true merit. They respect the confidential nature of the relationship between faculty member and student. They avoid any exploitation, harassment, or discriminatory treatment of students. They acknowledge significant academic or scholarly assistance from them. They protect their academic freedom.
(C) As colleagues, faculty members have obligations that derive from common membership in the community of scholars. They do not discriminate against or harass colleagues. They respect and defend the free inquiry of associates. In the exchange of criticism and ideas, faculty members show due respect for the opinions of others. They acknowledge academic debt and strive to be objective in their professional judgment of colleagues. Faculty members accept their share of faculty responsibilities for the governance of their institution.
(D) As members of an academic institution, faculty members seek above all to be effective teachers and scholars. Although faculty members observe the stated regulations of the institution, provided the regulations do not contravene academic freedom, they maintain their right to criticize and seek revision. They give due regard to their paramount responsibilities within their institution in determining the amount and character of work done outside it. When considering the interruption or termination of their service, faculty members recognize the effect of their decision upon the program of the institution and give due notice of their intentions.
(E) As members of their community, faculty members have the rights and obligations of other citizens. They measure the urgency of these obligations in the light of their responsibilities to their subject, to their students, to their profession, and to their institution. When they speak or act as private persons, they avoid creating the impression of speaking or acting for their college of university. As citizens engaged in a profession that depends upon freedom for its health and integrity, faculty members have a particular obligation to promote conditions of free inquiry and to further public understanding of academic freedom.

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3.2.3 OKLAHOMA ETHICS RULES

Faculty are referred to Oklahoma Ethics Rules, sections 257:20 -1 -3 (a) (2), 257:20 -1 -4 (c) (1) and 257:20 -1 -9 (c) (2). These rules are promulgated by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, not the legislature, but they have the force and effect of law and there are civil penalties available for violating them.

As state employees, instructional faculty can:

(A) NEITHER ASK FOR NOR RECEIVE ANYTHING AT ALL that actually affects the performance or nonperformance of their duties or impairs the independence of their judgment: and
(B) can NOT RECEIVE MORE THAN $100 in aggregate per year (including items provided to the employee’s immediate family members) from (1) a lobbyist or lobbyist principal, or 2) a person or entity seeking to do business with the University, or 3) anyone who has an economic interest in a decision pending with the employee or his department.
The University of Oklahoma relies on the state ethics rules to set minimum standards of propriety with respect to conduct by all University employees, The Norman Campus Faculty Handbook establishes obligations for instructional faculty to discharge their duties competently and without exploitation of students, and makes other financial pursuits secondary to the overriding obligation to the institution and students. There is additional information regarding the Oklahoma Ethics Commission available at www.ethics.state.ok.us, click on 2007 Amendments (final).

(Regents 9 -12 -07)


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3.3 FACULTY ACCOUNTABILITY

A faculty member is held accountable for his or her performance in fulfilling faculty duties and in meeting the requirements of academic responsibility and University policies. Persons who accept full-time employment at the University owe their first duty to the University. Any other employment or enterprise in which they engage for income must be secondary to their University duties. The most immediate agents of faculty accountability are the faculty member's chair or director and Committee A, who should maintain close and regular communication with the faculty member. Among the various mechanisms for ensuring faculty accountability, the most important include annual evaluations for possible salary increases, annual progress towards tenure letters for tenure-track faculty on the Norman Campus, post-tenure reviews for tenured faculty on the Norman Campus and such periodic evaluations as those for advancement in rank. These processes have the primary function of identifying meritorious performance to be rewarded, but they also provide a means by which the University may strengthen itself by identifying needs for improved performance.

Meritorious and responsible faculty performance is first and foremost an individual professional obligation. But it is also the product of a cooperative effort by faculty members and administrative officers assisting one another, informing one another and, jointly seeking to assure that each faculty member's capabilities are developed fully and creatively. Performance that is lacking in merit or responsibility, when identified, is a challenge both to the individual and to the academic unit and its leaders in their exercise of the unit's career development responsibilities. Just as faculty members are held accountable for their performance, administrators of academic units are held accountable for their leadership in the career development of the faculty in their units.

Counseling, career development support, and other kinds of administrative remedies are available to academic units in their normal operations as a means of attempting to rectify poor professional performance or breaches of academic responsibility. If normal administrative remedies fail to correct a faculty member's poor professional performance or breach of academic responsibility, the President may consider applying a minor sanction, such as a formal reprimand. Prior to any such action, the President shall have consulted fully with the appropriate academic administrative officers including the appropriate chair or director, dean, and Senior Vice President and Provost.

For those cases where they are needed, the University has at its disposal the more drastic measures of severe sanctions.


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3.4 FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

In each case where tenure is awarded, there must be assurance that continuing financial support can reasonably be anticipated. The Senior Vice President and Provost for each campus, in conjunction with the respective deans, shall determine whether funds are sufficiently secure to support the awarding of tenure.

(Regents, 1 -27 -2004)


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3.5 FACULTY PERSONNEL ACTIONS/APPOINTMENTS
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3.5.1 PERSONNEL ACTIONS

The President or the President’s authorized designee is authorized to approve the appointment of and fix the salary and terms of office of the following categories of personnel within funds available in the budgets approved by the Board of Regents (including reserve for contingencies) or within grant funds received by the University.

(A) Appointments, salaries, and other changes for members of the faculty whether part-time or full-time, unless full-time equivalent salary for the academic year will be $100,000 or more.
(B) Part-time graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research assistants, and consultants.
(C) Appointments, salaries, and other changes, including leaves of absence, for all members of the faculty and staff for terms of three months or less.
(D) Changes in title for tenured or tenure-eligible members of the faculty not involving a change in rank or salary.
(E) Appointments of part-time instructors for terms of less than one semester during the regular academic year.
(F) Personnel in the administrative staff, managerial staff, professional staff, administrative officer, and executive officer classifications unless the full-time equivalent annual salary will be $100,000 or more.
(G) Non-exempt employees and supervisory staff.
(Regents, 12 -13 -73, 9 -2 -76, 2 -8 -79, 3 -8 -90, 10 -19 -99, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04, 6 -27 -19, 9 -11 -19)

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3.5.2 APPOINTMENTS

Regular faculty appointment(s) to an academic position must be (a) tenure-track appointment (beginning and terminating at a specified date), (b) a tenured appointment (beginning with and following the granting of tenure) or (c) renewable term appointment (renewable annually for a fixed term); and must be at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor.

(A) Appointment of New Faculty
In the appointment of new faculty, action is initiated by the academic unit through the respective dean to the Senior Vice President and Provost, President and in accord with the prevailing policies of the Board of Regents. The University follows the law of the land regarding equal opportunity.
(1) Formal Offer--The formal offer of appointment must come from the Senior Vice President and Provost or the President and shall include supplemental information necessary to access an on-line copy of the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook, the Human Resources website regarding employee benefits, and the website for information regarding various compliance and intellectual property policies. For those whose full-time equivalent salary is $100,000 or more, the offer will include the statement that the appointment is contingent upon the approval of the Board of Regents.
(2) Contract—For those appointments that require Board of Regents’ approval, if the appointment is approved by the Board of Regents, a Contract of Employment will be furnished to the applicant for signature if the formal offer is accepted. Included in this contract will be the approved rank and salary and a statement indicating that the applicant has read the faculty handbook along with the necessary additions to reflect policies current at the time of appointment and accepts appointment in accord with University policies, with the understanding that policies of the University are subject to change by the Board of Regents.
(Regents, 9 -18 -09, 9 -11 -19)
(B) Appointment Period
Faculty appointments for the academic year are made for the period August 16 through May 15, though the instructional period may not correspond precisely to these dates. It is the responsibility of the appropriate chair or dean to notify each faculty member of the date the faculty member is expected to start work. The appointment period for the first semester ends December 31, even though the semester may end at a different time.
(Regents, 3 -8 -84)
Some faculty members on the Norman Campus who have administrative responsibilities are appointed on a 12 -month basis, for the period July 1 through June 30.
Summer term appointments for both campuses for the regular eight-week period are effective June 1 through July 31. Again, the appointment period does not coincide exactly with the instructional period.
(C) Tenure-Track, Tenured, Renewable Term, and Temporary Appointments
Faculty appointments may be tenure-track, tenured, renewable term, or temporary.
(Regents, 2 -12 -76, 12 -13 -84, 1 -27 -2004)
For simplicity, the term "regular faculty appointment" refers to those appointments that are tenure-track appointments, tenured appointments, or renewable term appointments at the academic ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor.
(1) All other academic appointments are temporary (non-regular) and shall be indicated by such titles as instructor or lecturer or by the use of such adjectives as visiting, adjunct, affiliate, or acting. On the Norman Campus temporary faculty may be appointed with either modified or unmodified titles as recommended by the academic unit in conformance with the Senior Vice President and Provost’s Recommended Faculty Title Usage policy. Persons holding temporary appointments are not eligible for tenure and their contract shall so specify.
(Regents, 3 -9 -78, 1 -28 -2021)
(2) Renewable term faculty with the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor are regular faculty but are not tenure-track or tenured. Any academic unit may request such faculty appointments, if the unit has dean and Senior Vice President and Provost approved requirements for evaluation and promotion of these faculty. Ranked (assistant, associate, professor) renewable term faculty participate fully in all aspects of faculty governance except deliberations regarding tenure.
At no time may the number of renewable term faculty exceed twenty percent of the number of regular faculty on the Norman Campus.
(D) Split Appointments
Appointments between two or more academic units or colleges are not only possible but are encouraged when they benefit the University, provided they (a) do not total more than 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) and (b) are approved by all the units and colleges involved. Such appointments must have the approval of the appropriate administrative officials of all units involved.
Before a faculty member first receives a split appointment, the appropriate academic units must first mutually determine, record in writing, and secure administrative approval for all conditions of the appointment pertaining to such matters as probationary period, criteria for tenure and promotion, and procedures for recommending salary increases and reappointment or non-reappointment. The appointee shall receive a copy of this agreement.
In the case of faculty members holding a split appointment, it is expected that the chair/directors and Committees A from both units shall collaborate on one annual evaluation, one progress-towards-tenure letter, and one record for any other form of review and evaluation. In the case wherein there is disagreement between the academic units as to the appropriate evaluation, the next higher academic administrator shall resolve the conflict. For split appointments wherein both academic units are within the same college, this person shall be the academic dean of the college; for split appointments across two colleges or provost-direct academic units, this person shall be the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(E) Part-Time Faculty Appointments
A part-time appointment is one at less than 1.0 (FTE). At the time of any part-time faculty appointment, the appointee and the University must reach a clear understanding of the terms of the appointment. This understanding shall be in writing and signed by the parties, and the appointee shall be given a copy.
A non-regular appointee shall have no voice or vote in faculty or department meetings and is not entitled to achievement of academic tenure within the department in which the appointee holds such appointment. The term of appointment shall be temporary.
(Regents 12 -6 -60,1 -26 -99, 3 -29 -00, 12 -3 -2002, 1 -27 -2004, 6 -23 -04, 9 -17 /18 -09, 9 -11,19, 1 -28 -21)

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3.5.3 RESEARCH FACULTY – NORMAN CAMPUS

The research faculty position is non-tenure track, term appointment at the rank of research assistant professor, research associate professor, or research professor whose compensation is generated by grants and/or contracts. This track is used to recruit and retain top research scholars to support and enhance the major research programs and initiatives at the University. Candidates for these positions must demonstrate significant capability or potential both to conduct high quality research and to obtain external funds. The primary responsibilities of these faculty will be research; creative/scholarly activity and research-related activities such as proposal writing, project management and teaching; and service and public outreach specifically linked to their research programs (for example, supervision of graduate students and service for professional organizations). Notwithstanding the term of the appointment, the existence of any research professor position is at all times subject to the availability of grant, contract, or bridge funding.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

(A) RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF RESEARCH FACULTY
Since this policy covers a position devoted primarily to research, with some related teaching and service and public outreach responsibility, it is expected that both the Vice President for Research and the Senior Vice President and Provost will have a determining role in the approval of personnel covered by this policy.
A University research group is eligible for a research faculty position when it can document that the group has a research program that can bring in sufficient funds to pay all costs of the program plus those of the proposed position for at least three years without additional Educational & General University funding.
In addition, the academic unit with which the research faculty is most closely allied shall have policies in place for recruiting, evaluating, and promoting research professors at the ranks of assistant, associate, and full research professor. These policies shall be determined by the academic unit in conjunction with the director of the research program and Committee A and approved by the dean, Vice President for Research, and Senior Vice President and Provost.
Candidates for research faculty positions are to be recruited and appointed through a process similar to that used for hiring other temporary faculty, except as provided in this policy. The director of the research group will request from the Senior Vice President and Provost, in consultation with the Vice President for Research, permission to recruit for the position. The positions may be advertised in appropriate national publications and applications shall be reviewed by a search committee chaired by the director of the research group funding the position. The search committee shall also consist of tenure track or tenured faculty within the academic unit and at least one tenure track or tenured faculty member from outside the academic unit. Applicants for these positions shall be considered eligible if they meet the required qualifications determined by the head of the research program and the other members of the search committee. The search committee shall recommend a candidate to the academic unit’s Committee A and Chair/Director for approval. Committee A and the chair shall present the approved candidate, along with a recommendation for rank, to the tenured and tenure-track faculty for a vote.
Once the academic unit has made a recommendation and the academic dean has endorsed this recommendation, the credentials of the candidate and the final recommendation to hire the candidate for the research faculty position shall be reviewed by the Vice President for Research, whose recommendation shall be forwarded to the Senior Vice President and Provost for review prior to presentation to the President and the Board of Regents. All subsequent practices currently in place for temporary faculty appointments would apply in these cases as well. Contractual documents shall state clearly these appointments will not become tenure-track.
Research faculty appointments are temporary term appointments not subject to the seven-year probationary period applicable to tenure-track faculty. Should a tenure-track position become available in the academic unit, an individual in a research faculty position is eligible to apply. Standard external search procedures for tenure track vacancies shall be rigorously followed.
(B) SALARY, BRIDGE FUNDING, PROMOTION, AND RAISES FOR RESEARCH FACULTY
The salary awarded those appointed to these positions will be paid from the grant(s) and/or contract(s) funding the research program. Initial salary and rank will be commensurate with experience and national standards. Continued employment of a research faculty during the term of the contract will depend on the availability of external funding. In the event of a break in the continuity of funding during the period of a research faculty member’s appointment, the individual may apply, with the approval of his or her research unit, for bridge funding only after three years of service, subject to two limitations: (1) the individual will be eligible for bridge funding in an amount equal to one-half the total indirect cost generated by the grants and contracts on which he or she has been appointed, up to a maximum of 12 months’ salary, and (2) the university will provide no more than 12 months’ salary, regardless of the amount of indirect cost generated. The University will establish budgetary procedures for bridge funding. Academic units will not be required to assume any obligations for funding of research faculty salaries. All bridge funds shall come from a percentage of indirect costs set aside in an escrow account.
The budgetary considerations of these positions will follow the same path as do regular faculty appointments.
Evaluation and promotion procedures for research faculty shall be those applicable to other temporary faculty, except that the nature of their non-tenure, term appointments means that they will be evaluated and promoted primarily based on their research and funding productivity. Raises will be awarded in the same manner as they are for regular faculty.
(C) GOVERNANCE ISSUES FOR RESEARCH FACULTY
Research faculty are not governing faculty and shall not be eligible to vote regarding departmental affairs, policies, procedures, tenure, promotion, administrative searches, Committee A, the Faculty Senate or other similar governance issues.
(D) CAPS ON RESEARCH FACULTY APPOINTMENTS
An initial cap on these research faculty appointments will be set at five percent of the number of all tenured/tenure-track faculty appointments on the Norman Campus. After a full evaluation of the program, the percentage may increase up to ten percent, but not beyond that point.
(E) IMPACT EVALUATION
The impact of these research faculty appointments will be reviewed at regular intervals. The first such review will occur within three years; then review will occur every five years. These periodic evaluations will be undertaken by the Senior Vice President and Provost, the Vice President for Research, the University Vice President for Technology Development, and the Faculty Senate or their designees.
(Regents, 5 -7 -99, 1 -27 -04)

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3.5.4 REAPPOINTMENT AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT

Action on the reappointment of tenure-track and ranked renewable term appointees is initiated by the academic unit through the respective dean to the Senior Vice President and Provost, President, and Board of Regents. Any final decision not to reappoint a faculty member shall be determined by the Board of Regents.


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3.5.5 (A) NOTIFICATION OF NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF TENURE-TRACK CONTRACT

A faculty member with a tenure-track appointment who is not to be reappointed for a second year of service must be so notified no later than March 1; or, if the first year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than three months before the end of the appointment period.

A faculty member with a tenure-track appointment who is not to be reappointed to a third year of service must be so notified no later than December 15 of the second year of appointment; or, if the second year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than six months before the end of the appointment period.

A faculty member with a tenure-track appointment who is not to be reappointed to a fourth or subsequent year of service must be so notified no later than May 31 of the year preceding the final year of appointment; or, in the case of an appointment ending at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than twelve months before the end of the appointment period.

All notifications of non-reappointment shall be given in writing by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

(Regents, 7 -22 -81)

If the notification practices prescribed in the foregoing paragraphs of this section are not followed, the faculty member may appeal to the Faculty Appeals Board.


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3.5.5 (B) NOTIFICATION OF NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF A RANKED RENEWABLE TERM CONTRACT

A faculty member with a ranked, renewable term appointment who is not to be reappointed for a second year of service must be so notified no later than March 1; or, if the first year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than three months before the end of the appointment period.

A faculty member with a ranked, renewable term appointment who is not to be reappointed to a third year of service must be so notified no later than December 15 of the second year of appointment; or, if the second year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than six months before the end of the appointment period.

A faculty member with a ranked, renewable term appointment who is not to be reappointed to a fourth or subsequent year of service must be so notified no later than May 31 of the year preceding the final year of appointment; or, in the case of an appointment ending at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than twelve months before the end of the appointment period.

All notifications of non-reappointment shall be given in writing by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

If the notification practices prescribed in the foregoing paragraphs of this section are not followed, the faculty member may appeal to the Faculty Appeals Board.


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3.5.5 (C) Non-reappointment to a subsequent term

A ranked, renewable term faculty member should receive a comprehensive evaluation of their performance in the penultimate year of their fixed term. If they are not to be renewed for a subsequent term, they should be notified by May 31 of the penultimate year of their fixed term.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 5 -17 -05)


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3.5.6 RESIGNATION

It is a professional expectation that a regular faculty member who elects to resign his or her appointment give written notice at the earliest possible opportunity to the chair of director of the academic unit. Timely notice of resignation is needed to allow sufficient time for the academic unit to seek appropriate personnel to cover the teaching assignments of the resigning faculty person and provide a smooth transition for students. A regular faculty member who elects to resign his or her appointment is obligated to give notice in writing at the earliest possible opportunity, but not later than May 15. A faculty member may request a waiver of this requirement.

For faculty and staff with 12 -month appointments, resignations shall be effective on the last day of service of the employee, and an employee shall not be paid for a holiday if the last day of service was prior to the holiday period.

(Regents, 1 -17 -57, 3 -29 -00, 3 -27 -08, Senior Vice President and Provost 1 -29 -08)


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3.6 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE FACULTY

Above all else, the University exists for learning and scholarship of a breadth and depth that result in excellence in all of the University's major missions: teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity, and professional and University service and public outreach. Each academic unit has an obligation to contribute to each of the missions of the University. Faculty members play a central role in the realization of these missions and fulfill the obligations of the academic unit by contributing their unique expertise and competence. Decisions regarding tenure, promotions, and salary increases are based upon an assessment of the faculty member's performance and contributions to the total mission of the University.


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3.6.1 TEACHING

Teaching, which is the transmission of knowledge and cultural values, focuses upon helping students learn. As a part of its mission, the University is dedicated to undergraduate, graduate, professional and continuing education. Teaching includes, but is not restricted to, giving regularly scheduled instruction, directing graduate work, and counseling and advising students. This includes the direction or supervision of students in reading, research, internships, or fellowships. Faculty supervision or guidance of students in recognized academic pursuits that confer no University credit also should be considered as teaching. Faculty performing non-administrative professional duties for which they are employed shall be regarded as engaged in teaching when the clear and direct purpose and function of these activities is academic instruction. Professional librarians in the discharge of their professional duties shall be regarded as engaged in teaching.


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3.6.2 RESEARCH AND CREATIVE/SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

Research, which is the development and validation of new knowledge, focuses upon faculty participation in the extension of knowledge and maintenance of professional development and vitality. Research means systematic, original investigation directed toward the enlargement of human knowledge or the solution of contemporary problems. Creative/scholarly activity is understood to mean significantly original or imaginative accomplishment in literature, the arts, or the professions. The criteria for judging the original or imaginative nature of research or creative/scholarly activity must be the generally accepted standards prevailing in the applicable discipline or professional area. To qualify as research or creative/scholarly activity, the results of the endeavor must be disseminated and subject to critical peer evaluation in a manner appropriate to the field in question.

Included as a meritorious type of scholarly achievement are technology transfer successes and patent awards.


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3.6.3 PROFESSIONAL AND UNIVERSITY SERVICE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH

Professional and University service and public outreach is work done or duties performed by a faculty member to advance the interests and capabilities of various communities, either inside or outside the University. These activities should stem from the faculty member's professional expertise (which is expertise deriving from the individual's professional activities in the categories of teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity, and professional and University service and public outreach, as described herein), and they should support and enhance the faculty member's scholarly stature. The evaluation of professional and University service and public outreach should be in terms of quality and effectiveness of performance and should take into account: (1) the relation of the service and public outreach to the general welfare and efficacy of the University's missions; (2) the relation to the welfare and furtherance of the faculty member's discipline; (3) the effect of the service and public outreach on development of a faculty member's value, professional competence, or professional skills; (4) the enhancement of the capabilities of University colleagues in their teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity and professional and University service and public outreach.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

In encouraging appropriate service and public outreach and in its evaluation, it is convenient to distinguish service and public outreach as taking place within three primary communities: the community of the scholarly discipline of the faculty member, the University community, and the community of the public at-large. The weighting of these three components of service and public outreach may vary according to the specific academic unit and individual assignments within the unit. Each academic unit shall establish, publish, and periodically review criteria for evaluating service and public outreach. The criteria, which should be reflective of the unit's objectives, shall be approved by the dean after providing the opportunity for review and consultation by appropriate University bodies that may especially rely on or benefit from specific service activities and public outreach in that unit. Appropriate University bodies shall be designated by the dean and Senior Vice President and Provost.

In cases in which extensive service and public outreach assignments might limit a faculty member's involvement in any area of faculty responsibility, the relative weighting of categories for evaluation may need to be modified. A written understanding should be approved by the dean and the chair of the academic unit at the time the assignment is made and filed in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Such extensive service and public outreach assignments might include, for example, serving as a high-ranking official for a professional society or a professional journal, serving as the chair of a department or vital University committee, or serving as the director of a public outreach center.

(A) Service to the Discipline
The continued advancement of knowledge or artistic achievement within a scholarly discipline relies integrally on leadership and service provided by its practitioners at state, national, and international levels. The leadership and service activities of a faculty member on behalf of these communities brings prestige to the University and enhances the University's visibility and its scholarly and academic reputations. Service to the discipline might include activities such as official service in relevant professional societies; service on state, national, or international commissions, advisory boards, or agencies related to the faculty member's discipline or profession; service on academic review or accreditation boards; editing professional journals or other publications; reviewing books in professional journals; reviewing research grant proposals; refereeing research papers submitted for publication; and participating in organizing research conferences or professional meetings.
(B) Service to the University
The nature of the academic enterprise is such that the faculty shares in the formulation of University policies and in making and carrying out decisions affecting the educational and scholarly life of the University. Accordingly, faculty members have a responsibility to contribute to the government and leadership of the University through timely participation on committees, councils, or other advisory groups at the department, college, and University level. In addition, faculty members sometimes are called upon to perform extensive administrative tasks that are essential to the operations of the University. These include positions such as department chair/director, associate or assistant dean, or director of a program or special center.
(C) Public Outreach
Public outreach is the application of knowledge gained through professional activities; it generally focuses upon resolution of contemporary problems, policy analysis, identification of new areas for inquiry and development, and sharing knowledge with the larger geographical community. Appropriate public outreach activities might include artistic or humanistic presentations; health care delivery; professional consultation; service on local, state, national, or international commissions, advisory boards, or agencies (public or private); participation in a professional capacity in programs sponsored by student, faculty, or community groups; participation in continuing education instructional activities including those sponsored through the College of Continuing Education; service in an organizational or advisory capacity for particular University programs; and public relation activities that serve the University's interests such as appearances as a University representative before government bodies or citizen groups.
(Regents, 12 -14 -78, 7 -22 -81, 12 -12 -85, 1 -15 -87; Revised in part, 5 -9 -91, 1 -27 -04)

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3.7 FACULTY TENURE

Tenure implies a mutual responsibility on the part of the University and the tenured faculty member. In granting tenure to a faculty member, the University makes a commitment to the faculty member’s continued employment, subject to certain qualifications. The University expects that tenured faculty members will maintain the level of performance by which they initially earned tenure. In those exceptional cases when it is recommended that a faculty member be permitted to reduce his or her employment to less than full time and maintain a tenured status, specific approval must be granted by the Board of Regents.

Faculty members accorded tenure will normally commence their tenure appointments in the academic year immediately following the action of the Board of Regents.


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3.7.1 Academic Tenure - Norman Campus
(A) Definitions
The term “tenure” means continuous reappointment to an achieved academic rank in accordance with the 1947 action of the Board of Regents. It is hereinafter understood that tenure must be granted or denied by specific action of the Board of Regents.
Tenure is designed as a means to protect the academic freedom of faculty members. This is to say, tenure is a means to assure unfettered, unbiased, unencumbered search, verification, and communication of truth by professional scholars and teachers. Tenure is designed to provide faculty members with freedom from political, doctrinaire, and other pressures, restraints, and reprisals which would otherwise inhibit the independent thought and actions in their professional responsibility of search, verification, and communication of truth.
(B) The term “probationary period” refers to the period of employment in an academic rank prior to the time tenure is granted for those faculty hired as tenure track faculty. Notwithstanding different uses of the term elsewhere (as in some statements of the American Association of University Professors), the probationary period does not include any period of employment following the awarding of tenure.
(C) The term “prior service” means academic employment at an institution of higher education (including the University) before the first appointment in the effective probationary period as a tenure track faculty member at the University.

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3.7.2 ELIGIBILITY FOR TENURE
(A) All tenure-track faculty of the University of assistant professor or above are eligible for tenure.
(B) It is understood that a faculty member who has been granted tenure by the University, and thereafter accepts an administrative post within the University, retains tenured status as a member of the faculty.
(C) When an initial appointment is made to a position which is primarily administrative but carries with it academic rank of assistant professor or above, specific understanding should be reached at the time of offer with the individual concerned and agreed to in writing by the Senior Vice President and Provost, the dean, chair/director, and the faculty of the appropriate academic unit as to whether the individual will be reviewed for tenure at the proper time and what conditions must be met before there is tenure eligibility. *
Whenever a tenure-track faculty member during the probationary period assumes primary administrative responsibilities, agreement should be reached in the same manner. Likewise, whenever an administrator is given academic rank at any time following the initial appointment, the same would apply.
(D) It is understood that a faculty member who has been granted tenure by the University and thereafter changes from a full-time appointment to a volunteer or part-time faculty appointment forfeits tenured status unless the change is temporary or results from the faculty member's being in phased retirement.
(Regents, 12 -15 -83)
*Academic titles of administrators or professionals are for the same period as the administrative appointment and do not continue beyond it unless the individual is awarded tenure at the time of appointment or is given full-time employment as a faculty person after the administrative duties cease. (Presidential Approval, 8 -15 -77)

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3.7.3 PROBATIONARY PERIODS
(A) The "Contract of Employment" furnished to a candidate for appointment to a tenure-track faculty position shall specify, in addition to the rank and salary, the length of the probationary period entailed in the appointment and any special conditions pertaining to the appointment. All such conditions must be set forth in writing by the Senior Vice President and Provost whenever any faculty appointment is offered.
(B) The probationary period for a faculty member whose effective date of appointment is later than the start of the academic year but no later than the first day of the second semester will be considered as dating from the beginning of the first semester, provided that the department or division in question and the Senior Vice President and Provost agree. If the effective date of appointment is later than the first day of the second semester, the probationary period shall begin with the first semester of the next academic year. (Note 1)
(Regents, 3 -8 -84)
Note 1: The beginning of academic year appointments on the Norman Campus is August 16 with the beginning of the second semester January 1.
(C) For a faculty member being appointed to a tenure-track position, whose initial appointment is at the rank of assistant professor or associate professor, the probationary period shall be six academic years or twelve regular semesters, except in cases noted below.
(D) Included in the probationary period is prior full-time service (up to a maximum of three years) in professorial ranks at other institutions of higher education unless the faculty member requests in writing at the time of the first regular appointment that such service should not be included and the academic unit, the dean, and the Senior Vice President and Provost approve. Included also is prior regular full-time service (up to a maximum of three years) which the appointee may have performed in the past at the University in the rank of assistant professor or above unless the faculty member requests in writing at the time the faculty member is most recently appointed to a tenure-track position that such service should not be included and the academic unit, the dean, and the Senior Vice President and Provost approve.
Prior full-time service as assistant professor or in a comparable non-professorial rank at other institutions of higher education and prior full-time service on temporary appointments at the rank of assistant professor at the University may be counted as part of the probationary period if this arrangement is agreed upon in writing at the time of the first regular appointment. The parties to such an agreement are the appointee, the faculty and the chair/director of the appropriate academic unit, the dean, and the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(Regents, 2 -16 -78)
(E) In certain extraordinary cases, tenure may be awarded to faculty members of exceptionally high merit prior to the end of the sixth probationary year. The chair/director of the academic unit must obtain approval from the dean and Senior Vice President and Provost prior to having a faculty member submit a dossier for review. Any academic unit’s recommendation to award tenure before the end of the usual probationary period should be accompanied by an accounting of compelling reasons for this action. (Note 2) If the University's decision at that time is not to confer tenure, however, the faculty member in question may, subject to continuation or renewal of contract, continue to serve in the probationary period and be considered for tenure again without prejudice.
Note 2: Early consideration for tenure ought not to be an expected reward for outstanding performance. There should be other "compelling reasons" for any exception to the normal probationary period, and any unit considering such a recommendation should confer with the dean prior to proceeding with the tenure consideration. Early tenure cannot be initiated without prior written approval of the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 7 -8 -81)
(F) A new faculty member appointed at the rank of professor or associate professor may be given tenure from the date of appointment, or the probationary period may be set at two, three, or four years, when prior service in a professorial rank at another institution is less than three years. Persons with three or more years of such prior service may have a probationary period of no more than three years. The probationary period's length shall be set by the tenured members of the appointee's academic unit, subject to agreement by the dean and Senior Vice President and Provost at the time of the formal offer of appointment. If a majority of the unit's tenured faculty members favor tenure upon appointment, the determination of tenure shall be made based on the candidate’s application, letters of recommendation, and summary of the search committee recommendations and shall include a vote of the tenured faculty, a recommendation from Committee A, a recommendation from the chair/director, a recommendation from the Dean, and a recommendation from the Senior Vice President and Provost to the President, and a final recommendation from the President to the Board of Regents.
(Regents 10 -25 -04)
(G) Whenever a non-regular or renewable term faculty member is hired into a tenure-track position following a faculty search, with the rank of assistant professor or above, specific written understanding must be approved by the Senior Vice President and Provost as to if and how the period of non-regular service or renewable term service will be counted toward satisfying the probationary period for tenure.
(H) A maximum of one year of leave of absence without pay may be counted as part of the probationary period, provided the department chair or school director in question records in writing its prior agreement and secures administrative approval from the dean and Senior Vice President and Provost. Leaves of absence without pay counted as part of the probationary period must entail appropriate evaluation of professional activities carried out during the leave. At the written request of the faculty member and with the approval of the academic unit, dean, and Senior Vice President and Provost, a tenure-track faculty member may be granted an extension of the probationary period because of circumstances such as family or personal crises or pregnancy.
(I) During the probationary period, a faculty member will be provided by the chair/director of the academic unit with both an annual, written evaluation of performance during the past calendar year and a progress towards tenure letter that reviews the faculty member’s entire probationary period at the University.
Such annual evaluation from the most recent spring evaluation cycle shall be provided prior to the applicable notification deadline for reappointment, with a copy sent to the dean.
(J) A faculty member at any rank who submits a tenure dossier and is denied tenure shall be retained on the faculty until the end of the academic year following that in which there was notification of the denial, unless there are reasons to the contrary.
(K) Faculty members accorded tenure will normally commence their tenured appointments in the academic year immediately following the action of the Board of Regents.

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3.7.4 CRITERIA FOR THE TENURE DECISION

The choices that the University makes in granting tenure are crucial to its endeavors toward academic excellence. A decision to grant tenure must reflect an assessment of high professional competence and performance measured against national standards. Tenure should never be regarded as a routine award.

The tenure decision shall be based on a thorough evaluation of the candidate's total contribution to the mission of the University. While specific responsibilities of faculty members may vary because of special assignments or because of the particular mission of an academic unit, all evaluations for tenure shall address the manner in which each candidate has performed in:

(A) Teaching
(B) Research or Creative/Scholarly Activity
(C) Professional and University Service and Public Outreach

Above all else, it is essential to any recommendation that tenure be granted that the faculty member has clearly demonstrated scholarly attainment, primarily but not exclusively through teaching and research or creative/scholarly activity.

Each academic unit, with the participation and approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost, shall establish and publish specific criteria for evaluating faculty performance in that unit, so long as those criteria are in accord with this policy. These criteria may be changed by the faculty of the unit from time to time with the approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost. The Senior Vice President and Provost's approval of the revised criteria shall indicate a date on which they become effective. The revised criteria shall apply to all faculty in the unit appointed to the tenure-track after the effective date. Untenured faculty in the tenure-track on the effective date shall be subject to the revised criteria in instances where the changes affect only the process by which the unit ascertains the quality of individual faculty performance. When the revisions involve changes in the quality of faculty performance required for granting tenure, faculty already in the tenure-track shall remain subject to the previous criteria unless these faculty consent to the new criteria in writing.

In those cases in which specific assignments might limit the faculty member's involvement in any area of faculty responsibility, a written understanding to this effect should be filed in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and approved by the dean and the chair of the academic unit at the time the assignment is made.

The award of tenure carries with it the expectation that the University shall continue to need the services the faculty member is capable of performing and that the financial resources are expected to be available for tenured employment. It also carries the expectation that the faculty member will maintain or improve upon the level of achievement which characterized the qualifications for tenure.


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3.7.5 PROCEDURES FOR THE TENURE DECISION
(A) A faculty member who is eligible for tenure consideration should be notified by the chair of the academic unit by May 15 before the initial vote by the faculty member's colleagues. (See (f) below.)
(B) At the time of notification, the candidate for tenure shall be requested to submit material which will be helpful to an adequate consideration of the faculty member's performance or professional activities in relationship to the tenure criteria. The candidate should be advised to consult with the chair or any other senior colleagues concerning the materials to include. It should be made clear, however, that responsibility for the contents resides with the candidate.
Note 1: All the materials assembled in accord with Section 3.7.5 (b), (c), and (d) constitute the tenure dossier. Once the dossier is presented to the tenured faculty members for their vote in the process, it should not be changed either to increase it or decrease it. That way, it is clear what has been seen by all parties in the review process. Should any other items arise later that should be taken into account in the tenure process, those can be sent to any person in the tenure review process with the request that that person also take that information into account in making his or her recommendation. Technically, though, that information would not become a part of the tenure dossier itself. For example, (1) an outside letter of evaluation is received after the tenure dossier has been assembled and the tenured faculty have taken their vote, (2) someone volunteers a letter about the candidate during the process, or (3) an administrator in accord with 3.7.5 (n) solicits advice from others.
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 11 -22 -82)
(C) The department chair/director is responsible for overseeing the preparation and uploading of the candidate's material to the online system (as described in the Senior Vice President and Provost's "Call for Tenure Recommendations") and making the material available for review online by the voting members of the academic unit at least two weeks prior to the vote. Following the vote, the academic unit’s recommendation and all appropriate documentation shall be uploaded and the appropriate dean’s office notified.
(D) Preceding the vote, all tenured faculty voters who are available shall meet for a discussion of the candidate's qualifications for tenure. It is assumed that the eligible voters will have studied the candidate's materials prior to the meeting. (See Note 1 above)
(E) The candidate should not be present during the discussion of his or her qualifications. The candidate should be available, however, to enter the meeting on invitation to answer questions or clarify circumstances relevant to the qualifications.
(F) Formal consideration for tenure shall originate with the polling by secret ballot of all tenured members of the candidate's academic unit, including, when practical, those who are on leave of absence. If it is proposed to consider a tenure recommendation prior to the candidate's tenure decision year after obtaining the dean’s and Senior Vice President and Provost’s preliminary approval to consider an early tenure decision, the tenured members of the unit shall hold a preliminary vote on whether to do so, and consideration of early tenure will proceed only if a majority of tenured faculty members favor such consideration. Subsequently, in any formal poll of tenured faculty taken prior to the candidate's designated tenure decision year, no tenure recommendation will be forwarded unless a majority of those polled favor granting tenure. Whatever the result of the faculty poll taken during the designated tenure decision year, it will be forwarded. In all cases, the result of the vote must accompany the recommendation. The numerical result of the formal secret ballot polling shall be provided to the candidate at the candidate’s request.
(G) The chair and Committee A shall submit separate recommendations with supporting reasons.
(H) While primary responsibility for gathering complete information on professional activity rests with the individual faculty member, the chair or designated committee or mentor should assume a share of this responsibility to be certain that all tenure recommendations are initiated on the basis of full documentation, which must be considered by any person or group making a recommendation.
(I) All recommendations shall be in writing and, with the exception of the faculty recommendation resulting from the secret poll, reasons for the recommendations must be stated. At the time recommendations are made at any stage of the review process, notification of such recommendations must be provided to the chair and the individual candidate. It shall be the responsibility of the chair to inform the faculty of the unit about recommendations made at the various stages of the review process.
(J) Copies of the academic unit recommendations and all appropriate documentation upon which recommendations were based will be forwarded to the appropriate dean. The dean will attach a recommendation to the tenure materials and forward all materials to the Campus Tenure Committee with supporting reasons and will notify the candidate and the chair of the unit of the recommendation.
(K) The main purpose of the Campus Tenure Committee is to provide faculty advice on whether the academic unit's recommendation with regard to both substance and process is sustained by the accompanying documentation and is consistent with the approved tenure criteria of the academic unit and the University. If it determines that the documentation is inadequate, the Campus Tenure Committee may request more information from the academic unit.
(L) The Campus Tenure Committee will attach its recommendations to the tenure materials and forward all materials to the Senior Vice President and Provost with supporting reasons and will notify the candidate, the chair of the unit, and the college dean of its recommendations. The numerical result of the Campus Tenure Committee recommendation shall be provided to the candidate at the candidate’s request.
(M) The Campus Tenure Committee will be composed of nine tenured faculty members on staggered three-year terms. The Faculty Senate appoints two new members each year, and the President appoints one new member each year.
(N) In determining its recommendation, the Campus Tenure Committee may request information or advice from any person. Committee members from the originating academic unit of a case under consideration will absent themselves from discussions regarding that case.
(O) The existence of the Campus Tenure Committee in no way limits the right of administrative officers to solicit advice from faculty members in determining their recommendations.
(P) In any tenure case where the Senior Vice President and Provost plans to submit to the President a recommendation contrary to that of the Campus Tenure Committee, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall so notify the Campus Tenure Committee, allowing sufficient time and opportunity for the Senior Vice President and Provost and the Campus Tenure Committee jointly to conduct a thorough discussion of the case before the Senior Vice President and Provost presents a final recommendation to the President. If after such a discussion the Senior Vice President and Provost and the Campus Tenure Committee are in disagreement, the President or the Committee may request a meeting between the President and the Campus Tenure Committee before the President makes a final recommendation to the Board of Regents.
(Q) At any stage of the tenure review process, the concerned faculty member may appeal in writing to the Faculty Appeals Board if it is believed that procedural violations have occurred in the case or that violations of academic freedom have occurred. If it is believed that there has been discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran, the faculty member may file a written appeal with the University Equal Opportunity Officer. Such appeals must be made within 180 calendar days after discovery of the alleged violation, and the review process will be suspended until a resolution is effected. Such an appeal shall not have the effect of extending the faculty member's terminal year should tenure be denied.
(R) The President will notify each faculty member by May 31 whether tenure has been granted, except when appeals make this impossible.
(Regents, 6 -15 -78, 12 -14 -78, 7 -22 -81, 12 -12 -85, 1 -15 -87, 7 -23 -87, 6 -27 -95, 1 -26 -99, 1 -27 -04, 10 -25 -04)

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3.7.6 POST-TENURE REVIEW POLICY – NORMAN CAMPUS

Post-tenure review at the Norman Campus is a periodic peer-based evaluation of tenured faculty for the purpose of guiding career development and, when judged necessary, improving faculty performance. The post-tenure review process is based on and extends the annual evaluation of faculty described in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook through two processes: (1) a retrospective review of faculty performance in teaching; research and creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach over the five years preceding the review, and (2) a formative evaluation for future professional growth.

For all faculty, post-tenure review provides a formal opportunity for self-assessment and discussion with peers about professional development. For those faculty whose performance is judged to be below expectations, the evaluation leads to the formulation of a professional development plan, the purpose of which is to assist the faculty member to raise his or her level of performance to meet or exceed the expectations for tenured faculty.

Post-tenure review is mandatory for all tenured faculty who are reviewed under the applicable section of the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook, unless they have signed an agreement to retire within the two years following the year of the scheduled review or have entered into a formal phased retirement agreement with the University.

Bearing in mind the value and importance of academic freedom and procedural due process to the well being and success of the academic community, the University acknowledges and supports in principle the policies and procedures set forth in the AAUP's Standards for Good Practice in Post-Tenure Review. Post-tenure review is not a re-evaluation of a faculty member's tenure status, nor is it intended as means to effect programmatic change. The post-tenure review process will be carried out in a manner that is consistent with the University's policies on academic freedom and responsibility and on faculty evaluations (see the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook). Post-tenure review will be based on the criteria for annual review established by the faculty of the unit and approved by the administration.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook

Post-tenure reviews shall be initiated immediately following the completion of the annual faculty evaluation process.

(A) TIMING
(1) Normal Review
Each faculty member shall undergo post-tenure review in the fifth year after the year in which the faculty member is awarded tenure or promotion, whichever is later, and every fifth year thereafter. Annually, the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost will identify those faculty to undergo a normal post-tenure review, and establish and publish a time schedule for completing the required steps in the post-tenure review process.
(2) Early Review
A post-tenure review shall be initiated earlier than the normal review cycle under the following circumstances:
(a) If the composite or overall rating of a tenured faculty member's performance on the annual evaluation is below expectations (i. e., 2.0 or less on a 5.0 scale) for two consecutive years, an early post-tenure review will be initiated immediately as an extension of the annual evaluation. Candidates for early post-tenure review will be identified by Committee A as part of the annual faculty evaluation process and reported to the unit's budget dean. However, Committee A may request from the dean permission to postpone initiation of an early review for one year if, in their opinion, the early review is not justified due to circumstances that Committee A enumerates in its request to the dean. With the approval of the dean, the initiation of an early review shall be postponed one year. If the review is postponed and the faculty member is judged to have performed to expectations in this third year, no early review will be required. If performance continues below expectations, the early review will be conducted immediately following the third year annual evaluation.
(b) A tenured faculty member may request an early review for the purpose of professional development. Such reviews are not subject to the mandatory professional development plan nor to the sanctions provisions of this policy.
(B) LEVEL OF THE REVIEW
The review will be conducted by a Post-tenure Review Committee composed of the members of Committee A, the chair or director of the unit or units in which the faculty member holds an appointment, unless another arrangement has been approved in writing by the budget dean(s) and the Senior Vice President and Provost. Provided, in exceptional cases, as determined by the Senior Vice President and Provost, a senior faculty member outside such unit but within the college shall be added to the Post-tenure Review Committee, such member being chosen by the tenured faculty member under review from a list of three candidates selected by the Senior Vice President and Provost.
The results of the review will be forwarded simultaneously to the budget dean(s) and the Senior Vice President and Provost. All recommendations for actions must be forwarded to the dean(s) for approval.
(C) COMPONENTS OF THE REVIEW
Post-tenure review dossiers shall consist of the following elements:
(1) Annual evaluations and mini-vitae for the previous five years. The annual evaluations and the accompanying mini-vitae from the five years prior to the review will constitute the primary sources of information about the faculty member's performance. The post-tenure review will take into account the numerical evaluations (on a scale of 0 -5) for: teaching; research, scholarship and creative activity; professional, university and administrative service; and the composite evaluation reflecting the relative weights of the three categories.
(2) A self-appraisal by the faculty member being reviewed. A written statement prepared by the faculty member will constitute a central element of the post-tenure review dossier. This statement is intended to serve two purposes: provide a formal opportunity for the faculty member to reflect on his or her professional career and contributions to the University; and serve as a source of information to Post-tenure Review Committee to assist in helping the faculty member develop professionally. In this statement, the faculty member should describe his or her past contributions to the unit(s) to which he/she is appointed and to the University, assess the current state and direction of his or her career, and discuss what he or she has planned professionally for the next five years. This self-appraisal should include an evaluation of his or her past performance in the areas of teaching, research, and creative/scholarly activity and professional and University service and public outreach; a statement of professional goals for the next five years; and an explicit discussion of how achieving those goals will advance his or her professional career and contribute to achieving the goals of the unit(s) to which he or she is appointed and the University as a whole. This document is not intended to be a contract but only a source of information to the Post-tenure Review Committee to assist it in helping the faculty member to develop professionally.
(3) The faculty member's current complete curriculum vitae.
(4) Sabbatical leave reports. The report of activities and accomplishments of any sabbatical or other leaves that occurred during the interval being reviewed should also be included.
(5) Post-tenure Review Evaluations. A copy of the evaluations by the Post-tenure Review Committee from the faculty member's previous post-tenure review(s), if any.
(6) Final Reports. A copy of previous professional development plans, if any.
(D) EXPECTATIONS
Faculty are expected to perform in all categories of the annual evaluation and achieve a composite evaluation of 2.01 or higher on a criterion-referenced scale of 0 -5. The criteria should be specified in the approved evaluation criteria of the unit(s) to which the faculty member is appointed. As required under Section 3.3 of the Faculty Handbook, academic units should communicate carefully and clearly to their faculty the specific criteria for evaluation of the unit that are used for the basis of the annual evaluation.
When and only when a faculty member's five-year average composite evaluation is lower than 2.01, the faculty member shall be required to develop and participate in a professional development plan as described herein.
(E) FEEDBACK
All faculty members undergoing post-tenure review will be provided with written and verbal feedback about how they are developing as professionals and how the Post-tenure Review Committee evaluates the professional goals of the faculty member in relation to the goals and mission of the unit and the University. Within thirty days of completing its review of the faculty member's dossier, the Post-tenure Review Committee will provide the faculty member with a written evaluation of his or her past performance, current status, and future professional goals. In addition, within thirty days of providing the faculty member its written evaluation, the Post-tenure Review Committee will meet with the faculty member to discuss the findings of the review.
(F) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
A professional development plan is intended to assist a faculty member whose performance is not meeting expectations to bring his or her performance up to the expected level. Participation in a professional development plan is mandatory for faculty members who, during post-tenure review, are found not to meet the expectations for faculty performance, as described in Section 3.7.6 (D). Other faculty members may request, from Committee A, permission to participate in a professional development plan on a voluntary basis to assist in their professional development. Voluntary professional development plans are not subject to the sanctions described in Section 3.7.6 (G) and shall not alter the cycles of the normal and/or early review or otherwise affect those processes.
(1) Process
The professional development plan should be prepared cooperatively between the faculty member and the Post-tenure Review Committee. The faculty member should prepare a draft of the plan and submit it to the Post-tenure Review Committee within 30 calendar days after his or her initial meeting with the Post-tenure Review Committee to discuss the results of the post-tenure review. The Post-Tenure Review Committee must prepare a final plan, in negotiation with the faculty member, and submit it to the budget dean(s) for approval within 60 calendar days after the initial meeting between the Post-tenure Review Committee and the faculty member to discuss the results of the post-tenure review, and within 30 calendar days of its initial receipt of the draft plan from the faculty member. Should the faculty member disagree with the final plan prepared by the Post-tenure Review Committee, he or she may write an appeal to be submitted to the budget dean(s) along with the plan, setting forth the reasons for disagreement.
The dean(s) must notify the faculty member and the Post-tenure Review Committee, in writing, as to whether or not the final plan is approved. If the plan is not approved, the faculty member and the Post-tenure Review Committee must be notified in writing of the reasons for non-approval and the process described in the previous paragraph should be repeated until approval is obtained.
Following approval of the plan, the Post-tenure Review Committee must meet with the faculty member and explain both the contents of the plan, including the expected time-line, and the consequences to the faculty member of failure to attain the goals of the plan. Reasonable University resources to support implementation of professional development plans will be provided by the Senior Vice President and Provost and the dean of the College. A faculty member shall have the two full annual evaluation cycles following the date the plan is approved to accomplish the goals of the plan and to bring his or her performance up to expected standards.
(2) Content of the Plan
The professional development plan should include the following components:
(a) Goals and expectations.
(b) Proposed activities.
(c) A timeline for the plan.
(d) Resources that will be made available to the faculty member to assist with completion of the plan.
(e) An explanation of the consequences of failure to attain the goals of the plan. This provision is not applicable for a voluntary professional development plan.
(f) Signatures of the faculty member, the member’s Post-tenure Review Committee and the budget dean(s) verifying an understanding of the plan.
(3) Monitoring, Follow-up, and Final Report
Formal written evaluation of the faculty member's progress towards meeting the goals of the professional development plan will take place as part of the annual evaluations of the faculty member following the beginning of the plan. Since less than a year will have elapsed between the implementation of the plan and the next annual faculty evaluation, that evaluation and the subsequent annual evaluation shall be used by the Post-tenure Evaluation Committee as an opportunity to provide written feedback to the faculty member on his or her progress in meeting the goals of the plan. The final assessment of the faculty member’s progress in meeting the goals of the plan shall occur during the third annual faculty evaluation after implementation of the plan. Following this third annual evaluation, a written report will be issued by the Post-tenure Review Committee to the faculty member, with copies to the dean(s), explaining the outcome of the plan.
(G) SANCTIONS
Failure of the faculty member to meet the goals specified in the plan and to bring his or her performance up to the level expected may lead to the initiation of the Severe Sanctions process of the Faculty Handbook. The results of the professional development plan, including without limitation, the final report, shall be relevant evidence in such a proceeding. In tenure abrogation proceedings, the University retains the burden of persuasion to show cause, as defined by the Faculty Handbook. Provided, nothing in this policy shall be construed to limit or restrict the University’s authority to undertake the Severe Sanctions process set forth in the Faculty Handbook.
Alternative actions, such as resignation or retirement from the University, may be negotiated and implemented with approval of the budget dean(s) and the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(Regents, 5 -7 -99, 10 -25 -04)

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3.8 ABROGATION OF TENURE, DISMISSAL BEFORE EXPIRATION OF A TENURE-TRACK APPOINTMENT, OR RENEWABLE TERM APPOINTMENT, AND OTHER SEVERE SANCTIONS – NORMAN CAMPUS

The University strives to exercise great care in selecting its faculty appointees and to confer tenure only upon those faculty members who have demonstrated their merit for tenured appointment. For that reason, severe sanctions such as a dismissal proceeding involving a tenured faculty member (abrogation of tenure) or of a faculty member during a tenure-track appointment or a renewable term faculty member should be an exceptional event. It also is recognized, however, that a few faculty members may, from time to time, engage in improper conduct which requires severe sanctions short of dismissal. Such sanctions may include but are not limited to loss of prospective privileges for a stated period (for instance, loss of eligibility for a sabbatical leave of absence, loss of remunerated consultative privileges, loss of remunerated private practice privileges); restitution (payment of damages due to individuals or to the University); a fine; a reduction in salary; or suspension from service for a stated period, without other prejudice. As in the case of dismissal, the imposition of severe sanctions short of dismissal should be viewed as a serious and infrequent step usually undertaken only after administrative remedies and minor sanctions have failed.

While extreme action will be required infrequently, the University must be prepared for such an eventuality so that both the integrity of the University and the rights of the faculty member may be preserved. Toward this end, the faculty must be willing to recommend severe sanctions of a colleague when necessary. By the same token, the President and the Board of Regents shall give all reasonable consideration to faculty recommendations.

Only the Board of Regents has the power to impose severe sanctions. The Board of Regents shall exercise this power only in cases where it determines that there exists sufficient cause for such action.


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3.8.1 GROUNDS FOR ABROGATION OF TENURE, DISMISSAL, AND SEVERE SANCTIONS

A faculty member against whom the imposition of a severe sanction is to be brought or whose dismissal is to be requested must have given such cause for the action as relates directly and substantially to his or her professional capabilities or performance. It is not possible to specify all proper grounds for these drastic measures. Proper reasons for dismissal of a faculty member who has tenure or whose tenure-track or renewable/consecutive term appointment has not expired include the following:

(A) Professional incompetence or dishonesty;
(B) Substantial, manifest, or repeated failure to fulfill professional duties or responsibilities;
(C) Personal behavior preventing the faculty member from satisfactory fulfillment of professional duties or responsibilities;
(D) Substantial, manifest, or repeated failure to adhere to University policies; including, for example, the University’s Compliance Program;
(E) Serious violations of law which are admitted or proved before a court of competent jurisdiction or the administrative hearing body established to hear such matters, which prevent the faculty member from satisfactory fulfillment of professional duties or responsibilities, or violations of a court order, when such order relates to the faculty member's proper performance of professional responsibilities; Subparagraphs (f) and (g), below, are not severe sanctions but nevertheless are valid reasons for terminating employment of a faculty member who has tenure or whose tenure-track or renewable term appointment has not expired.
(F) Changes in the University's educational function through action of the Board of Regents and/or the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education which result in the elimination of an academic unit. In such instances, the University will make every reasonable effort to reassign affected faculty members to positions for which they are properly qualified before dismissal results from such elimination. (See Board of Regents policy 2.6.5 and Faculty Handbook, Section 5.37.4 for the Program Discontinuance Policy. The Financial Emergency Policy is in the Faculty Handbook, Section 5.43.)
(G) Financial Emergency as set forth hereinafter in the Financial Emergency Policy in section 4.21 of the Regents’ Policy Manual.
(Regents 10 -25 -04)

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3.8.2 GROUNDS FOR SUMMARY SUSPENSION

Suspension of a faculty member or assignment to other duties in lieu of suspension is justified only if immediate harm to the faculty member or to others is threatened by that person's continued performance of regular duties or if the faculty member has failed to adhere to the University’s Compliance Program. The faculty member may, on written request and at the convenience and discretion of the department, be relieved of some professional duties if this is necessary to provide time for the preparation of a defense. Summary suspension does not remove from the University the obligation to provide due process within a reasonable period of time following action.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook


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3.8.3 INITIAL PROCEDURES FOR ABROGATION OF TENURE, DISMISSAL BEFORE EXPIRATION OF A TENURE-TRACK APPOINTMENT OR RANKED RENEWABLE TERM APPOINTMENT, AND OTHER SEVERE SANCTIONS
(A) Initial Proceedings
Section 3.8.3 pertains to tenured, tenure-track or ranked, renewable term appointment faculty.
(1) Administrative Review.
When reasons arise to question the fitness of a faculty member whose conduct may warrant the imposition of severe sanctions, the circumstances shall be brought to the attention of the appropriate administrative officer(s) (i. e., Department Chair, Director, Dean, or Senior Vice President and Provost or, as provided in subsection (2) below, an Institutional Equity Officer) who shall ordinarily investigate the matter to include, among other things, meeting with the faculty member in person to fully discuss the matter, unless reasonably prevented from doing so. If after investigation, the administrative officer determines the conduct warrants imposition of severe sanctions, he/she shall convey the matter and a recommendation to the President and Senior Vice President and Provost (Provost). However, if after investigation, he/she determines the conduct does not warrant severe sanctions, the matter may be resolved by mutual consent. The faculty member is encouraged to seek the assistance of the University Ombudsperson.
(2) Institutional Equity Office Matters.
When such concerns involve Civil Rights matters (defined below), if the complaining party has not already reported the matter to the University’s Institutional Equity Office (IEO), the appropriate administrative officer shall immediately refer the matter to the IEO for investigation. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the IEO officer shall refer his/her findings and conclusions to the appropriate administrative officer for action in accordance with subsection 3.8.3 (A) (1), above.
When the term “civil rights” is referred to in this policy, it refers to matters falling under the Nondiscrimination Policy (e. g. discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information discrimination, color, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran http: //www.ou.edu/home/eoo.html), the Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination and Harassment Policy (e. g. discrimination or harassment based on the interference with the enjoyment or the entitlement to an educational, institutional or employment benefit because of gender— http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html), or the Consensual Sexual Relations Policy (e. g. prohibition on persons in positions of authority having intimate relationships with their subordinates or students— http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html (collectively, “Civil Rights”).
(3) Faculty Appeals Board Referral.
If the President decides that there is reason to question the faculty member's fitness or professional behavior as set forth in Section 3.8.3 (A) (1) or (2), above, the President shall so inform the Chair of the Faculty Appeals Board, the faculty member and appropriate administrative officers.
(B) Faculty Appeals Board Preliminary Review.
(1) FAB Inquiry.
Other than for Civil Rights matters, the Chair of the Faculty Appeals Board may then conduct or cause to be conducted, additional inquiry/investigation into the matter, as the Chair deems necessary.
(2) FAB Prehearing.
For all severe sanctions matters coming to the Faculty Appeals Board (FAB), the Chair of the Faculty Appeals Board shall conduct a pre-hearing review (which shall include, other than for Civil Rights claims, the participation of other members of the FAB selected by the Chair) pursuant to informal procedures to be determined by the Chair. The pre-hearing review will, other than for Civil Rights claims, provide the faculty member(s) and a University representative(s) the opportunity to appear and relate their views of the matter. Other than these parties, no witnesses will be heard and although attorneys and/or advisors may be present in an advisory capacity to the parties, they may not otherwise participate in the prehearing. When completed, the FAB Chair shall advise the President whether, in his/her view as a result of the prehearing, formal proceedings for severe sanctions should be instituted.
(C) Decision Whether to Proceed and Notice.
The President shall consider the FAB Chair recommendation, together with other relevant information, and determine whether or not to move forward with formal severe sanctions proceedings. The President, or the President's designee, shall inform the faculty member(s) in question, the FAB Chair and appropriate administrator of the decision, in writing. If the President’s decision is to move forward with a hearing, appropriate administrative officials may assist in composing the complaint. A hearing shall take place as described below in Section 3.9.1 (B) (8).
(D) The Complaint.
The President or the President's designee shall set forth the complaint against the faculty member with reasonable particularity and shall file the formal written complaint with the FAB within 60 days of the FAB Chair’s recommendation.

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3.9 FACULTY APPEALS AND GRIEVANCES -- NORMAN CAMPUS
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3.9.1 FACULTY APPEALS BOARD

The FAB is a standing body that responds to matters of tenure abrogation, dismissal, other severe sanctions, alleged violations of academic freedom or academic due process, and other grievances unresolved through administrative or informal procedures. Because of the extraordinary importance and the range of such issues, the FAB shall be empowered to appoint ad hoc hearing committees to assist in the conduct of its affairs. The Norman Campus FAB shall consist of 50 members, elected to four-year staggered terms by the Faculty Senate from among all full-time tenured faculty whose duties are primarily non-administrative. The FAB shall elect annually a chair-elect from among those who are in their third year of service. The chair-elect will serve as chair the following year. Membership on the Board is not disqualification for service on University Councils. All members of the FAB are eligible for re-election. Terms of service shall begin September 1 and end August 31.

(A) WHO MAY USE PROCEDURE
(1) Norman Campus Faculty Community.
The grievance procedures described herein shall be available to any aggrieved party who is a Norman campus faculty member; an academic or administrative unit; or any other duly constituted faculty body within the Norman Campus University community, when the respondent is also a Norman Campus faculty member, academic unit, administrative unit, or other duly constituted faculty body within the Norman Campus University community. Violations covered by this procedure include academic freedom, academic due process, unlawful discrimination, harassment, constitutional due process and other grievances that may occur in the course of performing professional duties or in the process of being considered or evaluated for salary increase, promotion, tenure, or other personnel decisions.
(2) Faculty Member Complaints Covered by Different Policies.
(a) Faculty Grievances against Faculty Administrators. Faculty grievances against deans, directors and chairs shall follow procedures provided in Sections 2.8.1 (K) and 2.8.2 (I), of the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.
(b) Faculty Administrators’ Complaints. Faculty members serving as chairs, directors, deans, or in other administrative positions may not utilize these FAB procedures in filing a grievance when the grievance is based upon actions related to their administrative performance. Provided however:
(i) chairs or directors who are dismissed or relieved of administrative responsibilities before their terms expire, and/or affected faculty members, may appeal such decisions to the Senior Vice President and Provost and if still dissatisfied, to the President; and
(ii) deans who are dismissed, and/or affected faculty members, may appeal such decisions to the President.
(c) Complaints against Employees and Students. Faculty complaints against employees who are not faculty members or against students shall be addressed under applicable staff or student procedures.
(3) Ombudsperson Services.
The University Ombudsperson serves faculty, staff and students on the Norman, OU Health Sciences and OU-Tulsa campuses in the areas of dispute resolution and mediation of campus-related issues. Persons having complaints are encouraged to seek informal resolution through regular administrative channels or through mediated resolution with the Ombudsperson. Complaints pursuant to Section 3.9.1 (B) (1) (c) unresolved administratively or through the Ombuds service shall be filed with the FAB Chair.
(B) COMPLAINT
The term “complaint, ” as referred to in this policy, also includes where appropriate, written appeals to the FAB of adverse administrative actions; e. g., imposition of a minor sanction.
(1) Initial Administrative Review.
Individuals or units having complaints are encouraged to raise them with the appropriate administrative officer, provided:
(a) Severe Sanctions Cases.
Complaints that may reasonably warrant the imposition of severe sanctions shall follow the initial processes set forth in Section 3.8.3, above. In severe sanction cases, the University is the complainant;
(b) Institutional Equity Office Cases.
Civil Rights matters as defined in Section 3.8.3 (A) (2) above shall be referred directly to the appropriate IEO officer for investigation, findings and recommended sanctions; i. e., the Sexual Misconduct Officer and Associate Title IX Coordinator or the Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator. For such claims, the University is the complainant, and any hearing shall take place as referred to below in Section 3.9.1 (B) (8); and,
(c) Other Cases.
Excluding matters involving severe sanctions, Civil Rights or grievances under Section 3.9.1 (A) (2) above, complaints which remain unresolved by or not raised with the appropriate administrative officer, shall be filed with the FAB Chair and the complaining faculty member or unit will be the complainant.
(2) Timing of Complaint.
(a) General Filing Time.
Except in Civil Rights and severe sanctions cases or as otherwise specified in Regents policy (e. g., when considering faculty for tenure, faculty may appeal violations within 180 calendar days of the discovery of the violation. See Section 3.7.5 (q) of the Faculty Handbook), if a complaint cannot be resolved administratively or through the Ombuds service, generally it must be filed with the FAB within 60 calendar days from the date on which the faculty member, unit, or body knows or reasonably should know of the alleged violation or incident giving rise to a grievance. Provided, 9 month faculty who do not have a University appointment during the summer, may toll the time for filing a grievance or responding to a grievance, from the last classroom day of the spring semester until the first classroom day of the fall semester (or some shorter tolling period as may be agreed to in writing) by providing written notice to the FAB Chair. All other time periods may be extended as may be provided by applicable policy, for good cause or as may be agreed to by the parties and approved by the FAB Chair, Hearing Chair, or University Institutional Equity Officers (as appropriate).
(b) Civil Rights Complaints.
All Civil Rights complaints, as defined in Section 3.8.3 (A) (2), should be filed in accordance with the policies and procedures noted in http: //www.ou.edu/eoo.html. Such complaints generally are considered “filed” when the allegations forming the complaint are provided to a proper institutional representative orally or in writing who, upon being so informed, shall immediately report the complaint to the IEO office.
(c) Severe Sanctions.
Other than for Civil Rights complaints, if a complaint that may warrant severe sanctions cannot be resolved administratively, it must be filed with the FAB within 60 calendar days following the recommendation of the FAB prehearing described above in Section 3.8.3 (B) (2).
(3) Filing of Complaint
(a) The Written Complaint and Response.
(1) With the exception of complaints that may reasonably warrant severe sanctions or include Civil Rights claims, if after the initial investigation, the matter is not resolved with the appropriate administrative officer, the complainant is responsible for stating in writing, and in full particularity, the grounds upon which the alleged grievance is based, which then shall be filed with the FAB Chair. The grounds for the alleged grievance may not be changed after the filing of the complaint. The Ombudsperson may assist the parties in resolving the grievance.
Upon receipt of the written complaint, the FAB Chair shall provide the respondent a copy of the complaint and may conduct or cause to be conducted, additional investigation into the matter, as the Chair deems necessary and an informal pre-hearing as provided below. The respondent shall generally have 30 calendar days to provide the FAB Chair and complainant a written response to the complaint.
(2) Where more than one complaint is present (e. g., sexual harassment and violation of due process), the complainant must specify all the grounds of the grievance of which the complainant should have reasonably known at the time of filing the complaint. For mixed issues involving Civil Rights and non-Civil Rights matters, the IEO will forward its findings and recommendations to the appropriate academic administrative officer for consideration in his/her review, resolution, or recommendation. A grievance with multiple grounds shall be heard by one hearing committee, which shall hear all aspects of a particular grievance; provided, the Institutional Equity Office shall investigate the Civil Rights claims in all cases.
(b) Institutional Equity Office Complaints
(1) The complaints may be either written or verbal and the original complaining individual and the charged faculty member (respondent) shall follow IEO policies and procedures through completion of the investigation. See http: //www.ou.edu/eoo. The respondent may appeal sanctions and findings to the FAB, in which cases, the hearing process noted in Section 3.9.1 (B) (8) (a) shall be followed. If dissatisfied with the IEO outcome, the original complaining individual may request reconsideration by the IEO Officer.
(2) Where the appropriate IEO officer determines that a faculty member’s fitness or professional behavior warrants initiation of severe sanctions proceedings, the IEO officer shall so inform the Senior Vice President and Provost and the President who may file a complaint against the faculty member with the FAB and proceed as provided in Section 3.8.3 (C).
(4) Informal FAB Prehearing.
Cases involving severe sanctions shall follow procedures in Section 3.8.3, above. Otherwise, within a reasonable time, following receipt of the written response, the FAB Chair shall conduct a pre-hearing pursuant to informal procedures to be determined by the Chair, which shall include the assistance or participation of other members of the FAB. The pre-hearing will provide the parties the opportunity to appear and relate their views of the matter. Other than the parties, no witnesses will be heard and although attorneys and/or advisors may be present in an advisory capacity to the parties at the prehearing, they may not directly address the prehearing panel. Provided however, in matters that involve Civil Rights claims, the investigating IEO officer will also present his/her findings. If the FAB prehearing panel determines no further hearing is warranted, the matter is administratively ended within the University; otherwise the matter shall proceed as set forth below. In either case, the FAB Chair shall promptly so inform the parties and appropriate administrative officers.
(5) Withdrawal of Complaint.
The complainant may withdraw the complaint at any point prior to the adjournment of the formal hearing by notifying in writing the party with whom the complaint was originally filed. Once withdrawn, the same complaint may not be resubmitted under any grievance procedure.
(6) Confidentiality of Proceedings and Records.
University employees who investigate or hear matters shall preserve confidentiality with respect to any matter investigated or heard under this policy. Parties and witnesses also are admonished to maintain confidentiality with regard to these proceedings.
Except for those cases in which grievances go to a hearing and as otherwise required by law, all records of administrative investigation with regard to Civil Rights matters shall be transmitted to and maintained by the University Institutional Equity Office as confidential records. All records of administrative investigation for other grievances will be held by the administrator involved as confidential records except as otherwise required by law.
(7) Selection of Hearing Committee.
If, following the FAB prehearing, the decision is made to proceed with a hearing, normally the FAB Chair will immediately notify the parties and provide them with a current roster of the FAB members, less members who served on the prehearing panel in the matter. Provided however, in severe sanctions cases, the FAB Chair shall provide the parties with the roster immediately after the formal written complaint is filed. In Civil Rights cases, the roster will include only those members of the FAB with special training in hearing Civil Rights matters. The Hearing Committee will be selected as follows:
(a) Unless modified by the FAB Chair, as provided by Section 3.9.1 (B) (8) (a), the complainant and respondent, or their authorized designees, shall each select three names from the FAB roster within 10 classroom days (any weekday on which regularly scheduled classes or regularly scheduled final examinations are held at the University) of receipt of the roster. If there are multiple respondents who cannot agree or if a party fails to respond, the FAB Chair may request the Faculty Senate Chair to select the remaining Hearing Committee members by lot.
(b) When the composition of the initial six panel members is finally set, those members shall select a seventh name from the previously referenced FAB roster within 10 classroom days to serve as chair of the Hearing Committee.
(c) Any member of the FAB selected to serve on a Hearing Committee who is a member of the same academic unit or related within the third degree of sanguinity or affinity to the respondent or the complainant or who is biased or has a personal interest in the outcome of the case shall be disqualified from serving on the Hearing Committee.
(d) The complainant and the respondent may each request of the FAB Chair that a member or members of the Hearing Committee be disqualified and removed from the Hearing Committee. The Chair, former Chair, and Chair-elect of the FAB shall decide by majority vote whether cause has been shown. The Chair of the Faculty Senate shall substitute if one of the above is unavailable.
(e) A member of the Hearing Committee may disqualify himself or herself on personal initiative or in response to such challenge for cause as is provided for in the immediately preceding paragraph.
(f) Prior to the commencement of the formal hearing, members of a Hearing Committee who have been disqualified, whose terms have expired, who have ceased to be full-time members of the faculty and any members who, by reason of illness or absence from campus, are unable to serve, shall be replaced immediately by the FAB Chair. The replacement shall be determined by the procedures herein, with replacements being selected by the party whose initial selection was eliminated, or by the Hearing Committee if the Hearing Committee Chair is the member being replaced.
(g) After the commencement of the hearing if cause arises to disqualify a member of the Hearing Committee or if a member otherwise becomes unable to serve, with the advice of University Legal Counsel the Hearing Committee Chair, or the FAB Chair if the absent member is the Chair of the Hearing Committee, will determine whether the member should be replaced or if the hearing shall continue without a replacement. If replacement is deemed necessary, the replacement shall be determined by the procedures herein, with replacements being selected by the party whose initial selection was eliminated, or by the Hearing Committee if the Hearing Committee Chair is the member being replaced. No members of the FAB may be eligible for selection for a hearing committee if they currently are serving on another ongoing hearing.
(8) FAB Formal Hearing Process.
(a) Civil Rights Complaints.
In Civil Rights cases appealed to the FAB, the policies and procedures governing Civil Rights complaints and any hearings or appeals hereunder shall be conducted in conformance with the requirements of federal and state law. The FAB Chair, with the assistance of Legal Counsel, shall have the authority to modify FAB proceedings and procedures where necessary to comply with applicable law and federal agency administrative guidance (e. g., accelerate the timing since by federal law the matter generally must be administratively concluded within the University no later than sixty (60) days following receipt of the original complaint). Appendix E may be used as a general guideline for modifying procedures in such cases with the understanding that any procedures required by applicable law shall be incorporated into the hearing process.
(b) Non Civil Rights Complaints.
All complaints other than Civil Rights complaints brought to a formal hearing shall be handled according to the following procedures:
(1) Within 20 classroom days of receipt of respondent's written response to the complaint, the complainant shall provide the respondent and the Chair of the Hearing Committee:
  • (a) Relevant University rules or policies involved.
  • (b) A summary of the evidence upon which the charges or complaints are based and an initial list of complainant’s witnesses.
(2) Respondent’s Reply.
The respondent shall review the materials submitted by the complainant and provide a written reply within 10 classroom days of delivery. The reply shall summarize the evidence to be used in refutation of the charges and shall include an initial list of respondent’s witnesses.
(3) Set Hearing.
The Hearing Committee shall normally set the date of the hearing to occur within 30 calendar days after the deadline for the respondent's reply.
(c) Adviser/Counsel.
At the party’s expense, any party, whether complainant or respondent, may select a person to act as adviser or may select an attorney for advice on legal matters. At his or her discretion, the party may be assisted by both an adviser and an attorney.
(1) Both the complainant and respondent shall inform the Chair of the Hearing Committee in writing of the identity of any adviser and/or attorney as soon as known but in no event later than 10 classroom days prior to the hearing.
(2) The following procedure assumes that a faculty member will use his or her own judgment in acting upon any advice or deciding when to be represented by an attorney.
(d) University Legal Counsel.
University Legal Counsel will provide legal advice to the Hearing Committee and parties on matters of procedure and as otherwise requested and appropriate. In situations in which different attorneys within the Office of Legal Counsel are involved in advising the Hearing Committee and one or more parties, the attorneys shall not confer with respect to the advice given to their clients, separately discuss the matters at issue, share information about the case or collaborate with one another outside of the process prescribed herein for all parties and determinations. In conformance with the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act and contractual directives of existing policies of insurance, covered claims that arise against the Hearing Committee or any one or more of its members will be defended by the University.
(e) Hearing Preparation.
The University maintains a guideline that contains supplemental procedures assisting the operation and administration of a FAB hearing (Book of Procedural Guidelines), a copy of which shall be available to each party. The Chair of the Hearing Committee and Legal Counsel shall confer regarding any modifications to the Guidelines reasonably necessary to account for special circumstances. The Hearing Committee Chair shall provide the parties with any such supplemental guidelines.
(f) Hearing on the Record.
If the respondent fails to cooperate with the Hearing Committee or defaults at the hearing stage, the Hearing Committee will evaluate all available evidence provided by the parties and base its recommendation upon the relevant evidence in the record. If the complainant fails to cooperate with the Hearing Committee or defaults at the hearing stage, the Chair of the Hearing Committee may cancel the Hearing and recommend dismissal of the complaint.
(g) Hearing Regulations.
The FAB process is a lay process relying on peer review. The intent of this process is to avoid excessive legalism in deference to the common sense, sound judgment, good character, and sense of fairness of each Hearing Panel. The process should strive to diminish formality and rigidity and avoid emulation of a trial in a courtroom. The purpose for a system of internal review is to effect a just and fair disposition of a grievance.
The following regulations shall apply to the hearing:
(1) Both complainant and respondent shall have the right to be present and be accompanied by their adviser, attorney, or both, throughout the hearing. The Hearing Committee also shall have the right to have its legal adviser present throughout the hearing. Attorneys may be present to advise witnesses; however, in no case will the attorney representing a witness participate in the case. Attorneys should facilitate and not control the process.
(2) The hearing shall be closed unless all parties in the case agree that it be open.
(3) The Hearing Committee shall proceed by considering the statement of grounds for grievances already formulated and the response written before the time of the hearing. If any facts are in dispute, the testimony of witnesses and other evidence concerning the matter shall be received.
(4) Both parties or their advisers or attorneys shall have the right to present, examine, and cross-examine witnesses. Provided, however, where the matter involves sexual misconduct or sexual harassment claims, no party may directly cross-examine the other. Rather, the party may submit questions to the panel for the panel to inquire or the advisors/attorneys may conduct the cross-examination.
(5) The President's Office shall make available to the Hearing Committee Chair such authority as it possesses to require the presence of witnesses, and it shall bear any reasonable cost attendant upon the appearance of percipient witnesses at the hearing.
(6) The principle of confrontation shall apply throughout the hearing and the complainant shall bear the burden of proof, which shall be by a preponderance of the evidence, i. e. whether the claims of wrongdoing or impropriety are more likely true than not true. Provided, for purposes of clarity, in a Civil Rights case there is no burden on any party to have to prove its case but rather the process included in Appendix E contemplates the Hearing Committee shall provide a neutral review of all information presented at the hearing to determine whether the claims of wrongdoing or innocence are more likely true than not true.
(7) A recording of the hearing shall be made. The recording will normally be an audio recording arranged by the Hearing Committee Chair. The full cost of the recording shall be borne by the University. A transcript of the recording may be requested by a party, the cost of which will be charged to the requesting party.
(8) The full text of the findings and the conclusions of the Hearing Committee shall be made available in identical form and at the same time to the President's Office and the parties in the case.
(9) The Committee may proceed to its findings, conclusions and recommendations without having the record of the hearings transcribed, or it may request a transcript of the hearings if it feels its decision would be aided thereby.
(10) The President may attend the hearing or may designate a representative to attend in the President’s place.
(h) Disposition of Charges.
The Hearing Committee normally will communicate its findings, conclusions, and recommendations in writing to the parties involved and the President within 15 calendar days of the conclusion of the hearing.
(1) If action by the Board of Regents is not required by other policies or procedures and the President concurs in the recommendation, the President shall so indicate to the parties and the Hearing Committee’s recommendation shall be put into effect. However, if the President does not concur, the President may modify, or reject the recommendations of the Hearing Committee or remand the matter to it for further consideration.
(2) If action by the Board of Regents is required by other policies or procedures, the President shall forward the full record of the hearing and the conclusions and recommendations of the Hearing Committee, together with his/her recommendation, to the Board of Regents within 15 calendar days of receiving the recommendation of the Hearing Committee. The Board of Regents may adopt, modify, or reject the recommendation of the President and/or Hearing Committee or remand the matter to the Hearing Committee for further consideration.
(3) If either the President or the Board of Regents chooses to remand the matter to the Hearing Committee, they will return the proceedings to the Hearing Committee and specify their concerns within 15 calendar days and 15 calendar days after the next regularly scheduled Board of Regents meeting, respectively. The Hearing Committee shall reconsider the case, take into account the stated concerns and receive new evidence as deemed necessary. As soon as reasonably possible, the Hearing Committee shall report its final conclusions to the President for the President’s decision or for the President’s transmittal to the Board of Regents as before. The work of the Hearing Committee is finished when the President communicates the final decision, whether duly made by the President or the Board of Regents, to the parties in the case, the Hearing Committee, and any necessary administrative officers.
(4) If the complaint under consideration has alleged the violation of academic freedom and/or academic due process and if the Hearing Committee finds that either or both have been violated, the Hearing Committee must recommend that any professional or personnel decision affected by the violation shall be initiated anew from the point of the violation. The Hearing Committee also may recommend necessary remedies appropriate to the case.
(i) Disposition of Records.
Upon conclusion of any hearing, the Chair of the Hearing Committee shall remove all identifying characteristics from the agreement on procedures, if any, and shall forward this document to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. Agreements on said procedures will be maintained in a file in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and will be available to panel members and participants in future cases upon request. All other text, transcripts, and documents of the procedures will be held in the Faculty Senate Office and released only with the consent of the Hearing Committee, in accordance with appropriate legal process, or as needed by the University in defense of any matter. Tapes of the hearing will be stored in the Office of the Legal Counsel for five years or as otherwise required by law. In the case of hearings involving discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, copies of all transcripts and documents will be filed with the University Institutional Equity Office.
(j) Policy Maintenance.
A Rights Assurance Committee composed of the University Ombudsperson; University Institutional Equity Office; FAB Chair, Chair-elect, and former Chair; University Legal Counsel; Faculty Senate Chair, and Senior Vice President and Provost or their designated representatives will confer annually with respect to grievances that have transpired and to formulate recommendations to revise these procedures, as necessary. The FAB Chair will chair the committee and report recommended changes to the Faculty Senate for consideration.
(C) ADMINISTRATIVE TERMINATION
In the event the grievance/complaint, if prosecuted, would clearly violate prevailing law (e. g., violate the faculty member’s 1 st Amendment right to free speech or constitute retaliation), then the FAB Chair, with the advice of University Legal Counsel after due examination, shall administratively terminate the Hearing process.
(Regents 7 -22 -81, 9 -17 -81, 9 -9 -82, 6 -27 -95, 1 -26 -99, 12 -3 -02, 1 -27 -2004, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -11, 5 -9 -13)

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3.10 NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, DISCRIMINATION, AND HARASSMENT POLICY AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

The University, in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, age (40 or older), religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and educational services. Please refer to the University’s Institutional Equity Office’s policies and procedures for a more detailed explanation and complaint procedure: for the Nondiscrimination Policy: http: //www. ou. edu/home/eoo. html and for the Sexual Assault, Discrimination and Harassment Policy; http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html. Or, contact the Institutional Equity Office directly at: (405) 325 -3546, Norman Campus and Norman-based Tulsa Campus programs: Room 102, Evans Hall. Tulsa-based programs may also contact (918) 660 -3107.

(Regents 7 -22 -81, 9 -17 -81, 9 -9 -82, 6 -27 -95, 1 -14 -97, 1 -27 -04)


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3.11 CONSENSUAL SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS POLICY
(A) RATIONALE
Consensual amorous, dating, or sexual relationships have inherent risks when they occur between a faculty member, supervisor, or other member of the University community and any person over whom he or she has a professional responsibility. As noted in the Sexual Assault, Discrimination and Harassment Policy, the risks include a student or subordinate’s feeling coerced into an unwanted relationship to ensure they receive a proper educational or employment experience; potential conflicts of interest in which the person is in a position to evaluate the work or make personnel or academic decisions with respect to the individual with whom he or she is romantically involved; a perception by students or employees that a fellow student or coworker who is involved in a romantic relationship with his or her supervisor or professor will receive an unfair advantage; either or both of the parties engaging in behavior destructive to the other or their academic or working environments if the relationship ends; and the potential that University/state resources are used inappropriately to further the romantic relationship.
Those with professional responsibility over others and with whom they have a romantic relationship should be aware that their involvement may subject them and the University to legal liability; consequently, such relationships are strongly discouraged. “Professional responsibility” is defined as performing functions including but not limited to teaching, counseling, grading, advising, evaluating, hiring, supervising, and making decisions or recommendations that confer benefits such as promotions, financial aid awards, or other remuneration, or that may impact upon other academic or employment opportunities.
Definitions- As used in this policy, the terms "faculty" or "faculty member" mean all those who teach at the University and include graduate students with teaching responsibilities and other instructional personnel. The terms "staff" or "staff members" mean all employees who are not faculty and include academic and nonacademic administrators as well as supervisory personnel. The term "consensual sexual relationship" may include amorous or romantic relationships and is intended to indicate conduct that goes beyond what a person of ordinary sensibilities would believe to be a collegial or professional relationship.
(B) POLICY
(1) Faculty/Student Relationships
Within the Instructional Context
It is considered a serious breach of professional ethics for a member of the faculty to initiate or acquiesce in a sexual relationship with a student who is enrolled in a course being taught by the faculty member or whose academic work (including work as a teaching assistant) is being supervised by the faculty member.
Outside the Instructional Context
Sexual relationships between faculty members and students occurring outside the instructional context may lead to difficulties. Particularly when the faculty member and student are in the same academic unit or in units that are academically allied, relationships that the parties view as consensual may appear to others to be exploitative. Further, in such situations, the faculty member may face serious conflicts of interest and should be careful to distance himself or herself from any decisions that may reward or penalize the student involved. A faculty member who fails to withdraw from participation in activities or decisions that may reward or penalize a student with whom the faculty member has or has had an amorous relationship will be deemed to have violated his or her ethical obligation to the student, to other students, to colleagues, and to the University.
(2) Staff/Student Relationships
Staff/Student Relationships - Consensual sexual relationships between staff and students are prohibited in cases in which the staff member has authority or control over the student. A staff member who fails to withdraw from participation in activities or decisions that may reward or penalize a student with whom the staff member has or has had an amorous relationship will be deemed to have violated his or her ethical obligation to the student, to other students, to colleagues, and to the University. Failure to abide by this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
(3) Staff/Subordinate Relationships
Supervisors, or those with professional responsibility, over someone with whom they have or have had an amorous, consensual, romantic, or sexual relationship must notify their direct supervisor that a management-control plan needs to be implemented, or that the supervisor wishes a transfer so that he or she is no longer in a position of professional responsibility over the affected individual. To avoid the severe risks noted, supervisors in such relationships may not manage, supervise, evaluate, or make other employment decisions concerning the individual with whom they are engaged in a romantic relationship. If the relationship ends, the management-control plan must remain in effect. Failure to notify a supervisor to ensure a plan is in place may result in disciplinary action, including termination, for that supervisor.
(C) COMPLAINTS
Complaints alleging a violation of the Consensual Sexual Relationships Policy shall be handled in accordance with the Grievance Procedure for Complaints Based upon Sexual Assault, Discrimination and Harassment, and Retaliation. Complainants should contact the Institutional Equity Office.
(Regents, 12 -19 -90, 6 -13 -91, 7 9 -27 -95, 1 -14 -97, 1 -26 -99, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)

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3.12 STUDENT GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Students with grievances not covered by other University policies should be referred to the Office of Judicial Services at http: //judicial.ou.edu to determine the appropriate grievance procedure in cases of student versus student complaints or grievances.

If a student feels wrongfully and unfairly treated by an instructor and if he or she is unable to resolve the matter in conference with the instructor or the departmental chair/director of the academic unit, an appeal may be made with the Academic Appeals Board of the college offering the course. Any thesis and dissertation appeals shall be heard by the Graduate College appeals board. For the full policy of the Academic Appeals Board refer to Section 4.16.1.

Persons who have complaints alleging discrimination based upon race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, religion, political beliefs, disability or status as a veteran or complaints alleging sexual harassment, consensual sexual relationships, retaliation, or racial and ethnic harassment (together, “discrimination and harassment or retaliation”) may file their complaints in writing with the University Institutional Equity Office. For the Grievance Procedure for Nondiscrimination Policy, refer to http: //www.ou.edu/home/eoo.html and for Sexual Assault, Discrimination and Harassment Policy, refer to: http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html

To contact the University Institutional Equity Office:

Norman Campus-based programs
Room 102, Evans Hall
(405) 325 -3546
Health Sciences Center-based Campus
Room 113 Service Center Building
(405) 271 -2110

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3.13 FACULTY EVALUATION
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3.13.1 FACULTY EVALUATION, ADJUSTMENT IN SALARY, AND ADVANCEMENT IN RANK

Faculty evaluation is a continuous process, both prior to and following the granting of tenure. An annual review of each faculty member's performance is the responsibility of the academic deans and the specific academic units. A systematic procedure for accomplishing such evaluations shall be developed in each academic unit with the participation and approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost. The criteria for evaluation shall be carefully and clearly stated. Specific faculty assignments within an academic unit and the specific mission of a particular academic unit may have different percentages of effort distributed across the areas of professional activity (teaching; research, and creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach) if, in consultation with the dean and Senior Vice President and Provost, this is determined to assist the entire University in best meeting its mission.

(A) Norman Campus
All salary adjustments and promotions in rank shall be based on systematic evaluations of faculty performance. (Note 1)
Note 1: There are two basic purposes of faculty performance evaluations. The first and foremost is to provide information to the faculty member regarding his or her work so that the faculty member can build upon strengths and improve where improvements are desirable. As such, it becomes an essential element of career development for the individual and assists both the faculty member and the faculty member's department or school.
The second basic purpose is to provide a documented basis for providing appropriate recognition of the quality of the faculty member's work; of how well the faculty member meets the department's or school's approval criteria for advancement in salary, promotion, and tenure.
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 7 -14 -81)
It is the policy of the University (Norman Campus) that all "A" budget salaried faculty, temporary and permanent, tenure-track and non-tenure-track, and renewable term be subject to the same performance evaluation process currently in place starting academic year 1986 -87. (Faculty Senate, 4 -14 -86, President, 4 -21 -86, Senior Vice President and Provost, 10 -8 - 04)
Every faculty member will be evaluated annually by Committee A in the appropriate academic unit or department according to the criteria and procedures approved by that unit. These evaluations then will be represented in the form known as the Summary Report of Annual Faculty Evaluation and submitted first to the faculty member, who may respond to the Summary Report in the space provided, and then to the appropriate dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(Faculty Senate, 1 -12 -87, President, 1 -16 -87)

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3.13.2 (A) Salary Adjustments
(1) The most frequent reflection of a continuing faculty evaluation system is in the annual recommendations for merit salary increases. Deserving faculty should be rewarded, within the limits of the financial resources of the University, for meritorious performance.
(2) Each academic unit, with the participation and approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost, shall establish and publish specific criteria for evaluating faculty performance in that unit, consistent with overall University evaluation procedures, so that any ensuing disagreements on salary recommendations will arise only through differences of opinion concerning evaluation and application of the criteria rather than over the criteria themselves. These criteria may be changed by the faculty of the unit from time to time with the approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost. The Senior Vice President and Provost's approval of the revised criteria shall indicate a date on which they become effective. The revised criteria for salary evaluation shall apply to all faculty beginning with the academic year following the effective date.
(3) Under no circumstances will merit increases in salary be based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, political beliefs or status as a veteran.
(4) At times when a faculty member is recognized with a special award designating a specific merit increase in salary to accompany the award, such special monetary award will be treated as additional to any increase recommended through normal procedures.
(5) In certain circumstances, merit salary increases may cause the salary of a faculty member to equal or exceed the salary of faculty in higher ranks. Such a situation is perfectly acceptable provided the salary levels are fair reflections of the respective merits in effort and achievement of the faculty.

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3.13.2 (B) PROCEDURES FOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON SALARY ADJUSTMENTS

Procedural guidelines for salary recommendations are as follows:

(1) The academic unit will annually collect:
(a) achievement data from all the academic unit's faculty and
(b) evaluations of each faculty member’s performance from those who are in supervisory positions and from other sources agreed upon as suitable in departmental policy.
(2) For each faculty member, the chair (along with Committee A, where appropriate) will prepare a recommendation based upon a comparison of faculty performance with University and departmental criteria and forward a documented recommendation to the dean.
(3) The dean will review each recommendation and notify the chair of any changes or adjustments made.
(4) The salary recommendations from the college will be forwarded from the dean to the Senior Vice President and Provost for additional discussion, further recommendations, and administrative action.
(5) Each faculty member may request the reasons for the salary recommendation that was made. It is the duty of the chair to discuss such matters individually with the unit's faculty. These discussions should take place as soon as feasible following delivery of the official salary notifications.

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3.13.2 (C) ADJUSTMENTS OF SALARY INEQUITIES

Upon occasion, adjustments in salary may be needed to correct inequities caused by annual variations in available funds, changing conditions in the academic profession or in the economy, or other elements beyond the University's control. The responsibility for making adjustments, where needed, lies primarily with the dean, who, after consultation with the appropriate academic unit, recommends to the Senior Vice President and Provost specific salary adjustments to correct evident inequities. Such adjustments should be made as funds are available, without causing disruption to the merit reward system.


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3.13.3 ADVANCEMENT IN RANK

Advancement in rank is a major way in which the University recognizes a faculty member's achievements. A promotion is not a routine reward for satisfactory service but reflects a positive appraisal of high professional competence and accomplishment.

(A) CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION
Decisions to promote a faculty member must be made in light of a thorough evaluation of his or her performance in all the areas of faculty activity.
The candidate's performance is judged by all recommending parties against the academic unit's written statement of criteria for promotion to the rank in question, the approved written assignment for the candidate, and any special conditions pertaining to the candidate's appointment.
Each academic unit, in concert with the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost, shall establish and publish specific criteria for promotion in that unit. These criteria may be changed for promotion in that unit from time to time with the approval of the dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost. The Senior Vice President and Provost's approval of the revised criteria shall indicate a date on which they become effective. The revised criteria for promotion shall apply to all faculty in the unit beginning with the academic year following the effective date. These statements of criteria determine the emphasis placed on the various areas of faculty activity, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Qualifications for promotion in all units should include attainment of high standards in teaching, research, or creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach; and the evaluation should be substantially the same process as followed in tenure considerations.
(2) Service in a given rank for any number of years is not in itself a sufficient reason for promotion.
(3) Promotion should indicate that the faculty member is of comparable stature with others in his or her field at the same rank outside the University.
(B) PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION DECISIONS
(1) Recommendations regarding advancement in rank shall originate in the academic units by procedures to be determined by the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(2) The college dean or the Senior Vice President and Provost may at his or her discretion, require an academic unit to initiate consideration of promotion for an individual faculty member. In such a case, the academic unit must forward a recommendation, whether or not it is favorable.
(3) While primary responsibility for gathering complete information on professional activity rests with the individual faculty member, the chair should assume a share of this responsibility to be certain that all promotion recommendations are initiated on the basis of full documentation. All such documentation must be considered by any person or group making a recommendation.
(4) All recommendations must be in writing and, with the exception of a recommendation based on any polling of the unit's faculty members, all must include a statement of reasons for the recommendation made. Notification of all such recommendations made above the level of the academic unit, up to and including the recommendation of the Senior Vice President and Provost, must be provided to the unit's chair. The numerical result of the formal secret ballot polling of the unit’s faculty members shall be provided to the candidate if the candidate makes a request.
(5) In all recommendations that are to be forwarded, the chair and Committee A members shall provide their recommendations. Each member shall record an independent opinion, by name, without obligation to represent majority departmental opinion. Reasons must be given for all recommendations.
(6) Whenever possible, a promotion should be accompanied by an appropriate increase in salary. If budgetary limitations make this impossible in any particular year, an adjustment should occur at the next budget period when funds are available. Promotions should not be delayed because of budgetary constraints. Conversely, promotions should be earned on their own right and not be used as substitutes for salary increases.
(C) PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION DECISIONS FOR NON-REGULAR FACULTY
(1) Eligibility: Lecturers (Doctoral degree required) and instructors (Master’s degree required) who have five continuous years of full-time employment at the University will be eligible for promotion in rank. After five years’ experience as instructor/lecturer or equivalent, or earlier if initiated by chair/dean, a faculty member is eligible to be designated as Senior Instructor or Senior Lecturer. After ten years’ experience as instructor/lecturer, or earlier if initiated by chair/dean, a faculty member is eligible to be designated as Distinguished Lecturer or Distinguished Instructor.
(2) Evaluation: Renewable term instructors and lecturers should be evaluated annually following the department or school/college faculty evaluation processes, using the Faculty Activity System. All evaluations should be based upon the appointee’s teaching and service performance as defined by the academic programs.
(3) Promotion in Rank: Any unit that hires renewable term lecturers and instructors must have policies on promotion in rank approved by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.

(Regents, 2 -12 -76, 1 -15 -87, 7 -23 -87, 5 -9 -91, 6 -13 -91, 7 -27 -93, 1 -27 -04, 1 -28 -2021)


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3.14 SERVICES AVAILABLE FOR FACULTY/ACADEMIC UNITS

The University of Oklahoma has a Program for Instructional Innovation that provides the following services to all departments, as academic units, and to individual faculty and graduate teaching assistants.

(A) Individual Consulting
Free consulting is available on any general or specific question about teaching. This interaction may lead to classroom visits, student interviews, video-taping, or independent student evaluations.
(B) Teaching Evaluations
Two confidential teaching evaluations are offered. One is the IDEA Course Evaluation System, an in depth, end-of-course diagnostic service. Also available is a mid-course evaluation entitled Teaching Analysis by Students (TABS). In addition to these evaluations, IDP staff is available to work with individual faculty to create a customized evaluation. All evaluations are offered at no cost to OU instructors.
(C) Faculty Discussion Groups
Informal faculty discussion groups are offered each semester and meet once every two weeks for lunch and a one-hour discussion. These discussion groups offer faculty members an opportunity to learn about teaching from their professional colleagues on campus.
(D) Professional Development Seminar
Designed for new faculty members, this seminar meets once a week during the fall semester and focuses on the University's organization, support for research, University services, and effective teaching. These free luncheon seminars are offered in cooperation with the Graduate College and OU academic and service units.
(E) Teaching Assistant Training Programs
The All-TA Workshop: In order to help teaching assistants become acquainted with the University and their teaching responsibilities, the University requires all TAs to participate in a training workshop. The All-TA workshop, held prior to each fall semester, offers a general orientation to the University and includes a variety of sessions to prepare TAs for their teaching duties.
The ITA Workshop: All international teaching assistants (ITAs) are required to attend the ITA workshop offered each fall. This workshop is designed to address the unique problems encountered by international TAs; for example, managing cultural differences, adapting to OU classes, and building communication effectiveness.
Other TA Programs: The Instructional Development Program serves as a resource to help individual academic departments develop their own TA training programs.
(F) Library of Resources on College Teaching Books, journals, and reprints of articles on every aspect of college teaching are available and may be borrowed.
(G) Publications
A newsletter for OU faculty and teaching assistants, Spotlight on Teaching, is published three to four times a year. The newsletter features profiles of successful OU educators as well as articles of general interest on college teaching.

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3.15 ACADEMIC YEAR

The academic year for the University of Oklahoma (Norman Campus, excepting the College of Law) begins with the summer term, which begins in early June and ends in early August, with a day's recess for Independence Day when it falls during a scheduled class day. The fall semester begins in late August to allow completion of the semester before the Christmas holidays, with recesses of classes at Labor Day and during the Thanksgiving vacation. The spring semester begins in mid-January and ends in mid-May, with recesses for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and spring vacation. (For specific dates for faculty appointments for the academic year and the summer term, see Section 3.5.2.)

(Faculty Senate, 3 -30 -70; Presidential Approval, 4 -13 -70; State Regents, 8 -2 -93; President, 5 -4 -94)


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3.15.1 UNSCHEDULED HOLIDAYS

Undergraduate Student Congress and Graduate Student Senate shall have authority to recommend to the President one unscheduled school holiday in the Fall semester of each academic year with the understanding the recommendation of a holiday must be made to the President at least two weeks before the recommended date in order to allow time for adjusting teaching schedules and the like.

(Regents, 3 -9 -78, 12 -02 -03)


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3.15.2 RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

It is the policy of the University to excuse the absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide without penalty for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required class work that may fall on religious holidays.

(Senior Vice President and Provost Approval, 9 -14 -78)


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3.16 FACULTY DUTIES

The work of a faculty member may include teaching, research or creative activity, and service. Specific activities of a faculty member may vary from semester to semester as long as they are consistent with his or her department's objectives and responsibilities as indicated by the department's statement of criteria for evaluating faculty performance.

(Presidential Approval, 7 -1 -78)


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3.16.1 POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FACULTY TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Policy Guidelines for Faculty Teaching Responsibilities were developed with the input of college deans and members of the Faculty Senate. These guidelines are designed to apportion responsibilities within academic units and increase differential teaching assignments.

(A) Faculty teaching loads should be differentiated.
(B) A teaching load policy that is appropriate for a major national research university should be developed by each college. This policy will be approved by the college dean and the Senior Vice President and Provost and will be implemented at the departmental level. College teaching policies may differ.
(C) Teaching loads should be related to practice and productivity at peer institutions.
(D) Differentiated teaching loads should be based upon needs of the unit; teaching ability; type, level, and size of courses taught; productivity in research and creativity; service assignments; administrative responsibilities; and other unique characteristics of the instructor.
(F) The annual faculty evaluations should be in conformity with the policy set forth in Section 3.11.
(G) Graduate level research and creativity activity, advisement, directing of theses and dissertations, and special service functions are to be taken into consideration as part of the overall teaching load.
(H) College deans should review and evaluate teaching loads each year.
(I) Department chairs or directors, with the approval of their college dean, will have the flexibility to approve exceptions to their college's policies.
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 9 -12 -90)

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3.17 REGENTS’ AWARDS

The Regents’ Award is an annual University-funded award that is given to a faculty member whose accomplishments in at least one of the three areas (teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity, university/professional service and public outreach) are exceptional and clearly exceed normal expectations.


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3.17.1 Criteria For Selection

A nominee must have contributed significantly to the mission of the department/unit in the award area (teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity, service/outreach) being recognized and must have fulfilled obligations and performed well in the other areas as well.

(A) Eligibility - Nominees must be full-time, regular or non-regular faculty members. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance in the area of the specific award. A recipient of an award in one area (teaching, research and creative/scholarly activity, service/outreach) is ineligible for the same Regents’ Award during the subsequent five-year period, but is immediately eligible for a Regents’ Award in a different area.
(1) Teaching - The educational training of students is at the core of the university mission. This training is accomplished through varied educational strategies and environments, including but not limited to in-class activities, hands-on student research training and mentorship, clinical teaching and mentorship, innovative course development (in-class and on-line), pedagogy improvements, and distance learning. Success of these activities must be demonstrated by measurable positive outcomes for students.
The nominator shall provide an informed commentary on the impact of the nominee's exceptional accomplishments, including classroom teaching, engagement with and commitment to students (including undergraduate, graduate, professional, and/or clinical residents and fellows), willingness to keep teaching material up to date with state of the art knowledge, willingness to support broader departmental teaching mission, positive feedback from students via STEs and other channels and from peers via observation, engagement in faculty development activities related to pedagogy, new course development, service learning or service learning components, student advising and mentorship, formal and informal, supervision of graduate students.
(2) Research and Creative/Scholarly Activity
A clear expectation for a research-intensive university is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and forms of creative activity. The creation of new knowledge derives from scholarly activities that drive innovation, with such activities supported by funding mechanisms appropriate to the discipline. Evidence of the creation of such new knowledge is established through impactful outcomes disseminated in different peer-reviewed formats that include publication of research manuscripts and books, performances and exhibits, and the effective mentorship and graduation of students and/or clinical residents and fellows. The impact of the nominee's research and creative/scholarly activities on the field of study must be substantiated by documentation appropriate to the discipline, and by letters of support from informed leaders in the nominee's field of study. For the Health Sciences Center, attention will be given to the ways in which a nominee may have an impact through team science and interdisciplinary/interprofessional scholarship.
(3) University/Professional Service and Public Outreach
The university is, in the broadest sense, an integral part of the community (intellectual and physical) in which it resides. A faculty member's contributions to the general community include professional service that may be specific to a discipline (e. g., clinical practice and excellence in outcomes such as quality and patient experience, service as journal editor, conference organizer, or in leadership positions in professional organizations) as well as impactful activities that benefit university-community interactions (e. g., teacher training and service learning projects). Such activities enhance achievements in teaching and research. Successful nominees shall have demonstrated exceptional performance in activities that enhance the university's role and standing in the community.

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3.17.2 Nomination Procedure s
(A) Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the awards by September 15 of each year and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(B) Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a departments/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination by an academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed for each of the Regents’ Awards. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets including supporting documentation.
Nominations shall be forwarded to the respective dean for review and endorsement. An optional letter from the dean, if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the broader OU mission. The dean's letter will not count towards the 25 -page limit outlined below. The dean will forward the nomination materials to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1.
(C) Supporting Documentation
Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A letter of nomination, not to exceed three single-spaced pages;
  • A customized vita containing the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments and criteria cited for the award;
  • A short biography (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments, and written for a general audience.
Although not required, the nomination packet may include letters of support. Letters must specifically address the area of the award. No more than five letters should be included. These letters of support will not count toward the 25 -page limit.

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3.17.3 Selection Procedure s

The Council on Faculty Awards and Honors shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about the nominees from such supplemental sources, as appropriate.

The Council shall recommend to the Senior Vice President and Provosts as many as nine faculty members for the awards, with the understanding the majority of the awards will be given for Superior Teaching in the broadest sense as defined by the selection criteria. The Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees. The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nomination materials and the Council’s recommendations, and will forward their recommendations, along with all substantiating materials, to the President by February 1. The President will make recommendations to the Board of Regents.

The final selection of the recipients will be made by the Board of Regents.


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3.17.4 Announcement

The recipients of the Regents' Award for Superior Teaching, Regents' Award for Superior Research and Creative/Scholarly Activity, and Regents' Award for Superior Professional and University Service and Public Outreach will be announced by the Board of Regents at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.


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3.17.5 Perquisites

Each award will consist of affixing the recipient's name to a permanent plaque in a prominent and suitable location and a one-time award of $10,000. A certificate suitable for framing will be presented to the recipient.

(Regents, 5 -11 -78; Amended, 9 -11 -86, 6 -27 -95, 1 -27 -04, 1 -26 -11, 9 -11 -19)


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3.18 DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS

Recipients of distinguished professorships are deemed to have achieved unusual distinction in teaching; research and creative/scholarly activity; and Professional and University service and public outreach. The University awards the following distinguished professorships:

(1) David L. Boren Professorships
(2) David Ross Boyd Professorships
(3) George Lynn Cross Research Professorships
(4) Presidential Professorships
(5) Regents' Professorships

All nominations shall be made known to the Board of Regents at least 20 days prior to the time that nominees' names appear on an agenda for action.

(Regents, 5 -12 -66, 5 -11 -78, 9 -26 -95, 1 -27 -04, 12 -4 -14, 9 -11 -19)


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3.18. 1 DAVID L. BOREN PROFESSORSHIPS

The David L. Boren Professorship is one of the University of Oklahoma’s highest honors, recognizing faculty who have made exceptional and truly impactful contributions to the mission of the University of Oklahoma as a public research university.

(A) Criteria for Selection
To qualify for the Professorship, a faculty member must have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, research and creative activity, and leadership in professional and public service. The holders of this distinctive honor should demonstrate effective mentoring and engagement of students in advancing knowledge creation and making a positive difference in the world.
Criteria which will be considered are the degree to which the candidate:
(1) demonstrates leadership in the development of impactful scholarship and creative activity that is viewed as seminal within one or more fields;
(2) exhibits scholarship and creative activity in high quality venues (including peer-reviewed publications/performances) supported by national funding appropriate to the field, and has their work cited frequently;
(3) inspires inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity among students as judged by measurable outcomes;
(4) fosters the professional development of colleagues and serves as a model for colleagues and students;
(5) demonstrates strong sense of community and is instrumental in the creation, organization, and mobilization of other individuals, groups and resources that are involved in projects benefiting the community, whether specific to a discipline or by enhancing the university’s role and standing in the larger community.
Eligibility: Nominees must be full-time faculty members who hold regular faculty appointments. Nominees will normally hold the rank of full professor but associate professors may be considered. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance. Recipients are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David Ross Boyd Professorship, George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, and Regents’ Professorship.
(B) Nomination Procedures
(1) Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(2) Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination per academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. An optional letter from the dean, if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the broader OU mission. The dean's letter will not count toward the page limit below. The dean will submit all the nominations and supporting documentation to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1. The Senior Vice President and Provosts will forward these materials to the University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors.
(3) Supporting Documentation
Recommendations are to be accompanied by specific evidence that the nominee meets the criteria for selection. Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A letter of nomination, not to exceed seven single-spaced pages;
  • A customized vita containing the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments and criteria cited for the award;
  • A short biography (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments and written for a general audience.
In addition, the nomination packet must also include letters of support from nationally or internationally recognized experts in the nominee’s area of expertise (minimum: two for research/creative activity, one for teaching, one for service/outreach). Letters must specifically address the criteria of the professorship. No more than five letters will be accepted. These letters of support will not count toward the 25 -page limit.
(C) Selection Procedures
(1) Review
The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about the nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for the professorship for their review. The Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
(2) Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nomination materials and the Council’s recommendations, and will forward their recommendations by February 1, along with all nominations and all substantiating material pertaining to all nominees, to the President, who will make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
(D) Announcement
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.
(E) Perquisites
In the year of designation as a David L. Boren Professor, the person receiving the award will receive a one-time award of $10,000 and a permanent salary increase of 10 % on the University base salary or $10,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
(F) Term of the Award
The term of a David L. Boren Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.

(Regents, 12 -4 -14, 9 -11 -19)


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3.18. 2 DAVID ROSS BOYD PROFESSORSHIPS

The David Ross Boyd Professorship is one of the University’s highest honors, recognizing faculty who have consistently demonstrated outstanding teaching, guidance, and leadership for students in an academic discipline or in an interdisciplinary program within the University.

(A) Criteria for Selection
Criteria which will be considered are the degree to which the candidate:
(1) has impacted the educational mission of the University;
(2) engages students and/or clinical residents and fellows in high-quality scholarship and professional service through effective mentoring strategies;
(3) establishes, communicates, and fulfills appropriate course and program goals;
(4) stimulates an intellectual inquisitiveness among students while creatively developing appropriate educational delivery formats and techniques appropriate to the program;
(5) mentors students (graduate, undergraduate, professional, and/or clinical residents and fellows) towards success in their chosen career paths;
(6) brings about change in students’ knowledge, motives, and attitudes;
(7) establishes and promotes an inclusive culture in the University’s educational mission;
(8) fosters the professional development of colleagues and serves as a model for colleagues and students.
Eligibility: Nominees must be full-time faculty members who hold regular faculty appointments. Limited-term faculty at the Health Sciences Center may also be considered. Nominees will normally hold the rank of full professor but associate professors may be considered. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance. Recipients are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David L. Boren Professorship, George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, and Regents’ Professorship.
(B) Nomination Procedures
(1) Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(2) Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination per academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. An optional letter from the dean, if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the broader University of Oklahoma mission. The dean's letter will not count toward the page limit below. The dean will submit all the nominations and supporting documentation to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1. The Senior Vice President and Provosts will forward these materials to the University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors.
(3) Supporting Documentation
Recommendations are to be accompanied by specific evidence that the nominee meets the criteria for selection. Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A letter of nomination, not to exceed seven single-spaced pages;
  • A customized vita containing the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments and criteria cited for the award;
  • A short biography (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments, and written for a general audience.
In addition, the nomination packet must also include letters of support. Letters must specifically address the criteria of the professorship. No more than five letters should be included, with no more than three letters from students or student groups. These letters of support will not count toward the 25 -page limit.
(C) Selection Procedures
(1) Review
The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for the professorship for their review. The Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
(2) Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nominees and forward their recommendations, along with all nominations and all substantiating materials pertaining to the nominees, by February 1 to the President, who will make the recommendations to the Board of Regents.
The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
(D) Announcement
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.
(E) Perquisites
In the year of designation as a David Ross Boyd Professor, the person receiving the award will receive a one-time award of $7,000 and a permanent salary increase of 7 % on the University base salary or $7,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
(F) Term of the Award
The term of a David Ross Boyd Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
(Regents, 5 -11 -78; 3 -15 -89; 6 -27 -95 9 -26 -95, 1 -27 -2004, 3 -25 -09, 9 -18 -14, 9 -11 -19)

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3.18. 3 GEORGE LYNN CROSS RESEARCH PROFESSORSHIPS

The George Lynn Cross Research Professorship is the highest research and creative activity honor given by the University to a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership over a period of years in his or her field of learning or creative activity.

(A) Criteria for Selection
A clear expectation for a research-intensive university is the creation and dissemination of new knowledge and forms of creative activity. The creation of new knowledge derives from scholarly activities that drive innovation, with such activities supported by funding mechanisms appropriate to the discipline. A nominee must have contributed significantly to the mission of the University of Oklahoma in research and creative activity, and must have been recognized nationally and internationally by peers for distinguished contributions to knowledge or distinguished creative work. Evidence of the creation of new knowledge is established through impactful outcomes disseminated in different peer-reviewed formats that may include publication of research manuscripts and books, performances and exhibits, and the effective mentorship and graduation of students. Recognition of scholarly activities may also include work in clinical trials and health services, quality improvement, and population health research. The impact of the nominee's research and creative/scholarly activities on the field of study must be substantiated by documentation appropriate to the discipline and by letters of support from informed leaders in the nominee's field of study. For the Health Sciences Center, attention will be given to the ways in which a nominee may have an impact through team science and interdisciplinary/interprofessional scholarship.
A nominee must have fulfilled obligations and performed well in the other areas of the university's function (i. e., teaching, service/outreach) as well.
Eligibility: Nominees from the Norman campus must be tenured full-time faculty members. Nominees from the Health Sciences Center campus may include both consecutive term and tenured/tenure eligible faculty. Nominees will normally hold the rank of full professor but associate professors may be considered. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance in the area of the specific award. Recipients are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David Ross Boyd Professorship, David L. Boren Professorship, and Regents’ Professorship.
(B) Nomination Procedures
(1) Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(2) Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. Only one nomination per academic unit or other nominating group of faculty is allowed. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. The nomination packages and names of potential external letter writers shall be forwarded to the respective campus Vice President for Research, who, in consultation with the respective dean, will develop a final list of potential evaluators who will be contacted for their support letters addressed to the deans.
(3) Supporting Documentation
Recommendations are to be accompanied by specific indications that the person being recommended meets the criteria for selection.
Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A letter of nomination, not to exceed seven single-spaced pages;
  • A customized vita containing the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments and criteria cited for the award;
  • A short biography (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments, and written for a general audience.
  • Names and contact information of national/international experts (15 maximum) in the nominee's area of research/creative activity who can be contacted for evaluatory letters. These names should be solicited from the candidate and/or persons closely associated with the research area.
An optional letter from the Dean and respective Vice Presidents for Research (Norman campus or OUHSC), if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the mission of the respective College(s) and the university. This will be the only internal letter accepted. The Dean and Vice President for Research’s letter will not count towards the 25 -page limit. Materials are due to the respective Vice President for Research by November 1.
(C) Selection Procedures
(1) Evaluations
The Vice President for Research will present to the appropriate Research Council all nominations with the supporting documentation. In addition, the Vice President for Research will present to the Research Council the external evaluations and his/her own evaluation.
(2) Review
The Research Council shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council may seek additional data about the nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for the Professorship for their review. Research Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
(3) Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nominees and forward their recommendations along with all substantiating materials, by February 1 to the President, who will make the recommendations to the Board of Regents. The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
(D) Announcement
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.
(E) Prerequisites
In the year of designation as a George Lynn Cross Research Professor, the person receiving the professorship will receive a one-time award of $7,000 and a permanent salary increase of 7 % on the University base salary or $7,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
(F) Term of the Award
The term of a George Lynn Cross Research Professor is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
(Regents, 5 -11 -78, 3 -15 -89, 6 -27 -95, 9 -26 -95, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04, 3 -25 -09, 9 -11 -19)

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3.18. 4 PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSORSHIPS

Presidential Professors are those faculty members who excel in all of their professional activities and who relate those activities to the students they teach and mentor, including undergraduate, graduate, professional students, as well as clinical residents and fellows. These professors inspire their students, mentor them in the process of research and creative/scholarly activity within their discipline, and exemplify to their students (both past and present) and to their colleagues (both at the University and within their disciplines nationwide) the ideals of a scholar through their endeavors in teaching; research and creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach.

(A) Criteria for Selection
(1) Eligibility
Nominees must be full-time, regular or non-regular faculty members. The faculty member must have been an OU employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance in the area of the specific award. The nominee must have excelled in at least two of the three areas below. Recipients of the David L. Boren Professorship, David Ross Boyd Professorship, George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, and the Regents’ Professorship are not eligible for a Presidential Professorship.
(2) Teaching
The nominee shall have demonstrated leadership in modernizing and improving the undergraduate/graduate/professional/clinical instructional enterprise, including (i) the effectiveness of undergraduate (lower and upper division) and/or graduate, and/or professional courses developed and taught by the nominee, and (ii) the extent of the nominee's involvement with undergraduate/graduate/professional students and/or clinical residents and fellows in research/mentoring/advising within the academic discipline. In addition, the nominee must have actively participated in student-centered activities such as, but not limited to, OU's Undergraduate/Graduate Research Day, Stewart Wolf Day, REU and/or FYRE programs, freshmen Gateway courses, professional clerkships, mentorship of honors student theses, and sponsorship of academic clubs.
(3) Research and Creative/Scholarly Activity
The nominee shall have demonstrated significant involvement of graduate/ undergraduate/professional students and/or clinical residents and fellows in the nominee's research and creative scholarly activities. This should be supported by measurable peer-reviewed outcomes including the quality and quantity of theses and dissertations supervised, professional degrees/certifications issued publications co-authored with students, and performances/exhibits that involve significant student participation. For the Health Sciences Center, attention will be given to the ways in which a nominee may have an impact through team science and interdisciplinary/interprofessional scholarship.
(4) University/Professional Service and Public Outreach
The nominee must have contributed significantly to, and positively impacted, departmental/college/center/university committees and/or public outreach programs. A faculty member's contributions to the general community include professional service that may be specific to a discipline (e. g., clinical practice and excellence in outcomes such as quality and patient experience, service as a journal editor, conference organizer, or in leadership positions in professional organizations), as well as impactful activities that benefit university-community interactions (e. g., teacher training and service learning projects). Such activities enhance achievements in teaching and research. Successful nominees shall have demonstrated exceptional performance in activities that enhance the university's role and standing in the community.
(B) Nomination Procedures
(1) Initiation
The President in conjunction with the Senior Vice President and Provost of the Norman Campus and the Senior Vice President and Provost of the Health Sciences Center - (a) will review the number of vacant Presidential Professorships, (b) will hold three vacancies each year for recruitment and retention of qualified faculty, and (c) will issue a call for nominations by September 15. The solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(2) Recommendations
Nominations may derive from department chairs or unit directors, elected members of departmental/unit Committee A, a department's/unit's approved nomination committee, Center leaders, or a group of faculty who are familiar with the nominee's qualifications for the award. The nominating entity will be responsible for assembling the nomination packets, including supporting documentation.
Nominations will be forwarded to the respective dean of the college for review and endorsement. An optional letter from the dean, if included, will focus on evaluatory comments regarding the quality and significance of the nominee's impact on the broader OU mission. The dean's letter will not count toward the page limit below. The dean will submit all the recommendations and supporting documentation to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1.
(3) Supporting Documentation
Nomination materials must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A nomination letter (no more than three single-spaced pages) describing the nominee's impact on the scholarly and overall professional development of the students they teach and mentor;
  • A customized vita of the nominee that contains the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments being cited for the award consideration;
  • A short biographical sketch (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments and written for a general audience.
In addition, the following must be included but will not count toward the 25 -page limit:
  • Up to a total of five support letters from students (former or current) and professional colleagues (internal and/or external to OU) who can speak to the nominee's influence on students. These letters should, collectively, address as many of the relevant award criteria that the writer(s) can speak to.
  • The nominee's Summary Reports of Annual Evaluations for the previous three years, or since beginning at the University if the nominee has been at the University less than three years.
(C) Selection Procedures
(1) Selection Committee
Separate selection committees will be constituted on the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses. The selection committees will be co-chaired by the respective campus’ Senior Vice President and Provost and the Vice President for Research, who serve as non-voting members. Twelve members of the selection committee for each campus will be chosen as follows:
The President will select six faculty and three academic administrators from among current members on the respective campus’ Research Council, University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors, and Deans’ Council to serve three-year staggered terms.
The President will also select two faculty-at-large members from the respective campus: at Norman Campus tenure-track and tenured faculty, and at Health Sciences Center campus tenure-track, tenured, or consecutive-term faculty, to serve two-year staggered terms.
The President will also select one distinguished outside individual to serve a two-year term.
(2) Selection Procedure
The Presidential Professorship selection committees on both campuses shall consider only the formal nominations. The committees may seek additional data about the nominees from supplemental sources, as appropriate. The selection committees’ selections for the Presidential Professors must be forwarded by February 1 to the President along with all nominations and all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees. The President will make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The final selection of the recipients will be made by the Board of Regents.
(D) Announcement
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.
(E) Perquisites
The Professorship is awarded for a four-year term. Assistant and Associate Professors receive $5,000 per year and Professors receive $10,000 per year. To be eligible for funding in any given year, a faculty member must be considered as a full-time continuing member of the University.
Decisions regarding merit increases in base faculty salary in the academic year will be made independently of faculty status as a Presidential Professor.
Presidential Professors will receive the professorship funding as a taxable bonus paid annually.
(F) Term of Award
The Professorship is granted for a four-year term with the faculty member receiving the funding each year based on faculty rank. Recipients retain the Presidential Professor title permanently.
(Regents, 5 -11 -78, 3 -15 -89, 9 -26 -95, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04, 9 -11 -19, 10 -23 -19, 1 -28 -21)

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3.18. 5 REGENTS ' PROFESSORSHIPS

The Regents’ Professorship recognizes a faculty member who has rendered outstanding service to the academic community or to an academic or professional discipline through extraordinary achievement in academic administration or professional service.

(A) Criteria for Selection
Eligibility: Nominees must be full-time faculty members who hold regular faculty appointments. The faculty member must have been a University of Oklahoma employee during the period for which the outstanding contributions are being recognized; previous accomplishments at other institutions, if applicable, may be used in support of a continued outstanding performance. Persons named Regents’ Professors are not eligible in subsequent years for a Presidential Professorship. Recipients are eligible for a David L. Boren Professorship, David Ross Boyd Professorship, and George Lynn Cross Research Professorship.
(B) Nomination Procedures
(1) Initiation
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will solicit recommendations for the professorship by September 15 and announce appropriate schedules for processing the nominations. Furthermore, the solicitations will be posted on the appropriate campus website, for access by nominators and faculty on all campuses.
(2) Recommendations
Nominations should derive from administrative leaders at OU, including administrative officers, current and former department chairs, college Deans, and Provosts. Packets must be assembled by the nominee's administrative and/or evaluatory unit. Nominations are due to the respective Senior Vice President and Provost by November 1.
(3) Supporting Documentation
Nomination packets must include the following, not to exceed 25 pages combined:
  • A letter of nomination, not to exceed seven single-spaced pages;
  • A customized vita containing the relevant information pertaining to the accomplishments and criteria cited for the award;
  • A short biography (about 100 words) highlighting the nominee's most significant accomplishments, and written for a general audience.
In addition, the nomination packet may also include up to five letters of support, either internal or external, but favoring at least two external letters. Letters must specifically address the criteria of the Professorship. These letters of support will not count toward the 25 -page limit.
(C) Selection Procedures
(1) Review
The University Council on Faculty Awards and Honors shall consider only the formal nominations. The Council shall forward to the Senior Vice President and Provosts its recommendation(s) for their review. The Council also shall transmit all substantiating materials pertaining to all nominees.
(2) Selection
The Senior Vice President and Provosts will review the nomination materials and the Council’s recommendations and will forward their recommendations, along with all substantiating materials, by February 1 to the President, who will make recommendations to the Board of Regents. The final selection of the recipient(s) will be made by the Board of Regents.
(D) Announcement
The final selections will be announced for Norman Campus at the annual Faculty Award Ceremony.
(E) Perquisites
In the year of designation as a Regents’ Professor, the person receiving the award will receive a one-time award of up to $7,000 and a permanent salary increase of 7 % on the University base salary or $7,000, whichever is greater, starting in the subsequent fiscal year.
(F) Term of the Award
The term of a Regents’ Professorship is continuous until retirement or separation from the University.
(Regents, 5 -11 -78; 3 -15 -89; 9 -26 -95, 1 -27 -04, 3 -25 -09, 9 -11 -19)

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3.19 ENDOWED CHAIRS AND PROFESSORSHIPS

Faculty may be appointed to endowed chairs and professorships.

(A) Criteria for Selection
Specific criteria for the selection of occupants may be established for particular chairs as appropriate. To qualify for an endowed chair or professorship, a faculty member must be distinguished within a particular academic field or an interdisciplinary program. For endowed chairs only, Norman Campus appointees must be a tenured faculty member or must receive tenure on appointment to an endowed chair in accord with the applicable Faculty Handbook. Endowed professorships do not carry such stipulations.
(B) Appointment Process
Once a candidate has been identified, the dean will consult with the Senior Vice President and Provost at the faculty’s assigned campus. The Senior Vice President and Provost, after consultation, may make a recommendation to the President. The President may approve and forward the appointment to the Board of Regents or reject it and request further searching.
(Regents, 4 -14 -77, 6 -15 -78; Regents, 6 -27 -95, 1 -27 -04, 6 -14 -23)

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3.20 FACULTY AWARDS

The University recognizes teaching; research and creative/scholarly activity; and professional and University service and public outreach by its faculty by presenting several annual awards to deserving nominees. Some awards (including the Merrick Teaching Award) are privately funded, and criteria and method of selection are set forth in joint University-donor contracts.


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3.20.1 COLLEGE AWARDS FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Colleges that wish to use private funds to give faculty or staff merit awards for outstanding performance must secure the Senior Vice President and Provost’s approval of the selection procedure and the amount of awards prior to any advertising or announcement. As a general rule, awards are given once a year and are limited to less than 10 percent of the recipient's salary. Annual deadlines will be established for the submission of criteria and awards. Announcements of recipients will not be made until the President has approved the annual recommendation. These awards will be made from absolutely unrestricted funds or funds designated specifically for faculty/staff awards. Recipients will be issued an IRS Form 1099 with the payment from The University of Oklahoma Foundation.

(Regents, 12 -19 -90, 3 -7 -91, 1 -27 -04)


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3.21 LEAVES POLICY

The University of Oklahoma Leave Policy has additional leave information detailed in the University of Oklahoma Regents Policy Manual.


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3.21.1 SABBATICAL LEAVES POLICY
(A) PURPOSE
Sabbatical leaves of absence are among the most important means by which an institution's academic program is strengthened, a faculty member's teaching effectiveness enhanced, and scholarly usefulness enlarged. The major purpose is to provide opportunity for continued professional growth and new or renewed intellectual achievement through study, research, writing, and training.
However, a faculty member does not automatically earn a sabbatical leave. Instead, it is an investment by the University in the expectation that the sabbatical leave will significantly enhance the faculty member's ability to contribute to the objectives of the University. There should be a clear indication that the improvements sought during a sabbatical will benefit the work of the faculty member, department, college, and the University. Only sabbatical leave proposals that meet this criterion will be accepted and approved by the University. Sabbatical leaves are supported as an investment in the future of the faculty member and the future of the faculty member's students at the University.
The purposes for which a sabbatical leave may be granted may include:
Research on significant problems and issues.
Important creative or descriptive work in any means of expression, for example writing or painting.
Postdoctoral study at another institution to update teaching skills.
Other projects satisfactory to the University.
It should be demonstrated that such work cannot occur as effectively during the regular work schedule of the faculty member.
Normally, the University will not grant a sabbatical for the purpose of pursuing work on the terminal degree in the faculty member’s academic field.
Adherence to the plan submitted by the faculty member is expected. Within two months of returning from leave, the faculty member shall submit to the Senior Vice President and Provost through the chair or director and college dean a report of activities undertaken, which will be used in evaluating future applications for sabbatical leaves.
A faculty member who is on sabbatical leave shall not be penalized on matters of salary consideration. The report on the sabbatical will be used in consideration for merit raises in subsequent years.
(B) CONDITIONS OF AWARD
Approval of a sabbatical leave of absence with full or partial pay depends on the ability of the faculty member’s college to absorb the financial obligation and on the college's ability to provide teaching without loss of quality.
A faculty member applying for a sabbatical leave and receiving a stipend for the same period from another institution or agency may still receive a sabbatical provided that it appears to the Senior Vice President and Provost that it is in the best interest of the University and will be needed to prevent financial loss to the faculty member obtaining the sabbatical.
Normally, faculty on sabbatical leave at full pay may not receive additional compensation from within the University for teaching in continuing education, Intersession, or other University programs, since such activities would diminish the sabbatical time for study and creative activity. However, the Senior Vice President and Provost may approve exceptions provided that it appears to be in the best interest of the University. Faculty on sabbatical shall resign from all councils, standing committees, and administrative advisory committees of the University, except graduate students' committees, in order to devote their full time to their projects. The obligation to supervise and advance the work of graduate students shall continue during the sabbatical leave. (Note 1)
As a condition of receiving approval of a sabbatical leave, the sabbatical recipient shall sign a statement of commitment to return to the University for one year following the sabbatical or to remit the salary and cost of benefits received from the University during the sabbatical leave, unless this requirement is waived by the President, in writing.
Note 1: Although this is not a part of the official Regents Policy, faculty should also work with the Office of Research Services, as appropriate, to ensure the obligation for their sponsored projects are met.
(Vice President for Research, 3 -31 -05)
(C) BENEFITS PAYABLE
Employment benefits for faculty members on sabbatical with full salary will continue at full benefits levels.
Employment benefits for faculty members on sabbatical leave at less than full salary will be as follows:
Health, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Dental insurance will continue at full benefit level. Please refer to the Medical Plan Rates Chart for full-time, salaried active-employees listed on the Human Resources website. Although faculty members receive half of their regular salary, the full-time rate for their full-time salary tier will be deducted from their paychecks. Please refer to the Medical Plans Rates Chart to determine the amount that will be deducted. You will be responsible for any benefit premium amounts in excess of Sooner Credits while you are on a half pay sabbatical.
Social Security contributions will be based on the actual salary paid and Defined Contribution benefit will be computed by reducing the salary that is exempt (normally the first $9,000) in the same proportion to the sabbatical FTE. For example, for a faculty member on sabbatical leave at half-pay for a year, the exempt salary will be reduced to $4,500.
OTRS rules provide that employees on official sabbatical leave may fully credit the sabbatical period toward years of service if the employee receives at least one-half pay during the sabbatical and the retirement contributions during the sabbatical are made at the full-time rate (i. e., the rate commensurate with the salary earned as a regular full-time employee in the last preceding school year).
University contributions will be concomitant with the employee’s contributions to OTRS, at either the half-time or full-time rate. The member must elect to participate and make contributions to OTRS at the time of the sabbatical. Credit for sabbatical leave cannot be purchased by the member at a later date. See OTRS rules, OAC sec. 715:10 -1 -4. This agreement authorizes the university to make OTRS contributions at the full-time rate during a half-pay sabbatical.
(D) ELIGIBILITY
The semesters that are counted toward eligibility for sabbaticals are the fall and spring semesters only and do not include the summer term.
After six years of service, faculty on nine-month appointments may be granted a sabbatical leave at half-pay for a period not to exceed two semesters or at full-pay not to exceed one semester. After six years of service, faculty on 12 -month appointments may be granted a sabbatical leave at half-pay for a period not to exceed 12 months or at full-pay for a period not to exceed six months. The term "six years of service" refers to full-time appointments in a regular faculty appointment at the University, but not counting leaves of absence without pay. The term "six years of service" also includes other full-time service at the University that has been included in the probationary period for tenure. Such service at other institutions of higher learning shall not be included.
A faculty member's eligibility to apply for subsequent sabbatical leaves is established by length of service following return from the previous sabbatical leave in accord with the schedule referred to above. Occasional exceptions to the rule may occur when a faculty member who is otherwise formally determined to merit a sabbatical leave is obliged to postpone it for the convenience of the University. In exceptional cases, the President may determine the period of delay be considered as part of the period of service establishing eligibility to apply for the next sabbatical leave.
(E) PROCEDURES
The procedure to be followed in applying for a sabbatical leave shall be as follows:
The faculty member shall apply to the department. After recommending approval or disapproval, the department chair or director shall submit the application to the college dean by February 1 for sabbaticals beginning in the following academic year or later and no later than July 15 for sabbaticals beginning the following spring semester. The dean will hold all applications for comparative review and recommend, by ranking in order of merit, to the appropriate Senior Vice President and Provost. The Senior Vice President and Provost may seek the advice of the Council on Faculty Awards and Honors. The Senior Vice President and Provost will recommend to the President, who will make recommendations to the Board of Regents for the April and September meetings respectively.
(Regents, 5 -11 -78, 9 -9 -82, 4 -12 -84, 1 -17 -85, 7 -23 -87, 1 -24 -95, 1 -27 -04)

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3.21.1 .1 FACULTY FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

The University is pleased to support faculty seeking various highly prestigious and prestigious fellowships such as Fulbright Awards or Guggenheim Fellowships. Such faculty awards and fellowships enhance the research reputation of the entire campus. For a listing of those fellowships and awards classified as prestigious or highly prestigious go to: http: //vpr-norman.ou.edu/VPR-research-awards/recognition-program-exceptional-achievements-research. Faculty members receiving these fellowships or awards receive a monetary recognition award from the OU-NC Vice President for Research. The Senior Vice President & Provost will consider, on a case by case basis, requests for institutional support for faculty members receiving other fellowships and scholarships not listed on the VPR website.

Faculty members beginning the application process for one of these fellowships or scholarships should first review the form titled “FUNDING AGREEMENT AND REVIEW OF UNIT’S INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS WHEN FACULTY APPLY FOR A PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIP OR FELLOWSHIP” located here: http: //www.ou.edu/content/dam/provost/documents/fellowship-leave-form.pdf. The faculty member should also send an e-mail notifying their Chair/Director, their Dean, and the Senior Vice President & Provost of their plan to apply. Initial concerns and questions can be addressed at that point in time.

Academic units will manage the faculty requests for accepting prestigious fellowships and scholarships, sabbatical leaves, and other types of leaves of absence within the greater context of offering replacement instruction to our students. Note that some academic units/ colleges limit the number of awards that a faculty member can accept between sabbatical periods.

In most cases, the fellowship or scholarship requires that the faculty member be relieved of their in-load teaching assignments. The Office of the Provost requires a plan for replacement instruction to teach those courses that the individual faculty accepting a scholarship or fellowship would normally have been assigned to teach. This insures that the revenue from the credit hours produced in teaching these courses continues to flow into the University allowing for the University to continue to serve student curriculum needs and to provide some support for the faculty member receiving a fellowship or scholarship. Additional information for faculty considering applications is available here: http: //www.ou.edu/content/dam/provost/documents/prestigious-scholarships-fellowships-policy-procedures.pdf

(Senior Vice President & Provost, 4 -24 -70, 11 -10 -13).


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3.21.2 ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE

An administrative leave with pay may be given when it is determined to be in the University's best interest that an employee not return to work for a specified period of time or for designated emergency closings of the University. Recommendations for administrative leave must be submitted to the President or his designee for approval.

(Regents, 7 -23 -87, 1 -27 -04)


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3.21.3 LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY

Leaves of absence without pay may be granted for a period usually not exceeding one year to members of the faculty and other employees for purposes deemed to be in the interests of the University. Leaves without pay should be infrequent and should be approved only after careful consideration by Academic Chairs/Directors, Deans, the Senior Vice President & Provost, the President, and the OU Board of Regents. Recurring requests for leaves of absence without pay should not be approved without strong justification, particularly when they are in consecutive years.

(A) Application for a leave of absence should be submitted to the department chair or director, who will forward it with recommendation to the college dean by February 1 for leaves beginning in the following academic year or later and no later than July 15 for leaves beginning the following spring semester. After recommending approval or disapproval, the dean will forward the application to the Senior Vice President and Provost. The Senior Vice President and Provost will recommend to the President, who will make recommendations to the Board of Regents for final action for the April and September meetings, respectively. The President may approve exceptions to these deadlines, provided that it appears to be in the best interest of the University.
(B) A form for requesting a Faculty Leave of Absence without Pay is available here: http: //www.ou.edu/content/dam/provost/documents/faculty-leave-of-absence-without-pay.pdf. A letter from the Chair/Director can elaborate on the information described below.
(1) Sabbatical or other leaves the faculty has taken in the past six years, their dates and purposes.
(2) The purposes of the proposed leave.
(3) The contribution of the leave to the realization of the faculty member’s goals and those of the University in research, teaching, or service.
(C) Requests for extension must contain updated information about the above items and will be subject to the same approval procedure as an initial leave.
(D) Time spent on leave of absence without pay will not count toward a probationary period for tenure or for eligibility for sabbatical leave.
(E) University contributions to the Defined Contributions Plan, AD& D, group life, medical, and dental insurance will not be made during a leave of absence without pay. Persons on such leave without pay may pay for their own contributions to the plans except to the Defined Contribution Plan.
(F) For staff, leaves of absence without pay for personal reasons may be recommended by the budget unit head when it appears to be in the best interest of the University and the employee. Such leaves may not exceed one year in length. A period of leave of absence without pay does not count as service time for computation of benefits other than for retirement as specified. Leave without pay for monthly paid employees may not be for absences of less than one day’s duration.
(Regents, 11 -12 -43,1 -24 -95,1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04)
(President, 11 -30 -00)

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3.21.4 EXTENDED SICK LEAVE POLICY FOR NINE MONTH FACULTY

The following extended sick leave benefits are available to full-time faculty members with the rank of instructor or above who hold nine-month continuous appointments on the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses. Benefits for 12 -month faculty are addressed in the University's Paid Leave and Extended Sick Leave Policy.

Full-time and nine-month faculty with the rank of instructor or above will accrue 12 days of extended sick leave per year. Such faculty members working at least half time ( .50 FTE) but less than full time (1.0 FTE) will receive leave accrual based on their FTE. There is no maximum on the accrual of extended sick leave. No cash payment will be made for any time accrued.

(Regents, 4 -4 -91, 6 -19 -96, 1 -27 -04)


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3.21.5 BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT

The University supports breastfeeding mothers in the workplace by providing flexibility to allow sufficient time to express milk or to breastfeed a baby brought in by a care provider. Time spent beyond the normal break time will be considered to be unpaid. The employee and the supervisor can make arrangements to make up time lost or use available paid leave in accordance with existing University policies.

(Regents, 6 -21 -11)


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3.22 CANDIDATES FOR POLITICAL OFFICE

Any employee of the University who makes the determination to run for any county, state or federal elected office, shall resign or, upon approval from the Candidacy Review Committee (comprised of a representative from the Office of Legal Counsel and a representative from each of the following from the employee’s respective campus: Human Resources, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and either the candidate’s supervisor or if the candidate is a faculty member, the Dean of the faculty member’s College and the Provost’s Office) selected to review the request and upon final review by the University President and/or the Board of Regents, take an unpaid leave of absence from the University during their candidacy for office. In the event the leave of absence is approved, if the employee is elected to such office, the employee shall resign from the University before taking office.

(Regents, 9 -14 -43, 1 -27 -04, 6 -16 -18)


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3.2 3 PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

The University encourages all employees to vote and otherwise actively participate in the political process. Contact the Office of Legal Counsel for information regarding acceptable conduct within this context.

(President, 10 -1 -90)


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3.2 4 ATTENDANCE AT SUMMER INSTITUTES

Academic administrative officers on 12 -month appointments and in direct charge of academic programs, upon proper prior application and recommendation, may be allowed to attend summer institutes designed to improve or maintain their scholarly qualifications for their University work, at no expense to the University other than the continuation of the regular salary during the period of the institute, subject to the following conditions:

(1) The applicant will be expected to count the time spent in the institute as vacation time.
(2) A maximum of two weeks beyond the applicant’s entitlement of vacation time may be spent in the Institute without loss of salary.
(3) The frequency of such an arrangement may not be greater than once in three summers.

Approval of such an arrangement in each individual case will be given by the President upon recommendation of the appropriate dean as appropriate, and Senior Vice President and Provost, based upon the work load in the academic unit involved, the appropriateness of the institute to the applicant's work, and the ability to handle the applicant's work during his absence at no extra cost to the University.

(Regents, 5 -13 -65, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04)


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3.25 RESEARCH COUNCIL

The Research Council is charged with the promotion and development of research and creative activity throughout the University community. The Council serves as adviser to the President, the Senior Vice President and Provost, the Vice President for Research and Faculty Senate in matters regarding research.

(Adapted from: Structure, Descriptions, Charters, and Purposes of University and Campus Councils, Committees, and Boards appointed by the President of the University, 6 -28 -78)

The Council also makes recommendations to the Vice President for Research on the allocation of internal funds in support of the research and creative activity of the faculty. These funds are for a variety of specific programs, the details of which are announced to all eligible faculty periodically by the Vice President for Research. Application is made through, and additional program information is available from, the Office of Research Services.

(Vice President for Research, 5 -19 -88, 8 -26 -04)


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3.26 ETHICS IN RESEARCH

Research and other scholarly activity at the University must be above reproach. Each member of the University community has the responsibility to ensure the integrity of and ethical standards in any activity with which he or she is directly associated or any activity of which he or she has sufficient knowledge to determine the appropriateness of the activity. Research and other scholarly misconduct undermine the scholarly enterprise and erode public trust in the University community to conduct unbiased and reliable research.

The University is responsible for promoting ethical scholarly practices, including the development of policies and procedures addressing allegations of scholarly misconduct. This policy establishes procedures for identifying, investigating and reporting instances of alleged or apparent scholarly misconduct. Although the policies and procedures outlined below apply to all employees and volunteers, they are not intended to address all scholarly issues of an ethical nature.

The text below is approved Regents’ Policy for the University of Oklahoma, Norman Campus and is printed in its entirety in the Norman Campus, Faculty, Staff and Graduate Student Handbooks. Any modification to this policy can be made only by action of the Board of Regents.


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3.26.1 DEFINITION S
(A) Scholarly Misconduct
Broadly defined, “scholarly misconduct” involves intentional, knowing, or reckless breaches of integrity that amount to more than insignificant departures from accepted practices of the relevant academic or research community such as behavior whereby one’s scholarly or scientific work or such work of another is misrepresented. Scholarly misconduct is distinguishable from honest errors and recognized differences of opinion that are inherent in scholarly processes. Scholarly misconduct involves, but is not limited to:
(1) Fabrication – making up data or results and recording or reporting them.
(2) Falsification – manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results, or deceptive or selective reporting of findings and/or omission of conflicting data such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record.
(3) Plagiarism – appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit and other improper assignment of credit, such as excluding others or claiming the work of others as one's own; presenting the same material as original in more than one publication; including individuals as authors who have not made a consequential contribution to the work published; or submitting multi-authored publications without the concurrence of all authors.
(4) Improper use of information gained by privileged access, such as through service on peer review panels, editorial boards, or policy boards of research funding organizations.
(5) Serious deviation from the accepted scientific method in proposing or carrying out research; e. g., deliberate manipulation or improper reporting of results.
(6) Material failure to comply with federal, state, or University rules governing research including, but not limited to, serious or substantial violations involving the use of funds; care of animals; protection of human subjects; or use of investigational drugs, recombinant products, new devices, or radioactive, biological, and/or chemical materials.
Inappropriate behavior associated with scholarly misconduct including, but not limited to, making inappropriate accusations of scholarly misconduct; failing to report conduct known or reasonably believed to be in violation of this Ethics in Research Policy; withholding or destroying records, evidence, or other information relevant to allegations of scholarly misconduct; allowing one’s participation on a committee to be influenced by personal, professional or financial conflicts of interest with those involved in the proceedings; and retaliating against persons involved in the allegation or investigation of scholarly misconduct.
(B) Good Faith
“Good Faith” as applied to a party or witness, means having a belief in the truth of one’s allegation, statement, or testimony that a reasonable person in their position could have based on the information known to them at the time. As applied to a committee member, Good Faith means carrying out the assigned duties of a Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding impartially.
(C) Materials
“Materials” refers to all relevant information, records (e. g., a research record -- data or results that embody the facts resulting from scientific inquiry, research proposals, lab records, progress reports, abstracts, theses, internal reports and the like), documents, expert opinions, testimony and tangible items related to allegations of scholarly misconduct offered or obtained during a Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding.
(D) Provost
“Provost” for purposes of managing a claim alleging scholarly misconduct, means either the Senior Vice President and Provost or his or her designee, as the context reasonably permits.
(E) Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding
“Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding” or “SMP” means any actions related to alleged scholarly misconduct, including but not limited to internal allegation assessments, inquiries, investigations, and administrative appeals, in addition to which are oversight reviews, hearings, and appeals associated with external funding.

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3.26.2 PROCESS FOR HANDLING ALLEGATIONS OF SCHOLARLY MISCONDUCT
(A) INITIATION
Initial allegations or evidence of scholarly misconduct may be reported to any faculty member or staff administrator, who must then report the allegations to the Senior Vice President and Provost or his or her designee of the campus to which the person against whom the allegation is made (“Respondent”) is appointed or is otherwise primarily associated. The appropriate designee in most situations will be the Vice President for Research. If the person to whom the report would normally be given is involved in some way in the alleged misconduct, the next higher academic officer shall be informed of the allegations/evidence. The Senior Vice President and Provost and his or her designee shall collaborate in scholarly misconduct investigations and proceedings as deemed necessary.
Upon receipt of an allegation of scholarly misconduct, the Provost shall informally review the allegations, confer with University Legal Counsel and the appropriate senior officer(s) in the area in which the scholarly misconduct is alleged to have occurred, and determine whether the allegations warrant further review through the Inquiry Committee process outlined herein or whether other University policies or procedures should take precedence. If more than one University procedure applies, the Provost, in consultation with the appropriate vice president and University Legal Counsel, will determine which procedure to use.
Because the University is responsible for acting in the public interest to protect the health and safety of research subjects, patients, students, and employees; protection of the research community; and for lawful and appropriate use of private and public funds, the Provost may take interim administrative action as he or she deems appropriate or as required by law. Such action may include but is not limited to restriction of some activities or full suspension of the Respondent, notifying external sponsors, and implementing procedures to ensure the purposes of any federal or other funds are carried out during the internal examination of the alleged scholarly misconduct.
Upon determining that the allegation of scholarly misconduct falls within the scope of this policy and is sufficiently significant to warrant referral to a Committee of Inquiry, the Provost shall: (i) inform the Respondent of the allegation, his or her determination to refer the matter to the Committee of Inquiry, and the policies and procedures to be used; and (ii) inform the individual(s) making the allegations (“Reporting Individual”) of the policies and procedures to be used. The Provost also shall initiate reasonable and practical steps to obtain custody of Materials (defined above), inventory, and securely sequester the Materials in a safe manner, as appropriate. Where Materials are shared by a number of users, custody may be limited to copies of the data or evidence on scientific instruments, so long as the copies are duplicates of the original Materials and substantially equivalent to the evidentiary value of the instruments.
If the Reporting Individual cannot or chooses not to make a formal complaint but the Provost believes the allegations fall within the definition of scholarly misconduct and are sufficiently credible and specific as could lead to the identification of potential evidence of scholarly misconduct, the Provost shall refer the allegations to the administrative head of Respondent’s academic or administrative unit (Chair, Director, etc.) to review, in consultation with the appropriate vice president and University Legal Counsel, and determine whether the allegations warrant further review. If so, the unit head shall so inform the Provost and will be deemed the Reporting Individual. The Provost will then initiate an inquiry into the allegations. The University will pursue an allegation of scholarly misconduct to its conclusion, even if the Respondent leaves or has left the University before the matter is resolved.
If allegations of scholarly misconduct appear to have merit, the Respondent admits to the allegations of scholarly misconduct, accepts the Provost’s sanctions, and waives the right to appeal, the Provost may document appropriate terms and conditions of the agreed resolution in a writing signed by both parties and terminate further Scholarly Misconduct Proceedings. Prior to its conclusion, the Provost will notify external funding sources, when appropriate.
All Materials are confidential and proceedings of the Inquiry and Investigation Phases of the Scholarly Misconduct Proceedings will be closed. Disclosure of information related to an allegation of scholarly misconduct is limited, to the extent reasonably possible, to those having a need to know. The Provost shall allow all parties reasonable access to Materials in accordance with University policy or as may be required by law. The Provost and the members of the Inquiry Committee and Investigating Committee are responsible for the security of Materials and records of proceedings in their possession to avoid to the extent possible, among other things, disclosure of the identities of research subjects, Respondents and Reporting Individuals except to those having a need to know to carry out a Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding or as otherwise allowed by law.
(B) INQUIRY PHASE
(1) Within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of an allegation of scholarly misconduct, the Provost shall appoint an Inquiry Committee composed of no fewer than three tenured faculty who have no real or apparent conflict of interest in the matter, have no appointment in the department of either the Reporting Individual or the Respondent, and have appropriate expertise for evaluating information relevant to the case. The purpose of the Inquiry Committee is to engage in preliminary information-gathering and preliminary fact-finding to determine if an allegation is deserving of formal investigation and, if formal investigation is not warranted, to make recommendations concerning disposition of the case; e. g., dismissal of the claim of scholarly misconduct and restoration of the Respondent’s reputation. As a preliminary review, an Inquiry does not require and normally should not include a full review of all evidence related to an allegation of scholarly misconduct.
(2) Upon appointment of an Inquiry Committee, the Provost shall promptly notify the Respondent, in writing, of the membership of the Inquiry Committee. The Respondent may challenge Committee members for bias or conflict of interest by submitting a written statement to the Provost, describing the bias or conflict of interest. The Provost shall promptly determine whether a Committee member is to be disqualified and replaced.
(3) While anonymity cannot be assured, where the Reporting Individual wishes to remain anonymous, the Provost shall inform the Reporting Individual that his or her identity may need to be disclosed in order to complete the Inquiry when his or her testimony is important to substantiate the allegations or if federal funds are involved. The Inquiry Committee shall endeavor to maintain that anonymity to the degree compatible with accomplishing the fact-finding purpose of the Inquiry and consistent with applicable law.
(4) The Provost will provide the Inquiry Committee with Materials in his or her custody, or copies thereof. The Inquiry Committee may request any additional Materials and interview any individuals possessing relevant information it deems reasonably necessary to determine whether an allegation of scholarly misconduct warrants formal investigation. A formal investigation is warranted if the allegation falls within the definition of scholarly misconduct and is sufficiently credible and specific so that potential evidence of scholarly misconduct may be identified.
(5) University employees shall cooperate with the Inquiry Committee by testifying if asked and supplying Materials promptly upon request. If any University employee fails to cooperate with the Inquiry Committee, disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with University policy.
(6) The Reporting Individual, Respondent, and all other material witnesses may have the assistance and advice of personal legal counsel, at their own expense; however, all parties and witnesses are expected to speak for themselves in the interviews. Personal legal counsel may not actively participate in the Inquiry and Investigation phases, except to advise their clients. The Inquiry or Investigation Committee may receive the assistance of the Office of Legal Counsel at any point in the Scholarly Misconduct Proceeding.
(7) The Inquiry Committee is expected to complete its review and submit a written report (the “Inquiry Report”) to the Provost within fifty (50) calendar days of written notice to the Respondent that an Inquiry Committee has been named. Provided, if the deadline for any action required in this policy falls on a weekend or University holiday, the deadline shall be automatically extended to the next University business day.
(8) The Inquiry Report shall describe the evidence reviewed, summarize relevant interviews, and include findings and recommendations of the Committee with sufficiently detailed documentation of the Inquiry findings, process, and procedures as to clearly apprise the Provost of the basis of and reasons for determining that an Investigation is either warranted or not warranted. If this deadline cannot be met, the Committee shall submit a written request to the Provost for an extension of time, describing the reasons for the delay, progress made, and the anticipated time frame for completion. The Provost shall determine whether an extension should be granted. All necessary individuals shall be informed of the Provost’s decision.
(9) The Inquiry Committee shall send the Inquiry Report to the Provost, who shall promptly provide a copy to the Respondent. The Respondent shall have ten (10) calendar days to submit written comments on the Committee’s findings and recommendations, which comments shall be provided to the Provost and attached to the Inquiry Report.
(10) Investigation Warranted. If, after reviewing the Inquiry Report, Respondent’s comments, and any recommendations, the Senior Vice President and Provost determines there is a need for a formal investigation, then within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of the Inquiry Report the Provost will: (i) appoint an Investigating Committee; (ii) notify the Respondent in writing of the determination; and (iii) notify the sponsoring agency or funding source of the research at issue. Factors used in determining the timing of such notice may include the seriousness of the alleged misconduct; the presence of an immediate health hazard; and the interests of the funding agency, the scientific community, the public, and the individual(s) who is the subject of the Inquiry or Investigation and his or her associates.
(11) Investigation Not Warranted. If, after reviewing the Inquiry Report and Respondent’s comments, the Senior Vice President and Provost determines a formal Investigation is not warranted, or if the Inquiry is terminated for any reason, the Provost shall notify the Reporting Individual, Respondent, and other necessary individuals of the results of the Inquiry or the reasons for its termination. Notice shall include a copy of or reference to the federal regulations, if applicable, and the University’s relevant policies and procedures. Furthermore, the Provost shall take steps to effect restoration of reputations and prevent retaliation as provided in Section D(1) (a), below.
(12) After completion of the Inquiry Phase, all Materials and Inquiry proceeding records shall be returned to the Senior Vice President and Provost and if a formal Investigation is not initiated, maintained in a secure manner in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost for a period of time required by applicable law. A copy of the Materials will be provided, upon specific request, as required by applicable law.
(C) INVESTIGATION PHASE
(1) The Provost shall appoint an Investigating Committee of no fewer than three members, two of whom must be tenured University of Oklahoma faculty and the third member shall be a senior faculty member elsewhere if practical under the circumstances. In all cases, Investigating Committee members can have no real or apparent conflict of interest in the matter, hold no appointment in the departments of either the Reporting Individual or the Respondent, and have appropriate expertise for evaluating the information relevant to the case.
(2) The Provost shall promptly notify the Respondent in writing of the procedures to be used during the investigation and the membership of the Investigating Committee. The Respondent may challenge Committee members for bias or conflict of interest by submitting a written statement to the Provost, describing the bias or conflict of interest. The Provost shall determine whether a member is to be disqualified and replaced.
(3) The purpose of the Investigating Committee is to further explore the allegations; to determine whether the Respondent engaged in scholarly misconduct and to make recommendations.
(4) A finding of scholarly misconduct requires proof, by a preponderance of the evidence, that scholarly misconduct was committed intentionally, knowingly or recklessly and was more than an insignificant departure from accepted practices of the relevant academic or research community. The University has the burden of proving scholarly misconduct; i. e., it is more likely true than not that the Respondent committed scholarly misconduct as described in this paragraph 4.
(5) The Investigation shall generally follow the process outlined below:
(a) The Provost shall provide the Investigating Committee with the Inquiry Committee record and Materials assembled to this point. The Investigating Committee will examine such information together with any additional Materials the Investigating Committee considers relevant.
(b) The Investigating Committee shall interview the Reporting Individual, Respondent, and all other individuals who have been identified as possessing relevant and material information about the alleged scholarly misconduct.
(c) The Respondent shall be given the opportunity to address the allegations and evidence, assert any defenses, and raise relevant mitigating factors at Respondent’s interview. The Respondent has the burden of going forward with and proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, any affirmative defenses or, as relevant to the imposition of sanctions, mitigating factors. The Investigating Committee shall give due consideration to admissible and credible evidence of honest error or recognized difference of opinion presented by Respondent.
(d) The Investigating Committee shall record all interviews and provide a copy of each recorded interview or a transcript of the interview to the interviewed individual for correction. The corrections shall be included in the Investigation record. The Investigating Committee will inventory the Inquiry Committee record and other Materials and keep them in a secure manner pending delivery to the Provost for archiving.
(e) Expenses related to use of any outside experts requested by the Investigating Committee that exceed de minimis costs shall require authorization by the Provost.
(f) The Investigating Committee shall thoroughly examine the matter to determine: (i) whether the allegations of scholarly misconduct are more likely true than not; (ii) the scope of wrongdoing, if any; or, (iii) if its findings are inconclusive, whether further investigation will be unlikely to alter the findings.
(g) In the course of the Investigation, additional information may emerge that justifies broadening the scope of the Investigation, in which case the Investigating Committee shall inform the Provost, who shall inform the Respondent and others having a need to know, in writing, of any significant new directions in the Investigation.
(6) University employees shall cooperate with the Investigating Committee by testifying if asked and supplying Materials promptly upon request. If any University employee fails to cooperate with the Investigation Committee, disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with University policy.
(7) The Provost shall report all significant developments during the Investigation to the research sponsor when appropriate.
(8) The Investigating Committee shall make every effort to complete the Investigation and submit the investigation report within eighty (80) calendar days. However, this deadline may be impossible to meet; e. g., due to the complexity of the case or absence of crucial witnesses, in which event the Investigating Committee shall submit a progress report to the Provost, identifying reasons for the delay and requesting an extension of time. The Provost shall determine whether an extension should be granted.
(9) Upon completion of the Investigation, the Investigating Committee shall deliberate and then draft a full report to the Provost that details its findings and the substantiating documentation together with its recommendations (the “Interim Investigation Report”), who shall forward the report to the Respondent. The Provost shall provide the Respondent with copies of or reasonable, supervised access to the evidence upon which the Interim Investigation Report is based. The Respondent shall have up to thirty (30) calendar days to provide his or her written comments on the Interim Investigation Report and shall forward any such comments to the Provost and Investigating Committee. The Investigating Committee will have ten (10) days to consider Respondent’s comments and submit a final report of the Investigation (the “Final Report”) to the Provost, which shall include Respondent’s comments.
(10) For each separate allegation of scholarly misconduct, the Final Report will provide: (i) a finding as to whether scholarly misconduct occurred and, if so (ii) specify the nature of the scholarly misconduct and whether it was an intentional, knowing, or reckless breach of integrity that amounted to more than an insignificant departure from the accepted practices of the relevant academic or research community; (iii) a summary of the facts supporting the conclusion including reasonable explanations by the Respondent; (iv) a description of the evidence and other Materials that support the finding; (iv) whether any publications need correction or retraction; and, (v) any recommendations of the Investigating Committee.
(11) If there is a finding of scholarly misconduct, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall fully consider the Final Investigation Report, Respondent’s comments, and any recommendations. If necessary, the Senior Vice President and Provost may consult the Investigating Committee for clarification. The Senior Vice President and Provost shall then inform the Respondent in writing of the findings and recommendations of the Investigating Committee; sanctions for the misconduct; and the appeal process. A copy of the Final Report shall be included in the Investigation record. Upon completion of the Investigation and any appeal under this policy, the Scholarly Misconduct Proceedings records and all Materials shall be maintained in a secure manner in the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost or other secure location, as appropriate. A copy of relevant Materials will be provided, only upon specific request and as required by applicable law.
(12) At the conclusion of the University’s scholarly misconduct process, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall submit required reports to the funding agency, as appropriate. Such reports shall describe, as may be required, the nature of the allegations in general and the specific allegations of scholarly misconduct considered in the Investigation; current, pending, or proposed source of support; the institutional policies and procedures employed in the investigation; the research records and evidence reviewed along with that gathered but not reviewed. For each separate allegation of research misconduct, the report must provide a finding whether misconduct occurred and if so who was responsible; whether the type of scholarly misconduct was intentional, knowing, etc.; whether any publications need correction or retraction; identify the specific sources of support and any pending proposals with federal agencies; list and summarize the facts and analysis which support the conclusions and the reasonable explanations by Respondent; and, describe sanctions recommended and/or imposed by the University. In such cases involving a recommendation for severe sanctions against a faculty Respondent, the Senior Vice President and Provost will include a statement to the effect that severe sanctions have been recommended and the matter will be determined in accordance with University Policy.
(D) Resolution
(1) Allegations of Scholarly Misconduct Not Supported
If the allegations of scholarly misconduct are not supported by the evidence, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall inform, in writing, all applicable research sponsors, others initially informed of the Investigation and others, as required by law, that allegations of scholarly misconduct were not supported. If, at the conclusion of the Investigation, the Investigating Committee and/or the Senior Vice President and Provost conclude the allegations or testimony of a witness(s) were not made in Good Faith, the Provost shall initiate appropriate disciplinary action against the Reporting Individual or witness(s). If the allegations or testimony, however incorrect, are deemed to have been made in Good Faith, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall take no disciplinary measures against the Reporting Individual or witness (s) and shall endeavor to prevent retaliatory actions against them. In disseminating the findings, the University should be guided by whether public announcements would be harmful or beneficial in restoring any reputation(s) that may have been harmed. Usually, such decisions rest with the Respondent.
(a) Restoration of Damaged Reputation
At the conclusion of the process, whether at the Inquiry or Investigation phase, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall undertake all reasonable and practical efforts, if requested and as appropriate, to protect or restore the reputations of persons alleged to have engaged in scholarly misconduct but against whom no finding of scholarly misconduct is made. The Senior Vice President and Provost also shall endeavor to protect the Reporting Individual, Committee members, and witnesses from retaliation who, in Good Faith, made the allegation or cooperated in the Scholarly Misconduct Proceedings.
(2) Allegations of Scholarly Misconduct Supported
If the Investigating Committee determines that the allegations of scholarly misconduct are supported by the evidence, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall inform all federal agencies, sponsors, and others, as appropriate, who were initially informed of the Investigation of the finding of scholarly misconduct. The Senior Vice President and Provost, in consultation with the Office of Legal Counsel, shall take action appropriate for the seriousness of the misconduct, including but not limited to the following:
(a) Notification of Findings
Following conclusion of the Investigation and internal appeals therefrom, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall consider giving formal notice of the results of the Investigation to some or all of the following, among other required or appropriate entities
(i) Sponsoring agencies, funding sources
(ii) Co-authors, co-investigators, collaborators
(iii) Department, school, college, or other institution
(iv) Editors of journals in which fraudulent or plagiarized research was published
(v) Editors of other journals or publications, other institutions, other sponsoring agencies, and funding sources with which the individual has been affiliated
(vi) State professional licensing boards
(vii) Professional societies
(b) Sanctions
Potential sanctions include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) Removal from particular project
(ii) Special monitoring of future work
(iii) Letter of reprimand
(iv) Probation for a specified period with conditions specified
(v) Suspension of identified rights and responsibilities for a specified period, with or without salary
(vi) Salary reduction
(vii) Demotion in rank
(viii) Termination of employment/abrogation of tenure
(E) Appeal
The Respondent may appeal the findings of the Investigating Committee and the Senior Vice President and Provost’s sanctions by submitting a written statement of the grounds for the appeal to the President within thirty (30) calendar days of written notification of the results of the Investigation and sanctions of the Provost. Grounds for appeal include new or previously unconsidered evidence that was not available earlier, sanctions not in keeping with the findings, a conflict of interest not previously known among those involved in the Scholarly Misconduct Proceedings, and other lapses in due process; provided that any technical departures from prescribed procedures or processes will not invalidate findings, recommendations or proceedings unless they are such as to have prevented a fair determination of the issue(s).
If the Respondent appeals the findings of the Investigating Committee and/or sanctions, the President shall so notify the Senior Vice President and Provost, who will have fifteen (15) calendar days to submit a written response to the President. Upon receipt of a timely written appeal and response from the Senior Vice President and Provost, the President will review the matter, evaluate any response and the evidence and accept, modify, or reject the Investigating Committee’s findings and/or the Senior Vice President and Provost’s sanction or remand the matter for further Investigation or consideration. Except as provided below, the President’s decision will be binding on all parties and will be conveyed in a timely fashion to those previously notified per Section 3.26.2 (D) above.
For cases in which the President either accepts the Senior Vice President and Provost’s decision to impose severe sanctions on a faculty Respondent as provided in Section 3.8 et seq. of the Faculty Handbook or imposes such a sanction, the Respondent may appeal the decision by giving written notice to the President, Senior Vice President and Provost and Chair of the Faculty Appeals Board (FAB) within twenty (20) calendar days of the written notice of the President’s decision. If Respondent appeals, the President or the President’s designee, as appropriate, shall file a formal written complaint with the Faculty Appeals Board and Respondent as soon as practical within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the Respondent’s notice of appeal. Respondent shall have twenty (20) calendar days to provide a written response to the complaint. Sections 3.8.8 (A), (B), and (C) of the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook are deemed satisfied by the findings of the Investigating Committee and the matter shall proceed under the severe sanctions process with selection of the Hearing Committee pursuant to Section 3.9.1 (B) (7) of the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.
For cases in which the President either accepts the Senior Vice President and Provost’s decision to dismiss a staff Respondent or imposes such sanction, the Respondent may appeal the termination according to University policy and procedure.

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3 .26.3 OFFICE OF RESEARCH INTEGRITY

In accordance with federal regulations, if the University or a University employee applies for or receives Public Health Service (“PHS”) support for intramural or extramural biomedical or behavioral research, biomedical or behavioral research training or activities related thereto and if allegations of research misconduct involving fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results are made, then the Provost shall inform the Office of Research Integrity (“ORI”), the office that oversees and directs PHS research integrity activities on behalf of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Provost shall notify ORI of the events of the scholarly misconduct proceedings as appropriate, including but not limited to the following circumstances:

(A) INQUIRY
(1) If the Inquiry Committee requires an extension to complete its Inquiry, the Provost must notify and seek approval from ORI.
(2) ORI will receive a copy of the Inquiry Report, Respondent’s comments, the Provost’s recommendations (if applicable), a description of the PHS support, the basis for recommending an Investigation, and such further information as the Director may request.
(3) If the University decides an Investigation is not warranted, the Provost shall send a report informing the Director of ORI of the University’s intent to terminate the process and include a description of the reasons for such termination.
(B) INVESTIGATION
(1) The Provost shall report all significant developments during the Investigation to the Director of ORI.
(2) If the Investigating Committee requires an extension to complete its investigation, the Provost must notify and seek approval from ORI.
(C) APPEAL
(1) If the University requires more than 120 days to conduct and conclude an Appeal from the notification of the findings of the Investigation, the Provost must notify and seek approval from ORI.
(2) At the conclusion of the University’s scholarly misconduct process, the Provost shall submit all required reports as outlined in 3.26.2 (c) (12), including a record of any appeals, to ORI along with a description of any pending or completed administrative actions against the Respondent.
(3) The University must notify ORI in advance if it plans to close a case at the Inquiry, Investigation, or Appeal phase on the basis that the Respondent has admitted guilt, a settlement with the Respondent has been reached, or for any other reason.
(Regents, 5 -9 -85, 12 -20 -89, 6 -25 -97, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 12 -20 -17)

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3.27 FACULTY PARTICIPATION IN COMMENCEMENT

The University has one commencement per year in the spring.

It is the responsibility of all OU Norman faculty members to participate in the University-wide Spring Commencement. Faculty should also participate in college convocations.

(Faculty Senate, 12 -13 -71; Presidential Approval, 8 -4 -98)

Caps and gowns are available from the University Bookstore. Requests should be made as announced.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 8 -1 -80)


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3.28 SCHOLARLY AND PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

There are active chapters of numerous scholarly and professional organizations at the University. A partial list includes Phi Beta Kappa, the Society of Sigma Xi, the Order of the Coif, and the American Association of University Professors.


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3.29 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY POLICY
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3.29.1 PREAMBLE
(A) The people of the State of Oklahoma may reasonably expect that their investments in the University will create new industry and enhance existing industry within the State and Nation. Such new industry creates greater employment opportunities for citizens of the State and the Nation and an improvement in their standard of living.
(B) The creation and development of intellectual property at the University encourages new business and is key to creating strong University and industry partnerships. It is the responsibility of University employees to disclose intellectual property and to foster an entrepreneurial attitude within the work force by involving students in the creation of intellectual property. Intellectual property development shall be pursued in concert with, but subject to, the University’s principle responsibilities of education and knowledge creation.
(C) Therefore, it is in the best interest of the University to adopt a policy that encourages disclosure of discoveries and inventions and rewards such creative activity. To do so, the University policy must insure that creators of copyrightable works or trademarks and inventors share in any financial success enjoyed by the University through the creation and commercialization of intellectual property. The basic objectives of the University’s policy concerning creative works, trademarks, discoveries, and inventions (i. e., intellectual property) include the following:
(1) To maintain the University’s academic policy of encouraging research, publication, and scholarship independent of potential gain from royalties or other income.
(2) To make patented materials created pursuant to University objectives available in the public interest under conditions that will promote their effective utilization and commercialization.
(3) To provide adequate incentive and recognition to faculty and staff through proceeds derived from their creative works, trademarks, discoveries, and inventions.
The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

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3.29.2 PATENTS
(A) OWNERSHIP
All discoveries and inventions, whether patentable or un-patentable, and including any and all patents
(domestic and foreign) based thereon and applications for such patents, which are made or conceived by any member of the faculty, staff, or student body of The University of Oklahoma, either in the course and/or scope of employment for The University of Oklahoma or substantially through the use of facilities or funds provided by or through the University shall be owned by and be the property of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and the member will assign and does hereby assign all of member’s rights in and to the discoveries and inventions to the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma except as described below. Faculty having rights to discoveries/inventions prior to employment at the University of Oklahoma should notify the Office of Technology Development of such intellectual property so that ownership to any further development of that same intellectual property at the University of Oklahoma may be established, by written agreement, with the University Vice President for Technology Development. The Vice President for Technology Development shall consult with the Provost of the Health Sciences Center or his designee before entering a contract with faculty at the Health Sciences Center. In the event faculty or staff make discoveries or inventions outside the course of and/or scope of employment and using no University facilities, equipment, or supplies, or if using such reimburses the University for this use in accordance with a prior written agreement with the University and in accordance with University policy, title to such discoveries or inventions shall remain in the inventor, provided the University Vice President for Technology Development determines that the discovery or invention was made under these conditions. The inventor shall nonetheless submit a disclosure form to the Office of Technology Development. This disclosure shall contain sufficient information to enable the University Vice President for Technology Development to make a determination. If confidential information is required, the University will sign a nondisclosure agreement for purposes of this review. Should the University Vice President for Technology Development determine that the University does have a proprietary interest, a more complete disclosure may be required before making a decision in regard to title, the University Vice President for Technology Development shall consult with the Provost of the Health Sciences Center when the faculty member is based at the Health Sciences Center. If it is determined that the University has an interest, the provisions of this policy shall then be applicable. Appeals of such determinations may be made to the Faculty Appeals Board and then to the President. All rights in and to discoveries and inventions described in this policy shall be disclosed to and inventor will assign and hereby does assign all rights in and to said discoveries and inventions to the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma as a specific condition of employment with the University and admission to and/or attendance at the University. Faculty, staff and students shall execute any and all documents the University deems reasonably necessary to evidence such ownership, meet its legal obligations and effect patent protection, domestic and foreign, for the University or its nominee. All costs involved in obtaining and maintaining patent protection shall be borne by the University or its nominee. The University agrees to act in good faith with respect to the determination of ownership.
(B) REVENUE
The gross revenues (which shall include but not be limited to, cash and equity) received by the University from the licensing, sale, or commercialization of a University discovery or invention as described in section 1, will be distributed among the discoverer(s) /inventor(s), his/her/their primary department(s) and the University, in accordance with the following formula:
(1) 35 % of gross revenues to the discoverer(s) /inventor(s) (as submitted on the Invention Disclosure Form);
(2) The remaining 65 % to be used to reimburse the University for out-of-pocket expenses that it has or shall incur in connection with, but not limited to, patent filing, prosecution, maintenance, and defense;
(a) After expenses have been recouped, the remaining 65 % will be distributed as follows:
i. 20 % to originating college(s), half of which to go to the originating department
ii. 5 % to President’s discretionary fund
iii. 5 % to the campus Vice President for Research
iv .15 % to OTD to apply to operational expenses with a pro rata share to go to the originating campus (at least 80 %) Office of Technology Development
v. 20 % to the Growth Fund maintained for each originating campus
(3) Stock certificates issued to the University shall be held by the Controller’s Office of the Norman Campus. The right to receive such royalty revenue shall be extended to the inventor(s) in the event that the inventor is no longer an employee or student of the University. Such right shall also accrue to the estate of the inventor(s). Inventor(s) and/or their successors or assigns shall have the responsibility to provide the Office of Technology Development of the respective campuses with all the necessary information to make payments to the appropriate parties, including without limitation, current addresses; provided, failure to keep the University so informed shall permit the University to hold all such revenue for such parties for a reasonable time or until the lawful beneficiaries make claim thereto.
(4) The Office of Technology Development shall establish and maintain a “Growth Fund” for each originating campus to be used to stimulate general faculty intellectual property disclosures as well as technology development and transfer. The fund will be used to further stimulate researchers on each campus to make proposals when there is a need for additional funding to provide prototypes, additional research results, and/or “gap” funding to keep a program in place during transition. Those accessing the Fund will be expected to repay the fund at a rate and in a manner appropriate to the use(s) of the funds provided. The Executive Director of the Office of Technology Development will chair a university-wide committee consisting of the Vice President for Research of each campus (or his/her designee), a member of the faculty of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Division of the Price College of Business and at least one outside advisor to establish criteria and review applications from each campus for funding. The University Growth Fund committee will solicit applications not less than annually and recommend fund allocations to the President.
(5) When there are two or more discoverers/inventors, each shall share equally in the inventor’s share unless all discoverers/inventors agree in writing to a different distribution of such share. Such originally-signed agreement shall be filed with the Office of Technology Development of the respective campuses of the discoverer(s) /inventor(s). No distribution of cash revenues will be made until this issue is resolved by the discoverer(s) /inventor(s) or their successors in interest.
(6) The discoverer(s) /inventor(s) and his or her college shall be paid their share of the cash revenues upon receipt of the University and will be furnished with a statement of revenue derived from the commercialization of the invention at the time of payment. In the event of any litigation, actual or imminent, regarding patent rights, the University may withhold distribution until resolution of the particular matter. The University does not act as a fiduciary for any person relating to consideration received under the terms of this policy.
(C) Equity Management Committee and Policy
For any acquisition or disposition of equity assets exceeding $1,000,000.00, the Equity Management Committee shall consider the University’s actions by reviewing a written description of the proposed acquisition or disposition, which proposal shall be provided to members of the Equity Management Committee by the University Vice President for Technology Development. Any Committee member may seek additional clarification on the proposed transaction by requesting a Special Meeting of the Committee within five (5) calendar days of the receipt of the written proposal. Otherwise, review of the proposal shall be concluded. For disposition of assets valued $1,000,000.00 and above, the committee’s recommendation, upon the approval of the President, shall be presented for formal action to the Board of Regents at their next regularly scheduled meeting. Following the end of each fiscal year, the University Vice President shall provide to the Equity Management Committee a written summary of the operations and status of the University equity holdings. The committee shall consist of two current members of the Board of Regents (to be appointed by the Board), the University Vice President for Technology Development, University General Counsel, a knowledgeable University employee who shall be appointed by the President and two extra-mural members familiar with such matters by education, training and/or experience. From recommendations by the President, the Board of Regents of the University shall appoint the two non-employee members of the committee, who shall serve at the convenience of the Regents. Appointments shall be made on an annual basis, at the time of the Board of Regents’ officer elections (March).
(D) ADMINISTRATION
The President of the University, after consultation with the University Vice President for Technology Development and appropriate campus officials, shall determine the disposition of University discoveries and inventions described in this policy as deemed prudent and consistent with the University’s mission to ultimately convey the benefits of its research to the public for the general welfare of the State and Nation. In determining the proper disposition of University discoveries and inventions, the University President shall consult as necessary with scientific and/or technical and/or business subject matter experts in fields appropriate to the discovery or invention under consideration. Among other choices, the University President may:
License the discovery and/or invention to third parties to provide for the further development and/or commercialization of the property;
Transfer the discovery and/or invention for commercialization by entering into commission agreements with third parties to identify potential licensees to further develop and commercialize the property;
Transfer rights to the property to a patent service organization to further develop and commercialize the property;
Allow rights (U. S. and foreign) to the discovery or invention to revert back to the Federal agency that funded the development of the discovery;
Transfer rights (U. S. and foreign) to the discoverer(s) /inventor(s) if requested by the discoverer(s) /inventor(s), and the University President determines that the discovery/invention will not be pursued further by the Office of Technology Development.
If Federal funds were used in the development of the discovery/invention, such transfer of rights are subject to a reversionary right in the Federal government as described in 37 CFR sec. 401.
Such transfer also shall be subject to an irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, and world-wide right and license in the University to make, use, and/or practice the discovery or invention for University education, research and/or service purposes. The University also reserves the right to publish and or present information and data obtained in the research project resulting in the discovery or invention being transferred, assuming such rights do not jeopardize the discoverer’s/inventor’s patent rights. Faculty, staff and students shall execute any and all documents, as the University deems reasonably necessary to confirm or enforce such reserved right and license.
Such transfer shall be limited to the discovery or invention duly disclosed to the University, in writing, as of the time the transfer is requested by the discoverer/inventor;
Transfer rights to the discovery and/or invention to the person(s) or entity sponsoring the research in the course of which the discovery or invention was made if such action is required under the terms of the research agreement or is required by law; or
Transfer the discovery and/or invention into the public domain through publication of the invention by the discoverer/inventor. All transfers of University discoveries or inventions shall be subject to and contingent upon any rights in third parties as may be governed and/or required by, among other things, sponsored research agreements, other third-party contracts, or law.
The University Vice President for Technology Development shall be responsible for administering the patent affairs of the University in a manner consistent with this Policy. The University Vice President for Technology Development shall cooperate with the appropriate campus officers to establish written policies to be approved by the President and distributed to the faculty, staff and students of the University, governing procedures to be followed in processing discoveries and inventions generated within the University. The Office of Technology Development shall provide information regarding disposition of specific discoveries/inventions to the inventor(s) no later than six (6) months from the date the discovery/invention is marketed by the Office. If the Office of Technology Development is not going to pursue marketing and/or protecting the invention, rights in and to the discovery/invention shall revert to the inventor(s) upon his/her request.
When it is in the best interest of the University to get its technology into the marketplace, when the longer term opportunity for returns to the University and the State exceed the short term value of not taking equity, then the University President will approve taking equity. As a matter of principle some equity is desirable in all transactions to create the best opportunity for the University and the State of Oklahoma to get a fair return on the technologies transferred from the University to the marketplace.
(E) DISCLOSURE
It is the responsibility of faculty, staff or students of the University of Oklahoma to report all inventions they may develop during their term of employment or registration as a student. Any discovery/invention, whether or not patentable, must be reported to the University by filing an Invention Disclosure Form with the appropriate technology development office. Such Invention Disclosure shall provide sufficient information so that the Office of Technology Development, in conjunction with others, can determine its commercial potential and patentability. Although the maintenance of the laboratory notebooks that describe the discovery/invention is the responsibility of the discoverer/inventor, the Office of Technology Development may require access to such notebooks at any time throughout the prosecution and maintenance stage of patenting the discovery/invention.
(F) TERM
The terms of this Patent Policy are a part of any contractual relationship of the University of Oklahoma with any member of the faculty, staff, or student body. This Policy, as amended from time to time, shall be deemed to be part of the conditions of employment of every University employee or a part of the conditions of enrollment and attendance of every student at the University. Any licensing revenues received throughout the duration of such license shall be distributed in accordance with the distribution policy in effect at the time of the signing of such license and can only be changed through mutual agreement of the parties receiving portions of such revenue.
(G) UNIVERSITY PATENT COMMITTEE
The University shall have a Patent Committee (for each Campus) that shall consider and investigate disputes among administrators, faculty, or staff and shall recommend appropriate solutions to the President. This committee shall be convened as needed and will consist of one student member appointed by the Graduate Student Senate for one year, two staff members, one appointed by the President and one appointed by the Staff Senate, and five faculty members, three appointed by Faculty Senate and one each by the President and the Vice President for Technology Development. All staff and faculty appointments are for three-year terms. This Committee will assist the University Vice President for Technology Development in setting policy and procedures that will be implemented on a daily basis by the Office of Technology Development staff. The committee will provide a forum for faculty, staff, and students to present any issues such as, but not limited to, revenue sharing, ownership, etc. The committee will make recommendations to the University Vice President for Technology Development for the handling of these issues. The Director of the respective campus’ Office of Technology Development, the respective campus’ Vice Presidents for Research, and University Counsel shall serve as ex-officio members of the committee.
(H) USE OF FACILITIES
(1) As outlined in the Oklahoma Technology Transfer Act of 1998, use of the facilities of the University by a business enterprise or private business entity is allowed when that project involves the research or development of a University technology, whether or not the technology is protected pursuant to federal or state law governing intellectual property, the results of which have potential economic and academic value for the University. Such use of University facilities must be on a “space-available” arrangement in which normal University activities are not displaced. The use of such facilities by a business enterprise or private business will be done on a fee-for-service contract and in conjunction with projects where the University has a vested interest in the outcome of the transfer of University technology, through research and development of a discovery/invention for commercialization purposes, scholarly rewards, or furthers the University’s educational, research, or public service missions.
(2) The University may take an equity stake in such business enterprises or private businesses in consideration for the use of such facilities and/or the development of University discoveries/inventions which shall be managed in accordance with the University’s policies on stock acquisition and management. Any cash revenues received from the sale or trade of such equity stocks shall be distributed as if received as royalty income. If the equity interest is acquired through an exchange of value other than money and the exchange of value is made in connection with the development of technology by the private business enterprise through the use of the facilities or resources or both of an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, acquisition of an equity interest shall be permissible through the use of the facilities, premises or assets of an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education through the use of faculty expertise or student expertise, including the value of time expended by faculty or students upon developing a technology in connection with a private business enterprise or private business entity. No state appropriated monies shall be used or obligated to acquire an ownership interest in a private business enterprise except as authorized by the provisions of this section.
(I) BACKGROUND
A patent is a grant issued by the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) that provides the assignee of the patent the right to keep others from practicing or using its patented invention. Patents are issued for inventions that are novel (not published, sold, or utilized for more than one year), useful, and non-obvious to others equally skilled in the art. (In almost all foreign countries, to be patentable, an invention requires complete novelty. In others words, it cannot have been published, used, sold, or bartered publicly prior to the filing of a patent application either in the country itself or in the United States PTO.) U. S. Patent Law has maintained the first-to-invent rule. What this means is that the first person to conceive and reduce to practice the invention shall be entitled to the patent. Foreign countries rely on the first-to-file concept in issuing patent rights. In the case of U. S. law, the laboratory notebooks of the discoverer(s) /inventor(s) may be crucial to the overall outcome as to whom the patent is issued. Laboratory notebooks should be bound notebooks where corrections are readily identifiable. The pages of the notebooks should be signed, dated, and witnessed on a daily basis and stored in a secure location. The term of patent applications filed in recent years is twenty years from the date of application. The laboratory notebooks should be maintained at least for that period of time.
(Regents, 12 -9 -99, 12 -02 -01, 10 -26 -16)

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3.29.3 TRADEMARKS

A trademark identifies an item of intellectual property or an educational or training service. The University owns all rights and titles to any trademarks related to any item of intellectual property owned by the University. Any cash revenues received in exchange for the commercial use or sale of such trademark shall be distributed as those cash revenues received for discoveries/inventions.

(Regents, 12 -9 -99)


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3.29.4 COPYRIGHT
(A) PREFACE
Copyrights are created by the Constitution and the laws of the United States to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to authors the exclusive rights to their works and writings. The basic objectives of the University’s policy concerning copyright include the following:
(1) To maintain the University’s academic policy of encouraging research and scholarship as such without regard to potential gain from royalties or other income.
(2) To make copyrightable materials created pursuant to University objectives available in the public interest under conditions that will promote their effective utilization
(3) To provide adequate incentive and recognition to faculty and staff through proceeds derived from their works.
(4) To stimulate creativity across all media.
(B) POLICY
It is the policy of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma that all rights in copyright shall remain with the creator of the work unless the work is created with substantial use of University resources, is specifically assigned or commissioned by the University, is subject to non-University contractual or legal obligations, or is a “work made for hire” as that term is defined by U. S. Copyright Law.
(C) OWNERSHIP
(1) Scholarly/Aesthetic Works
In keeping with traditional academic practice and policy, ownership of copyrights to works of artistry or scholarship in the creator’s professional field such as textbooks, course materials, scholarly papers and articles, software and other computer materials when they are works of artistry or scholarship, novels, poems, paintings, musical compositions or other such works of artistic imagination produced by University employees who have a general obligation to produce such works where the specific choice, content, course, and direction of the effort is determined by the employee without direct assignment or supervision by the University shall reside in the creators and the works shall not be deemed "works made for hire" under this policy unless they are also sponsored/contracted works or specifically assigned by the University. Copyrighted courseware and/or software that are not associated with traditional works as described above shall fall under and are subject to the Patent Policy. The general obligation of faculty to produce scholarly works does not constitute specific assignment. Upon request by the University, the creator(s) will grant the University a nonexclusive, free of cost, world wide right and license to exercise all copyright rights in and to the work, except the right to commercially display, use, perform, or distribute copies of the work, unless to do so would impair the ability of the creator to have the work published or distributed. If a use of the work by University is reasonably determined by the creator to impair the exercise of such rights, the University shall discontinue the impeding use but otherwise shall remain free to use the work as provided in this Paragraph 3.1. Subject to the approval of the Vice President for Technology Development, the University will assist any University employee wishing to commercially exploit a scholarly/aesthetic work falling under this paragraph, through the Office of Technology Development and its respective campus officers. In such cases, the University will normally own the work and the provisions of the Patent Policy shall apply.
(2) Personal Works
Ownership of copyrights to works prepared outside the course and scope of University employment and without the substantial use of University resources (equipment, facilities, services or funds (regardless of source) administered by and/or under the control of the University) shall reside with the creators; provided, the provision of office facilities, limited secretarial assistance, library facilities for which special charges are not normally made or other resources which are made available to the public without charge, shall not be considered substantial use of University resources.
(3) Sponsored Works
Ownership of copyrights to works produced by or through the University in the performance of a written agreement between the University and a third-party/sponsor shall be governed in accordance with the agreement. If the agreement is silent in that regard, ownership shall be governed by the other provisions of this policy.
(4) Commissioned Works Ownership of copyrights to works produced for University purposes by persons not employed by the University or by University employees outside their regular University employment (commissioned works) normally shall reside with the University. In all cases, copyright ownership shall be specified in a written agreement approved by University legal counsel signed by the parties. Any commissioned work agreement which provides for ownership by other than the University shall also provide, to the fullest extent possible, that the University will have an irrevocable, free-of-cost, non-exclusive, world-wide license to exercise all copyright rights in and to the work, except the right to commercially display, use, perform or distribute copies of the work unless to do so would impair the ability of the University employee creator to commercially or professionally exploit the work. If a use of the work by University is reasonably determined by the University employee creator to impair the exercise of such rights, the University shall discontinue the impeding use but otherwise shall remain free to use the work as provided in this Paragraph 3.4.
(5) University Works.
Except as otherwise provided in this Policy, the University shall own all copyrights to works made by University employees in the course and scope of their employment and shall own all copyrights to works made with the substantial use of University resources. Provided, the University shall give due regard to the creator’s interests in the quality and integrity of the work and where appropriate grant recognition for creation of the work. To the extent consistent with University rights under the U. S. copyright law, nothing herein shall be construed to prevent the creator from using his/her knowledge, expertise, research, and creative achievement in other employment.
(6) Student Works.
Ownership of copyrights to works produced by enrolled students without the use of University funds (other than Student Financial Aid), that are produced outside any University employment and are not sponsored or commissioned works, shall reside with the student creator(s). Provided however, in all cases a student’s graduate thesis or dissertation shall be deemed a student work under this policy but as a condition of enrollment and awarding a degree, the University reserves an irrevocable, non-exclusive, free-of-cost and world-wide right to reproduce in any media and distribute to the public, on a non-commercial basis, copies of said theses and dissertations, unless to do so would impair the ability of the creator to commercially or professionally exploit the work. If a use of the work by University is reasonably determined by the creator to impair the exercise of such rights, the University shall discontinue the impeding use but otherwise shall remain free to use the work as provided in this Paragraph 3.6
(7) Jointly Originated Works.
Ownership of copyrights to jointly originated works shall be determined by separately assessing the category of work of each creator under this Section 3. Rights between joint owners of a copyright shall be determined pursuant to copyright law or by agreement between the owners of the work.
(D) REVENUE SHARING
The University may assign or license its copyrights to others. The University shall share royalty revenue derived from such assignment or license (excepting commissioned works and sponsored research funding) which it receives through copyrights with the creators, as provided for in the Patent Policy above. Notwithstanding the above or anything else to the contrary herein, staff employees are not eligible to share revenues received from University owned copyrights where such employees create copyrightable works as a part of their normal responsibilities of University employment. Provided, a staff employee may apply to the appropriate Senior Vice President and Provost to be treated as a faculty member for purposes of revenue sharing for a work resulting from a specific project upon a showing that his/her duties and responsibilities in that project are, in practical effect, substantially the same as those of a faculty member.
(E) ADMINISTRATION
(1) Release to the Creator.
An individual creator of a University owned work may seek transfer of the University owned copyright to him/herself by making a written request to the appropriate Provost. If the University decides not to exploit such work, then it may transfer the copyright, by written agreement, to the individual creator to the extent consistent with any applicable third-party agreement or law. Provided, such transfer shall be subject to an irrevocable, non-exclusive, free-of-cost and worldwide license in the University to exercise all rights under the copyright in the work except the right to publicly distribute copies for commercial purposes or such other conditions as may be agreed upon in writing between the individual creator(s) and the Senior Vice President and Provost, unless to do so would impair the ability of the creator to have the work published or distributed. If a use of the work by the University is reasonably determined by the creator to impair the exercise of such rights as transferred in the agreement, the University shall discontinue the impeding use but otherwise shall remain free to use the work as provided in this Paragraph 5.1.
(2) Disclosure and Protection.
An individual creator of a University owned copyrightable work shall protect the work by placing the following statutory copyright notice on all copies thereof (“Copyright [insert year produced, e. g., 2000 ], the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. ”). If the creator believes the work may have commercial value, he/she shall promptly provide written disclosure of the work to the appropriate Senior Vice President and Provost.
(3) Legal Compliance.
Any work created by a University employee or student, to the best of his/her knowledge and informed belief, shall not infringe on any existing copyright. Creators of copyrightable works subject to this policy and the University shall cooperate as reasonably necessary to effect the terms of this policy. For example, if copyright to a work of scholarship vests in the University by law, the University will, upon request and to the extent consistent with its legal obligations to third parties, promptly execute such documents as will transfer copyright to the faculty creator(s).
(a) The Senior Vice President and Provosts, Norman Campus and the Health Sciences Center, shall be responsible for administering the copyright affairs of the University in a manner consistent with this policy. The Senior Vice President and Provosts shall cooperate in consultation with the Copyright committee on each campus to establish written directives to be approved by the President of the University and distributed to the employees and students of the University, which shall govern the procedures to be followed in processing copyrighted works created within the University.
(b) The University does not act as a fiduciary for any person concerning consideration received under the terms of this policy.
(c) The University Vice President for Technology Development may negotiate ownership of copyrighted works with research sponsors when it is in the best interest of the University to do so. Otherwise, all rights are as described above.
(d) Faculty having rights to copyrighted works prior to employment at the University of Oklahoma should notify the Office of Technology Development of such intellectual property so that ownership to any further development of that same intellectual property at the University of Oklahoma may be established, in a written agreement with the University.
(F) CONTRACTUAL TERM
The terms of this copyright policy are a part of any contractual relationship of the University with any member of the faculty, staff or student body. This policy, as amended from time to time, shall be deemed to be a part of the conditions of employment of every University employee and a part of the conditions of enrollment and attendance of every student at the University.
(G) RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT
Should disputes arise relative to the ownership of copyright between the creator and the University, the matter will be referred to the Copyright Committee, which will make recommendations to the President for proper resolution of the disputes. Either the University or creator may contact the Provost to arrange to have the Copyright Committee meet to consider such disputes.
(H) UNIVERSITY COPYRIGHT COMMITTEE
(1) The University shall have a Copyright Committee for each Campus that shall consider and investigate disputes among administrators, faculty, or staff and shall recommend appropriate solutions to the President. The committee's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, disputes concerning:
(a) Ownership of copyright; and
(b) Terms of commissions.
(2) The Copyright Committee of each campus shall have as its members:
(a) One member appointed by the President for a four-year term;
(b) One student member appointed by the Graduate Student Senate for one year;
(c) Two staff members, one appointed by the President, one appointed by the Staff Senate, all appointments are for three years; and
(d) Three faculty members with two appointed by the Faculty Senate and one by the President. (e) All appointments are for three-year terms. Tie votes will be settled by chair of Faculty Senate, who shall be an ex-officio member of the committee. Each member of the committee shall have one vote. The committee shall keep its own records, determine its own procedures, and elect its own chair who shall report to the President. The committee also may review this policy from time to time and may recommend changes to the President.
(Regents, 11 -13 -80, 10 -14 -82, 1 -15 -87, 1 -16 -89, 6 -13 -91, 12 -9 -99, 12 -7 -01, 1 -27 -04)

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3.30 COMPLIANCE POLICIES

University Compliance and Quality Improvement Program


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3.30.1 Adoption of Compliance and Quality Improvement Program
(A) Purpose of the Program
The University is committed to the highest standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity and to compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. The purpose of this Compliance and Quality Improvement Program (the “Program”) is to call the attention of persons associated with the University to some of the laws and regulations applicable to academic institutions. The Program is intended to (a) promote legal and ethical behavior in the academic context and (b) prevent and detect violations of law. The Program is intended to provide for more effective and efficient compliance efforts and oversight.
(B) Pre-Existing Standards and Procedures
In addition to this Compliance and Quality Improvement Program, the University has established and maintains various practices, policies, and procedures which are incorporated into the Program. This Program does not supersede or diminish any other policy or program of the University that, in whole or in part, also addresses compliance issues, unless such other policies or programs are inconsistent with this Program.
(C) Compliance with Other Laws
University employees are required to comply with all applicable laws and regulations, whether or not specifically addressed in the Program. The standards of conduct set forth in this Program cannot cover every legal situation. It is the responsibility of each University employee to act honestly and with integrity in all dealings and to seek appropriate guidance when necessary.
(D) Modification of the Program
This Program will be periodically updated or otherwise modified by the Board as necessary. In addition to this document, the University will periodically distribute memoranda or other policies, which supplement the Program.
(E) General Application
This Program applies to all University colleges, departments, and employees that:
(1) submit claims for reimbursement of medical services;
(2) perform human and/or animal research; and/or
(3) handle or work with or around hazardous, controlled substances and/or radioactive materials.

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3.30.2 Office of Compliance
(A) General Purpose
The University’s Office of Compliance, under the direction of the Director of Compliance, is responsible for overseeing, monitoring, and assisting the University in its efforts to
(1) raise awareness regarding legal and ethical issues;
(2) improve compliance training and quality improvement and review functions; and
(3) ensure adherence to the highest standards of conduct.
(B) Specific Purposes
In addition to the general purpose stated above, the Office of Compliance will coordinate the University’s efforts to:
(1) Inform University employees about the Standards of Conduct and improvement;
(2) Implement and conduct training programs where needed and/or monitor existing training programs;
(3) Perform and/or arrange periodic compliance/quality improvement reviews;
(4) Conduct investigations of compliance complaints in coordination with the applicable University department and/or officer;
(5) Maintain a reporting and question hotline for compliance matters;
(6) Serve as a resource to the University on matters of compliance;
(7) Assist with the correction of compliance concerns; and
(8) Draft and implement, in coordination with the applicable department, any necessary policies and procedures.
(C) Structure
The Office of Compliance will report to the University’s General Counsel. However, the Director of Compliance may present time-sensitive compliance issues or concerns directly to the President or the Board of Regents.

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3.30.3 Advisory Committee
(A) Establishment of Committee
The University shall establish a Compliance Advisory Committee consisting of:
(1) the Senior Vice President and Provost – Norman Campus;
(2) the Senior Vice President and Provost – Health Sciences Center;
(3) the Vice President for Health Affairs and Associate Provost – Health Sciences Center;
(4) the Vice President for Research – Norman Campus;
(5) the Vice President for Research – Health Sciences Center;
(6) the Associate Vice President for Clinical Research;
(7) the Vice Presidents for Administration and Finance; and
(8) any other University employees designated from time to time by the General Counsel.
(B) Purpose of Committee
The Compliance Advisory Committee will meet on a periodic basis to;
(1) provide advice and assistance to the Director Compliance;
(2) discuss matters of policy applicable to the areas covered by the Program; and
(3) receive reports from the Director of Compliance regarding the activities of the Office of Compliance and developments regarding compliance issues.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.


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3.30.4 Standards of Conduct
(A) Introduction
The Standards of Conduct (“Standards”) is a non-exclusive compilation of guidelines regarding ethical and legal standards that all University employees are expected to follow when performing services for or on behalf of the University that are related to the areas covered by this Program. The Standards shall be made available in the Office of Compliance and on the University’s website.
(B) Hiring and Retention
The University will not hire or retain as an employee independent contractor or agent or health care professional it knows to have been convicted of a criminal offense related to health care or who is debarred by the General Services Administration or is excluded or otherwise ineligible for participation in Federal Health Care Programs. When credentialing physicians the College of Medicine, Oklahoma City and Tulsa will consult the National Practitioner databank.
(C) Coding and Billing Standards and Procedures
(1) Billing in General
Honesty and accuracy in billing and in the making of claims for payment by a Federal Health Care Program, or payment by any third party payer, is vital. Each health care professional employed by the University is expected to monitor compliance with applicable billing rules. No University employee shall submit, authorize or sign a false claim for reimbursement in violation of applicable laws and regulations. Claims for the provision of services and/or supplies should be submitted only by the University department or college that generated the charges unless an alternative billing arrangement has been approved by the Director of Compliance and the Vice President for Health Affairs and Associate Provost, Health Sciences Center.
(2) Billing and Coding
University employed health care professionals will refrain from any of the following practices and work to identify and correct instances in which mistakes have occurred in the following areas:
(a) Billing for items or services not rendered or not provided as billed;
(b) Submitting claims for equipment, medical supplies and services that are not reasonable and necessary;
(c) Double billing resulting in duplicate payment;
(d) Billing for non-covered services as if covered;
(e) Knowingly misusing provider identification numbers, resulting in improper billing;
(f) Unbundling (billing for each component of the service instead of billing or using an all-inclusive code):
(g) Failure to properly use coding modifiers;
(h) Falsely indicating that a particular health care professional attended a procedure;
(i) Clustering (billing all patients using a few middle levels of service codes, under the assumption that it will average out to the appropriate level of reimbursement);
(j) Failing to refund credit balances; and
(k) Upcoding the level of service provided.
(3) Billing to Receive Denial
A University college or department may bill Medicare in order to receive a denial of services but only if the denial is needed for reimbursement from a secondary payer. The Medicare claim submission should indicate that the claim is being submitted for the purpose of receiving a denial in order to bill a secondary insurance carrier.
(4) Waiver of co-payments and deductibles
The University employed health care professionals will not waive co-payments or deductibles except to the extent consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and guidance issued by the Office of Inspector General. Permissible waivers may include, but are not necessarily limited to, waiver based on indigence and contractual write-offs and discounts.
(5) Billing and Coding Queries
Billing and coding staff shall be able to communicate with and receive communications from University employed health care professionals at all times. Billing and Coding staff will not submit claims for reimbursement until all coding questions have been satisfactorily answered and appropriate documentation has been submitted by the appropriate health care professional.
(6) Use of Consultants
From time to time the University may retain consultants to provide reimbursement and/or coding assistance. Such consultants may not be paid on a percentage based upon the increase in reimbursement to the University or one of its departments or colleges (i. e. a contingent fee contract).
(7) Documentation
Claims for payment will be coded and billed based on the documentation contained in the patient’s medical record. University employed health care professionals will appropriately document the services and supplies provided to, or the diagnosis and treatment of, each patient and will complete medical records in a timely manner. Medical record documentation must be complete and legible.
(D) Anti-Kickback Statute and Self-Referral Proscriptions
(1) Anti-Kickback Statute
No University employed health care professional or University department or college may pay or accept a payment to induce the referral of a patient in violation of the federal or state anti-kickback statutes. No one acting on behalf of the University or one of its departments or colleges may offer gifts of nominal value, loans, rebates, services, or payment of any kind to a referral source or to a patient without consulting the Director of Compliance. A number of safe harbor regulations have been adopted under the Federal Anti-kickback Statute. Analysis of an activity under the Anti-kickback Statute and its safe harbors is complex and depends upon the specific facts and circumstances of each case. University employees should not make unilateral judgments on the availability of a safe harbor for a financial transaction, payment practice, discount or other financial arrangement. Such situations must be brought to the attention of the Director of Compliance prior to implementation.
(2) Self-Referral Proscription
The Physician Self-Referral Statute more commonly known as “Stark II” prohibits a physician’s referral of a patient for a designated health service to an entity with which the physician has a financial relationship unless an exception is met. Compensation and ownership relationships with physicians, including physician employment and independent contractor arrangements, must satisfy an exception to Stark II. Analysis of whether an exception is met depends upon a number of specific facts. University employees should not make a unilateral judgment on the availability of an exception. The responsibility for evaluating the availability of an exception lies with the University’s Director of Compliance.
(3) Physician Recruitment
The recruitment and retention of physicians requires special care to comply with applicable laws and regulations. Each recruitment package or commitment must be in writing and consistent with applicable laws and regulations. New or unique recruitment arrangements must comply with Board of Regents policy and must be reviewed by the Director of Compliance in consultation with the University’s Office of Legal Counsel before a formal offer is made.
(E) Gifts and Gratuities
(1) Gifts from Patients
University employed health care professionals are prohibited from soliciting tips personal gratuities or gifts from patients and from accepting monetary tips or gratuities. Health care professionals may accept non-monetary gratuities and gifts of nominal value from patients. If a patient or another individual wishes to present a monetary gift, he/she should be referred to the University Development Office. When an employee receives a gift which violates this policy, the gift should be returned to the donor and reported to the Director of Compliance.
(2) Gifts Influencing Decision-making
University-employed health care professionals shall not accept gifts, favors, services, entertainment, or other things of value to the extent that decision-making or actions affecting such employee may be influenced. Gifts may be received by University-employed health care professionals when they are of nominal value and they could not reasonably be perceived as an attempt to affect the judgment of the recipient. For example, token promotional gratuities from suppliers, such as advertising novelties and food, are not prohibited under this policy. The offer of giving of money, services, or other things of value with the expectation of influencing the judgment or decision making process of any purchaser, supplier, customer, government official, or other individual by University employee, department, or college is prohibited.
(3) Gifts to Referral Sources
Gifts of nominal value may be provided to a referral source if made without intent to induce a referral. If a gift is to be made to a referral source which will result in that individual receiving gifts valuing over $300.00 in a calendar year, that gift must be approved in advance by the Director of Compliance. Cash gifts to referral sources are prohibited. Non-cash gifts are permissible only if made without regard to the volume of business received from the referral source. No University funds may be used to provide gifts to referral sources.
(F) Unlawful Advertising
Neither the University nor the departments and colleges of an employed health care professional will use the names, abbreviations, symbols, or emblems of the Social Security Administration, Center for Medicare Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration), Department of Health and Human Services, Medicare, Medicaid or any combination or variation of such words, abbreviations, symbols or emblems in a manner that conveys the impression that the advertised item or service is endorsed by such government agencies.
(G) Confidentiality of Patient Information
University employees shall maintain the confidentiality of individually identifiable health information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act Privacy Regulations and all other applicable laws and regulations and to adhere to the University’s policies and procedures implementing such laws and regulations.
(H) Environmental Health and Safety/Radiation Safety
(1) Workplace Health and Safety
The University wants all employees to work in a safe and healthy environment. All University employees must perform their jobs in compliance with all applicable institutional policies and state and federal laws and regulations relating to the protection of workers’ safety. Employees must become familiar with the worker safety laws and regulations which apply to their jobs. Employees should seek advice regarding workplace safety and compliance issues from their supervisors or the Environmental Health and Safety Office. Each employee is responsible for advising the employee’s supervisor or the Environmental Health and Safety Office of any serious situation presenting a danger of injury so that timely corrective action may be taken.
(2) Protection of the Work Environment
All University employees must manage and dispose of hazardous chemical, radioactive, and other wastes in a way that maximized protection of human health and the work environment and is in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. All employees must be trained to perform their duties and conduct their activities in an environmentally responsible manner in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and University policies.
(I) Research
(1) Protection of Human and Animal Subjects
The University is committed to dealing ethically with the human and animal subjects which participate in research projects conducted by University faculty, staff, and students or performed using University property. Employees involved in human subject or animal research must comply with all federal and state statutes and governing regulating such research and must adhere to all University policies and procedures regarding research.
(2) Research Financial Issues
Research costs and budgets must be prepared and submitted accurately and in accordance with;
(a) generally accepted accounting principles,
(b) OMB Circular A-21, or
(c) the terms set forth in an industry-sponsored or government grant or contract, whichever is applicable, in addition to applicable statues and regulations. Financial conflicts of interest will be reported in accordance with University policy.
(3) Scientific Misconduct
The University will not tolerate scientific misconduct which includes, but is not limited to:
(a) plagiarism;
(b) falsification;
(c) fabrication; and
(d) other unethical scientific practices. Scientific misconduct is further defined in and governed by other University policies.
(J) Employee Response to Investigations/Audits
If a University employee is contacted by a government investigator or auditor, the employee should fully and appropriately cooperate. The Employee Investigative and Audit Response Guidelines are available from the Office of Compliance and provide guidance to employees on an appropriate response to such contacts.

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3.30.5 Administration of the Compliance Program
(A) Adherence to the Compliance Program
It is intended that all University employees subject to this Program carry out their duties for the University in a manner that is consistent with the Program. Conduct that does not comply with the Program
(1) is not authorized by the University and
(2) may subject the employee to corrective action pursuant to Section 7.3. Such corrective action also may apply to an employee’s supervisor or department chair, as applicable, who
(a) directs or approves the employee’s improper actions;
(b) is aware of the improper actions, but does not appropriately correct such actions; or
(c) otherwise fails to exercise appropriate supervision.
(B) Questions About the Compliance Program
If any question arises as to (i) the existence of, interpretation of, or application of any law or regulation which applies to an area or matter that is covered by this Program or (ii) whether any action complies with the Program, a University employee should present that question to such employee’s immediate supervisor. If the question cannot be addressed in that manner because the supervisor is absent, does not know the answer, does not respond in a timely manner, or is suspected of being involved in or condoning the activity, the question should be addressed to the Director of Compliance. Legal issues should be referred to the Office of Legal Counsel. The University encourages employees not to guess, but to ask for clarification from the Director of Compliance if there is confusion or a question with regard to the Program, the law, or a policy or procedure.
(C) Corrective Action
The Program includes corrective action for University employees who have failed to comply with
(1) the Program;
(2) other University policies and procedures; or
(3) applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Corrective action also may be appropriate where an employee should have detected, but failed to detect a violation. Any violation of applicable federal or state laws or regulations or deviation from the appropriate standards of conduct as set forth in this program will subject an employee to corrective action, which may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
(a) Mandatory training,
(b) Counseling session,
(c) Corrective action plan,
(d) Required leave,
(e) Reduction in salary,
(f) Demotion,
(g) Suspension,
(h) Abrogation of tenure,
(i) Suspension of billing privileges, if a healthcare provider, and/or
(j) Termination of employment or contractual relationship.
(D) Exit Interviews
The University shall attempt to conduct an exit interview for all employees performing services for the University that are covered by this Program who terminate employment for any reason. The employee’s supervisor should notify Human Resources when an employee notifies him/her of the employee’s termination. Upon receipt of such notice, Human Resources should send the employee the Exit Interview Questionnaire which should be returned to Human Resources. Exit interview forms which raise compliance issues should be copied and routed to the Director of Compliance.
(E) Self-Reporting
To be effective, the Program depends to some extent upon self-reporting and acceptance of responsibility by University employees who may have made mistakes out of lack of knowledge or inattention. To the extent a University employee self-reports a potential wrongdoing, both the self-reporting and the acceptance of responsibility will be taken into account by the University as a mitigating factor in determining the form of corrective action to be taken. University employees can use the Hotline described in Section 10.2.4 of this Program to self-report or they may contact the Director of Compliance directly.

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3.30.6 Training and Education
(A) Generally
Education and training is a critical part of the Program.
Education and training will involve not only new employees, but all existing employees as needed. The University will require participation by all employees in appropriate training programs. University officers, department chairs, and other management personnel will be involved in the educational process by assisting in
(1) identifying areas that require training and
(2) the training process. The Director of Compliance will be actively involved in the design and implementation of training and educational programs.
(B) Mandatory Training
An employee’s failure to attend a mandatory training session will subject that employee to corrective action as discussed in Section 7.3 above. The supervisor or management employee responsible for conducting the training will maintain attendance records and will make such records available to the Director of Compliance at the Director’s request.
(C) Dissemination of Information
Upon the adoption of this Program by the Board of Regents, the University will distribute to employees;
(1) a letter from the President discussing the University support of the Program; and
(2) the Standards of Conduct summarizing the Program. From that point forward, Human Resources and the affected departments will provide a copy of the President’s letter and the Standards of Conduct to persons at the same time an offer of employment is made and such individuals will be required to execute a Certification and Agreement of Compliance as a condition of employment. On at least an annual basis, employees will be reminded of their obligations under this Program and their duty to report suspected violations of the Program and applicable statues and regulations through a written or electronic communication from the Office of Compliance.

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3.30.7 Monitoring and Compliance Reviews
(A) Generally
Regular monitoring and review of compliance activities is a feature of the Program. There will be regular reporting to University administration, the President and the General Counsel.
(B) Monitoring Techniques
The University will utilize regular and periodic compliance reviews. The compliance reviews will focus on these areas within the University which have substantive exposure and which otherwise put the University at risk. If it is determined that any error or deviation is cause for improper procedures, misunderstanding of the rules, including fraud or other systemic problems, The Director of Compliance, in consultation with the General Counsel, should take immediate steps to correct the problem. To the extent that monitoring and auditing discloses that variations or deviations were not detected in a timely manner due to deficiencies in the Program, the Program will be modified.
(1) Monitoring techniques can take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to:
(a) onsite visits;
(b) document reviews; and
(c) personal interviews. The Director of Compliance will have access to
(d) any pertinent records and
(e) relevant personnel. Cooperation with the Director of Compliance is mandatory
(C) Advice from the Government and its Agents
To the extent the University requests advice, or receives advice, from the government or its agents, the University will document and retain a record of such request and response or unsolicited advice received. Each employee receiving such advice will be responsible for providing a copy of the advice, if written, or a memorandum describing the advice, if oral, to the Director of Compliance. Every effort should be made to obtain such advice in written form. The Director of Compliance will maintain a record of advice received.

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3.30.8 Response and Prevention
(A) Reports of Wrongdoing
All University employees have a duty under this Program to report possible wrongdoing or suspected violations of applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The University has an open door policy available to all employees acting in good faith to encourage communication, dialogue and the reporting of incidents of potential wrongdoing or suspected violations. A “suspected violation” occurs when an employee has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of law or regulation applicable to an area covered by this Program or a violation of this Program has occurred or will occur. The University will not retaliate or discriminate against any employee who makes a good faith report of a suspected violation regarding the observed conduct or actions. While the University will strive to maintain the confidentiality of an employee’s identity, it may become necessary for such employee’s identity to become known or revealed during the investigation process. It will be a violation of this Program to make a report of a suspected violation which is knowingly false.
The reporting methods set forth below apply to reports of suspected violations of law or regulation which apply to areas and matters covered by this Program or to suspected violations of this Program. Other issues should be reported through the University’s normal reporting structure.
(B) Methods of Reporting
(1) Immediate supervisor
The first option for reporting suspected violations of law or regulation is to make the report to the employee’s immediate supervisor who can in turn, work with the Director of Compliance to investigate and rectify any problems. If reporting to the supervisor is inappropriate because the supervisor is absent, does not know the answer, does not respond in a timely manner, or is suspected of condoning the activity, reports can be made pursuant to one of the other options set forth below.
(2) Director of Compliance
The University desires to establish an open line of communication between all employees and the Director of Compliance to provide for the successful implementation and operation of the Program. The Director of Compliance can be reached by telephone at (405) 271 -2511 or during regular office hours. A message may also be sent to the Director of Compliance via regular or electronic mail.
(3) Hotline
If an employee wishes to remain anonymous while reporting potential wrongdoing, an employee may call the Helpline, which will be available 24 hours a day, at (405) 271 -2223 or toll free at (866) 836 -3150. The call will not be traced and the person need not give his or her name.
(C) Responding to Reports
(1) When a report of a suspected violation is received on a matter that does not concern compliance issues, that report will be referred to the appropriate University department. Whenever the Director of Compliance receives a report of a suspected violation from any source that may reasonably constitute a criminal or civil offense, the Director of Compliance will promptly conduct a preliminary review of such allegation. Advice from the Office of Legal Counsel may be sought to determine the seriousness of the allegation. The preliminary review should be completed within a reasonable time of the receipt of the report. If the Director of Compliance reasonably determines that it is necessary to conduct an internal investigation of the alleged misconduct, the Director of Compliance will conduct such an internal investigation in coordination with the applicable department or University officer. The Director of Compliance will notify the appropriate department or University officer, in addition to the General Counsel, prior to initiating any investigation. The internal investigation should be completed within a reasonable time of the initial report. When circumstances so require, the Director of Compliance will proceed more quickly than the time standards set forth herein or authorize additional time to complete the investigations. All internal investigations and their results will be reported to the General Counsel.
(2) Employee under investigation may be removed from their current work activity and put on administration leave pending completion of an investigation or preliminary review upon action of the Director of Compliance or the General Counsel, to the extent permitted by applicable University policies and procedures.
(3) The Director of Compliance should take appropriate steps to secure or prevent the destruction of documents and other evidence relevant to the investigation. Advice from the Office of Legal Counsel regarding any such investigation may be obtained if necessary. Once an investigation is completed, if corrective action is warranted, it should be immediate and imposed in accordance with the University’s Staff and Faculty Handbooks.
(Regents, 1 -01, 1 -29 -02, 12 -2 -02, 1 -27 -04)

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3.31 ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM ENGLISH IS A SECOND LANGUAGE AND WHO ARE ENGAGED IN INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITY

The ability to communicate clearly in English is essential for successful instruction with students. Additionally, state law (70 O. S. § 3224) requires that faculty and instructional staff appointed to positions involving teaching or other interaction with students must be proficient in English. For purposes of this policy, English proficiency is defined as the ability to effectively communicate orally, aurally, and in writing with students.

To ensure the oral, aural, and written English proficiency of faculty members, instructional staff, and graduate or undergraduate teaching assistants, the University has established the following requirements and procedures.


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3.31.1 INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITY
(A) All individuals for whom English is a second language must be proficient in English before being appointed to positions that involve any instructional activity and/or interactions with students except as exempted in 3.29.1 (b) and 3.29.2 (c). Interaction with students includes, but is not limited to:
(1) Any involvement in a classroom, laboratory course, or tutorial situation;
(2) Any office hours, help or review sessions, or other meetings scheduled in conjunction with a course; and
(3) Any participation in non-credit preparatory or skills improvement classes or laboratories.
(B) Instruction of courses to be taught predominantly in a foreign language are exempt from these requirements.

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3.31.2 NON-TENURE TRACK INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF
(A) Individuals other than tenure-track, tenured or renewable term faculty members must be certified as proficient in English through English Training and Certification Services. Non-tenure track instructional staff with appointments that include, but are not limited to, the following must be certified through English Training and Certification Services as proficient in English:
(1) Instructors (Instructors must have Level A Certification)
(2) Lecturers (Instructors must have Level A Certification)
(3) Adjunct Faculty Members (except as exempted below in 3.31.2 [D])
(4) Visiting Faculty Members (except as exempted below in 3.31.2 [D])
(5) Teaching Assistants whose duties involve any interaction with students.
(B) To receive such certification, these individuals must pass Oral, Aural, and Written Proficiency requirements. These certification requirements are not related to TOEFL scores or other admission requirements. (Standards for admission are published in the General Catalog and Graduate College Bulletin.)
(C) English Certification Level Descriptions and Requirements
Level A – This level represents the ability to be appointed as the instructor of record for any course in any OU department. No supervision is required.
For Level A Certification, the following evidence of English proficiency will be required:
(1) Screening Test (one of the following):
SPEAK Test – Score of 45 +
iBT TOEFL – Speaking Sub-Score of 24 +
IELTS – Speaking Sub-Score of 7.0 +
A degree (undergraduate or graduate) from an accredited university in an approved English speaking country
(2) English Communication Capacity (ECC) Test Score of Level A
Level B – This level represents the ability to be appointed as the instructor of record for ancillary courses in any OU department. Ancillary courses (i. e., labs, discussion sections, activity classes, co-instruction of a course with a faculty) are courses in which there is a faculty who is also delivering content to the students (in a lecture class usually) and/or is responsible for the course/curriculum overall.
For Level B Certification, the following evidence of English proficiency will be required:
(1) Screening Test (one of the following):
SPEAK Test – Score of 45 +
iBT TOEFL – Speaking Sub-Score of 24 +
IELTS – Speaking Sub-Score of 7.0 +
A degree (undergraduate or graduate) from an accredited university in an approved English speaking country
(2) ECC Test Score of Level B
Level C – This level represents the ability to support an instructor of record in any OU department. Supporting activities include help or review sessions, office hours, individual/small group discussions of homework assignment or examinations, individual/small group assistance in laboratories. Note: This certification level is available for teaching assistants only.
For Level C Certification, the following evidence of English proficiency will be required:
(1) Screening Test (one of the following):
SPEAK Test – Score of 45 +
iBT TOEFL –Speaking Sub-Score of 24 +
IELTS – Speaking Sub-Score of 7.0 +
A degree (undergraduate or graduate) from an accredited university in an approved English speaking country
(2) ECC Test Score of Level C
Level D – This level means an individual cannot hold positions that involve instruction of students, but can be a grading TA. No English certification testing is required to achieve this level, but individuals may receive a score of “Level D” on the ECC Test, which restricts them to grading-only TA positions.
(D) Adjunct and visiting faculty from industry, government, and other institutions may be exempted from English proficiency certification, provided that the college dean certifies in writing to the Senior Vice President and Provost that the instructor is proficient in English.

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3.31.3 TENURED, TENURE-TRACK, AND RENEWABLE TERM FACULTY
(A) The English proficiency of applicants for all faculty positions must be closely scrutinized and evaluated during the lecture-interview stage of the faculty recruitment process, taking into account the level and maturity of the students that the faculty member will be expected to teach.
(B) For all newly appointed tenured, tenure-track, and renewable term faculty for whom English is a second language, (1) a written statement from the chair or director of the academic unit verifying that the instructor is proficient in English and (2) a copy of the letter of evaluation based on classroom observation (see Section 3.31.4) shall be submitted to the Senior Vice President and Provost no later than the end of a new instructor's second semester of appointment.

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3.31.4 CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

In addition to the procedures described in 3. 31.2 and 3.31.3, colleges, schools, and departments are asked to use actual classroom observation to evaluate the English proficiency of faculty, instructional staff, and graduate/undergraduate teaching assistants for whom English is a second language. Although each academic unit is allowed to devise its own individual approach to assessment, such evaluation should include in-class observation of the instructor's proficiency in English usage, a letter from the observer evaluating the instructor's proficiency and certifying competence if it is sufficient, and a plan for dealing with a lack of proficiency if it should appear.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -24 -87, 10 -28 -87, 6 -1 -95, 12 -20 -17)


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3.31.5 APPEALS

For the policy regarding student appeals concerning the English proficiency of instructors, see Section 4.17.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -24 -87, 10 -28 -87, 6 -1 -95, 2 -25 -05)


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3.32 INSTRUCTIONAL EVALUATION -- NORMAN CAMPUS

As recommended by the Norman Campus Faculty Senate, there shall be a program of continuing instructional evaluation on the Norman Campus that includes course evaluation by students. Each college or other Provost-direct unit offering instruction shall maintain a process of evaluation suitable to the college's or academic unit’s instructional activities.


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3.32.1 Process

This evaluation process shall 1) provide feedback to the instructor on his/her instruction and 2) provide information to chairs, directors, and Committee A in order to assess the quality of instruction within the academic unit and allow for appropriate recognition of excellent instruction

(Faculty Senate, 2 -14 -72; Regents, 12 -14 -72, 1 -27 -04)


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3.32.2 PUBLICATIONS OF COURSE EVALUATIONS

Upon written consent of individual faculty members, UOSA will assemble five questions selected by each college and make them available to students by publication. For specific information about this process, contact your college dean's office or UOSA.

(UOSA, 10 -20 -92; Faculty Senate, 3 -14 -93; President, 3 -18 -94)


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3.33 FACULTY MENTOR PROGRAM

Retention of junior faculty through the tenure process is a major goal of the University. A faculty mentor program has been designed to assist all new junior faculty members to build research skills, gain access to a network of researchers, and improve their chances of attaining tenure. Senior faculty mentors are identified and matched with participating junior faculty within departments and across disciplines. The mentors help junior colleagues learn the institutional and system networks and maximize their use for personal development.

All new junior faculty members are invited in their letter of offer from the Senior Vice President and Provost to participate in the program on a voluntary basis. Additional information is available at the departmental and college levels.

(Affirmative Action Plan, 1997)


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3.34 HUMAN SUBJECT RESEARCH POLICY

Each person who is or may be performing research involving human subjects should become familiar with the Standard Operating Policies and Procedures for the Protection of Human Participants in Research Activities that is available at http: //www.ouhsc.edu/compliance. These documents pertain to investigations conducted at or sponsored by the University of Oklahoma Norman Campus including research (1) performed by faculty, staff, and/or students; (2) performed utilizing the University of Oklahoma Norman Campus facilities or (3) otherwise supported by University resources or facilities that are under the control of Norman Campus officials. All investigators conducting research involving human participants at OU are required to complete the designated training related to the ethical conduct research.

Applications for the use of human participants in research will be reviewed by the Institutional Review Board. The chair(s) of these board(s) shall be designated by the Director of Compliance in consultation with the Director of the Office of Human Research Participant Protection and appointed by the Provost.

(Vice President for Research, 7 -1 -81, 11 -15 -93, 10 -23 -00, Director of Compliance, 3 -17 -05)


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3.35 INSTITUTIONAL ANIMAL CARE AND USE COMMITTEE

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) has responsibility for overseeing all use of animals whether for teaching or research, by faculty, students, and staff of the Norman Campus and by non-University persons using University facilities. Oversight responsibility extends to field as well as laboratory research and teaching and to facilities other than those belonging to the University of Oklahoma if University personnel are involved in the work. The function of the Committee is to insure that all care and use of animals follow the guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Office of Protection from Research Risk of the National Institutes of Health, and other applicable regulations of national, state, and local agencies. All proposals for animal use in any capacity must be approved by IACUC before the project is initiated. Forms for submitting proposals to IACUC for review may be obtained by contacting Laboratory Animal Resources at 325 -2609.

(IACUC Chair, 11 -15 -93)


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3.36 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & amp; SAFETY OFFICE AND RADIATION SAFETY OFFICE

The University is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for the entire University community and to complying with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to occupational and environmental safety. Academic and administrative personnel with supervisory and teaching roles shall ensure that procedures pertaining to injury prevention, protection of University assets, and protection of the environment are developed and followed. All University faculty, staff, and students are responsible for following safe working practices, obeying health and safety rules and regulations, and working in a way that protects their health, the health of others, and does no harm to the environment.

University policies and procedures have been established to provide compliance procedures for environmental and occupational health and safety regulations established by state and federal regulatory agencies; including the Oklahoma Department of Labor, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Each person who works with hazardous materials and/or chemicals, whether in a laboratory or other workplace, should be trained on these policies and procedures, and take appropriate actions to safeguard health and property. For example, persons who work with chemicals in a laboratory should be familiar with the University Chemical Hygiene Plan, persons who handle human blood or tissue should be familiar with the Bloodborne Pathogens Policy, and persons who work with radioactive materials or radiation emitting devices should also be familiar with the University Radiation Safety Manual.

Questions regarding the use, management, and disposal of chemicals within laboratories should be directed to the Environmental Health & Safety Officer at 325 -5147 or the Environmental Health & Safety website at http: //www.ou.edu/ehso. Additional questions involving the use of radioactive materials and x-ray producing devices should be directed to the Radiation Safety Officer at 325 -0820.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 5 -27 -88, 10 -1 -93, 12 -1 -97, 10 -31 -00, 6 -22 -01, Director of Compliance, 3 -31 -05)


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4.0 Student-Faculty Policies and Information
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4.1 STUDENT CODE

The University of Oklahoma Student Code, which deals with the responsibilities and conduct of students on the Norman Campus, is approved by the University Regents. Copies may be obtained from the UOSA Office in the Conoco Wing, Room 181; the Office of Judicial Code, Goddard Health Center room 166; or the Dean’s offices; the Office of Student Affairs, Room 265, Student Union; and University Housing and Food Services in Walker Center. It can also be accessed online at https: //www.ou.edu/studentconduct/students-rights-and-responsibilities

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 9 -26 -84, 5 -2 -88, 10 -21 -97, 11 -02 -00, 3 -3 -05)


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4.1.1 PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS STUDENT DEATHS

All academic units are asked to immediately notify the office of the University Vice Present for Student Affairs at 325 -3161 upon notification of a student death. The procedures are detailed here at http: //sa.ou.edu/images/stories/StudentDeathPolicy.PDF

(President, 5 -28 -08)


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4.2 ADVISEMENT OF ENTERING STUDENTS

Entering freshmen and transfer students who have not met the admission requirements of an undergraduate degree-recommending college are assigned to the University College for academic advisement and orientation.

To be admitted to a degree-recommending college, a student must successfully complete 24 hours of credit and have the required OU and cumulative retention grade point average required for entrance into the specific degree-recommending college.

(Dean, University College, 8 -1 -80; Senior Vice President and Provost, 1 -21 -93, Dean, University College, 3 -1 -05)


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4.3 ADVISEMENT OF STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

A student group may become a registered student organization (eligible to use University facilities and to apply to UOSA for funding) by making application for registration through the Center for Student Life. The organization must obtain an adviser who is a full-time member of the faculty or staff, except in the case of Campus Activities Council organizations, which are sponsored by the Student Life Office. Procedure for becoming a registered organization is outlined in the University of Oklahoma Student Code.

The adviser should attend the meetings of the organization; be active with the group in formulating and executing its policies and program of activities, including social functions, in keeping with the purposes of the organization and functions of the University; be aware of University regulations concerning student organizations; and supervise the funds of the organization in accordance with the following regulations established by the University Regents:

4.3.1

Regulations of the Board of Regents make it mandatory for branches of UOSA and organizations determined eligible to receive student activity funds to keep their accounts in the University Bursar's Office. All money received must be deposited in the University account, and all expenditures must be supported by written vouchers and made by University check after approval of the faculty or staff adviser.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 9 -26 -84, 10 -21 -97)

4.3.2

Student organizations need not register outside bank accounts. Funds generated by student groups from dues, assessments, fund-raising events, or any other revenue-generating activity could be handled through outside bank accounts or through a University account at the option of the sponsor of the student group; student groups holding fund-raising events in University facilities will be required to pay a facility fee. Student activity fee funds must be handled through University accounts.

(Regents, 3 -8 -73; Vice President for Student Affairs, 10 -28 -88)


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4.4 SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION

To facilitate the responsibilities charged to the University’s Scholarship Committee in Financial Aid Services, all scholarship and financial aid information and resources awarded from any college, department, office, or other University-related entity are to be reported to the Office of Financial Aid Services in a complete and timely fashion.

(Regents 3 -22 -88, 1 -27 -04)

(A) SCHOLARSHIP REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
Financial Aid Services (FAS) is responsible for the administration of Federal, State and Institutional funds. A basic premise of need-based aid is that the total award package must not exceed the student’s financial need. Therefore, when awarding aid from Federal programs, FAS must take into account aid from other sources, which can include departmental and/or outside scholarships.
To facilitate this responsibility, Financial Aid Services has created a Notification of Awards form. University offices and departments, outside of FAS, utilize the form to report scholarships, grants, tuition waivers and fee waivers. The form includes award identification, aid ID, account number and fund name. The notification form is also used to identify international students for tax reporting purposes. This form is required of all departments/offices that make student awards.
This form once completed is submitted:
Financial Aid Services
Buchanan Hall, Room 210
Norman, Oklahoma 73019 -4078
Attention: Scholarship Account Specialist
Phone Number 325 -2598
(1) University Scholarship Committee
Unless otherwise defined by (a) the instrument establishing a scholarship fund or (b) by the Director of Financial Aid Services (FAS), scholarships administered by FAS and those designated to be awarded by the University Scholarship Committee, will be awarded by the Financial Aid Services Scholarship Committee. The Financial Aid Services Scholarship Committee shall consist of the Associate Director for Operations and any combination of the Associate and Assistant Directors, Sr. FA Specialists and FA Specialists authorized to evaluate applications and approve financial aid awards. Committee members will make selections according to regular meeting and processing schedules.
(2) Policy Publications and Contact Information
The Institution Scholarship Reporting Requirements and information about the University Scholarship Committee shall be printed in the Guide to Financial Aid and Scholarships. The information will also be posted on the Financial Aid Website at http: //www.ou.edu/scholarships.html. An instructional e-mail will be sent out annually to departments/offices explaining the reporting process.

(Financial Aid Services, 5 -18 -88, 11 -19 -93, 10 -15 -97, 3 -3 -05)


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4.5 GRADING SYSTEM

The passing grades used are A, B, C, D and under certain conditions, P and S. Non-passing grades are F, U, and NP. Neutral grades are I, X, W, AW, AU, and N. An N means "No Report" and is a temporary mark.

(Admissions & Records, 2 -21 -83; State Regents, 5 -29 -92)

Each hour of A, B, C, and D carries a grade point value as follows: A-4, B-3, C-2, and D-1. Grades of I, F, NP, and U, as well as grades of P, S, and X, carry no grade point value and are not figured in the computation of a student's cumulative grade-point average, but credit hours to which the grade of F are assigned are included.

A, the highest grade, is given for work of exceptional quality. D is the lowest grade for which credit is given in any undergraduate college and means that, although in the judgment of the instructor credit should be allowed for the course, the degree will not be conferred upon a student whose work is all of that level. In the Graduate College, however, the grade of D is failing insofar as credit toward a degree is concerned; credit for the course will be recorded to be used only to satisfy prerequisite requirements and/or requirements for certificates.

The grades of S (meaning satisfactory) and U (meaning unsatisfactory) may be used in grading certain courses identified at the discretion of the degree-recommending college. A course selected for the S-U grading must be of a noncompetitive nature, and the entire course must be graded on this basis. In the Graduate College, grades of S and U may be used for seminar courses, and S must be used to indicate satisfactory completion of thesis or dissertation. S is the only passing grade accepted for special problems courses and individual research and directed reading courses.

(Graduate Faculty, 4 -16 -57; Faculty Senate, 4 -29 -69; President, 8 -18 -69)

The grade of X indicates that satisfactory progress is being made and is a neutral grade to be used only for thesis and dissertation research courses numbered 5980 and 6980 and for thesis and dissertation equivalent courses numbered 5880 and 6880.

(Faculty Senate, 3 -12 -73; President, 3 -17 -73, 3 -23 -77)

P (meaning pass) is used as a passing grade in a course in which a student has enrolled under the "pass-no pass" option and indicates at least C quality work. NP is used to indicate no credit in a "pass-no pass" option enrollment. (For the complete "Pass/No Pass Grading Regulations," see the current issue of the Class Schedule.)

(Faculty Senate, 2 -13 -76; President, 1 -4 -77)

I is a neutral mark and means incomplete. It is not an alternative to a grade of F, and no student may be failing a course at the time an I grade is awarded. To receive an I grade, the student should have satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the required course work for the semester. The instructor will indicate to the student and to the Office of Academic Records what must be done to complete the course and set a time limit appropriate to the circumstances. However, the time limit allowed may not exceed one calendar year. (See also Graduate College "I" below.)

(State Regents for Higher Education, 5 -29 -92)

If by the end of the year no change in grade has been submitted, the grade of I will become permanent on the student's record. After a grade of I has become permanent, a student may re-enroll in the course. Credit for courses in which a student has received an I at the University of Oklahoma cannot be transferred from another institution. The foregoing time limitations concerning removal of an incomplete do not apply to graduate research and graduate problem courses.

(Faculty Senate, 4 -14 -77; President, 6 -17 -77)

Graduate College "I." With the approval of the instructor and Graduate College Dean, a graduate student may be granted up to a one-year extension for making up incomplete work. No petitions for extensions beyond one year will be considered. After the incomplete work is made up, the instructor shall promptly report the new grade to the Office of Academic Records so that it can be posted to the student's transcript. In any case, the new grade must be posted to the student's transcript within one year of the deadline for making up the incomplete work (including any extension, if granted). If the new grade has not been posted within this one-year time period, the student shall have one additional year in which to file an appeal with the Graduate Dean requesting that the proper grade be posted. If no such appeal is received by the Graduate Dean within this second year time period, the grade of "I" shall become permanent.

(Graduate Council, 9 -11 -91)

F (meaning failure) is given to a student who must repeat a course to receive credit for it. A student presenting credit from another institution for a course which was previously failed at the University of Oklahoma shall not receive credit for such course except through validation by the department in which the course was failed.

(This text was abstracted from documentation on Grades and Grade Reporting compiled by the Office of Admissions and Records dated 3 -68 and revised 11 -73.)

"W" (meaning withdrawal) is a neutral grade given to a student who withdraws from a course with a passing grade.

A student who withdraws from a course during the first two weeks of classes (first week of a summer term) receives no grade; however, a student who withdraws from all classes in the first two weeks of classes (first week of a summer term) receives the grade of "W."

From the third week (the second week of a summer term) through the twelfth week (sixth week of an 8 -week summer term or third week of a 4 -week summer term), any student who withdraws from a course will receive a grade of "W."

After the twelfth week (sixth week of an 8 -week summer term or third week of a 4 -week summer term) through the remainder of the term, course drops are not permitted except by direct petition to the academic advising lead of the college in which the student is enrolled. The student who drops a course with permission of the academic advising lead will receive a final grade of "W" or "F" at the discretion of the instructor.

Complete withdrawal from the semester. A student who withdraws from all classes for the semester must petition the academic advising lead of the college in which the student is enrolled. Students who have been approved for a complete withdrawal for the semester will receive the grade of “W” for all courses.

A student is allowed only five grades of W throughout the course of his/her undergraduate career at the University. Once a student reaches this maximum number of W grades, he/she will not be allowed to drop any courses after the two-week “free drop” period.

After the five-drop limit has been reached, students with extreme, extenuating circumstances may apply for an exception to the limit on W grades through the Office of the Provost.

Because complete withdrawals stem from extenuating circumstances, complete withdrawals will not be counted against the five-drop limit.

(Faculty Senate, 4 -12 -82; President, 7 -30 -82, with clarifying modifications approved by the Senior Vice President and Provost, 9 -7 -82; Senior Vice President and Provost, 8 -19 -98, President 4 -15 -11; Faculty Senate, 5 -7 -18, President, 5 -9 -18. )

"AW" is a neutral grade and means Administrative Withdrawal. "AW" may be assigned as a final grade for students who have never attended or did not attend past the first two weeks of a regular semester (first week of a summer term). The "AW" grade also may be used to indicate that a student has been "involuntarily" withdrawn by the institution during the designated semester for disciplinary reasons.

(Admissions and Records, 4 -21 -88; Senior Vice President and Provost, 2 -1 -83)


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4.6 REPORTING OF GRADES

Final grades must be reported to the Office of Admissions and Records within 96 hours after a final examination (or final class meeting when no final examination period is scheduled). All faculty members are strongly encouraged to meet the grade reporting deadlines approved by the Faculty Senate and which are disseminated by the University Registrar at each grade reporting period.

(Faculty Senate, 11 -26 -62; President, 12 -3 -62; Senior Vice President and Provost, 12 -3 -82)


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4.6.1 POSTING OF GRADES

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, individual students' final grades and interim class evaluations may be posted by code number (not social security number or student ID number). However, the law provides that any student may upon written request restrict the posting of grades and other such information. Forms for withholding student "directory information" are available in the Office of Admissions and Records. Class rolls and final grade report forms are marked to indicate when an individual student has submitted such a request, and it is the obligation of every faculty member to honor such a request.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 8 -19 -98)


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4.7 FINAL EXAMINATION REGULATIONS

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education calendar regulations require that those institutions that reserve the final week of the semester as a testing period shall ensure that all classes meet during the testing period. Final examinations are given at the discretion of the instructor or, in the case of multiple sections, the department in which the class is offered. When a final examination is given, the student must take the examination.

If a final examination is given, no faculty member is authorized to depart from the published examination schedule for either a class or an individual without approval, as follows: An examination for the entire class may be rescheduled only with the approval of the Academic Regulations Committee. A request for such rescheduling should be addressed to the Chair of that committee and should carry the endorsement of the department and the dean concerned. Final examinations for a class outside the period set aside under University regulations for final examinations are prohibited. An examination may be rescheduled for an individual student only when required by law, as in the case of jury duty, or in emergencies such as illness of the student, a serious illness or death in the immediate family, or an unavoidable academic conflict of compelling importance, including a conflict due to Regents’ approved exceptions for Conference and NCAA post-season intercollegiate athletics competition (as per section 6.3.7.1 of Regents’ policy). For such a conflict to be considered as grounds for rescheduling a final examination, the activity must be directly related to the student's academic work in the University or a Provost-approved University-sponsored event. Such rescheduling must have the approval of the instructor or instructors concerned, the department chair or chairs concerned, and the dean of the college in which the student is enrolled and should be timed in such a way to avoid compromising the integrity of the examination (Note 1). Final Examination has been defined as follows: an examination that is comprehensive in nature or that accounts for a greater proportion of the final grade than an exam given during the semester.

Normally, every course will have a final examination unless otherwise announced by the instructor (Note 2).

A student absent from a scheduled final examination, whether by permission of the dean or through sickness or other unavoidable cause, shall be given a grade of Incomplete (I) if that student's work in that course has been satisfactory until the time of absence. The Incomplete may be removed in the manner provided for the removal of Incomplete grades. In all other cases of absence from the scheduled final examination, a student may be given a grade of Failure (F).

Make-ups, Incompletes, and conflicts may be completed whenever mutually agreeable to faculty and students concerned. They should be scheduled no later than the last day of final examination week. Working students are responsible for arranging their hours to enable them to attend the final examination.

Note 1: Presidential approval given upon the understanding that in cases of extreme hardship caused by conflicting activities that do not fall within the criteria of the policy, students may petition the faculty and administration for relief.

(President, 2 -10 -86)

Note 2: Exceptions:

(a) The Gallogly College of Engineering and the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy require comprehensive examinations to be given during the regularly scheduled examination periods in all undergraduate courses excluding directed readings, pure laboratory courses, and project-type design courses and seminars.

(Admissions and Records Office, 8 -19 -80, 4 -21 -88)

Uniform final examinations are listed by department and course number at the times they are scheduled to be given.

Two-hour classes that have one of their meetings on MWF will have the examination at the time scheduled for MWF classes. Those meeting both days of TR will have the examination at the time scheduled for TR classes.

Three-hour classes must follow the examination schedule. Classes meeting both Tuesday and Thursday are considered to be TR classes.

Classes meeting four or five days a week will have the final examination at the time scheduled for MWF classes with the same meeting time.

Classes meeting one day a week for more than one hour with a start before 5:00 p. m. will have the final examination during the last lecture period. Classes scheduled in this format have been scheduled with sufficient meeting time during the semester to compensate for lost time in the final examination week.

Evening Classes. Classes that begin at 5:00 p. m. or later will have the final examination during the last lecture period. Evening classes have been scheduled with sufficient meeting time during the semester to compensate for time lost in the final examination week.

(Faculty Senate, 10 -10 -94)

If laboratory examinations are given, they will be held during the last regularly scheduled meeting of the lab.

A student will not be expected to take more than two final examinations in one day. In cases where a student has three or more exams scheduled for the same day, instructors must offer make-up exams. The student's number of exams will be brought down to two by the following procedure.

(a) If a student has three or more exams on the same day, the instructor(s) giving the third and subsequent exams must provide make-up exams during the week designated for final exams for that semester;
(b) The student must notify the instructor or department of the third and subsequent final exams scheduled within a single day. Such notification must be given to the specific instructor or department before the end of the twelfth week of classes (sixth week of summer term).

In the event a conflict should arise from the scheduling of two or more uniform final examinations at the same time, the student will attend the examination for the class that met first during the week, according to the student's class schedule. The instructor(s) giving the second and subsequent exams must provide make-up exams during the week designated for final exams for that semester.

(University Registrar, 8 -21 -84, 4 -21 -88, 5 -5 -95)


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4.8 UNIFORM FINAL OR DEPARTMENTAL EXAMINATIONS

Request for uniform examinations either during the semester or finals week MUST be submitted to the Academic Regulations Committee through the University Registrar for any particular semester with the request for class schedule for that same semester. Uniform departmental examinations given during the semester must be in lieu of a regularly scheduled class.

(Faculty Senate, 11 -30 -70; Presidential Approval, 10 -19 -71; Typographical error in original report of Senate action corrected by Faculty Senate, 11 -8 -71)

Uniform final examinations are listed by department and course number at the times they are scheduled. Uniform examinations are assigned in order to minimize the possibility of taking more than one uniform examination per day.

(University Registrar, 8 -21 -84, 4 -21 -88)

Should conflicts arise (a) from the scheduling of departmental exams during the semester in the evening at the same time that some evening classes meet or (b) between uniform final exams during finals week, the following guidelines apply:

(a) In the event of an evening departmental exam creating a conflict for a student between that exam and a regularly scheduled evening course, the evening course would have priority, and the department giving the exam would be responsible for allowing the student to make up the exam within one week.
(b) In the event of a conflict arising from the scheduling of two evening departmental exams simultaneously, the student will attend the examination for the course that met first during the week, according to the student's class schedule.
(c) In the event a student is required to take a make-up exam for an evening departmental exam, that make-up exam shall be given to the student within a period not to exceed one week after the time of the examination.
(d) In the event of a conflict arising from the scheduling of two uniform final examinations at the same time, the student will attend the examination for the course that met first during the week, according to the student's class schedule. (See also Section 4.7)
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -13 -86)

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4.9 MAKE-UP EXAMINATIONS (OTHER THAN FINAL) DUE TO UNIVERSITY-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES OR LEGALLY REQUIRED ACTIVITIES

The following guidelines have been approved by the Faculty Senate and SGA to aid the faculty in determining a policy for make-up exams (other than final examinations) in cases of absences due to participation in University-sponsored or legally required activities. (For the policy on final examinations, see Section 4.7.)

Only Provost approved activities (i. e., scholarly competitions, fine arts performances, academic field trips), Director of Athletics approved athletics events and legally required activities (i. e., emergency military service and jury duty) are covered by these guidelines. Faculty, if given notice two (2) class periods or one (1) week (whichever is less) before an exam (including final exams with two weeks’ notice) or quiz, should make every effort to find a reasonable accommodation by (a) giving a makeup exam, an early exam, or quiz; (b) changing the exam schedule; (c) dropping the exam or quiz and increasing the weight of another exam or quiz or other agreed upon approaches acceptable to the instructor and the student; or (d) by identifying a certified testing center. Students missing an exam on account of jury duty must be allowed an accommodation.

NOTICE: If the student and the faculty member cannot agree, normal appeal procedures (faculty to director/chair to college dean to Senior Vice President and Provost) are available to the student and can be followed.

For information about what activities are Provost-approved, Director of Athletics approved, or how to have activities approved, contact the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.

(Faculty Senate, 3 -7 -83, 5 -2 -94, 3 -20 -95 5 -6 -97; Presidential Approval, 3 -24 -83, 5 -9 -94, 7 -7 -95, 2 -5 -98; OU Board of Regents 1 -28 -16)


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4.10 FINAL EXAM PREPARATION PERIOD

Pre-finals week will be defined as the seven calendar days before the first day of finals. Faculty may cover new course material throughout this week.


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4.10.1 Student-Faculty Policies and Information
(A) No assignments or projects may be due the last two business days of pre-finals week (typically Thursday and Friday). See (D) below for exceptions.
(B) Assignments or projects worth less than 10 percent combined total of a student’s grade may be due during the first three days of pre-finals week. See (D) below for exceptions.
(C) Assignments due during pre-finals week that are worth more than 10 percent of a student’s grade must be scheduled at least 30 days prior to the first day of finals week. See (D) below for exceptions.
(D) Any assignment that does not follow (A) through (C) must be listed in the course syllabus and approved by the faculty member’s direct supervisor.

(E) This policy does not apply to:

1. Make up assignments and tests

2. Laboratory examinations

3. Classes meeting one day a week for more than one hour

4. Classes with no university scheduled final exam

5. Laboratory classes

6. Graduate classes

7. Classes that do not meet for 16 weeks.

(F) Student Government Association (SGA) Registered Student Organizations (RSO’s) may not require student attendance at meetings or programs during pre-finals week.

(G) Violations to this policy should be reported to the chair of the department in which the course is taught or, in special circumstances, to the dean of the college and may be grounds for grade appeal.

This policy shall be reviewed no sooner than 2027.

(President, 7 -16 -93, 1 -2 -97, Faculty Senate, 1 -22 -01, President, 2 -1 -01, Faculty Senate 10 -10 -16, President 10 -25 -16; Faculty Senate 10 -10 -22, President 12 -1 -22)


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4.11 RETURNING EXAMINATIONS, PAPERS, AND PROJECTS TO STUDENTS

It is recommended that students be allowed to see their graded papers, projects, or examinations within a reasonable time. A two-week time limit on the reporting of examination and quiz results is, in general, considered acceptable.

(Faculty Senate, 5 -30 -60; Presidential Approval, 6 -15 -60)


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4.12 RESCHEDULING COURSES

Courses may not be rescheduled from the published time/day(s) without the prior approval of the chair/director, the dean of the college offering the course, and the Senior Vice President and Provost.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 11 -25 -92)


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4.13 ADVANCED STANDING CREDIT

Students may broaden and accelerate their education by earning credit through the advanced standing process. There are various methods by which students may earn advanced standing credit. These include institutional advanced standing examinations, the Advanced Placement Program, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and the International Baccalaureate (IB). Credit for military experience and non-collegiate learning experiences is awarded on the basis of recommendations made by the American Council on Education.

Advanced standing credit awarded to a student will be placed on the permanent academic record only after it is validated by the successful completion of 12 or more hours of academic work at the University of Oklahoma. The neutral grade of "S" (satisfactory) will be assigned to all advanced standing credit.

Should a student fail an advanced standing examination, no grade will be recorded. In addition, a student may not receive credit for a repeat of an exam previously failed. Students should consult the Office of Admissions or the Office of Independent Study to discuss other test options.

Students interested in receiving credit by any of the methods listed above should contact the Office of Admissions or the Office of Independent Study for further information.

(Office of Admissions and Records, 9 -18 -86, 4 -21 -88, 11 -17 -93, 9 -19 -04)


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4.14 AUDITING COURSES

Enrollment as an auditor is permitted in all courses subject to the approval of the instructor in the course. Initial enrollment in a course as an auditor may be completed only between the first day of classes and the last day permitted for late enrollment for credit in any semester or term.

A change of enrollment from audit to credit may be made provided the change is made not later than the end of the second week of classes of a regular semester or the first week of classes of a summer term, with the approval of the instructor and dean.

A change of enrollment from credit to audit may be made during the first 2 weeks of classes of a regular semester or first week of classes of a summer term. A change of enrollment to audit supersedes the original enrollment for credit, and no withdrawal from the credit enrollment is posted on the student's academic record.

Fee and tuition policies for audit enrollments are the same as fee and tuition policies for credit enrollments. A student enrolled exclusively as an auditor may withdraw only during the refund period. Such withdrawal will result in the student's registration being canceled, and no entry will be made on the permanent record. A grade of W may be assigned to a student who has not performed according to the instructor's requirements for an auditor. Such W’s will be applied to the total of 5 drops allowed in a student’s academic career.

(Faculty Senate, 1 -10 -72; Presidential Approval, 1 11 -72; Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 12 -83; University Registrar, 8 -19 -80, 4 -21 -88; Senior Vice President and Provost, 11 -28 -94, President 4 -15 -11)


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4.15 ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS

Circumstances may justify a student being able to recover from academic problems in ways that do not forever jeopardize his/her academic standing. The student's academic transcript, however, should be a full and accurate reflection of the facts of the student's academic life. Specifically, for those students receiving academic forgiveness either by repeating courses, through academic reprieve, the transcript will reflect the retention and graduation GPAs excluding forgiven courses/semesters. The transcript also will note the cumulative GPA that includes all attempted regularly graded coursework.

For specific information about academic forgiveness, contact the Office of Academic Records.

(State Regents for Higher Education, 5 -29 -92, Registrar, 9 -19 -04)


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4.16 STUDENT ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. The basic assumptions regarding student academic work at the University are:

(A) Students attend the University in order to learn and grow intellectually.
(B) Academic assignments exist for the sake of this goal and grades exist to show how fully the goal is attained.
(C) A student’s academic work and grades should result from the student’s own effort to learn and grow. Academic work completed any other way is pointless, and grades obtained any other way are fraudulent.
Academic integrity means understanding and respecting these basic truths, without which no university can exist. Academic misconduct violates the assumptions at the heart of all learning. It destroys the mutual trust and respect that should exist between student and professor. Academic misconduct is unfair to students who earn their grades honestly.

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4.16.1 ACADEMIC APPEALS BOARDS

In each college of the University, there shall be established an Academic Appeals Board consisting of an equal number of students and faculty. Faculty members of the board will be chosen by the faculty of the college for a term determined by the faculty. Student members of the board will be appointed for a term of one year by the dean of the college upon recommendations from the UOSA Student President.

The responsibility for academic evaluations of students rests with the faculty. If a student feels wrongfully and unfairly treated by an instructor and if he or she is unable to resolve the matter in conference with the instructor or the departmental chair/director of the academic unit, an appeal may be made with the Academic Appeals Board of the college offering the course. Any thesis and dissertation appeals shall be heard by the Graduate College appeals board.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

Each Academic Appeals Board will hear cases in which the issue to be resolved is that of prejudiced or capricious evaluation or alleged inability to speak the English language to the extent necessary to adequately instruct students.

(A) Procedures
Except for those cases that arise in the College of Law, the following procedures shall apply. For the procedures in the College of Law, contact the Office of the Dean.
(1) A Board will hear a case only after a student has notified the instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over an academic evaluation and after the student has made an unsuccessful attempt to resolve differences with the instructor/evaluator(s), in consultation with the departmental chair. In cases of end-of-term evaluations, a student must notify an instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over an academic evaluation and must attempt to resolve differences no later than February 15 for the previous fall semester or winter intersession; and no later than September 15 in cases of end-of-term evaluations for the previous spring semester, spring intersession, or summer session. In cases of an evaluation made known to a student during the semester, the student must notify an instructor/evaluator(s) of a dispute over an academic evaluation and must attempt to resolve differences no later than 15 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and University holidays from classes) after the results of the evaluation are made known to the student. If a student fails to notify an instructor/evaluator(s) or fails to attempt resolution within the appropriate time limit, the Board shall deny any request for a hearing on the claim unless, in the view of the Board, the student has been prevented from complying with the appropriate time limit for reasons beyond his/her control (as, for example, in the case of a student being called into military service).
(2) The filing of a written request for a hearing on a claim before the appropriate Academic Appeals Board shall be within ten calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and University holidays from classes) following the day when the attempts at resolution in Paragraph 1) above are completed. The Board shall deny any request for a hearing on a claim that does not meet this deadline unless, in the view of the Board, exceptional circumstances exist whereby the student is prevented from filing the claim for reasons beyond his/her control. Furthermore, if in the judgment of the Board, the case is deemed to be without merit or already has been satisfactorily resolved in the department, the Board may refuse to hear the matter.
(3) To avoid a jurisdictional impasse, the appeal shall be heard by the Board in the undergraduate college in which both the course/evaluation and the instructor/evaluator(s) are located. Any thesis and dissertation appeals and appeals of the results of the graduate qualifying, comprehensive, and general exams shall be heard by the Graduate College Appeals Board.
(4) It shall be the primary function of the Board to adjudicate disputes that have not been satisfactorily resolved on the department level.
(5) Each Board shall be given the responsibility of establishing its own rules of procedure. Such rules as it establishes must be consistent with the full protection of the rights of all parties involved.
(6) Meetings of the Board shall be confidential and closed to the public except as otherwise permitted by law and agreed to by all parties.
(7) Decisions of the Board shall be communicated in writing to the Board's dean, the student's dean, the student, and the instructor/evaluator(s). The Board's decisions shall be final and shall be implemented unless either the student or the instructor/evaluator(s) makes written appeal to the Executive Committee (or comparable body) of the college within ten calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or University holidays from classes) after being notified of the Board's decision. The decision of the Executive Committee (or comparable body) shall be final and shall be implemented unless either the student or the instructor makes written appeal to the faculty of the college within ten calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and University holidays from classes) after being notified of the Committee's decision. In the case of an appeal to the faculty of the college, the faculty's decision shall be final and shall be implemented. The faculty of a college, however, may delegate their authority to consider appeals under this policy to the Executive Committee (or equivalent body) of the college, in which case the decision of the said body shall be implemented without appeal to the faculty.
(8) Revisions to this policy shall be reviewed by the Faculty Senate and the Student Code Revision Committee
(Regents, 7 -23 -87, 1 -27 -04)

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4.17 STUDENT APPEALS CONCERNING ENGLISH PROFICIENCY OF INSTRUCTORS

(The following policy in no way abridges the right of a student under Title 14 of the Student Code to appeal unresolved disputes to the appropriate academic appeals board.)

(1) It is the policy of the University of Oklahoma that all who provide instruction at the University shall be proficient in written, aural, and spoken English so that they may adequately instruct students. The University has established procedures to ensure that faculty members have proficiency in written, aural, and spoken English. (See Section 3.31.)
(2) A student who believes that an instructor is not sufficiently proficient in written, aural, or spoken English may file a written complaint with the Senior Vice President and Provost. The identity of the complainant(s) shall remain confidential. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.
(3) The Senior Vice President and Provost shall notify the instructor, the chair or director of the academic unit in which the instructor is employed, and the dean of the college that a complaint has been received, although the identity of the complainant(s) shall remain confidential. If, after consulting with the college and department, the Senior Vice President and Provost determines that a formal inquiry is necessary, he/she shall appoint an independent evaluator to evaluate the English proficiency of the instructor. The evaluator may visit the class of the instructor named in the complaint, interview the instructor, interview students, or engage in such other activities as necessary to evaluate the instructor in a fair manner. The evaluator shall provide the Senior Vice President and Provost with a written report of his/her findings as to the English proficiency of the instructor and make recommendations of actions that should be taken.
(4) The Senior Vice President and Provost shall notify the complainant(s), the instructor, the chair or director of the academic unit, and the dean of his/her findings as to the validity of the complaint. In the event that the instructor is found not to be sufficiently proficient in English, the Senior Vice President and Provost shall specify actions to be taken by the instructor and/or the academic unit. Such actions may include but are not limited to: (1) reassignment of the instructor to other duties; (2) re-evaluation of the instructor for purposes of hiring, tenure, promotion, salary, or other personnel decisions; (3) appropriate remedial measures to assist the instructor in improving his/her English proficiency; and (4) appropriate remedies for the affected students.

(President, 7 -18 -86, 6 -8 -95)


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4.18 COMMERCIAL TERM PAPERS

Any staff or faculty member who writes, compiles, or otherwise completes academic assignments for sale to students of the University shall be discharged from employment. Any student who commits such an offense shall be expelled from the University.

(Faculty Senate, 12 -18 -72)


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4.19 CLASS ATTENDANCE

STUDENTS

Students are responsible for the content of courses in which they are enrolled. Specific policy concerning attendance requirements and announced and unannounced examinations is the responsibility of the individual instructor. Students have a responsibility to inform faculty prior to absences whenever possible. Faculty should make every effort to find a reasonable accommodation for students who miss class as a result of participation in Provost approved or Director of Athletics approved University-sponsored activities or legally required activities such as emergency military service. Students missing class on account of jury duty must receive such an accommodation.

(Faculty Senate, 2 -26 -68, 3 -20 -95, 5 -6 -97; Presidential Approval, 3 -5 -68, 7 -7 -95, 2 -5 -98, Senior Vice President and Provost, 8 -27 -04; OU Board of Regents 1 -28 -16)

FACULTY

A faculty member's assignment to teach a course is an important element of the faculty member's professional responsibilities, including the obligation of the instructor to attend all classes and to teach. Academic units shall have a policy regarding faculty absences from teaching responsibilities and a procedure for instructors to arrange with their units plans for modifying scheduled class periods. Chairs and directors also are responsible for ensuring that faculty obligations for courses are fulfilled.

For medical and family emergencies and other unforeseeable contingencies, a scheduled class meeting may be canceled. For legitimate, foreseeable obligations, the faculty member is responsible for finding a reasonable alternative way to perform teaching duties in the form of a substitute or a make-up session.

(Faculty Senate, 1 -23 -95; President, 2 -21 -95)

Classes are not to be dismissed or rescheduled for any extracurricular function.

(1962 Faculty Handbook)


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4.20 IRREGULAR CLASS MEETINGS

All class meetings should be held during the regular hours scheduled for the course. Unscheduled meetings at other hours should be held only for very unusual and clearly defensible reasons and never for the mere personal convenience of the instructor or the students or both.

If it is desirable for sound educational reasons to schedule a departmental or joint quiz at an evening hour so that all sections of a course may write the quiz simultaneously (uniform exams), the date and hour of each such irregularly scheduled quiz should be made known to all the students concerned during the first week of classes. If a student then incurs a serious conflict at one of these hours, the responsibility is the students.

If no such notice of irregularly scheduled hours for departmental or joint quizzes can be given, such a plan for giving tests is presumably not important enough to merit systematic planning and should not be used.

The University discourages all unscheduled class meetings; individual faculty members and departments regulate their teaching schedules in accordance with this principle. The department that announces the hours at which a course will meet, the faculty member who agrees to teach it at those hours and the student who has agreed to take it at those hours have all assumed an unwritten contractual obligation from which no one of them should deviate without very substantial reasons for doing so.

(Deans Council, 12 -14 -66; Senior Vice President and Provost, 9 -20 -68, 3 -3 -05)


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4.21 CLASSES DURING FINALS WEEK

The State Regents have indicated the importance of holding class during finals week. Since finals week always has been considered a week of instruction and is a necessary part of the minimum hours of instruction for accreditation, the holding of a final meeting of the class during that week may not be considered optional. (For the policy regarding final examinations, see Section 4.7.)

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -31 -80)


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4.22 WAIVER OF FEES

Institutions may establish procedures for waiving of tuition and fees for students who are enrolled in courses offered on a non-standard schedule.

(State Regents for Higher Education, 1 -30 -61, 5 -31 -97)


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4.23 WAIVER OF TUITION POLICY RELATING TO RESIDENT TUITION WAIVER OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Pursuant to 70 O. S. Supp. 1995, Section 3218.12, authorizing the State Regents to establish a system of student scholarships, the following policy of resident tuition waiver scholarships is hereby authorized for each institution in the State System. Except as provided below, it is the intent of this policy to provide assistance to Oklahoma students with demonstrated financial needs, and to promote excellence of scholarship throughout all of the academic and professional fields of study. It is further intended that this program provide equitably for students at all academic levels from the freshman year through the graduate study. Also, insofar as practicable, awards should be distributed so as to be supportive of the state’s needs and demands for trained manpower in the various career and occupational areas. Finally, assistance under this program should be utilized to promote equity of treatment for those students in fields without access to funds from other student assistance programs.

(State Regents for Higher Education, 5 -31 -96)


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4.23.1 ENROLLMENT OF FACULTY AND STAFF IN UNIVERSITY COURSES

The University places no limitation on the number of hours of coursework in which faculty and staff may enroll outside of the individual’s normal working hours, provided that such coursework does not interfere with the individual’s duties as determined by the individual’s supervisor and budget unit head.

(A) Courses Scheduled During Working Hours
Full-time, University benefits-eligible faculty and staff may enroll in a maximum course load not to exceed five (5) contact hours per week each semester and summer session during their regular working hours. Permission to enroll in a course during the employee’s normal working hours must be obtained from the chair of the faculty member’s department or the staff member’s supervisor and the budget unit head. Under very rare circumstances, exceptions to the course load limitation may be made by the appropriate Provost/Vice President through proper administrative channels.
Staff personnel will be required to make up time spent in class through arrangements approved by their supervisor unless course enrollment does not increase staff requirements or does not place extra demands on other employees. A decision should be reached by the budget unit head, the supervisor, and the employee at the time of enrollment as to whether the time spent in class must be made up. Any time spent in class, even though occurring during the employee’s regular schedule of working hours, shall not be considered as time worked for the purpose of calculating overtime pay. Time spent in class during working hours must be indicated as such on an hourly employee’s time card and noted on a monthly employee’s payroll certification.
(B) Eligibility
(1) As authorized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, a full-time University benefits-eligible faculty or staff member enrolling in regular coursework will be eligible for a waiver of one-half the resident tuition for up to six hours per semester or three hours per summer session except as noted below.
(2) Faculty and staff enrolling under the reduced tuition charges will not be required to pay the student facilities fee, cultural and recreational fee, transit fee, special event fee, activity fee and health fee, nor will they be eligible for the services covered by these fees. Student ID cards of persons not paying the fees will be coded to show they are not entitled to the services for which the fees are charged.
(3) The tuition waiver does not apply to special fees or to special academic programs, such as those in Continuing Education which have special regulations regarding fee waivers. Non-resident tuition charges will not be waived.
(4) Employees must have a 100 % FTE appointment for ¾ of the enrolled semester to be eligible for the waiver. Persons who are employed less than full-time are ineligible for the waiver, and all tuition and fees will be charged for their enrollments. A faculty member who is on a full-time nine-month appointment is considered to be full-time for purposes of any enrollment made during a following summer session. In such cases those not on summer appointment may receive a one-half tuition waiver on six semester hours of credit. Those on a full- or part-time summer appointment may receive the tuition waiver only on three credit hours as stated above. Under no circumstances will the reduced tuition apply to more than six semester hours of coursework in a single semester or three hours of coursework in a summer session. Hours that exceed this maximum must be paid at the full rate.
(C) Tax Implications
The tuition waiver for graduate coursework may be subject to taxation.
Application forms for the tuition waiver are available online at http: //www.ou.edu/provost/facstafffeewaiver. The form must be signed by the supervisor, budget unit head, and if necessary the Provost or appropriate Vice President, and presented to the Bursar prior to or at the time of payment during each semester.

(President, 1 -21 -85, Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -1 -05)


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4.23.2 WAIVER FOR GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

Graduate students with at least a one-quarter time graduate assistantship are eligible for these scholarships irrespective of Oklahoma residency status. Graduate assistants involved in teaching must be proficient in both oral and written English. The ability to communicate course material effectively in understandable English is required of all graduate teaching assistants awarded these waivers.

(State Regents for Higher Education 5 -31 -96)

Employment and enrollment information and other policies for graduate assistants are contained in the current Graduate Assistants' Handbook.


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4.23.3 WAIVER FOR EXCHANGE STUDENTS ON A RECIPROCAL BASIS

Institutions are hereby authorized to grant waiver of resident tuition for students from institutions outside the continental limits of the United States that have entered into an exchange agreement with the State System institution to provide reciprocal waivers for students from the Oklahoma institution. The number of credit hours of nonresident students received by the Oklahoma institution is expected to equal the number of credit hours sent by the Oklahoma institution to the exchange institution. Such authorization will be effective for as long as a contract exists with the reciprocal institution.

(State Regents for Higher Education 5 -31 -96)


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4.23.4 WAIVER FOR OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS ACADEMIC SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Institutions shall waive resident tuition for Oklahoma residents who are recipients of the Oklahoma State Regents’ Academic Scholars Program scholarship in an amount that when added to the State Regents’ cash award and any other state or federal financial aid for which the student qualifies, is sufficient to comply with the provisions of 70 O. S. Supp. 1995, Section 2403 (C) Category I. The total award shall include the full costs of all enrollment fees, tuition, and other fees, room and board and all required textbooks or materials for up to five (5) years of undergraduate and graduate study.

(State Regents for Higher Education 5 -31 -96)


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4.23.5 NONRESIDENT TUITION WAIVER

Any institution in The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education may award a scholarship that includes a waiver of nonresident tuition.

(State Regents for Higher Education, 5 -31 -96)


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4.24 STUDENT INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL POLICY
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4.24.1 DEFINITIONS

Instructional travel is any student travel for an instructional activity that is sponsored by an academic unit and that occurs off-campus or away from an officially-designated classroom. Examples include field trips to off-campus sites and department-sponsored group travel to a site where instruction will take place. Instructional travel does not include the student's individual travel to or from the official instructional site or travel not sponsored by the academic unit.


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4.24.2 GUIDELINES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL THAT IS PART OF A COURSE

The following guidelines are intended to provide reasonable notice to students of any significant instructional travel that a course may involve, and to ensure appropriate handling of any funds collected from students.

(A) Approval
All instructional travel for a course must be approved in advance by the chair/director of the academic unit offering the course.
(B) Scheduling and notification
In order to be able to plan their class schedules and financial obligations, students must receive adequate advance notification any time that they will be required to travel to an off-campus location as part of a course. At a minimum all required instructional travel must be described in the course syllabus that is given to students no later than the first day of class. If the travel is to occur outside of the scheduled meeting times listed in the class schedule, a description of the travel should be included in all information describing the course. Instructional travel outside the regular class time cannot be made mandatory if not included in the class schedule.
(C) Travel Costs
Costs covered by course fees. Mandatory fees associated with a class must be approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. They should also be listed in the class schedule and included in any advertising regarding the course. If instructional travel is funded by course fees, then responsibility for the management of those fees and their use for travel-related expenses is the responsibility of the sponsor of the fee account and the chair/director of the academic unit offering the course.
(D) Costs not covered by course fees
Travel-related expenses not covered by approved course fees must be managed in a manner approved by the University. It is preferable that arrangements for the collection and use of funds for travel-related expenses be managed through either the College of Continuing Education or the University of Oklahoma Foundation. Such use must be approved in advance by the chair/director of the academic unit sponsoring the course and by appropriate officials at CCE or the Foundation. All other arrangements for paying travel-related expenses must be approved in advance by the head of the budget unit, the Dean, and the Senior Vice President and Provost.

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4.24.3 GUIDELINES FOR ALL INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL
(A) Itineraries
An itinerary should be filed with the department or college office and with the OU Department of Public Safety for any University-sponsored activity that is conducted off-campus for a period exceeding 24 hours. The itinerary should include a list of the names of all participants, student numbers of student participants, telephone numbers where the group may be reached or emergency telephone numbers, destinations and, if possible, trip routes.
(B) Commercial travel and unusual activities
Academic units sponsoring field trips by commercial carrier or trips involving unusual activity (hiking, climbing, athletic activities, etc.) are responsible for obtaining releases, i. e., written acknowledgment from students that they have received reasonable notice of the nature of the activity and understand the possibility of risk. For information about releases, contact the Office of Risk Management and Safety Services or the Office of Legal Counsel.
(C) Liability
The Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act adopts and delimits the doctrine of sovereign immunity for the State of Oklahoma, all of its political subdivisions, and its employees. Since the University of Oklahoma is a duly authorized agency of the State of Oklahoma, all instructional travel that has been approved, scheduled, and sponsored by the University and is in the complete control of an authorized University employee is afforded the liability protections of the Act. For purposes of instructional travel, the authorized university employee is the instructor(s), including graduate assistants, assigned to the course.
University employees are protected by the Act from liability as long as they are acting in good faith and within the scope of their University employment. Volunteers may at times be authorized to perform services for the University, and duly authorized volunteers are also protected under the act within the scope of their employment.
The University's liability for student accidents and injury in instructional travel is limited by the Act. Low-cost accident and illness insurance policies are available for field trip participants from the Center for Student Life.

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4.24.4 OTHER POLICIES PERTAINING TO INSTRUCTIONAL TRAVEL

Other provisions affecting instructional travel include Faculty Handbook policies entitled Travel, Insurance, University Vehicles, and Use of State Vehicles for Private Purposes. Further information is available from the OU Employee's Guide for Business Travel, available from the Department of Risk Management and Safety Services.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, January 2002)


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4.25 Course Syllabi AND OTHER COURSE MATERIALS

Faculty members have responsibilities to their students. They shall encourage in students the free pursuit of learning and independence of mind, while holding before them the highest scholarly and professional standards. Faculty members shall show respect for the student as an individual and adhere to their proper role as intellectual guides and counselors.

Effective Fall 2010, Instructional Faculty shall post the required course syllabus on the University’s course management system by the first day of the semester; providing a paper copy of the syllabus to students is optional. The syllabus should define the goals of the courses, and faculty members should devote their teaching to the realization of those goals. Where appropriate, course syllabi should state, in addition to the major goals of the course, instructor’s office hours; university policies regarding reasonable accommodation and codes of behavior; list of required reading materials; list of all major reading, laboratory, and/or performance assignments for the semester; approximate dates for all graded assignments and approximate percentage each contributes to the final grade. Internships/practicum, directed readings/research, dissertation and thesis hours are exempt from this requirement.

Additionally, instructional faculty are encouraged to use the online course management system to distribute other course materials or to post links to websites with other course materials. Instructional faculty are also encouraged to use other good practices to keep instructional costs minimized including having electronic reserves in the library when feasible and possible, being careful to require only those instructional materials that will actually be extensively used during the course of the semester or term, and learning about and utilizing other emerging technology tools or resources in delivering their courses.

(Faculty Senate, February 2010; Senior Vice President and Provost, February 2010)


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4.25.1 SALE OF REQUIRED COURSE MATERIAL TO STUDENTS

In order to comply with Oklahoma State Statute (70 O. S., Section 3218.8); the following policies are in effect:

(A) INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS BUDGET – UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
An annual textbook acquisition account of $ 200,000 has been established in the library effective with the 2007 -2008 academic year to provide access to required, instructional materials for undergraduate classes with many sections that enroll large numbers of students and access to usually expensive textbooks. These materials will be on two hour reserve at Bizzell Memorial Library; courses whose materials are included will be posted on the library website at http: //libraries.ou.edu/textbooks.
(B) INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS POLICY – ONLINE ENROLLMENT
The OU Online Enrollment System shall maintain a webpage that includes:
a statement that students are entering the website of the University Bookstore operated by “Follett”;
a) a statement articulating University Bookstore pricing:
and
b) a statement describing how to conduct content comparisons of new & previous editions of published instructional materials at publishers’ websites. A free public website for locating these publishers’ websites is located here: http: //www.acqweb.org/pubr.html#alph.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS POLICY – UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE, PUBLISHERS

1) The University Bookstore shall:
a) provide students with the option of purchasing instructional materials that are unbundled when possible, and disclose to faculty and staff the costs to students of purchasing instructional materials (Follett website);
and
b) actively promote and publicize book buy-back programs. Information on buy-back programs at available at: http: //www.ou.edu/provost/efollettbuyback

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS – INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY

Faculty on the Norman Campus should seek to collaborate with students to ensure access to the most economical and efficient process for obtaining the very best instructional materials.

a) Faculty must place their instructional material orders with their departmental representative. This person will 1) will ensure that faculty place their orders in a timely way, and 2) will place orders with the University Bookstore and other local bookstores.
b) The order form used within each academic unit (available at http: //www.ou.edu/provost/textbook-adoptions.html shall require that the suggested manufacturers’ retail price be listed for each required textbook. (This can be found by looking at Books in Print, available at (http: //libraries.ou.edu/eresources/bip). If the cost per individual student, for all required materials in a course, exceeds a fixed amount (to be determined by each academic unit and approved by the Dean and Provost), the Chair/Director of the academic unit must review and approve the order.
c) Faculty shall allow students to use the most recent prior edition of a required textbook unless the faculty member specifically states in the course syllabus that the newest edition of the required textbook is necessary.
d) No faculty, staff or academic unit shall demand or receive any payment, loan, subscription, advance, deposit of money, services or anything, present or promised, as an inducement for requiring OU students to purchase specific textbooks or instructional material required in a course. However, an employee may receive:
1. Sample copies of textbooks/instructional materials, instructor copies of textbooks/instructional materials, as long as these are not to be sold by the employee or academic unit.
2. Royalties or other compensation from sales of textbooks/instructional materials that include the writing or work of the employee.
3. Honoraria for academic peer review of instructional materials.
4. Training in the use of instructional materials and technologies.
(Regents, 9 -12 -07)

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5.0 General Policies
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5.1 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY POLICY STATEMENT

This University in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 or older), religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, housing, financial aid, and education services.

(Regents, 3 -24 -70, 4 -8 -76, 7 -12 -77, 12 -10 -81, 1 -27 -93, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12, 6 -25 -15)

Individuals are assured protection from harassment, retaliation, and discrimination for filing a complaint or assisting in an investigation under all relevant Institutional Equity policies and procedures. Complaints of discrimination may be filed with the Institutional Equity Office.

All lawfully required documents, including the University’s Affirmative Action Plans, are available for inspection in the University Institutional Equity Office between 8:00 a. m. and 5:00 p. m. on any working day. The contact person in that office will be the University Institutional Equity Officer and Title IX Coordinator. The Office of Institutional Equity on the Norman Campus is located at 660 Parrington Oval, Suite 102, Norman, Oklahoma. The office may be reached by telephone at (405) 325 -3546 or visit http: //www.ou.edu/eoo.html.

(Equal Opportunity Officer, 2 -28 -04)

(Regents: 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12, 6 -14 -23)

It is also the policy of the University not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

(President, 1 -7 -93, 9 -29 -94)


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5.1.1 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

The Affirmative Action Plan serves to supplement the Board of Regents’ policy on equal opportunity as it pertains to employment and is an integral part of the employment policies of the University. The Plan is revised once each year to address the current requirements for affirmative action in employment. The principal objectives are:

(1) To assure all persons equal opportunity for employment and advancement in employment regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran.
(2) To meet institutional responsibilities under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and commitments as a federal contractor under Executive Order 11246 and Executive Order 11375.
(3) To take positive actions in the recruitment, placement, development, and advancement of women and racial minority members in University employment.

Each person having administrative or supervisory responsibilities is expected to provide leadership in applying the Affirmative Action Plan.

Coordination of the application of the Affirmative Action Plan is the responsibility of the Senior Vice President and Provosts for academic employment and the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for nonacademic employment. These officials are designated Institutional Equity Officers for their respective areas of responsibility.

(Regents, 3 -18 -75, 3 -29 -00, 6 -14 -23)


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5.1.2 STAFFING PLAN PROCEDURE AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

The University’s staffing procedure and Affirmative Action Plan are designed jointly to (1) assure maximum utilization of available human resources, and (2) reaffirm the University’s policy that all appointments, promotions, and transfers will be conducted on the basis of individual qualifications and merit without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran.

The plan includes four broad categories, and the criteria for membership in categories II through IV are outlined in the Staff Handbook.

I. Executive
Executive Officers
Executive Officers of the University shall include the President, Vice President for Executive Affairs, Senior Vice Presidents and Provosts, Vice Presidents, Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents and Secretary of the University, and such other positions as the President may designate from time to time.
II. Administrative
Administrative Officers
Administrative Staff
Managerial Staff
III. Professional
Professional Staff
IV. Non Exempt & Supervisory
(Regents, 6 -13 -74, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04)

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5.2 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

The University has an Affirmative Action Plan for individuals with disabilities. For details concerning the plan, consult the Equal Opportunity Office.

The University will reasonably accommodate otherwise qualified individuals with a disability unless such accommodation would pose an undue hardship, would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the service, program or activity or would result in undue financial or administrative burdens. The term “reasonable accommodations” is used in its general sense in the Reasonable Accommodations Policy and applies to employees, students, and visitors.

(Equal Opportunity Office, 10 -21 -97, 3 -3 -05)


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5.3 OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES

The University of Oklahoma, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and the Americans with Disabilities Act, has established the following procedures for the purpose of implementing its responsibilities.


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5.3.1 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES

Effective delivery of services to students with disabilities and proper and efficient utilization of institutional resources requires the establishment of a central office to which individuals with disabilities may self-identify, have documentation reviewed to determine eligibility for services, and make arrangements for effective utilization of institutional resources to meet recognized needs.


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5.3.2 IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

The institution has established a procedure for students and others with disabilities to self-identify and to register with the Office of Disability Services.

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center, a department under University Compliance, will survey identified students with disabilities and general needs associated with the same.

(Regents: 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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5.3.3 CONFIRMATION OF DISABILITY

Students with disabilities will be directed by the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center to have the status of their disability certified. Students will be confirmed by the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center to receive certain University services in accordance with their needs.

The University may request that the students provide appropriate documentation of disability.

In general, documentation of disability should be reasonable, current, and include: a diagnostic statement identifying the disability, date of current diagnostic evaluation, and date of original diagnosis; a description of the diagnostic criteria used; a description of the current functional impact of the disability; treatments, medications, and assistive devices currently prescribed or in use; a description of the expected progression or stability of the impact of the disability over time; and the credentials of the diagnosing professional. This documentation can only be prepared by a person who is not a family member of the student and who is qualified by professional training and practice to diagnose and treat the impairment leading to the disability. Handwritten notes on prescription pads or handwritten treatment records will not be accepted. Additional information can be found at https: //www.ou.edu/drc/drc-registration/documentation-guidelines.


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5.3.4 COORDINATION OF SERVICES

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center shall coordinate services with the appropriate offices, including communication with the Senior Vice President and Provost or the Office of Administration and Finance when necessary, for the purpose of assuring that each student with a disability is provided with the necessary services and/or materials to accommodate his or her disability needs.

Further, the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center shall contact the appropriate academic departments or areas to make specific arrangements and coordinate the provision of services and/or materials.


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5.3.5 ROLE OF THE ACADEMIC AREAS

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center is responsible for the implementation of the above outlined procedures. No arrangements, promises, or other manifestations of individual accommodation should be made by any University employee (faculty, administrative, or other) prior to consultation with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center. Only those arrangements authorized by the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center should be implemented.

Institutional compliance with the regulations and requirements of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as Amended (ADAAA) is mandatory; however, the full implications and requirements of these laws are not fully detailed. Thus, certain offices within the institution will have more complete and reliable information regarding the requirements. Persons making unauthorized commitments may involve both the institution and themselves in unnecessary and unwarranted legal action or other enforcement problems.


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5.3.6 GRIEVANCES

A student who believes that he or she has not been provided institutional services consistent with the needs of the confirmed disability and the requirements of Section 504 and the ADAAA should first discuss the problem with the Director of the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center. If an equitable and acceptable resolution of the matter cannot be obtained through these discussions, the aggrieved party may request the assistance of the Institutional Equity Officer in effecting resolution of the problem. If the matter remains unresolved, the aggrieved party may, through the Institutional Equity Officer, initiate a complaint in accordance with the provisions of the University's Student Discrimination Grievance Procedure.

(Presidential Approval, 8 -21 -78; Vice President for Student Affairs, 8 -4 -86, 12 -93, 12 -1 -97, 3 -3 -05)


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5.4 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION POLICY

The University of Oklahoma will reasonably accommodate otherwise qualified individuals with a disability unless such accommodation would pose an undue hardship or would result in a fundamental alteration in the nature of the service, program, or activity or would result in undue financial or administrative burdens. The term "reasonable accommodation" is used in its general sense in this policy to apply to employees, students, and visitors.

Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to:

(1) Making existing facilities readily accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities;
(2) Job restructuring;
(3) Part-time or modified work schedules;
(4) Reassignment to a vacant position if qualified;
(5) Acquisition or modification of equipment or devices;
(6) Adjustment or modification of examinations, training materials, or policies;
(7) Providing qualified readers or interpreters; or
(8) Modifying policies, practices, and procedures.

The Accessibility and Disability Resource Center, http: //www.ou.edu/drc/home.html unless otherwise provided, is the central point of contact to receive all requests for reasonable accommodation and all documentation required to determine disability status under law. This center will then make a recommendation concerning accommodation to the appropriate administrative unit. Reasonable accommodation with respect to employment matters should be coordinated with Human Resources. Reasonable accommodation with respect to academic matters, including but not limited to faculty employment, should be coordinated with the Office of Senior Vice President and Provost's Office, while all other issues of reasonable accommodation should be coordinated with the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Individuals who have complaints alleging discrimination based upon a disability may file them with the University's ADA Coordinator and/or the Institutional Equity Officer in accordance with prevailing University discrimination grievance procedures.

(President, 2 -16 -93, 3 -3 -05)

(Regents: 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -21)


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5.5 LOYALTY OATH

Oklahoma State Statue 51 O. S. Section 36.1, 36.4 requires that each new employee must have a signed and notarized Loyalty Oath as part of their personnel file. The requirement extends to all employees and officials of the State of Oklahoma and must be satisfied before an individual may be paid on the state payroll. Temporary employees hired for (90) days or less need not sign a Loyalty Oath. The Loyalty Oath remains valid as long as the employee is working for the state agency and if terminated, does not have more than a 30 day break in service.

(President, 7 -1 -86, Human Resources, 2 -7 -04)


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5.6 NEPOTISM

Except as prohibited by the laws of the State of Oklahoma, relationship by consanguinity (blood) or affinity (marriage) shall not, in itself, be a bar to appointment, employment, or advancement by the University or, in the case of faculty members, to eligibility for tenure. The University recognizes, however, that there is an inherent conflict of interest when an employee makes hiring, promotion, or salary decisions about a family member, although there may be extremely rare circumstances when the potential benefit to the University in having an employee supervise a family member outweighs the potential harm.

Therefore, no two persons who are related by affinity or consanguinity within the third degree shall be given positions in which either one is directly responsible for making recommendations regarding employment, promotion, salary, or tenure for the other; nor shall either of two persons so related who hold positions in the same budgetary unit be appointed to an executive or administrative position in that unit or to a position involving administrative responsibility over it, as long as the other person remains in the unit, without first receiving a waiver that has been recommended by the Senior Vice President and Provost or the appropriate vice president and approved by the Board of Regents. In recommending the waiver, the Senior Vice President and Provost or the appropriate vice president must make a written statement of the facts that have led him/her to conclude that the benefit to the University in granting the waiver outweighs the potential harm. In addition, the Senior Vice President and Provost or the appropriate vice president must propose in writing a means by which a qualified, objective person, unrelated to the employee at issue, shall make performance evaluations and recommendations for compensation, promotion, and awards for that employee and state in writing how that means will avoid the conflict of interest. The statement and proposal for supervision shall be made part of the Board Regents agenda item. Further, a salary increase above the average increase granted to all University employees in similar positions will not be granted to an employee who has been granted a waiver under this policy unless it has been approved by the applicable Senior Vice President and Provost or appropriate vice president and the President. In the case where this policy is made applicable by a related party being selected to Committee A of an academic unit, approval of the Board of Regents is not required; however, all other provisions of this policy will continue to apply.

It is the responsibility of the head of the budget unit to seek a waiver before offering employment to any person whose employment without a waiver would violate this policy, and the willful failure to follow this policy may result in disciplinary action against the head of the budget unit. Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, a conditional hire, prior to approval of the Board of Regents, may be made pursuant to this policy if deemed necessary for legitimate academic or business reasons and if justified in writing by the appropriate vice president. At the next regular meeting of the Board of Regents, the written justification and the conditional hire will be considered by the Board of Regents.

Relatives that are within the third degree of relationship to an employee by consanguinity or affinity include the following: spouse, parent, parent of spouse, grandparent, grandparent of spouse, great-grandparent, great grandparent of spouse, uncle or aunt, uncle or aunt of spouse, brother or sister, brother or sister of spouse, son or daughter, son-in-law or daughter-in-law, grandson or granddaughter, grandson or granddaughters spouse, great grandson or great granddaughter, and great grandsons or great granddaughters spouse. For purposes of this policy, step- and half relatives are considered to be related by affinity.

(Regents, 4 -8 -71, 10 -17 -90, 2 -20 -92, 12 -2 -02, 1 -27 -04)


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5.6.1 DUAL CAREER COUPLES

It is the policy of the Senior Vice President and Provost to consider recommending exceptions to the Nepotism Policy to allow members of faculty couples to serve in administrative positions or on Committee A in departments/units in which their spouse is appointed if arrangements are made to provide performance evaluations and recommendations for compensation and promotion by persons not related to the individual being evaluated.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 4 -8 -93)


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5.7 [RESERVED]
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5.8 [ADVANCED PROGRAMS – NO LONGER OFFERED; REMOVED FOR OBSOLENCE]
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5.9 POLITICAL MEETINGS ON CAMPUS

5.9.1 Campaign activity for individuals or organizations in conjunction with campus, local, state, or national elections shall be permitted on the campus in public places. However, this action shall not authorize variances with other provisions outlined in the University of Oklahoma Student Code.

5.9.2 The Office of Student Affairs must be notified of all UOSA campaign activity prior to any campaigning. All other local, state, or national political campaigning or election activity must be registered with the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.

5.9.3 Registered student organizations may schedule rooms in University facilities for organized campaign meetings.

5.9.4 Campaigning in University operated or approved housing:

(A) Distribution of printed literature under doors without knocking is permitted from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p. m.
(B) Between the hours of 12:00 noon and 9:00 p. m., door-to-door campaigning is allowed and may be regulated or prescribed by the Office of Student Affairs and/or house vote.
(C) The right of privacy of those individuals who indicate a desire not to be disturbed by door-to-door campaigning shall be respected. These individuals must indicate such a desire by placing a sign or sticker in prominent display on their doors.
(D) Lounges may be regulated in a manner prescribed by house or floor vote. If no such procedures are established, campaigners will have free use of the lounge within visitation hours unless a majority of the residents express their objections.
(E) The above policy applies except where visitation restrictions prohibit access.
(F) Any student participating in a UOSA-conducted election is subject to all Student Congress legislation concerning elections, campaign rules, and decisions of the UOSA election commissions.
(Student Code)

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5.10 INDIVIDUAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST POLICY
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5.10.1 GENERAL POLICY
(A) GENERAL OBLIGATION. Conflicts of interest can result in serious harms such as improper personal benefits, loss of University resources, misuse of confidential information, and exploitation of employees, students, and others. Even without such consequences, conflicts of interest endanger the University’s mission and betray the public’s trust if left unreviewed. Therefore, all persons covered by this policy must promptly disclose any conflicts of interest, including any personal interest, activity, or relationship that may affect or detract from the proper exercise of University responsibilities, and must adhere to the University’s judgment on permissibility and management.
(B) SCOPE. This policy applies to all University Employees[1 ]. It establishes minimum standards and procedures for addressing personal conflicts of interest and outside professional employment. Nothing in this policy prohibits any academic or administrative unit from establishing supplementary Conflicts of Interest policies and/or procedures that are more restrictive than these. This policy overlaps with but does not replace Employee responsibilities under state and federal law or other University policies, e. g., the IRB conflicts of interest policy; and, compliance with those laws/policies does not eliminate the requirement to comply with this policy, and vice versa. Institutional conflicts of interest and certain other specific personal conflicts are addressed by other University policies referenced in 5.10.8 Appendix 3.
[Footnote 1: Definitions of capitalized terms are included in Section 5.10.2 and in 5.10.6 Appendix 1. ]

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5.10.2 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

A Conflict of Interest arises when a financial or other personal interest, activity, or relationship may reasonably be expected to compromise an Employee's judgment in carrying out his/her University responsibilities. When used in this policy, the term Conflict of Interest also includes potential conflicts (i. e., interests, activities and relationships that do not currently constitute a conflict but will foreseeably do so if not subject to limitation) and the appearance of a conflict (i. e., interests, activities, and relationships that in the University’s judgment would impair public trust if not managed appropriately). Conflicts of interest include but are not limited to the following:

(A) SELF-DEALING: Transacting any University business with oneself or one’s Family or having a Significant Financial Interest in any Company that could foreseeably benefit from the Employee’s decisions in discharging University responsibilities.
(B) USE OF UNIVERSITY RESOURCES: Taking, allocating, or using any University Resources for a non-University purpose except as otherwise allowed by University policy.
(C) USE OF EMPLOYEES OR STUDENTS. Hiring or supervising University Employees or students whom one supervises, instructs, or mentors, in a personal interest, activity, or relationship, or receiving a profit from sales or services to them.
(D) CONFLICTS OF COMMITMENT. Engaging in any full or part-time activity that demands a level of time or energy that can reasonably be expected to impair the performance of one’s University responsibilities. Outside activities ordinarily understood as full-time are presumed to be inconsistent with full-time University employment.
(E) ENDORSEMENT. Presenting one’s University affiliation, position, or credentials in a way that gives the appearance of University endorsement of any business, charity, or other outside entity or activity, or creating confusion as to University involvement in the activity.
(F) GIFTS. Accepting a Gift that may reasonably appear to influence the exercise of one’s University responsibilities, or that may appear to be compensation for such exercise, or that otherwise may be prohibited by law. [2 ]
(G) IMPARTIALITY. Participating in a University matter involving specific parties that is likely to have a direct and predictable effect on the Employee’s financial interests (or those of a member of his/her Family); or, where the Employee or Family member has a personal or business relationship with a directly affected party; or where the circumstances would cause a reasonable observer with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the Employee’s impartiality. Examples of such parties include members of one’s Family, persons with whom one lives or shares a bank account, and persons with whom one has or has recently had significant financial transactions such as employment, contracting, or indebtedness. [3 ]
(H) CONFIDENTIALITY. Disclosing confidential information, including proprietary information, acquired through one’s University employment to anyone not entitled to receive it.
(I) INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES PRESUMPTIVELY PERMITTED. The following interests and activities are presumptively permitted and need not be disclosed so long as they do not constitute a Conflict of Commitment and so long as they are not required to be disclosed by a unit’s supplementary policy:
(1) interests below the threshold of Significant Financial Interests in a Company that may do business with the University;
(2) financial interests in a Company that does no business with the University, or does business with the University outside the course and scope of one’s University responsibilities;
(3) unpaid service on nonprofit or scholarly boards;
(4) service as an editor of a professional publication;
(5) services of a scholarly or professional nature for which tokens of appreciation (honoraria) are traditionally conferred and are not undertaken for personal financial gain, for example a scholarly presentation or program evaluation;
(6) modest personal Gifts of a customary nature, ordinarily with a value less than $20, where knowledge of the relevant facts would likely not cause a reasonable observer to question the Employee’s impartiality;
(7) inclusion of University affiliation in publications or communications where not reasonably likely to be taken as endorsement;
(8) modest personal use, excluding personal business use, of University Resources such as telephone and email as permitted by other University policies.
[Footnote 2: Employees receiving Gifts, gratuities, or other third-party benefits are advised to review 5.10.9 Appendix 4 for additional legal restrictions. See Rules 4.8, 4.9, and 4.17. ]
[Footnote 3: Employees engaged in a matter likely to have a direct effect on their financial interests are advised to review 5.10.9 Appendix 4 for additional legal restrictions that may affect participation in the matter. See Rule 4.7. ]

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5.10.3 OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT, EXCLUDING ACTIVITIES COVERED BY A UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE PLAN [4 ]
(A) GENERAL PROVISIONS. All Employees shall discharge their responsibilities to the University unhindered by outside employment or other commitments. Full-time Employees owe their primary professional duty to the University; any other employment or activity must be secondary. However, in light of their potential to create Conflicts of Interest, outside employment in the area of one’s University duties (“outside professional employment”) must be disclosed and approved and may be limited as provided in this section. All Employees who are permitted to engage in outside professional employment that reasonably appears to create an actual, potential, or apparent Conflict of Interest shall provide their services in strict accordance with an approved management plan.
All Employees having decisional responsibilities, in the application for, design of, or conduct of sponsored research, e. g., investigators, key personnel, or as may otherwise be required by a sponsor, must disclose all outside professional employment.
(B) STAFF. Staff Employees are expected to conduct University business during the University’s regular business hours, or as otherwise assigned. Staff Employees may not conduct outside professional employment during their assigned University business hours except when leave is authorized. Salaried staff with appointments from 0.8 to 1.0 full-time equivalent (fte) shall disclose and receive prior approval for all outside professional employment to assess possible conflicts of commitment. All staff employees must disclose and receive prior approval for outside professional employment that reasonably appears to create an actual, potential, or apparent Conflict of Interest.
(C) FACULTY. During the terms of their academic appointment, faculty members must attend to all duties and responsibilities including classes, office hours, and service commitments. Faculty participating in a Professional Practice Plan should adhere to these principles in addition to those obligations arising under the Plan.
(1) Faculty during academic year. Faculty members are individually and primarily responsible for arranging their University time. Full-time faculty may, with chair or director approval, commit up to 10 hours in any week for outside professional employment during University business hours so long as the activity does not reasonably appear to create a Conflict of Interest, does not interfere with the faculty member’s University duties and responsibilities, and provides important elements of faculty professional development related to University duties and responsibilities. For faculty who accrue leave, the University shall determine the extent to which leave should be taken for outside professional activities.
(2) Summer outside professional employment for 9 -month faculty. During any portion of the summer in which 9 -month faculty are not on contract with the University, they may engage in outside professional employment without regard to the 10 -hour-per-week limitation. Such outside professional employment is presumptively permitted; however, such employment must be disclosed for prior review for actual, potential, or apparent Conflicts of Interest and may not involve use of University Resources, including staff, except as otherwise provided by University policy and agreement by the appropriate office, e. g. the Office of Technology Development in the case of University-owned intellectual property.
(3) Part-time faculty. Faculty with less than full-time appointments may engage in outside professional employment during any time not required by their University responsibilities, unless limited by the terms of their respective professional practice plans.
(4) Regular and renewable-term faculty. Regular and renewable-term faculty with appointments from 0.8 to 1.0 FTE must disclose all outside professional employment.
[Footnote 4: While excluded from this Section 3, Employees who are in HSC or other Professional Practice Plans are expected to comply with the terms of their respective Plans and all other applicable University policies and procedures. ]

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5.10.4 DISCLOSURE AND REVIEW
(A) CONFLICT OF INTEREST OFFICE. The University President shall designate a Conflict of Interest office or offices on the Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses which shall be responsible for the following:
(1) EDUCATION. Providing to Employees on all campuses adequate information at least annually regarding this policy and their obligations hereunder and ensuring that Employees responsible for implementation and administration of this policy receive appropriate training to effectuate the aims of this policy.
(2) PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION. Managing the activities of the Conflict of Interest Committees, providing oversight, and promoting uniform standards for conflict of interest disclosure, review, approval, and management across all campuses.
(3) RECORDKEEPING. Maintaining an inventory of all conflict of interest disclosures, management plans, and related pertinent materials across all campuses. The office shall also devise standards for internal disclosure and for public disclosure of conflicts under management sufficient to assure ethical transparency while maintaining an appropriate level of privacy for personal financial interests and personnel records.
(B) CONFLICT OF INTEREST COMMITTEES. The University President shall appoint two Conflict of Interest Committees: one on the Norman Campus and one on the Health Sciences Center Campus. Conflicts arising on the Tulsa Campus shall be decided by the Committee for the campus where the Employee’s unit is based.
(1) Composition. Committees shall be composed of four faculty recommended by Faculty Senate; three staff members recommended by Staff Senate from the salaried professional academic and administrative staff; the Vice President for Research or designee; the Senior Vice President and Provost or designee; and additional voting members with specialized competencies and expertise as may be appropriate for deliberations of each Campus’s respective Committee. The Committees shall have a nonvoting member designated by the Office of Legal Counsel to provide advice and legal support.
(2) Powers and Responsibilities. Committees shall determine the appropriate disposition of covered conflicts arising on their respective campuses.
(3) Delegation and Support. Consistent with the aims of this policy, the Conflict of Interest Offices shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of their respective Committees and shall establish procedures to obtain recommendations from appropriate individuals and units, to decide cases, to delegate routine matters to the Conflict of Interest Office, and to delegate decision-making for conflicts of a specialized nature where the decision-making expertise is localized.
(C) OBLIGATION TO DISCLOSE. Employees shall disclose and seek prior approval for an interest, activity or relationship covered under this policy, or within 30 days of hire, if the activity or relationship predates the Employee’s University employment. Disclosures shall be to the appropriate Conflict of Interest Office, in writing, and shall include a clear, detailed explanation of the Conflict. The Conflict of Interest Office may forward the disclosure to other offices for preliminary information, review, or advice as the Office deems necessary.
(D) REVIEW. Disclosures shall be reviewed in accordance with procedures established by the Conflict of Interest Office. In light of the unique institutional responsibilities of executive officers, conflicts arising for Executive Officers shall be disclosed according to the Institutional Conflicts of Interest policy.
(E) POSSIBLE ACTIONS. The Conflict of Interest Committee or its designee may determine that the activity, interest, or relationship constitutes (a) no conflict, (b) a potential conflict that will be permissible as long as certain limits are not exceeded, (c) a manageable conflict requiring a management plan; or (d) an unmanageable conflict requiring action to terminate either the interest or the University duty involved.
(F) MANAGEMENT PLANS. When a Conflict of Interest, whether actual, potential, or apparent, requires management, the Conflict of Interest Committee or its designee shall, with information and input from the Employee and others as it deems appropriate, develop a management plan. Management plans must include a description of the conflict, a summary of the steps required for management, specific individual(s) responsible for the required steps, the records to be maintained under the plan, and a schedule for review, which must occur at least annually.

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5.10.5 REMEDIATION, RESCISSION, AND ENFORCEMENT

Reports or evidence of policy violations received by the Conflict of Interest Office shall be reviewed, investigated, and referred to the appropriate office for action. Employees who fail to disclose a conflict of interest or to comply with a decision or approved management plan may be subject to discipline up to and including severe sanctions and termination. Employees are reminded that they also are subject to civil and criminal penalties for violations of state or federal laws relating to conflicts of interest. An approving authority may rescind an approved outside professional employment activity upon receipt of information indicating the activity is not consistent with this policy, applicable law, or other University policy. If approval is rescinded, the Employee shall be given written notice and an opportunity to respond to his or her campus Conflict of Interest Committee.


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5.10.6 APPENDIX 1: DEFINITIONS
(A) COMPANY. Any entity, other than the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma, through which business is conducted (profit or non-profit), including such organizations as a sole proprietorship, partnership, company, corporation, civic or social organization.
(B) EMPLOYEE. All individuals employed by the University, whether full or part-time. For purposes of this policy, the term “Employee” shall also include postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, residents, graduate research and teaching assistants, volunteers, and all key personnel working on grants and contracts whether paid or unpaid.
(C) FAMILY. Includes any individual who is a spouse/domestic partner, parent, child, stepchild, or sibling of an Employee or a member of the Employee's household. [5 ]
(D) GIFT. Anything of value to the extent that consideration of equal or greater value is not received in exchange.
(E) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. Any ideas, discoveries, inventions, technology, creative expressions and embodiments thereof in which a proprietary interest may be claimed such as patents, copyrights, trademarks, know-how, biological materials, and other forms of intellectual property legally recognized as set forth in the University’s Intellectual Property Policy.
(F) SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL INTEREST. [6 ]
(1) For a non-publicly traded company.
(a) Any ownership interest, by the Employee or his or her Family, in a private business, including but not limited to, a closely held corporation; limited liability company; Subchapter S corporation or partnership for which the Employee or his or her Family member is a director, officer, owner, manager, employee, or agent; or any private business, closely held corporation or limited liability company in which the Employee or his or her Family member owns or has owned stock, another form of equity interest, stock options, or debt instruments.
(b) Any Intellectual Property right or interest for which the Employee or his or her Family has received income.
(c) Receipt of income of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000) or more by the Employee or his or her Family during the twelve months prior to the date of disclosure; or
(2) For a publicly-traded company.
Any interest for which remuneration during the twelve months prior to disclosure, plus the value of equity interest in the entity at date of disclosure, exceeds $5,000, when aggregated for the Employee and his or her Family.
(3) Significant Financial Interests do not include:
(a) salary, royalties, or other remuneration paid by the University to employees (including Intellectual Property rights assigned to the University and agreements to share in royalties related to such rights); or
(b) investment vehicles, such as mutual funds and retirement accounts, where the Member does not directly control the investment decisions made by such vehicles.
(G) UNIVERSITY RESOURCES. All University services, real and personal property including facilities, equipment, Intellectual Property, and workforce.
[Footnote 5: For the definition of “family” in the State Ethics Rules see Rule 4.2. Due to a university’s unique ethical responsibilities in teaching and research, OU’s definition is somewhat broader in scope. ]
[Footnote 6: For the definition of “material financial interest” in the State Ethics Rules see Rule 4.7. Under federal law, the University’s disclosure requirements are more restrictive, e. g., NSF sponsored research contracts, and rather than confuse the issue by applying different standards, the university elected to abide by the more restrictive rules. ]

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5.10.7 APPENDIX 2: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN BUSINESS AND RESEARCH RELATIONSHIPS
(A) Company Board Membership/Officership. Service as a director or officer (President, VP, CEO, COO, CFO, Scientific Officer) of a Company is normally acceptable; however, when the Company proposes to do or is doing business with the University, has licensed University technology, or there is, an actual, potential or apparent Conflict of Interest with one’s University responsibilities (such as financial conflicts, conflicts of commitment, use of University Resources, potential or actual overlap between University research and Company research, and use or ownership of Intellectual Property), one shall disclose the relationship and seek written approval from the Conflict of Interest Committee pursuant to a management plan.
(B) Support of Students and Trainees by Companies. The progress and academic standing of students and trainees must never be compromised. Accordingly, a Company may not be permitted to (i) support a student’s academic program if the supervising Employee has Equity or serves as a director or officer (President, VP, CEO, COO, CFO, Scientific Officer) or (ii) employ a student or trainee to conduct research that overlaps with his or her University training or academic program, absent written approval by the Conflict of Interest Committee pursuant to a management plan. The Conflict of Interest Committee shall establish University policies and rules to regulate the circumstances under which the referenced employment relationships may be permitted.
(C) Funding for Sponsored Research and Service Activities. There is a presumption against accepting funding from a Company in which the University or the Employee has a financial interest, or the Employee serves as a director or officer (President, VP, CEO, COO, CFO, Scientific Officer). The Conflict of Interest Committee shall establish University policies and rules to regulate the circumstances under which these relationships may be permitted.
(D) SBIR / STTR Programs. Under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, small businesses are encouraged to partner with a research university to perform innovative research and/or to assist in technology transfer from the university. A University Employee may participate in the SBIR/STTR project only through a written contract between the University and the Company approved in accordance with University policy that outlines the Employee’s responsibilities and/or University benefits. The Conflict of Interest Committee shall establish University policies and rules to regulate the circumstances under which the referenced employment relationships may be permitted.

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5.10.8 APPENDIX 3: OTHER UNIVERSITY POLICIES RELATED TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Conflicts of Interest may take various forms but exist when there is contradiction between the private interests and professional obligations of a University employee. In addition to being addressed directly in this policy, such Conflicts are addressed in other University policies which govern conduct of employees' professional activities. A non-exhaustive listing of such policies follows. A University employee should consult specific University policies presented in the faculty and staff handbooks of their respective campuses for guidance and information regarding specific situations which may relate to Conflicts of Interest.

Academic Freedom and Responsibility
Acceptable Use of Information Resources
Candidacy for Public Office
Compliance Policies
Conducting Private Business from University Facilities
Consensual Sexual Relationship Policy
Ethics in Research Policy
Fraud Prevention, Reporting, and Whistleblower Protection Policy
Fundraising or Solicitation
General Purchasing Policies
Intellectual Property Policy
IRB Conflict of Interest Policy (researchers)
Nepotism Policy
Off-campus Use of University Property
Participating in Political Campaigns
Professional Practice Plans – HSC
Sabbatical Leave
Sale of Required Instructional Material
Service as Promotional Speaker for Private Industry – HSC
Use of State Vehicles for Private Purposes

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5.10.9 APPENDIX 4: OKLAHOMA STATE ETHICS RULES, RULE 4: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (EXCERPTS)

Rules regarding conflicts of interests have been promulgated by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, not the legislature, but they have the force and effect of law and there are civil penalties available for violating them. In that the Commission may modify the rules, a non-exhaustive COI list, as of 8 /14 /2019, is set forth below by subject. As applicable to an employee’s circumstances, go to the Commission’s web site https: //www.ok.gov/ethics/ click on “Ethics Laws, Guides & Forms” and review the latest version (annotated) of the applicable rule.

Rule 4.1. Purpose of Rule 4.
Rule 4.2. Definitions.
Rule 4.4. Misuse of Office.
Rule 4.5. Misuse of Authority.
Rule 4.7. State Officer Impartiality.
Rule 4.8. Gifts from Vendors to Persons Engaged in Purchasing Decisions.
Rule 4.9. Gifts from Successful Vendors.
Rule 4.11. Gratuities Offered at Seminars, Conferences or Similar Events.
Rule 4.12. Modest Items of Food and Refreshments
Rule 4.13. Acceptance of Meals, Lodging, Transportation and Other Benefits as a Result of Spouse’s Business Activities.
Rule 4.14. Acceptance of Meals, Lodging, Transportation and Other Benefits as a Result of Private Business Activities.
Rule 4.15. Acceptance of Meals and Other Benefits for Conference Presentations.
Rule 4.16. Acceptance of Meals for Professional, Civic or Community Events; Acceptance of Meals at Political Events.
Rule 4.17. Gifts to Superiors by State Officers or Employees.
Rule 4.18. State Officer or Employee Representation of Others in Transactions Involving the State.
Rule 4.19. State Officer or Employee Representation of Others Before Employing Agency.
Rule 4.23. State Officer or Employee Violation of Rules through Indirect Action.

(Regents 9 -20 -12, 10 -23 -19)


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5.11 COMMUNICABLE DISEASE POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to inform faculty and staff members about how the University of Oklahoma will respond to faculty and staff with a communicable disease.

The University wishes to provide a workplace free of hazards and will take reasonable precaution to protect faculty and staff members from peers and others who are known to have communicable diseases.

Information on the communicable disease policy can be obtained from Personnel Services on the Norman Campus. Educational Services at the Oklahoma City campus provides the policy for the Health Sciences Center and College of Medicine Tulsa.

(President, 1 -21 -91)


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5.12 PREVENTION OF ALCOHOL ABUSE AND DRUG USE ON CAMPUS AND IN THE WORKPLACE

The University recognizes its responsibility as an educational and public service institution to promote a healthy and productive work environment. This responsibility demands implementation of programs and services which facilitate that effort. The University is committed to a program to prevent the abuse of alcohol and the illegal use of drugs and alcohol by its students and employees. This policy is based on the Oklahoma Standards for Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Act, 40 O. S. §§551 et seq., the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988 (P. L. 100 -690, Title V, Subtitle D), the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989 (P. L. 101 -226), Prevention of Alcohol Misuse and Prohibited Drug Use in Transit Operations, 49 CFR Part 655, the Federal Omnibus Transportation Employee Testing Act of 1991, and Department of Transportation Rules (49 CFR part 40). The University program includes this policy which prohibits illegal use of drugs and alcohol in the workplace, on University property, or as part of any University-sponsored activities. It shall be Board of Regents’ policy that:

5.12.1 All students and employees shall abide by the terms of this policy as a condition of initial and continued enrollment/employment.

5.12.2 The illegal use of drugs and alcohol is in direct violation of local, state, and federal laws as well as University policies governing faculty, staff, and student conduct. This policy strictly prohibits the illegal use, possession, manufacture, dispensing, or distribution of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances in the workplace, on University premises, or as a part of any University-sponsored activities.

5.12.3 Violating this policy shall be a major offense which can result in a requirement for satisfactory participation in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, referral for criminal prosecution, and/or immediate disciplinary action up to and including termination from employment and suspension or expulsion from the University. A criminal conviction is not required for sanctions to be imposed upon an employee or student for violations of this policy.

5.12.4 Violating applicable local, state, and federal laws may subject a student or employee to a variety of legal sanctions including, but not limited to, fines, incarceration, imprisonment, and/or community service requirements. Convictions become a part of an individual's criminal record and may prohibit certain career and professional opportunities. A current listing of applicable local, state, and federal sanctions can be obtained through the Offices of Student Affairs and Human Resources.

5.12.5 An employee shall notify his or her supervisor in writing of a criminal conviction for drug or alcohol related offenses occurring in the workplace no later than five calendar days following the conviction.

5.12.6 The University shall establish and maintain Employee Assistance Programs and Student Counseling Services for counseling and training programs to inform students and employees about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Voluntary participation in or referral to these services is strictly confidential.

More information is available at: http: //healthysooners.ouhsc.edu/.

5.12.7 An employee shall not perform safety sensitive functions while a prohibited drug is in his or her system.

5.12.8

The University may require drug testing of safety sensitive employees (as defined by federal and state law and available for review in the Office of Human Resources) prior to employment, when there is reasonable cause, after an accident, on a random basis, and before allowing an employee or student to return to duty after refusing to take a drug test or after not passing a drug test.

The University shall annually distribute this policy to all staff, faculty, and students.

Health risks generally associated with alcohol and drug abuse can result in but are not limited to a lowered immune system, damage to critical nerve cells, physical dependency, lung damage, heart problems, liver disease, physical and mental depression, increased infection, irreversible memory loss, personality changes, and thought disorders.

The appropriate Senior Vice President and Provost or Executive Officer is responsible for notifying federal funding agencies within ten calendar days whenever an employee is convicted of a drug-related crime which occurred in the workplace. Decisions under this policy are subject to the grievance procedure stated elsewhere in the Board of Regents policy.

(Regents, 4 -6 -89, 9 -5 -90, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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5.13 COUNSELING ASSISTANCE
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5.13.1 EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The University of Oklahoma recognizes that it is in the best interests of both the University and its employees to provide assistance for employees in dealing with personal problems including alcohol and drug abuse or dependency, mental or emotional disturbance, or other conditions that may adversely affect job performance. For this reason, the University has established an Employee Assistance Program that is designed to assist in (1) identifying the problem at the earliest possible stage, (2) motivating the employees and their family members to seek help, and (3) directing them toward appropriate resources for assistance.

(A) Guidelines
(1) The purpose of the Employee Assistance Program is to provide immediate assistance to faculty and staff with personal problems, including alcohol and drug abuse, that affect their work or job performance.
(2) Job security and advancement opportunities for those who take advantage of this program will in no way be jeopardized due solely to their participation in the program.
(3) Complete confidentiality is assured. All records involving services provided by the Employee Assistance Program shall be treated as confidential medical records and shall be maintained separately from personnel records.
(4) Faculty and staff who exhibit job performance problems will be encouraged to seek assistance voluntarily through the Employee Assistance Program.
(5) When there is evidence of work deterioration that has been documented by the supervisor or if there are notable signs of alcohol or drug abuse, the supervisor may refer the employee to the Employee Assistance Program.
(6) Although the faculty or staff member has the right to decide whether or not to use the Employee Assistance Program or to follow any of its recommendations, if personal problems continue to adversely affect work performance, established University employment policies will be followed in handling the situation.
(7) The University will endeavor to arrange sick leave or other appropriate leaves of absences for treatment or rehabilitation.
(8) There will be no cost to the faculty or staff member for the evaluation and assessment services of the Employee Assistance Program for up to two sessions. Faculty and staff members will be responsible for cost incurred in undertaking recommended treatment.

(President, 1987; Vice President for Student Affairs, 12 -1 -97)

In most cases, additional counseling and treatment are partially covered by the employee's health insurance.

More information is available through the Human Resources website.

The EAP counselors are available for personal or supervisory consultation by phone or in person. For more information or to make an appointment, call an EAP Counselor at 325 -2911. EAP is located on the second floor of Goddard Health Center.

(EAP Coordinator, 7 -13 -94)

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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5.13.2 [ COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY CLINIC – N/A ; REMOVED FOR OBSOLENCE]
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5.14 GIFTS, GRANTS AND CONTRACTS
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5.14.1 GIFTS TO THE UNIVERSITY

The University of Oklahoma actively encourages and appreciates gifts to the University that benefit students and the mission of the University. The purpose and conditions for gifts are expected to conform with University of Oklahoma Regents' policy, Oklahoma State Regents' policy, and all applicable laws. (Refer to Regents' Policy Manual for complete policy on gifts to the University.)

(Regents, 6 -16 -93)

To better facilitate the processing of private contributions to the University, all gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations should be deposited through the Office of Development.

(President, 7 -5 -89)

Gifts in kind, such as equipment, property, and services, also must be reported so that proper acknowledgment may be made and accurate records maintained. Contact the Office of Development for reporting procedures.

(Vice President for Development, 5 -23 -94)


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5.14.2 GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

Sponsored agreements, including grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, to support research and instruction activities should be processed through the Office of Research Services. Sponsored agreements to support continuing education and public service activities, including those received by the College of Continuing Education, should be processed through the Sponsored Programs Office at the College of Continuing Education. All other sponsored agreements, including awards to support construction, should be processed through the Office of the Vice President of Administration and Finance.

(Vice President for Research, 8 -25 -94, 3 -31 -05)


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5.15 NEWS RELEASES

The University Regents have requested that news releases for print media, radio, and television that affect the welfare or reputation of the University be released only through the President's Office. This policy is not intended to restrict or censor any release of factual information, but to ensure that news releases are issued from a fully informed source.

The Vice President for Public Affairs is responsible to the President for all University news releases that interpret the policies of the University. Questions concerning this news release policy may be answered by the Communication Services Office, and requests for approval of releases may be initiated with that office.

(Vice President for Public Affairs, 8 -1 -80, 10 -1 -93)


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5.16 CONTACTS WITH REPORTERS

On occasion, reporters for print and electronic media will contact University faculty or staff members directly instead of working through the University's Public Affairs Office. There is no objection to this procedure. However, any faculty or staff member who is contacted and either gives a statement to the press or arranges for a subsequent interview is requested to inform the Vice President for Public Affairs. This is an informational procedure only, and the cooperation of the faculty and staff is requested.

(Vice President for Public Affairs, 8 -1 -80, 10 -1 -93)


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5.17 OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS

5.17.1 The proper channel through which recommendations concerning the policies and/or administration of its governed entities, as a whole or in any of its parts, should be communicated to the Legislature or other State officials are the Presidents of the Universities and the Board of Regents. Further, any official statement made on behalf of the Board of Regents to the public through the press or otherwise, shall be made only by the Chair of the Board of Regents; provided, the Presidents of the Universities or their designees may publicly explain prior Board of Regents’ action as deemed necessary and proper.

5.17.2 Nothing in the preceding subsection is intended to or should be construed to abridge the rights and privileges of individual Regents to publicly express their personal opinions on any matter or to abridge constitutional rights of employees to comment on matters of public concern or to prohibit any other rights of communication established by law.

(Regents, 12 -7 -36, 12 -17 -45, 3 -9 -49, 10 -13 -88, 3 -21 -95, 3 -29 -00, 121 -3 -03)


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5.18 PUBLICATIONS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS POLICY

In order for all publications and promotional materials representing the University to convey a consistent and accurate message and image, externally disseminated publications must be reviewed by the Division of Public Affairs or the designated publications office. Guidelines for the policy are maintained by the Division of Public Affairs.

(Regents, 4 -4 -91, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04)


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5.18.1 ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

The University will never knowingly accept or allow advertising that does not conform to industry standards and University guidelines. The University also adheres to specific guidelines in regard to alcoholic beverage advertising. This policy applies to all advertising and promotion in whatever format. Examples are books, brochures, posters, programs, directories, newspapers, signs, radio and television, videotape and audiotape, and electronically-generated programming. Signs include those at the athletic facilities, on CART vehicles, and in other locations. This policy also applies to all events and activities organized by or sponsored by University departments or registered student organizations.

(Regents, 1 -13 -83, 11 -8 -84, 12 -8 -88, -4 -6 -89, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04)

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

(A) The University may reject any advertising which, in its sole discretion, does not, or appears not to:
(1) Serve the public with honest values.
(2) Tell the truth about what is offered.
(3) Make good as promised on any guarantee offered.
(4) Promote and sells merchandise on its merits and refrains from reflecting unfairly upon competitors, their products, services or methods of doing business.
(5) Support claims made for the product or service within the advertisement.
(6) Be made available to all members of a class of advertisers.
(7) Be sincere and honest in what is said about the product or service.
(8) Avoid tricky devices and schemes such as deceit, fictitious list prices, bait advertising, misleading free offers, and fake sales.
(B) The University will not accept any advertising which, in its sole discretion:
(1) Discriminates on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (unless sex is a bona fide occupational qualification), sexual orientation, genetic information, age, disability, political beliefs,, or status as a veteran.
(2) Encourages students at the University to purchase reports and/or research material done by others.
(3) Requires the reader to send money to obtain further information on the product.
(4) Is deemed offensive or in poor taste including, but not limited to, advertisements derogatory to individuals or a group of people.
(5) Is of a political nature which does not carry the words ‘paid advertisement’ somewhere in the message.
(6) Is for products which encourage violation of city, state, or federal laws and regulations.
(7) Is for products or service of a “questionable” nature without local references. This includes, but is not limited to, masseurs and masseuses, dating services, escort services, models, pregnancy referral, adoption services, and “get rich quick” promotions.
(8) Reproduces U. S. currency unless in black and white only; currency must be reduced to no more than 75 % of its original size or enlarged to at least 150 %.

Use of the University Seal is prohibited except in the promotion of the University’s academic programs. However, the University logo and other trademarked symbols may be used to promote non-University sponsored activities and products for which a license agreement exists.

With the exception of University programs, promotional copy and layout may not make it appear that the University endorses the product or use of the product.

(Regents, 1 -13 -83, 11 -8 -84, 12 -8 -88, 4 -6 -89, 3 -29 -00, 6 -23 -11,1 -24 -12)

(C) ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE ADVERTISING:
Recognizing the dangers of alcohol abuse in connection with malicious destruction of property, motor vehicle accidents, and personal welfare, the University has adopted the following guidelines regarding the promotion of alcoholic beverages. Advertisements:
(1) Will not use the University logo and other trademarked symbols except when used to inform and educate individuals about the dangers of alcohol abuse.
(2) Will not portray drinking as a solution to personal or academic problems.
(3) Will not encourage any form of alcohol abuse. This includes but is not limited to drown nights, all-you-can-drink, drinking contests, and happy hours for beer or alcoholic beverages.
(4) Will not associate the consumption of beer or alcohol with the performance of tasks that require skilled reactions.
(5) Will state the legal purchase age in promotions for the retail purchase of beer or alcoholic beverages.
(D) IN ADDITION,
(1) University personnel involved with promoters/advertisers will encourage them to include responsible use of alcohol statements in their promotions.
(2) University departments shall not use beer, liquor, or tobacco products in their advertisements or promotions.
(E) SIGNAGE ADVERTISEMENTS:
In addition, the following specific policy applies to all signs including, but not limited to, athletic facilities, CART vehicles, and other campus locations:
Advertising within confined areas of the University including, but not limited to, the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, the Lloyd Noble Center, the L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park, and CART vehicles is permitted within the following guidelines:
(1) The University reserves the right to approve through the Office of the President all advertisers and advertising copy and categorically excludes beer, liquor, and tobacco products.
(2) Any granted advertising rights are not to prohibit the University from using the sign or scoreboard to promote University-related activities.
(3) Advertising time on any message center may be limited as deemed appropriate by the University.
(4) Advertising on University bulletin boards is permitted within the following guidelines:
All advertising, promotional, or informational material for University-related programs and activities or private companies on University campuses is restricted to outside permanent bulletin boards unless there is prior written approval of the Office of Student Affairs, Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance, or Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(Regents, 1 -13 -83, 11 -8 -84, 12 -8 -88, 4 -6 -89, 3 -29 -00)
(F) ENDORSEMENT PROHIBITED
The University does not endorse any commercial product, program, enterprise, or idea.
(Regents, 1 -27 -04)
(G) PURCHASING ADVERTISING
The University from time to time may wish to reach a certain public by purchasing advertising in the media. The material contained in this advertising may include, among other things, matters related to increasing enrollments in regular or extension courses; promotional advertising, or informational material related to specific policies, projects, events, institutes, departments, and curricula. With the exception of employment advertising, no contracts for advertising should be entered into and no verbal or written commitments may be made by any University employee, without the prior written approval of the Vice President for Public Affairs or his/her authorized designee. Advance written approval of all layouts or copy must be obtained.
(Regents, 1 -27 -04)

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5.18.2 UNIVERSITY NAME, LOGOS, OTHER IDENTIFYING MARKS, AND SEAL
(A) Trademark Administrative Committee
Responsibility for management of the University’s name, logos, other identifying marks, and seal (collectively “marks”) shall rest with a Trademark Administrative Committee (TAC). The Vice President for Public Affairs, the General Counsel, and the Athletic Director shall each appoint a representative to the three-member TAC.
(B) Trademark Policies and Procedures
The TAC shall adopt, publish, and implement policies and procedures to ensure that the marks are utilized in a manner that best serves the interests of the University of Oklahoma. In no event should such use be disparaging, misleading as to sponsorship/affiliation, contradict public morals or decency, or reflect unfavorably upon the University. Such policies and procedures should address mechanisms for noncommercial and commercial uses of the marks, both internal and external to the University. Additionally, the TAC should implement a style guide or other instrument for implementation University-wide that establishes uniform and consistent usage of the University’s marks.
(C) Trademark Office
The TAC shall establish and oversee a University Trademark Office, which shall be responsible for implementation of policies and procedures regarding the University’s marks, including but not limited to the protection, licensing, management, and enforcement of the University’s marks. If desired and consistent with other applicable policies, the Trademark Office may contract with an official licensing agent to assist in one or more of these responsibilities.
(Regents: 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)

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5.18.3 EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION POLICY

Information of an educational nature concerning programs and facilities at the University is not considered institutional advertising if the information will benefit a specific group and is contained in a brochure or poster printed for and distributed by a University department or college.

A brochure or poster that describes a course, curriculum, program, or facility will be considered educational in nature and may be funded by state appropriations.

If graphic design or editorial assistance is desired, the University Publications Office will provide it. This office then will be responsible for working with the printer until the job is completed.

Should the publication contain forms, the Director of Printing will provide form design assistance, coordination of production, and assignment of an OU form number.

If assistance in preparation of material is not needed and forms are not involved, the department, auxiliary enterprise, or individual account sponsor having need for printing or offset reproduction work should determine whether the University Printing Services can do the job. If it cannot, the Director of Printing will arrange to have the work done by an off-campus vendor in accordance with established purchasing procedures.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 2 -1 -71; Revised, 8 -22 -76 and 9 -24 -84; Regents, 4 -6 -89; Vice President for Public Affairs, 1 -7 -94)


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5.19 PARKING/TRANSIT

A parking permit is required to park a motorized vehicle on the Norman Campus from 7:00 a. m. to 9:00 p. m. Bicycles may be parked at bicycle racks without a permit.

Parking permits may be purchased in person or through the mail at the Parking Office, Robertson Hall, Room 311 or online at www.ou.edu/parking. Permits may be paid for by cash or check or may be payroll deducted. An application for a parking permit may be obtained by calling 325 -3311.

Free parking is available at the Lloyd Noble Center, and faculty and staff may ride CART/Metro Transit shuttle buses from Lloyd Noble Center to the center of campus at no charge by showing their OU ID card. Faculty and staff may also ride off-campus bus routes free with their OU ID card.

Additional information may be found in University of Oklahoma Parking and Traffic Regulations, available at the Parking and Transit Services Office.


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5.19.1 CLEVELAND AREA RAPID TRANSIT SERVICE (CART)

During the academic year, CART operates from 7:00 a. m. to 9:00 p. m., Monday through Friday. During break periods and the summer term, some routes do not run as frequently as during the fall and spring semesters. Six CART routes provide service to areas in central Norman with all routes terminating on the University's South Oval. Buses are staggered to ensure quick transfers.

CART services Parkview Apartments, Lloyd Noble Center, Yorkshire Apartments, and the South Campus area. CART also serves Campus Corner, downtown Norman, three west-side shopping malls, and many city parks and businesses on East and West Lindsey. For route information, call 325 -CART.

CART offers special transportation to individuals who are unable to ride the fixed route service. Door-to-door service within the Norman city limits is provided to any individual who is disabled on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a fare for this service. For information, call 325 -5438.

For complete bus schedules see http: //cart.ou.edu/.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86, 5 -1 -88, 12 -1 -93, 12 -1 -97, 3 -3 -05)


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5.20 PURCHASING PROCEDURES

The purchase of goods and services is the responsibility of the Purchasing Department, and with certain specific exceptions, only this office is authorized to place or issue an order that creates an obligation against a department, agency, or auxiliary enterprise of the University. When a department intends to procure a major item or service, the Purchasing Department should be contacted so that it may assist in developing a responsive purchasing plan for the item or service. The Purchasing Department has the final responsibility for conducting all negotiations concerning prices, conditions of purchase, and sources of supply.

As an operating policy, purchases of less than $5,000 or less may be made by departments. It is the responsibility of the unit making such a purchase to comply with the procedures outlined in the Administration and Finance Guide to Services. Multiple purchases (splitting the purchase) should not be used to avoid the regular requisition procedures. New faculty members are encouraged to contact Purchasing (325 -2811) for an explanation of purchasing procedures and services.

As a general rule, the Purchasing Department will not issue purchase orders to University employees or companies owned by University employees and will not issue after-the-fact orders. Contractual agreements may not be signed by individuals who do not have delegated authority from the President.

Detailed information on purchasing procedures may be obtained from the Purchasing Department (325 -2811), the Purchasing website (http: //www.ou.edu/purchasing), and the Administration and Finance Guide to Services.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86, 5 -1 -88, 12 -1 -97, 3 -4 -05)


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5.21 PROPERTY CONTROL PROCEDURES

An act of the 1947 Oklahoma Legislature requires each state institution to maintain a current inventory of its physical property. Each tangible asset with a cost greater than $5,000 must be marked as University property and be carried on the central records maintained in the Asset Management financial module. Disposal of University property, regardless of value must be made through Property Control. Contact Property Control (325 -2641) or refer to their website at http: //www.ou.edu/property_control for further information.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86, 7 -1 -92, 3 -4 -05)


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5.21.1 MEDIA SANITIZATION POLICY

When declaring electronic media (hard drives, floppy diskettes, CDs, DVDs, flash drives, tapes, cell phones, mobile devices, etc.) as excess, departments must ensure that all Category II and Category III data1 contained on these items is not vulnerable to theft or electronic compromise. This is called media sanitization. According to the Data Identification Guide, sensitive data include but are not limited to social security numbers, drivers license numbers, any security code, access code, or password, any health-related data, and any critical infrastructure details. Media sanitization comprises all actions necessary to protect data on surplus or end-of-life University-owned media from unauthorized access .2

Prior to media sanitization, a department should ensure compliance with any known Legal Hold Notices and records retention requirements3 for data contained on the media by consulting with designated OU officials, (e. g., Open Records Act Officer, Legal Counsel, records retention officers, or departmental or university privacy officers).

Following sanitization, departments must maintain a sanitization record for each item. The record should detail the type of media, date, sanitization method, and the final disposition of the media (sold, recycled, returned, etc.).

Resource Documents:

1 Data classification categories –

2 Sanitization methods and definitions –

3 Records retention policy –

(Chief Information Officer, Senior Vice President and Provost, Vice President for Administration and Finance, 1 -23 -09)

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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5.22 USE OF STATE VEHICLES FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES

According to Oklahoma Statute, the use of state-owned vehicles to ride to and from an employee's place of residence, except in the performance of official duty, is expressly prohibited.

Employees of the University cannot be assigned a University-owned vehicle for use on a permanent, 24 -hour basis unless an exception under the statute has been granted.

Requests for an exception must be submitted in writing to the President of the University.

(President, 5 -1 -88)


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5.23 POLICY ON OFF-CAMPUS USAGE OF PROPERTY, NORMAN CAMPUS

Responsibility for University property rests with the department chairs, directors, and budget sponsors of the various organizations. Property is charged to the budget sponsor's account upon acquisition and accounted for by a University-wide physical inventory every two years. As a general policy, University property will not be removed from authorized locations. However, there are instances in which it would be advantageous to allow faculty, staff, or students to remove the property for off-campus usage.

All property that is owned by the University or for which the University is responsible is to be used only for University purposes.

Should it be necessary in the performance of University duties for a faculty member, staff member, or student to remove such property from authorized University locations, the following requirements must be met (except in the case of State vehicles, which are subject to a separate policy concerning their use [see 5.22 ]).

5.23.1 Such property must be used for University purposes.

5.23.2 Any person removing such property from authorized University locations assumes the responsibility for seeing that appropriate care is taken in its transportation and security and that such property is returned in satisfactory working condition. The person may be liable for the replacement or repair costs of any property not so returned.

5.23.3 Approval to remove such property from authorized locations must be secured as noted below. A written record of the property and the authorization shall be maintained in the office of the approving authority. The Temporary Equipment Use Agreement form was developed to facilitate this process and is available on-line at http: //www.ou.edu/property_control/forms (under General Forms).

(A) Level I C Equipment Under $5,000 -- for less than 30 days: Department/Account Sponsor approval only.
(B) Level II C Equipment Under $5,000 -- more than 30 days and Equipment $5,000 - $25,000 -- for less than 30 day: Department/Account Sponsor and Dean approval.
(C) III C Equipment Over $5,000 -- for more than 30 days: Department/Account Sponsor, Dean, Vice President/Associate Provost, and Procurement Services Department approval.

5.23.4 Such property shall be returned to its normal University location as soon as possible, ordinarily within one week, unless an extended period is specifically approved. Approvals shall be limited to the current fiscal year and must be renewed at the beginning of each fiscal year. In addition, at the time of the University-wide inventory, all property will be returned to its authorized location so that it can be accounted for by physical inventory.

5.23.5 In the event of the extended absence of an individual who has property off campus, the property will be returned to the authorized location prior to departure.

5.23.6 All such property removed from authorized University locations shall be subject to the immediate recall by the University at any time.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 10 -1 -79, 3 -17 -95, 3 -31 -05)


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5.24 CONDUCTING PRIVATE BUSINESS FROM A STATE-OWNED FACILITY

The Attorney General issued Opinion No. 81 -114 on November 2, 1981, which holds that the Oklahoma Constitution "prohibits State employees from conducting private business from a state-owned facility."

Over the years, it has been the traditional policy of the University of Oklahoma that faculty and staff should not use University facilities, equipment, or any state property for private business. The Attorney General's interpretation of state law affirms this policy.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 9 -16 -82, 3 -18 -86)


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5.25 TRAVEL

Policy and Procedures for Travel can be found in the Administration and Finance Guide to Services at http: //www.ou.edu/content/admin_and_finance/services_and_policies.html.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86; President, 1 -3 -94, 3 -31 -05)

TRAVEL TO NON-APPROVED COUNTRIES OR COUNTRIES NOT COVERED

BY THE UNIVERSITYS LIABILITY POLICY

(A) University employees and students shall not be required to attend conferences, workshops, or similar events or to participate in assignments that require travel to countries designated by the U. S. State Department as non-approved countries or to countries not covered by the University’s liability policy. Persons considering a travel assignment should consult with the State Department (202 -647 -5225) at the time the assignment is being considered to determine which countries are classified as non-approved prior to accepting overseas assignments. The University’s Office of International Programs (325 -1607) can be of assistance in contacting the State Department. For information about which countries are not covered by the University’s liability policy, contact the Office of Legal Counsel (325 -4124).
(B) Employees or students who voluntarily decide to travel to non-approved countries or countries not covered by the University’s liability policy in furtherance of their teaching, research, or scholarship do so at their own risk and must contact the Office of Legal Counsel prior to their travels.
(C) Unit heads wishing to assist in funding voluntary trips must first contact the Office of Legal Counsel to determine the liability implications, if any, of such support.
(D) It is the policy of the University of Oklahoma that all international educational programs that require students to travel outside of the United States follow the International Educational Travel Guidelines approved by President Boren. A copy of President Boren's directive, a copy of the guidelines, a model emergency response protocol required by the guidelines and copies of form required by the guidelines may be found at the following site: https: //www.ou.edu/content/cis/education_abroad/aud/faculty---staff/ou_travel_policiesandforms.html
(Senior Vice President and Provost, 7 -19 -95, 2 -1 -98)

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5.26 DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES
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5.26.1 DEGREES GRANTED BY STATE REGENTS

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall grant degrees and other forms of academic recognition for completion of the prescribed courses in all state educational institutions.

(70 O. S. 1971 ' 3206)


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5.26.2
(A) AWARDING HONORARY DEGREES
The University is authorized to confer honorary degrees (Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Policy II-2 -39 (I-4).) The University will award honorary degrees only in recognition of extraordinary achievement or in recognition of outstanding contributions to the welfare and/or enrichment of the University, State, nation, or world. A recipient may be any individual who has made outstanding contributions to a field or profession represented at the University.
Though the University may award one honorary degree per each 1,000 conferred degrees, it is not obligated to award any or all allowed each year.
Nominations are open to any individual, although no individual may nominate himself. It is incumbent upon the nominator to provide sufficient information to document the nominee’s achievements and/or contributions. Such information may include a vitae, letters of endorsement, bibliographies, and other forms of documentation.
Honorary degrees shall not be conferred upon any faculty member, administrator, or other official associated with the University before such individual has been separated from the University for at least two years; nor awarded to any individual currently in State government.
(B) SELECTION
Nominations are encouraged by March 1 each year for the awards to be presented the following spring.
Nominations will be reviewed, evaluated, and acted upon by the Honorary Degrees Screening Committee, which reports to the President. It shall consist of:
(1) Senior Vice President and Provost of the Norman Campus
(2) Senior Vice President and Provost of the Health Sciences Center Campus
(3) Vice President for University Development
(4) Vice President for Public Affairs
(5) Two members of the Faculty Awards and Honors Committee, one appointed by the Faculty Awards and Honors Committee, and one appointed by the President
(6) One Norman Campus faculty member appointed by the Norman Campus Faculty Senate
(7) One Health Sciences Center Campus faculty member appointed by the Health Sciences Center Campus Faculty Senate
(8) Three deans of degree recommending colleges (two from the Norman Campus and one from the Health Sciences Center Campus) appointed by the President
(9) One member of the Board of Regents appointed by the Chairman of the Board of Regents
Members other than the Senior Vice President and Provosts, Vice President for University Development, Vice President for Public Affairs, and the Regent member will serve one three-year term and may not be reappointed to a consecutive term.
The committee shall conduct its deliberations in secret and the nominations shall be kept secret. The Committee will forward its recommendation(s) to the President by May 1 so that the President may make a recommendation to the Board of Regents at its June or July meeting. The President may choose not to forward one or more of the recommended recipients to the Board of Regents. Upon approval by the Board of Regents the President will seek the approval of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education at its earliest scheduled meeting. Invitations to the recipients should be issued in early fall.
Honorary degrees will not be awarded in absentia unless extraordinary circumstances (as determined by the President) exist. Honorary degrees generally will be awarded at commencement, although they may be awarded at special convocations for extraordinary occasions.
(Regents, 3 -8 -90, 6 -13 -91, 1 -28 -98, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04)

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5.26.3
(A) CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS
All certificates may bear the Seal or Coat of Arms of the University, and all diplomas awarded on the achievement of a degree shall bear the Seals of the University and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. In issuing diplomas or certificates for whatever purpose, the University and all of its divisions shall conform to the specifications stipulated by the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education and endorsed by the Board of Regents.
(B) DIPLOMAS
The diplomas of the University, for any and all degrees, may be changed only on recommendation of the President and with the approval of the Board of Regents and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Degrees achieved with honors, pursuant to University and/or State legislation, shall be recognized by diplomas attesting the character of such honors and their relative degree.
(1) Multiple Degrees
Two degrees are not to be conferred on a student at the same commencement, unless the requirements for both degrees have been completed since the last commencement. In that case, two degrees may be conferred on a student by special permission of the faculty or faculties concerned.
(2) Duplicate Diplomas
(a) The University will issue a duplicate diploma when an original has been mutilated, provided the original diploma is returned to the Office of Admissions and Records.
(b) The University will issue a duplicate diploma when the original diploma has been lost or destroyed, provided the recipient presents evidence in affidavit form that the original diploma has been lost or destroyed.
(c) The University will issue a duplicate diploma under a change of name, provided the recipient presents a court order attesting the legal name change and the original diploma is returned to the Office of Admissions and Records or an affidavit is filed to the effect that the original diploma has been lost or destroyed, and the student’s official educational record is changed accordingly.
(d) Duplicate diplomas will be printed in the format and typography of the University’s current diplomas, carrying current signatures, but bearing the original date of conferral and carrying the following notation printed in a single line directly below the seals and signatures: “Reissued by the University on ______ ___(year) ___, in lieu of the diploma originally given under the above date. ” Duplicate diplomas will conform in size to those currently being issued by the University. Duplicate diplomas will be ordered at a time other than when the University is ordering diplomas for current graduates. An approved charge will be made for a duplicate diploma. The request for the duplicate diploma must be submitted in writing, with the approved fee charged for the duplicate diploma, to the Office of Admissions and Records prior to the University’s ordering the diploma.
(e) Because of the importance diplomas play professionally in the disciplines associated with the Health Sciences Center, it will be understood that the Health Sciences Center will, when it is able to do so, supply diplomas as identical as possible to the original diploma, and, when that is not possible, will use the regulations above.

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5.26.4
(A) Posthumous Degrees
The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Policy Manual authorized the granting of posthumous degrees. Such degrees shall generally be unearned, nonacademic degrees recognizing the meritorious but incomplete earned work of a deceased student. In general, the student to whom a posthumous degree is to be awarded should have been a senior with ninety or more earned credit hours. Requests to confer a posthumous degree must be approved by the faculty, dean, Senior Vice President and Provost, and Board of Regents before being forwarded for consideration by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Such requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
(B) CERTIFICATES
Certificates bearing the name and the Seal or Coat of Arms of the University may be issued only by the University, pursuant to the applicable legislation in each instance, as created by the President and Board of Regents and/or the State as represented by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education or the Governor or Legislature of the State of Oklahoma. Academic colleges, schools, departments, and other subdivisions of the University do not have such authority. (Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education policy. II-2 -41, 6)
(C) CREDIT CERTIFICATES
(1) The Office of Admissions and Records is charged with the responsibility of administering the regulations governing the issuance of certificates that are based on a program of transcripted course credits. Except for those prepared by the Health Sciences Center and by the College of Continuing Education as provided elsewhere in this policy, all certificates are to be printed under the supervision of the Norman Campus Office of Admissions and Records with their design and typography being prescribed by the Norman Campus Office of Admissions and Records.
(2) Graduate and Professional Credit Certificates
Transcripted graduate or professional certificates may be issued for programs of study, including portions of programs of study for a graduate degree, governed by graduate faculty within an academic unit or a committee of regular graduate faculty, governed by the appropriate Campus Graduate College, including those required by the University in the fulfillment of the prescriptions for a graduate degree. Transcripted professional certificates may be issued for programs of study governed by the appropriate colleges at the OU HSC.
For each certificate, each program of study must meet the following:
  • at least fifty (50) percent of the inclusive courses are graduate level courses appropriately coded at the 5000 level or higher
  • the program required at least twelve (12) hours of credited coursework representing a coherent body of study; and the program is approved for the issuance of certificates by the appropriate campus Graduate Council, the Academic Programs Council, the Senior Vice President and Provost, the University President, University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Graduate credit certificates will be issued following completion of the certificate requirements. Degree seeking graduate students may declare a certificate which includes coursework in their graduate degree.
Certificates for forms of professional proficiency other than those described above may be issued only if programs for the achievement of such proficiency have been approved by the Board of Regents and/or the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and are incorporated in the official publications of the University describing its curricular requirements.
(3) Undergraduate Credit Certificates
Transcripted undergraduate certificates may be issued for programs of study, including portions of programs of study for undergraduate degrees, governed by the faculty within an academic unit or a committee of regular faculty at the University of Oklahoma, if each proposed program of study meets the following:
  • at least fifty (50) percent of the inclusive hours are upper division, appropriately coded at the 3000 level or above
  • the majority of the hours are competed as resident credit
  • for OU-NC, an undergraduate certificate must be 15 or more credit hours representing a coherent body of study
  • for OUHSC, an undergraduate certificate must be 12 or more credit hours representing a coherent body of study
  • the program is approved for the issuance of certificates by the appropriate campus Academic Programs Council, the campus Senior Vice President and Provost, the University President, the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
Undergraduate credit certificates will be issued following completion of the certificate requirements. Degree seeking students may declare a certificate which includes coursework in their undergraduate degree.
(Regents, 3 -27 -13)
(4) Certificates for forms of professional proficiency other than those described above may be issued only if programs for the achievement of such proficiency have been approved by the Board of Regents and/or the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and are incorporated in the official publications of the University describing its curricular requirements.
(D) NONCREDIT CERTIFICATES
(1) Noncredit certificates (e. g. certificates of participation, certificates of completion, certificates of achievement) may be issued through the College of Continuing Education recognizing achievement of proficiency in some designated area through successful completion of either single or multiple course, credit-free, University-sponsored continuing education activities (e. g. short courses, conferences, workshops, professional development, and training). Such activities may be conducted in association with recognized professional associations, business groups, government agencies, and/or other academic units of the University and the certificate may so state, although certificates may be issued only in the name of The University of Oklahoma. Certificates shall designate their issuing authority as “The University of Oklahoma, Continuing Education and Public Services, ” or if applicable, “The University of Oklahoma, College of Continuing Education, in association with (name of appropriate professional association or academic unit). ”
(2) Courses or sequences of courses upon which such certificates will be based must be submitted for prior review to, and must conform to requirements for course content and quality established by, a review committee composed of representatives of the College of Continuing Education and of the University faculty.
(3) Certificates recognizing achievement in credit-free College of Continuing Education activities will be administered through the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach. That office is responsible for the design, printing, issuance, and recording of all such certificates.
(4) Certificates issued in conformity with University and/or state legislation may be printed only in the name and under the authority of the University. Hence, no certificate of any character may be issued under authority of any other agency naming the University as a cooperating institution in the program of training sponsored cooperatively with the University by such agency, except as provided above.
(5) Certificates may be issued by the University, pursuant to appropriate University and/or state legislation, as incorporated in the official publications of the University from time to time, for attendance at University-sponsored programs of formal instruction and/or research at the pre- and post-doctoral levels, and such levels shall be recognized in such certificates. Such certificates shall conform to the provisions hereof.
(6) Certificates may be issued by the University, under appropriate legislation, to winners and participants in scholarly competitions sponsored by the University and conducted in its name, whether such contestants are of non-resident, high school, undergraduate, or graduate status, in a form to be prescribed from time to time.
(Regents, 6 -15 -35, 5 -25 -49, 7 -12 -50, 10 -10 -51, 10 -8 -64, 11 -9 -67, 5 -14 -70, 6 -14 -79, 10 -16 -85, 11 -14 -91, 1 -28 -98, 1 -27 -2004)

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5.27 CATALOGS AND BULLETINS

Faculty members and department offices should request catalogs for their own use from their college offices; the college offices should ask for a supply of bulletins as needed from the Office of Academic Bulletins.

All requests for the mailing of undergraduate catalogs should be sent directly to the Office of Admissions and Records; requests for the Graduate College Bulletin should be sent to the Graduate College.

(Admissions and Records Office, 8 -19 -80, 11 -19 -93)


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5.28 FORMS

Requests for forms such as the Application for Admission, add/drop forms, grade change forms, etc. are available from the Office of Admissions and Records. Because of periodic required changes to the Application for Admission, it is necessary to receive approval from the Office of Admissions and Records before including a printed application form in any publication.

(Admissions and Records, 11 -19 -93)

All other requests for forms (including labels, memo pads, decals, letterheads, envelopes, and business cards) will be processed through the University Printing Services Office. The University Printing Office will provide necessary form design assistance, assign University of Oklahoma form numbers, and approve the source of supply. Internal reproduction of forms should be handled through University Printing Services.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 8 -24 -78)

There may be reason for individual units to prepare forms for use in obtaining information from prospective students, students enrolled, or prospective employees. Because of the various legal requirements, it is important that anyone preparing such a form check it with the University's Office of Legal Counsel to determine if the items requested are consistent with the law.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 3 -19 -80)


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5.29 DEFICIT POLICY

Deficits in University accounts are not permitted. Accounts should be reviewed monthly by sponsors, dean/directors, and vice presidents to ensure that deficits do not occur. If a deficit is projected or indicated, immediate action should be taken to prevent or correct the problem. In all cases, vice presidents are ultimately responsible for the financial management of accounts within their area(s) of responsibility.

If circumstances occur which require a temporary deficit for a special purpose an Explanation and plan for repayment must be fully documented by the appropriate vice president and submitted to the President or President’s designee and appropriate Vice President for Administration and Finance for review and approval. All deficits are to be thoroughly investigated and resolved in a timely manner; however, corrective action plans are to be submitted only for deficits of $50,000 or more that have an anticipated duration of 180 days or more.

If a deficit is reflected in an educational and general account on the June 30 financial reports, the departmental appropriation for the succeeding fiscal year will be reduced by the amount of the deficit.

No Auxiliary Enterprise or Service Unit is permitted to operate using unauthorized borrowing from other units, including, without limitation, operating in an unauthorized cash deficit position. If a deficit occurs or is anticipated, a short-term working capital loan must be authorized by the Controller’s Office.

For purpose of this policy an account is a distinct budgetary or cash grouping of specific funds. Alpha and/or numeric references are assigned to identify accounts within the University’s accounting systems. All University fund groups are subject to this policy. Although salaries, wages, and other account or object categories should be closely monitored, this policy applies only to the total budgetary or cash balance for each account. Accounts that have been established by the Controller’s Office for the purpose of University clearing or suspense functions are not subject to this policy.

(Regents, 9 -10 -03, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04)


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5.30 FINANCIAL EMERGENCY POLICY

While it is assumed that the administration of the University has a continuing responsibility for maintaining a sound budget and that through responsible financial management and appropriate retrenchment policies, all approaches for averting a financial crisis will be utilized, it is possible that a financial emergency might become inevitable. The following statement outlines the administrative policies and the procedures for such an eventuality.

The Board of Regents has ultimate responsibility for the financial integrity of the University. Decisions resulting from these policies and procedures are subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, which may take into consideration such factors as it deems appropriate.


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5.30.1 Definition

The University includes four budgetary agencies: Norman Campus; Law Center; the OU Health Sciences Center; and the OU Tulsa Schusterman Center. A financial emergency is an imminent fiscal crisis that threatens any one of these agencies. A state of financial emergency will be declared whenever the Educational and General Part I budget allocation to the agency necessitates reductions in faculty or staff or reductions in operational budgets that would seriously erode program quality.

The President will decide and declare when any agency of the University is in a state of financial emergency. Based upon information received, the President will submit a plan of action to the Board of Regents for approval.

Specific procedures pertaining to the Norman Campus and Norman Campus programs delivered in Tulsa are maintained as a document in the Norman Campus Senior Vice President and Provost’s office.

(Regents, 11 -10 -77, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04)


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5.31 FISCAL POLICY

According to University of Oklahoma Regents' policy, no one shall have the authority to bind the University or to sign any document on behalf of the University that incurs an obligation, whether direct or indirect, on the part of the institution without the appropriate written authorization from the President. This policy is comprehensive as regards all business transactions in all colleges, divisions, departments, extensions, auxiliaries, service units, and other segments of the University in all of its parts, wherever located. For additional details, contact the Vice President for Administration and Finance or see the "Buying and Selling Goods and Services policy” in the OU Regents' Policy Manual.

(Vice President for Administrative and Executive Affairs, 3 -3 -05)


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5.32 OPEN RECORDS POLICY

The University of Oklahoma follows the Oklahoma Open Records Act. The University of Oklahoma Regents have approved a policy concerning the implementation of that act at the University. That policy stipulates that all requests for records under the terms of that Act be directed to the Office of Legal Counsel. For information concerning that policy or copies of it, please contact the Office of Legal Counsel. (See also Section 5.34.)

(Legal Counsel, 9 -90)


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5.33 LIBRARY CIRCULATION RECORDS

Records related to the circulation of library materials that contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the University of Oklahoma Libraries are confidential and may not be disclosed except to persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the Library, to persons authorized by the user, pursuant to court order, or where otherwise required by law. (Pursuant to 65 O. S. 1991 section 1 -105, this prohibition against disclosure extends to identified groups as well as individuals, and any authorization must be in writing.)

(Legal Counsel, 3 -18 -86, 2 -94 ]) (Regents, 6 -13 -85)


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5.34 ACCESS TO PERSONNEL FILE POLICY
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5.34.1 INTRODUCTION

For the purpose of making faculty and staff employment decisions, the University maintains individually identifiable personnel files on persons who have been or are its employees. This policy is intended to provide guidelines for access to those records in order to promote an informed public while maintaining the security of personnel records necessary to protect the privacy of its employees and the interests of the institution in fulfilling its constitutional functions.

Access to appropriate records shall be in accordance with the provisions of this policy and the University's Open Records Policy (Section 5.32).


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5.34.2 CONTENTS

Those responsible for the custody of personnel files shall determine information to be placed in the files. Only such information as is germane to the person's employment with the institution shall be retained in these files. Examples of this type of information are:

(A) Information pertaining to bona fide occupational qualifications.
(B) Service on University committees, councils, and task forces.
(C) Summaries of pre-employment recommendations and merit, tenure, and promotion recommendations.
(D) Performance and discipline matters.
(E) Personnel actions, such as appointments, change of status, tenure, and promotion.
(F) Awards, elected offices, service to outside organizations, and professional associations.
Individuals may ask that materials relevant to their employment be included in their personnel file by written request to the Director of Personnel Services, to the Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents, or to the Senior Vice President and Provost, as appropriate.

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5.34.3 CONFIDENTIALITY

The following personnel records shall be deemed confidential and may be withheld from public access:

(A) Those that relate to internal personnel investigations including, without limitation, examination and selection material for employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, demotion, discipline, or resignation; or,
(B) Those where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy such as, but not limited to, employee evaluations, medical documentation, payroll deductions, and employment applications submitted by persons not hired by the University; or
(C) Those that are specifically required by law or University policy to be kept confidential.

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5.34.4 ACCESS

Personnel files shall be made available to individuals to review in accordance with the following provisions; provided, that the files may be inspected by persons so entitled only under the supervision of the custodian or his/her designee in the administrative office where they are maintained.

(A) With the exception of information/records excepted or excluded elsewhere in this policy, personnel files shall be made available for public inspection, copying, and/or mechanical reproduction in accordance with procedures established under this policy, the University's Open Records Policy, or as otherwise provided by law such as by court order or subpoena. Examples of available information include, without limitation:
(1) An employment application of a person who becomes a public official;
(2) The gross receipts of public funds;
(3) The dates of employment, title, or position; and
(4) Any final disciplinary action resulting in loss of pay, suspension, demotion of position, or termination.
(B) Supervisors or administrators shall have access to the personnel files of persons employed or being considered for employment in their areas of responsibility on a need-to-know basis and shall have authority to share the information with others responsible for personnel recommendations and/or decisions; further, other institutional officers or employees showing a legitimate need for the information shall be permitted such access.
(C) Except as may otherwise be made confidential by statute or University policy, an employee (or his/her designee) shall have a right of access to his/her own personnel file. Provided:
(1) Letters of evaluation and/or recommendation that apply to pre-employment qualifications, tenure, and/or promotion that are solicited in confidence or sent with the expectation of confidentiality shall be deemed confidential and unavailable to the employee unless otherwise ordered by a court of law.
(2) An individual wishing to inspect his/her personnel file should submit a written request for inspection to the custodian of the file.
(3) If the file contains confidential records as set forth in (c) (1) above, they must be removed before the file is opened to the individual. Upon request, employees will be advised of the type and number of documents that were not made available to the employee for his or her review and that will be returned to the file after the review.
(4) An individual may not remove or add any records to his/her personnel file at the time of inspection.

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5.34.5 CORRECTION OF RECORDS

An employee may dispute the accuracy of any material included in his/her personnel file. Such questions should be directed to the custodian of the file in writing. If the questions are not resolved by mutual agreement, the employee may initiate a formal challenge through the employment grievance or discrimination complaint procedures, as outlined elsewhere in University policy.

(President, 3 -17 -86; Revised, 9 -4 -92)


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5.35 FUND RAISING OR SOLICITATION ON CAMPUS OR USING THE UNIVERSITIES NAME

The employees of the University of Oklahoma historically have contributed generously to community and national charitable agencies. In order to minimize personal inconvenience to the employees and disruption of University functions, the following policy has been developed. The term "fund raising" shall refer to solicitation of funds by an agency, organization, or individual irrespective of the employee receiving a token or symbol in exchange for this contribution. Charitable efforts that do not involve raising funds such as food drives and volunteer activities are not covered under this policy and therefore do not need approval from the Office of the Vice President for Development. However, such activities are subject to all other applicable restrictions including State law banning the donation of State resources, and Board of Regents policies governing advertising and promotion, the use of the University’s Trademarks, and the prohibition against endorsement. This policy does not pertain to the solicitation or fund raising activities of students that is addressed in the University of Oklahoma Student Code. Nor does it conflict with the Board of Regents policy that no solicitations be conducted athletics event venues.


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5.35.1 RESPONSIBLE OFFICE
(A) All agencies, organizations, and/or individuals wishing to initiate a fund raising campaign either on a University Campus or using the name of the University or any of its components, shall submit a written request to the Office of the Vice President for Development, who shall establish a committee (“Fund Raising Committee”) to approve or deny such requests.
(B) The Fund Raising Committee shall consist of no less than 1 representative each from the Offices of the Vice Presents for Development, Public Affairs, Student Affairs, and the General Counsel. The Committee shall be chaired by the Development representative.
(C) The Office of the Vice President for Development shall coordinate, and monitor external agency fund-raising activities that the Fund Raising Committee has approved.

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5.35.2 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
(A) Agencies requesting approval for a fund raising campaign shall meet the Internal Revenue tax exempt status (Sections 501 -502).
(B) The approved agencies shall have the primary purpose of providing human health, social, and recreational services.
(C) Agencies approved for a fund raising campaign normally shall devote at least 80 percent of all donated funds to providing services.
(D) No more than 20 percent of all collected funds normally shall be used for fund raising, lobbying, legislative analysis, and other overhead expenses by approved agencies.
(Regents 3 -24 -11)

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5.35.3 POLICY ON VOLUNTARY GIVING

There shall be no pressure or coercion applied to any Norman Campus employee to contribute to or to participate in any fund raising activities. Comments pertaining to non-participation shall not be a part of any employee's Personnel Performance Evaluation. Normal career progression and promotion are not contingent upon an individual's participation. If an employee has a complaint or concern relative to fund raising, he or she should contact the Office of the Vice President of University Affairs.

(President, 4 -3 -86)


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5.36 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA TOBACCO-FREE POLICY

In accordance with Executive Order 2012 -01, the University has established a Tobacco Free Policy. All facilities of the University of Oklahoma, regardless of campus or location, are tobacco-free.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to foster a healthier environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors on the University of Oklahoma campuses by minimizing tobacco use, which is the leading cause of death in Oklahoma and the United States. The policy is designed to prevent or reduce exposure of individuals to secondhand smoke, and to help reduce tobacco use among OU students and employees. The policy is not intended to be judgmental of individual lifestyle choice or to be punitive towards any individual or group.

This policy is subject to all applicable laws and regulations and recognizes exceptions contained therein, including an exception allowing tobacco use for religious or ceremonial purposes.

POLICY

Effective July 1, 2012, the use of all tobacco products including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco shall be strictly prohibited anywhere on the OU grounds or campus.

(A) The use of tobacco products shall be prohibited in any buildings or portion thereof owned, leased, operated by the University, including OU housing/apartments, athletic facilities, within any OU parking structure, in any vehicle owned or leased by the University, or on the OU grounds or campus, including but not limited to public or non-public areas, offices, restrooms, stairwells, driveways, sidewalks, etc.
(B) This policy applies to all persons on campus, including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, contracted personnel, vendors, and all visitors to the OU campus. The policy applies to all University events.
(C) The sale of tobacco products on OU property is prohibited.

COMMUNICATION OF POLICY

(A) NO SMOKING/NO TOBACCO USE SIGNS shall be posted strategically throughout the campus and in OU facilities and vehicles as a reminder of the policy.
(B) The Office of the Provost will ensure the OU faculty employment announcements and information provided to new faculty recruits and employees contain information about the tobacco-free environment.
(C) Human Resources will ensure that OU staff employment applications, both hard copy and online versions, contain information about the tobacco-free environment, and that new employees receive information about the tobacco-free policy during the new employee orientation.
(D) The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will ensure that OU communication and information provided to prospective students and to new students includes information about the tobacco-free environment.

The full text of the policy shall be available in faculty and staff handbooks, and on the OU website.

(President, 5 -1 -93)

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12, 3 -29 -12)


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5.37 PROGRAM REVIEW

It is intended that all degree-granting units (referred to hereafter as departments) on the Norman Campus be systematically reviewed every six years. The reviews will be conducted by a Campus Departmental Review Panel (CDRP) composed of a Senior Vice President and Provost Office Coordinator, the Graduate College Dean (or Assistant/Associate Graduate Dean), two assistant/associate deans outside the department's college, and a minimum of five faculty appointed by the Faculty Senate. Each department's review will include all instructional or other programs housed within it.

5.37.1 Goals and objectives of program reviews are to:

(A) Improve the quality and effectiveness of instruction, research/creative activity, and service, as well as the efficiency of administration of the academic unit.
(B) Provide a data base for resource allocation within the department, the college, and the University.
(C) Provide insight into individual departments in order to adjust program emphasis to changing state, regional, and national needs.

5.37.2 Expected benefits:

(A) Provide departmental overview.
(B) Enhance faculty and student communication.
(C) Clarify structure.
(D) Provide a data base.
(E) Assure accountability.

5.37.3 Procedures:

(A) Chairs of departments selected for review will be notified by the Senior Vice President and Provost.
(B) Upon notification of a pending review, the department will appoint a Self-Study Committee that will prepare a self-study report including:
(1) A narrative section that evaluates its undergraduate and graduate programs, students, faculty, staff, administration, and resources.
(2) Appendixes including its most recent strategic plan, results of the previous program review, most recent accreditation report (if appropriate), assessment plan, and most recent assessment report, quality indicators, and official departmental documents such as student and faculty handbooks and tenure and promotion procedures.
(3) Departmental profile information provided by the Senior Vice President and Provost's Office.
(C) The department will forward the self-study report to its budget dean, who will review it and, if necessary, return it to the department for revision. The budget dean will then forward the original or revised self-study report to the Senior Vice President and Provost's Office with comments about issues raised in the self-study. The dean will provide a copy of the comments to the department.
(D) The Senior Vice President and Provost's Office will send the self-study, with comments from the budget dean, to the CDRP. The CDRP will evaluate the self-study and write a preliminary report, including recommendations for the department. The CDRP's report will be sent to the department and its budget dean.
(E) The department and budget dean will, if they wish, respond to the CDRP report in writing. A meeting of the dean, departmental representatives, and the CDRP will be arranged to clarify issues. The CDRP then will make any appropriate changes and send its final report to the Senior Vice President and Provost, budget dean, and department.
(F) The budget dean will prepare an action plan based on the CDRP report that conveys the college's priorities for the CDRP recommendations and will send the action plan to the Senior Vice President and Provost and department.
(G) The Senior Vice President and Provost will meet with departmental representatives and the budget dean to discuss the action plan and integration of the program review outcome into the department's and college's strategic plans.

In addition to the above review process, an external or additional internal review may be initiated at any point in the review cycle by the Senior Vice President and Provost and can be recommended to that office by the CDRP or the department. More frequent reviews may be held if deemed desirable by the Senior Vice President and Provost.

For detailed information concerning this policy, refer to the original document, "Program Review," and the revised program review document approved by the Faculty Senate in January, 1993, both of which are located in the Senior Vice President and Provost's Office.

(Faculty Senate, 1 -12 -87, 9 -14 -87, 1 -11 -93; Senior Vice President and Provost, 2 -4 -93)

5.37. 4 Discontinuance:

The program reviews on the Norman Campus are intended to occur every five years and are based on a document titled “Program Review, ” which details the criteria and procedures of the review process. It is possible a program review might produce an evaluation which suggests considering the discontinuance of a program, it is important to establish the policy by which discontinuance be considered and implemented. This document is intended to supersede the policy on program discontinuance which was approved by the Board of Regents on November 10, 1977, as that policy had been written before formal program review procedures had been established.

(A) Definition of “Program” - As the unit of evaluation for the purpose of program review, a program can include, but is not limited to, an academic department, school, division, or organized research unit.
(B) Criteria for Evaluating a Program - Criteria for determining whether a program should be discontinued ought to place the greatest emphasis on factors of quality, centrality, and demand, consistent with the mission of the University.
The following questions should guide the deliberations of those responsible for reviewing programs:
  • How good is the program?
  • How central to the mission of the University is the program?
  • What is the demand for the program?
  • What would the savings be if the program were discontinued?
  • Would the reallocation of these resources outweigh their current utility?
  • What would be the effect of phasing out the program?
  • What are the future prospects of the program?
A more detailed list of questions to be used in evaluating a program will be found in the document titled “Program Review. ”
(C) Procedures
(1) Initial Steps
Consideration of program discontinuance can occur as a result of a number of events. It may be suggested during the academic program review process. However, the Senior Vice President and Provost may call for consideration of program discontinuance because of other events such as a massive loss of faculty or the obsolescence of a field. In any case, when the question of possible program discontinuance is raised, the Senior Vice President and Provost will make a determination regarding the appropriateness and feasibility of the suggested discontinuance. The Senior Vice President and Provost will then either terminate the considerations at this point or proceed in accordance with the following guidelines.
(2) Ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee Membership
If the Senior Vice President and Provost decides that discontinuance shall be considered, he or /she will appoint the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee to study the evidence and to make a recommendation. The composition of the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee will be as follows: Six faculty members, at least two of whom must be from outside the affected college(s); one or two students, depending on whether or not both undergraduate and graduate programs are involved; one non-voting representative from the Senior Vice President and Provost’s Office; and one non-voting member of the Campus Departmental Review Panel if its report initiated consideration of program discontinuance. No voting member of the ad Program Discontinuance Committee shall be a member of that Campus Departmental Review Panel. Four of the six voting faculty members will be selected by the Faculty Senate and two will be appointed by the Senior Vice President and Provost, with faculty from the program being considered for discontinuance excluded from serving on the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee. The student(s) will be appointed by the Senior Vice President and Provost in consultation with the appropriate student organizations. The members of the Program Discontinuance Committee will elect the chair.
(3) Evaluation Process
It is crucial that all persons connected with or affected by the program(s) being considered for discontinuance be kept fully informed (normally through the offices of the dean(s) and chair(s) /director(s)) at each stage of the review process, both as a matter of courtesy and to seek information from those most closely related to and most knowledgeable about the program(s). Every affected faculty member should be given the opportunity to bring any facts or considerations that he or /she believes to be pertinent to the attention of the special ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee, and appropriate procedures should be provided to encourage these inputs, either by appearances before the committee or by alternate procedures. It is also important that the faculty and administrations of closely allied programs that may be affected by any changes in the specific program(s) being considered be kept fully informed of the progress of the review.
There are a number of sources of information which should be considered by the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee in its deliberations. Among these are:
  • Recommendations from deans and chairs/directors.
  • The departmental self-study report(s), including both external and internal survey data, accreditation reports, the departmental statistical profile, and the department’s personnel policy. (Reference “Program Review, ” January 11, 1993.)
  • The most recent formal program review document by the Campus Departmental Review Panel, if available.
  • Reports from the Internal Review Committee and/or the External Review Committee if the formal program review resulted in the formation of such committees.
In addition, the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee will arrange for an open discussion and hearing regarding any recommendations for or against discontinuance of any program(s). The dean(s), chair(s), and the faculty unit(s) and individual faculty members of the program(s) involved will be invited to submit written commentaries and recommendations at the time or within one week of this general hearing. Further, the dean(s), chair(s), and the faculty unit(s) and individual faculty members of the program(s) involved may arrange for other interested parties inside or outside of the University to present oral or written arguments at the hearing.
After reviewing and weighing the considerations and recommendations presented in the public hearing and in the various written commentaries and reports, the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee will make a recommendation to the Senior Vice President and Provost no later than three months after the appointment of the committee. A copy of this recommendation will also be sent to the program, unit, or department being considered for discontinuance. The program, unit, or department has the right to respond formally to the recommendation, and may do so by attaching an addendum to the ad hoc Program Discontinuance Committee’s report no later than one month after receipt of the report.
The Senior Vice President and Provost will then send his or her recommendation to the President along with copies of all reports/commentaries/data received and a summary of recommendations that were made in the open hearing.
The President will then submit his or her recommendation to the Board of Regents for final action.
(4) Personnel Alternatives
If a decision is made to discontinue a program(s), the dean(s), chair(s), and every faculty member in the program shall be apprised in writing of that decision and, insofar as possible, of its probable effect on each. him/her. When personnel actions are involved, the University will be guided by the following considerations:
The following dates of notification will be followed:
  • A faculty member with a regular appointment who is not to be reappointed for a second year of service must be so notified no later than March 1; or if the first year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than three months before the end of the appointment period.
  • A faculty member with a regular appointment who is not to be reappointed to a third year of service must be so notified no later than December 15 of the second year of appointment; or if the second year of appointment terminates at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than six months before the end of the appointment period.
  • A faculty member with a regular appointment who is not to be reappointed to a fourth or subsequent year of service must be so notified no later than May 31 of the year preceding the final year of appointment; or, in the case of an appointment ending at a time other than the end of the academic year, not less than twelve months before the end of the appointment period.
  • A tenured faculty member who is not to be reappointed because of a program discontinuance must be so notified no later than May 31 of the year preceding the final year of appointment.
The University will make every reasonable effort to reassign tenured faculty members to positions for which they are properly qualified before dismissal results from the discontinuance of a program.
If the University adds positions during a three-year period following transfer or termination, such faculty members should be given priority for positions for which they are properly qualified.
In all cases of termination of tenured faculty because of the discontinuance of an academic program, the place of the tenured faculty member concerned will not be filled by a replacement within a period of three years, unless the released faculty member has been offered reinstatement and a reasonable time (not to exceed 45 days) in which to accept or decline it. The right of a faculty member to be employed in another position is subject to the rights of other faculty members who have also been terminated or transferred.
A faculty member whose salary or FTE has been reduced shall have the same priority for restoration to his or /her former status over a new person.
Each terminated faculty member has the right to have his or /her termination reviewed by the Faculty Appeals Board to determine if these guidelines have been followed, but the circumstances of the program discontinuance shall not be reviewed.
To the extent possible, alternatives other than termination should be explored. Examples of such alternatives are early retirement, fractional appointments, and reduction in salaries.
Unless a substantial and serious imbalance in the quality within a given program would result:
  • Untenured faculty should be terminated before tenured faculty.
  • Seniority should be respected.
  • Equal Opportunity guidelines should be observed.
(5) Student Alternatives
If a decision is made to discontinue a program(s), the students currently enrolled in the program shall be notified and every effort shall be made to allow them to finish their programs through continuous enrollment of not more than four years. If it is not possible for currently enrolled students to complete their program for reasons beyond their control, the University may make special allowances for such students. Such allowances might include, but are not limited to, the following: permitting the student to complete his or her program by taking work in related departments; accepting more than the usual number of transfer hours; and accepting major work taken by correspondence from the University and other schools.
(Regents 11 -10 -77, 4 -7 -93, 1 -27 -04)

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5.38 RETENTION OF RECORDS

The University subscribes to the Consolidated General Records Disposition Schedule, published by the Oklahoma Archives and Records Commission. Please refer to this schedule in the Administration and Finance Guide to Services for specific information regarding retention periods for University records.


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5.39 EMPLOYEE FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO UNIVERSITY

Faculty, staff and students, including student employees of the University, shall be required to pay all outstanding financial obligations due the University in accordance with the due dates established for such obligations. Those who do not pay their past due financial obligations as indicated on the billing statement will be subject to the University's collection processes, including paying any collections costs. The administration is directed to establish procedures at the Norman, Tulsa, and Health Sciences Center campuses to provide the means for the University to gain access to funds to which it is entitled.


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5.39.1 PROCEDURE (Norman Campus):
(A) Communication of Policy
Employees should be informed of this policy at the time of their appointment and at the time they purchase goods and services from University departments.
(B) Determination of Creditworthiness
University departments selling goods or services to University employees are responsible for determining the ability of the employee to pay. Prior to the provision of goods or services to an employee, the selling department should access the University's accounts receivable system to determine if the employee is past due on any University charges. Based upon the status of the employee's account, the selling department shall make a managerial decision as to whether or not to sell goods and services to the employee.
(C) Collection Procedures
(1) For purposes of implementing this policy, the following account-aging guidelines shall apply:
  • Charges appearing on a Bursar statement for the first time are considered to be CURRENT charges.
  • Charges are considered to be 30 DAYS PAST DUE if they are outstanding on the second Bursar statement.
  • Charges are considered to be 60 DAYS PAST DUE if they are outstanding on the third Bursar statement.
  • Charges are considered to be 90 DAYS PAST DUE if they are outstanding on the fourth Bursar statement.
(2) Monthly, after the mailing of the Bursar statements, the Bursar’s Office will identify University employees with outstanding charges that are 90 OR MORE DAYS PAST DUE. Excluded from this process are student employees (including graduate assistants) who are paying their accounts in accordance with the University's tuition and fee payment plan, or who have made alternative payment arrangements. The accounts will be referred to University Collections, a division of Legal Counsel.
(D) OVERPAYMENTS
Any University employee who receives an overpayment through his or her payroll for whatever reason (e. g., termination of employment, overestimate of hours, or clerical error) will be responsible for repaying all amounts owed, including any collection costs and/or tax consequences that result from the overpayment. However, if it is determined that the department is responsible for the error that resulted in an overpayment, the department shall bear the associated collection costs.
(Vice President for Administration and Finance, June 1997)
(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)

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5.40 FIREARMS

Firearms and munitions of all types are prohibited on all property owned, leased, or occupied by the Board of Regents at all times except as specifically authorized.

The text below is approved Regents Policy for the Norman Campus but is printed in its entirety only in the Norman Campus Faculty Handbook.

5.40.1

For purposes of this policy, firearms include but are not limited to, the following: conventional weapons, from which a projectile is discharged by an explosive propellant charge; antique, replica, and inert firearms; compressed gas weapons; and spring-propelled weapons. For purposes of this policy, munitions include, but are not limited to any projectile which incorporates a propellant charge and/or explosive contents.

5.40.2 Firearms are permitted on campus only under the following circumstances:

(A) In the possession or control of sworn law enforcement officers or properly licensed armed security guards employed by the University who are performing their assigned duties. The Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus must approve in advance the use or employment of armed private security providers.
(B) In the possession of personnel of active or reserve armed forces of the United States or the Oklahoma National Guard when in the performance of duties assigned by an authorized commander.
(C) In the possession of Reserve Officer’s Training Corps, (“ROTC”) participants when under the supervision of authorized members of the regular armed services.
(D) Firearms, exclusively as detailed below, in the possession of members of the RUF/NEKS organization certified by the University Police Department as having satisfactorily completed a handling safety class, subject to the following additional conditions:
(1) The University Police Department shall inspect and approve the firearms.
(2) Blank ammunition only will be used in these weapons; live ammunition will not be present with these weapons at any time.
(3) Violation of the safe handling procedures established by the University Police Department will result in withdrawal of the offending individual’s certification.
(4) Possession of these firearms will be limited to use during official RUF/NEKS functions.
(E) For use during public performances, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Firearms for use in public performances shall be rendered inoperable whenever discharge is not required as an integral part of the production.
(2) When discharge is necessary as part of a performance, blank ammunition shall be used. Blank ammunition is not permitted in weapons pointed at performers at any time during the production.
(3) Weapons present for a performance shall be kept secure or in the possession and control of a designated staff member at all times when not actively in use.
(F) For display in support of the educational mission of the University. Such firearms must be inoperable and approved and secured by means acceptable to the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.
(G) For use as a teaching aid, subject to the following conditions:
(1) Permission for such use must be granted by the academic department head and prior notice of the presence of the firearm on campus must be given to the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.
(2) Such firearms must be approved and secured by means acceptable to the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.
(3) Munitions shall not be present with firearms when used in class.
(H) As “starter pistols, ” incapable of chambering or firing live projectile ammunition, for athletic events. Starter pistols and blank ammunition shall be secured at all times when not in use and shall be under the control of appropriate staff or athletic officials when in use.
(I) As construction equipment employing blank ammunition as a propellant for setting fasteners when used by or under the supervision of authorized and trained personnel.
(J) The cannon known as “Old Trusty” used by members of the group “Loyal Knights of Old Trusty” or “LKOT, ” and the 75 mm howitzer used by the Army ROTC detachment may continue in their respective traditional uses, subject to the following conditions:
(1) The safe use of these pieces is the responsibility of the designated faculty sponsor(s).
(2) The LKOT and the Army ROTC will notify the University Police Department of intended use of their respective pieces sufficiently in advance of a use to enable notification of other public safety agencies.
(K) Any group desiring to use a firearm and/or munitions for ceremonial purposes on the campus, other than those specifically identified in Section 1. B .10 above, will tender a request to the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.
(1) The Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus will review the request and forward it to the Office of Legal Counsel with a recommendation for approval or disapproval based upon public safety considerations.
(2) The Office of Legal Counsel will notify the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus and other appropriate officers of any approvals that are granted for the use of ceremonial firearms.
(L) Upon approval and for a specific purpose and limited time by the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.

5.40.3 For purposes of this policy, “inoperable” means physically rendered incapable of firing either by removal of critical parts or installation of a device to prevent operations, or both. Where firearms are required to be rendered inoperable, the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus shall inspect and certify that it is inoperable.

5.40.4 Where permitted on campus for other than law enforcement or armed forces use, all firearms shall be secured by means approved by the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus.

The Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus will respond to reports of alleged violations, investigate alleged violations, and submit reports of findings of alleged unauthorized presence, possession, or use of firearms on campus.

(A) The Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus will initiate criminal prosecution if they believe an individual has violated a local, state, or federal law.
(B) Copies of police reports regarding alleged unauthorized firearms incidents will be submitted to the Office of Legal Counsel.
(1) Upon determination made by the Chief of Police at the Norman Campus, the Chief of Campus Police at the Oklahoma City Campus, or the Director of Operations at the Tulsa Campus that a currently enrolled student, faculty, or staff member; dependent of student, faculty or staff; or a visitor of a student, faculty, or staff member has violated this policy, the Office of Legal Counsel may initiate action to:
(a) Immediately suspend or expel the students, and/or
(b) Immediately suspend from employment the staff or faculty member.
(2) Student disciplinary action may be imposed in addition to criminal prosecution arising from unauthorized possession or use of firearms and/or munitions. Disciplinary action may be initiated prior to the completion of criminal prosecution.
(Regents, 4 -25 -96, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 6 -23 -04)

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5.41 BICYCLE POLICY

Any bicycle operated on the University campus shall be registered with the University Department of Public Safety (“DPS” or “Campus Police”) through the University and City of Norman joint bicycle registration program. This requirement applies regardless of whether the owner is a student, faculty or staff member. Registration is at no cost. Bicycle operators may contact Campus Police or the Safe Walk Office for information about how to register.

Bicycles shall be parked only in designated racks placed on campus. Bicycles secured to campus fixtures other than designated racks shall be subject to removal without prior notice. The responsibility for the security of parked bicycles rests with the owner. The University shall not be responsible or liable in any way for lost, stolen, or damaged bicycles. Bicycles shall also be kept in good working order and shall not be allowed to deteriorate or become otherwise derelict.

The University may remove any bicycle that appears to be abandoned. A bicycle that is observed to be apparently parked in the same location longer than two weeks or that is apparently broken, inoperable, or derelict, shall be considered abandoned. If a removed bicycle is registered under this policy, the University will try to contact the registered owner to arrange for removal. If an abandoned bicycle is not registered, the University may remove it immediately. The University is not responsible for the cost of locks, chains, other security devices, or any other item that may be damaged or destroyed as a result of removing any bicycle.

The University may dispose of any bicycle that has been in storage longer than three months. The University may destroy or otherwise dispose of any removed bicycle. Any owner wishing to reclaim a removed bicycle from the University shall produce evidence of ownership. The University may charge fines for reclaiming removed bicycles. Payment of fines shall be the responsibility of the bicycle’s owner. Impounded bicycles are stored by the University’s Physical Plant. To effect release of a bicycle, the owner must contact the Physical Plant at 325 -6953 and set an appointment to meet Physical Plant personnel at the storage location.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -04, 4 -3 -08)


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5.42 Workplace Threats and Violence

The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees and a safe and prosperous educational experience for its students in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The University is also committed to providing a professional work environment that promotes dignified and respectful treatment of all. This policy applies to the conduct of any person on University premises or at University-sponsored events, including faculty members, students, staff members, visitors, or contractors while on University-owned or controlled property or while engaged in University business. The University has a zero-tolerance policy for workplace threats and/or violence in any form as described below. The University prohibits acts of workplace violence that include threats, intimidation, physical attacks, stalking, or property damage and violent behavior.

DEFINITIONS

Threats:

A threat is the expression of intent to cause physical or mental harm. Such an expression constitutes a threat without regard to whether the person communicating the threat has the ability to carry it out, and without regard to whether the threat is made on a present, conditional, or future basis. In determining whether the conduct constitutes a threat, including whether the action caused a reasonable apprehension of harm, the University will consider the totality of the circumstances from the perspective of a reasonable person in the situation. Threats come in many forms, including, but not limited to, oral and written threats, or threats communicated through conventional mail, electronic messaging, digital imaging, photography, fax, or telephone, and may be direct or implied.

Physical Attack:

A physical attack is, without limitation, unwanted or hostile physical contact such as hitting, pushing, kicking, shoving, tripping, poking, biting, spitting, throwing of objects, or fighting.

Intimidation:

Intimidation includes but is not limited to stalking, bullying, or engaging in verbal, written, expressive, or physical actions that intentionally or recklessly frighten or coerce an individual or that would be viewed by a reasonable person as such.

Stalking includes, without limitation:

  • willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly following or harassing another person in a manner that would cause a reasonable person or a member of the immediate family of that person to feel frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested; and
  • actually causing the person being followed or harassed to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.
In the context of stalking, harassment may occur when an individual demonstrates a pattern or course of conduct directed towards another individual that includes repeated or continuing uninvited contact, e. g., contact after the individual has clearly communicated that contact is unwanted. Unwanted contact includes:
  • following or appearing within the sight of that individual in a manner that would lead a reasonable person to believe he or she were being followed or watched by that individual;
  • approaching or confronting that individual in a public place for a non-business-related purpose or on private property;
  • appearing at that individual’s workplace and/or workspace for a non-business-related purpose;
  • appearing at the residence of that individual;
  • contacting that individual by telephone for a non-business-related purpose;
  • sending mail or electronic communications to that individual for a non-business-related purpose;
  • placing a non-business-related object on, or delivering an object to, that individual’s workplace and/or workspace;
  • placing an object on or delivering an object to the individual’s residence.

Property Damage:

Property damage is intentional damage to or destruction to or destruction of property owned by the University or its students, employees, contractors, vendors, or visitors.

Violent Behavior:

Includes any behavior, whether intentional or reckless, which results in bodily injury to another person and/or damage to property, and can include, but is not limited to:

injuring another person physically, including slapping, hitting, punching, pushing, poking or kicking; or physical gestures or actions which would be viewed by a reasonable person as threats to inflict physical harm;

  • engaging in behavior that creates a reasonable fear of injury in another person;
  • brandishing or using a weapon or other destructive devices or an object that reasonably appears to be a weapon, and where not otherwise allowed by law, possessing a weapon while on University premises or engaged in University business;
  • damaging property intentionally or recklessly;
  • threatening to injure an individual or damage property verbally, in the form of digital photography, or in written or electronic form;
  • committing acts motivated by or related to domestic violence or sexual harassment;
  • stalking, as defined above.

GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING VIOLENT SITUATIONS:

The University encourages all employees to be alert to the possibility of violence on the part of current and former employees, current and former students, vendors, and visitors to the University. Supervisors are responsible to respond promptly, effectively, and in a manner consistent with University procedures when notified of an alleged incident of workplace violence, or when they observe workplace violence.

A person who believes that he or she has been the target of workplace violence or observes workplace violence must immediately report the alleged incident to his or her supervisor or manager, Human Resources, the University Police Department, and/or the city-of-residence police department. In emergency situations, the Police Department should be called immediately by dialing 911. The University also provides an Emergency Communication System for reporting activity that appears to be an immediate threat to an individual by calling any of the following numbers: on the Norman campus, (405) 325 -1911; on the Health Sciences campus, (405) 271 -4911; or on the Tulsa campus, (918) 660 -3333. The University prohibits retaliation against or harassment of individuals who act in good faith by reporting real or perceived violent behavior or violations of this policy.

All employees who commit violent acts or who otherwise violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment, for unacceptable personal conduct, and may also be subject to criminal prosecution. The University prohibits employees from making deliberately false or misleading reports of violence or threats of violence under this policy, and employees who make such reports will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Other individuals who engage in acts of workplace violence as described above may be subject to different disciplinary action applicable to them through this Handbook, applicable disciplinary policies and procedures for each respective campus, University policy, and state or federal law.


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6.0 Benefits

The general web address for OU employee benefit information is http: //hr.ou.edu/benefits.


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6.1 BENEFITS DESIGNATION

University employment benefits are linked to the primary position for which an employee is hired. If an employee is hired through the staff hiring process but by virtue of his/her skills or expertise is assigned an additional academic title, benefits accrue to the primary staff title only, even though the employee's total title would reflect an additional academic appointment, unless the Senior Vice President and Provost, after consultation with the Director of Human Resources, specifically determines that an exception is in the best interests of the University.

Example: Staff Psychologist/Adjunct Assistant Professor; assign professional staff status and benefits.

If a person is hired through the faculty hiring process and acquires a staff title because of additional responsibilities, then benefits are linked to the primary academic title.

Example: Assistant Professor/Editorial Supervisor Oklahoma Daily; assign academic status and benefits.

(President, 5 -2 -86)


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6.2 RETIREMENT POLICY

The University of Oklahoma Retirement Policy (the “Policy”) supersedes all previous versions of the Policy and are detailed in the Staff Handbook and in the Human Resources website. Eligible Employees of the University are entitled to certain benefits following the completion of a designated number of years of employment, the attainment of specified ages, or satisfaction of other requirements as set forth in the Policy.


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6.2.1 PROGRAMS AVAILABLE

BENEFIT PROGRAMS - The University offers a comprehensive and competitive package of employee benefits. University sponsored benefit programs include

  • medical insurance,
  • dental insurance,
  • vision coverage,
  • short and long-term disability coverage,
  • life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance,
  • retirement insurance,
  • flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses,
  • long-term care insurance.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.2 INSURANCE BENEFITS
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6.2.2. A Eligibility
  • The employee must be in a continuous appointment of at least a .5 FTE.
  • Benefits begin on the first of the month after date of hire.
  • If the employee has a 1.0 FTE and does not enroll within the initial 31 -day enrollment period, he or she will automatically be enrolled in medical, dental, life insurance, and AD& D coverage, but will be ineligible to enroll in other insurance programs until the next annual open enrollment period. Under certain circumstances, an employee may be eligible to enroll or modify elections if experiencing a qualified life event change during the plan year.

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6.2.2. B Payment
  • The University pays in full for employee dental, life, and accidental death insurance.
  • The University and employee share in the cost of employee and dependent medical insurance, depending on the employee’s salary.
  • The employee pays in full for all other insurance benefits.
  • Most employee payments can be made on a pretax basis through the 125 Cafeteria Plan.
  • Employees employed at less than 1.0 FTE pay for benefits on a prorated basis within defined bands.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.3 Other Benefits

Workers compensation insurance is provided for all employees irrespective of employment status.

Unemployment compensation is provided for all employees except students.

Additional information on all of these benefits can be found at http: //hr.ou.edu/benefits

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.4 BENEFITS CONTINUATION

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) provides for continuation of medical, dental, and vision coverage for covered participating employees should they or their covered dependents become ineligible for coverage as a result of one of the following events:

  • the employee’s termination of employment, reduction in hours, or death;
  • the employee’s divorce or legal separation from a spouse;
  • the ineligibility of the employee’s dependent child for continued plan participation at the end of the calendar month in which the child turns 26.

Employees with currently active coverage may continue participation up to one year in group insurance benefits, except Long Term Disability, during an approved leave of absence period. The cost of coverage during the leave period is the employee’s responsibility.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.5 RETIREMENT PLANS

This section contains a general summary of the University’s retirement plans. Eligibility to participate in the University of Oklahoma’s retirement plans depends on the employee’s FLSA status (exempt or nonexempt), age, and years of benefits-eligible service. Two retirement tracks are available at the University of Oklahoma. Retirement Track A includes a defined contribution plan and the Oklahoma Teachers’ Retirement System (OTRS). Retirement Track B includes only a defined contribution plan.

  • In both retirement tracks, the University provides contributions for the employee to an employer-funded, tax-qualified defined contribution plan under Section 401 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  • In Track A, employees choose to participate in the OTRS. Both the University and the employee contribute to OTRS.
  • FLSA-exempt employees under age 45 hired after July 1, 2004, must make a one-time irrevocable choice to participate in OTRS within their first 90 days of employment.
  • Depending on the retirement track elected by the employee, the amount the University contributes to the defined contribution plan differs.
  • Electing OTRS in Retirement Track A requires a contribution from the employee and may yield an overall higher retirement benefit depending on certain variables.
  • The University also offers two voluntary retirement savings plans to which employees may contribute on a pretax basis. These programs are offered under sections 403 (b) and 457 (b) of the IRS Code (regardless of FTE status). The accumulated value in these savings plans is tax deferred until money is withdrawn, but will be subject to applicable employment taxes when contributions are made.

The University of Oklahoma is a participating member in Social Security. For additional information about Social Security, visit www.ssa.gov.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.6 OTHER RETIREMENT BENEFITS

This section provides a general overview of eligibility for retirement from the University of Oklahoma and the benefits (other than retirement plan benefits) available upon retirement.

Eligibility for Retirement

To be eligible for University of Oklahoma retirement benefits, an employee must meet one of these requirements:

  • has attained age 62 with at least ten years of benefits-eligible OU service.
  • has attained age plus (at least ten) years of benefits-eligible OU service equal to 80 or more (Rule of 80).
  • has attained any age with 25 years of benefits-eligible OU service.

An employee is eligible to apply for disability retirement at any age with at least ten years of benefits-eligible OU service.

Eligibility requirements to retire with benefits from the OTRS are different from the requirements listed above.

More details can be found at http: //hr.ou.edu.

Benefits upon Retirement

Employees who meet the eligibility requirements for University retirement receive the following benefits package:

  • continued participation in health and dental insurance;
  • a parking permit, discount athletic tickets, use of designated University recreational facilities, and other miscellaneous benefits;
  • lifetime passes to the University golf course for their personal use issued for weekday play to professors emeriti and other faculty and staff retirees who retired prior to January 1, 1994, will be honored.

Benefits from the OTRS and the DCP and ORP are determined on an individual basis. More details can be found at http: //hr.ou.edu.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.7 PHASED RETIREMENT

Individuals who are at least 55 years of age and have ten or more years of service may request permission to reduce their workloads and phase into another career or full retirement. The phased retirement program offers an attractive level of benefits during the phasing. (The University of Oklahoma Retirement Plan of May 18, 1998)

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.2.8 RETIREES RETURNING TO WORK

State law prohibits rehire of retirees as consultants for two years following retirement. OTRS retirees may return to work as temporary employees in accordance with OTRS rules. OTRS regulations require a minimum of 60 calendar days between a retiree’s last day of preretirement public education employment and any such postretirement employment. OTRS retirees should consult with OTRS before returning to work at any OTRS-participating institution to determine what, if any, impact on their retirement benefits a return to work might have.

  • OU retirees not eligible for OTRS retirement benefits may return to work as temporary employees without a minimum waiting period.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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6.3 EMERITUS TITLES

The emeritus title is granted only by the University of Oklahoma Regents upon recommendation of the President of the University. The President may recommend that the title "Professor Emeritus" be granted upon the retirement of faculty members when so proposed by their department and college. The title indicates retirement in good standing and ordinarily will be without the designation of any additional faculty rank (such as "Assistant" or "Associate") except that distinguished professor titles shall be retained when the emeritus status is recommended. For the Health Sciences Center, the President may recommend that the title "Clinical Professor Emeritus" be granted upon the retirement of volunteer faculty when proposed by their department, college, and the Senior Vice President and Provost.

It also has been the practice from time to time for the University Regents to grant the title "Emeritus" to former executive officers and deans upon retirement.

(President, 9 -10 -85)


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6.4 EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES

The University makes insurance available for employees under a flexible benefits plan, Sooner Options. Health, dental, group term life, accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, and long-term disability insurance are offered under Sooner Options. Dependent life and dependent accidental death and dismemberment insurance, are also available. To be eligible to participate in Sooner Options, an employee must have at least a 50 percent FTE (full time equivalent) continuous appointment expected to last one semester or more for faculty and six months for staff. Eligible employees are provided Sooner Credits in proportion to the FTE at the 50 %, 75 %, or 100 % level. Sooner Credits represent the money the University pays for each employee's health, dental, group term life, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. Under Sooner Options, the University determines annually an amount of money to provide to the employee to spend on benefit coverage’s and the amount that will be paid if the employee declines coverage.

Premiums for dependent health, dental, life, accidental death and dismemberment insurance must be paid by the employee. Also available on an optional basis, with the employee paying the premium is additional life, additional accidental death and dismemberment, vision coverage, long-term care, and long-term disability insurance on the employee.

Workers' Compensation insurance is provided for all employees irrespective of employment status. Unemployment Compensation is provided for all employees except students.

(Regents, 12 -8 -77, 7 -19 -78, 12 -14 -91, 1 -27 -04)


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6.4.1 PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS

The Board of Regents authorizes (1) current withholding from the compensation for an employee’s services, with the consent of the employee, amounts necessary for participation in various programs, and (2) the President to approve future deductions which appear to be in the best interests of the University and its employees.

(Regents, 9 -1 -83)


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6.5 TAX DEFERRED ANNUITIES

Upon request, the University will arrange to purchase an annuity for an employee and to exclude the cost thereof from gross income. Employees interested in this means of tax deferral can make the necessary arrangements in the Office of Human Resources. There are legal limitations governing amounts. The employee should contact the Benefits Office to obtain a maximum exclusion allowance calculation, withdrawal penalties, and other pertinent information in order to have the data upon which to make the decision on which option best satisfies the individual's personal objectives.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 1 86, 12 -1 -97)


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6.6 Salary Options for Faculty on 9 -month Appointments

Faculty members appointed for nine months have the option to receive their salary in 10 payments (one-half month paid in August, eight full months paid September through April, and one-half month paid in May), or in 12 equal payments (August through July). This option is available only at the beginning of each academic year and may not be changed after the August paycheck has been processed. New faculty or existing faculty who are newly appointed for nine months will receive their salary in 12 equal payments (August through July) unless they elect the 10 -payment option.

New faculty and faculty wishing to change their payment option for the next academic year should contact the Payroll and Records Office prior to August 5 of the academic year in which the change is to be effective. Payment options will remain in effect for future academic years unless such a change is requested.

(Director, Human Resources, 7 -22 -94; Chief Human Resources Officer, 10 -7 -19)


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7.0 Research Facilities and Academic Units
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7.1 LIBRARIES

The University of Oklahoma Libraries, in support of the University of Oklahoma, develops and maintains programs that provide access to the informational resources necessary to fulfill the academic, research, artistic, scholarly, and community leadership objectives of the University. The University Libraries also recognize their service obligation to the local community, the state, other libraries, and scholars in general.

The University of Oklahoma Libraries, the largest research library in the state of Oklahoma, contains more than 4.7 million volumes, 4.1 million microforms, 31,000 periodicals, and over 180 electronic databases. The research library facilities on the Norman campus include the Bizzell Memorial Library and separate branch libraries for architecture, chemistry-mathematics, fine arts, engineering, geology, and physics-astronomy. The OU Law Center also has a separate library (http: //www.law.ou.edu/library/) in its facility. The Library at the OU Health Sciences Center (http: //library.ouhsc.edu/) supports teaching and research in medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and health-related disciplines. The OU Tulsa Schusterman Center Library supports students enrolled in Tulsa-based programs (http: //library.tulsa.ou.edu).


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7.1.1 SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

In addition to the general collections described above, the University Libraries have five special collections: History of Science Collection, Western History Collections, the Bass Business History Collection, Bizzell Bible Collection, and the John and Mary Nichols Rare Books and Special Collections. These collections contain rare and special materials including books, manuscripts, photographs, and sound recordings. Current detailed descriptions of these collections are listed at the library website under “locations. ”


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7.1.2 INTERNET-ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES

The Libraries’ electronic resources are easily accessed through the website available at http: //libraries.ou.edu/default.aspx. The Libraries provide access to databases, reference works, electronic journals, websites, government documents, and electronic books. The University of Oklahoma Libraries offers a wealth of electronic, print and non-print resources, as well as assistance in learning about and using the Libraries’ resources. Anyone with a 4 x4 university login may access these library resources through the Libraries’ website, http: //libraries.ou.edu/default.aspx, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


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7.1.3 BOOK FUNDS

The University Libraries receive an annual appropriation from the University budget for the purchase of books, periodicals, and other library materials. The Dean of University Libraries is charged with the responsibility of administering these funds. The University Libraries Committee, of which the Dean is an ex officio member, acts in an advisory capacity.


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7.1.4 HOW TO REQUEST BOOK PURCHASES

Collection development within the University Libraries is coordinated by the Head of Collection Development. Any faculty member may recommend purchases for the library collections. Requests may be submitted online through the Libraries website. Library liaisons (subject specialists in the library) and the library departmental representative’s work together to insure the collections provide adequate resources for all degree programs. New faculty should contact the library liaison in their field to learn more about the collections support for their research area. A current list of library liaisons is available on the website.


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7.1.5 ACCESS TO RESEARCH MATERIALS

The University Libraries provide access to research materials and information through many different formats and also assist researchers in obtaining materials from other libraries, if necessary. Interlibrary Loan Services will obtain materials not available locally. Requests for articles, books and other materials may be submitted online at the Libraries website. Request forms for interlibrary loan are also included in many of the online databases, for your convenience. The Libraries will also provide document delivery services to faculty for materials within the collections. A description of these delivery services is found under Sooner Express on the website.

Book and bound periodicals and other formats may be checked out with a faculty identification card. Online service under “My books” allows online renewal of checked out items. Faculty are responsible for lost materials. Faculty may also extend their checkout privileges to research assistants. A signed proxy form is required.

Faculty members who wish to do research at other institutions should contact Access Services to learn more about reciprocal borrowing privileges at other academic institutions.

Current awareness services provide researchers with e-mailed table of contents notifications for selected journals, saved search notifications on a specific topic, or notices of new books in your area. A list of recommended services is available on the website.


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7.1.6 REFERENCE AND INFORMATION SERVICES

Reference and information services are available at Bizzell Memorial Library, the branch libraries and special collections. Reference librarians provide assistance in identifying and utilizing relevant library resources, such as using the library catalog to find books or subject databases to locate journal articles. “Email a librarian” reference service may be found under the “help” listing on the University Libraries website.


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7.1.7 LIBRARY INSTRUCTION

The University Libraries provide instruction in the use of the resources in the general library, in the special collections, and in the branch libraries. Professors may arrange for instruction sessions to be held in the library or in the classroom. Introductory as well as advanced sessions are available for general and specific library and research-related topics. Contact the Reference Department in Bizzell Library to schedule instruction sessions.


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7.1.8 CLASSROOM/ONLINE TEACHING SUPPORT SERVICES

The University Libraries provide reserve and electronic reserve services in support of classroom teaching and online courses. Print reserve collections are available at the main library and all branches. Faculty members may place materials on reserve for their classes in any of the University Libraries. Electronic reserves, both textual and audio, can be accessed from the Libraries’ website. Frequently asked questions, and contact information for reserves staff are available there as well. Library staff can also help faculty address copyright concerns for materials they wish to use.

Distance Education students have ready access to online library materials, but need additional support to obtain print items available locally. University Libraries provide special document delivery services for remote students. Details of this service and help with using resources remotely can be found at the website under Services, Distance Education.


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7.1.9 FACULTY STUDIES

There are faculty studies at Bizzell Memorial Library for the OU faculty who require frequent and immediate access to the collections of the general library while working on research projects. Application forms are available from the Library Dean's Office.


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7.1.10 OTHER

Libraries and special collections on campus that are not affiliated with the University Libraries include the Journalism Library (Gaylord College of Journalism), the Curriculum Library (Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education), the National Severe Storms Lab Library and the Carl Albert Congressional Archives (Carl Albert Center). For access to materials in these collections contact these libraries directly.

(Dean, University Libraries, 6 -24 -86, 5 -5 -88, 1 -3 -94, 2 -16 -04)


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7.1.11 LIBRARY CIRCULATION RECORDS

See policy as stated in Section 5.33


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7.2 OFFICE OF RESEARCH SERVICES (ORS)

The basic purpose of the ORA is to promote the educational and research objectives of the University by (1) encouraging scientific investigations by the faculty, staff, and students; (2) aiding investigators in obtaining external support for research projects; (3) fostering interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, and interinstitutional research projects; (4) articulating policies and procedures supportive of research; and (5) aiding in the dissemination and utilization of knowledge created by University researchers.

The ORS is responsible for the facilitation of the development, negotiation, and administration of sponsored research programs on the Norman Campus. The ORS staff assists faculty and staff through identifying potential sponsors for proposed research projects, working with faculty to develop, prepare, and authorize proposals to public and private funding agencies, negotiating resultant awards, and facilitating post-award award administration. The ORS also provides administrative services for the Research Council.

(Vice President for Research, 6 -19 -86, 10 -23 -00, 3 -31 -05)


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7.3 OKLAHOMA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is a repository for important collections in earth, life, and social sciences. These extensive collections include more than 6 million specimen and artifact lots and are a major research resource for the University. These collections also represent a vast and non-renewable resource of the heritage of Oklahoma and many other parts of the world. University curators oversee collection research activities that include their own original investigations as well as an active lending program that makes specimens, artifacts, and other materials available to graduate students, visiting scientists, and scholars throughout the world. The collections provide the basis for multifaceted exhibitions, public service programs, and educational activities.

The new 195,000 square foot facility for the museum opened to the public on May 1, 2000. Located just south of the intersection of Timberdell Road and Chautauqua Avenue on the Norman campus, the museum is comprised of five galleries featuring thousands of artifacts. With collections that document 300 million years of Oklahoma’s natural history, the museum is one of the nation’s largest university-based natural history museums. The museum is open 10 a. m. – 5 p. m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1 - 5 p. m. on Sunday. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and faculty and staff, $3 for children ages 6 and older and no charge for children 5 and younger and OU students with ID. For more information, visit the museum’s web site at www.snomnh.ou.edu or call 405 -325 -4712.

(Director, Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 10 -02 -00, 3 -31 -05)


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7.4 FRED JONES JR. MUSEUM OF ART

The OU Museum of Art is one of the strongest university-based art museums in the United States. Founded in 1936 after the university received a gift of more than 700 works of Asian art, the museum was housed in what is now Jacobson Hall. In 1971, a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jones of Oklahoma City, established a permanent museum building in honor of their son, Fred Jones, Jr., who died in a plane crash during his senior year at OU.

In 2004, the museum completed a major renovation and construction project to accommodate the more than 8,000 works in its ever-expanding permanent collection. The new wing, named for OU benefactors Mary and Howard Lester, doubled the size of the facility – adding galleries, an auditorium, an orientation room, classroom space and a new grand entrance at 555 Elm Avenue.

In the year 2000, a bequest from Clara Weitzenhoffer of Oklahoma City brought the museum the single most important gift of French Impressionist are given to a public university, with master works by Degas, Gauguin, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and others. In addition to French Impressionism, strengths of the permanent collection include American art, especially modernism and southwestern art, American Indian art, contemporary art, and photography.

Museum galleries and collections are available as a resource for faculty and students in the School of Art. Visiting exhibitions, coupled with the museum’s extraordinary permanent collection, serve as a catalyst for lectures, symposia, workshops, and audio-visual presentations, which enrich the cultural life of the university community, the State of Oklahoma, and the region.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information, call 325 -3272, or visit the museum website at http: //www.ou.edu/fjjma.


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7.5 OKLAHOMA SCHOLAR-LEADERSHIP ENRICHMENT PROGRAM

A statewide academic program for outstanding upper-division and graduate students, the Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program (OSLEP) offers a series of interdisciplinary seminars that brings students into a unique learning environment with distinguished scholars. Scholars representing many fields meet with a small group of students (25) in intensive study and discussion of some aspect of the overall theme, “The Future of Humanity: Inquiries and Perspectives. ”

Students with a 3.0 GPA or better and who are enrolled in one of the 20 four-year colleges and universities, public and independent, in Oklahoma are eligible to apply to participate in an OSLEP seminar. Each seminar carries two hours of credit in University Course 4000. Normally, seminar sessions are held between 8:30 a. m. and 4:30 p. m. each day with some evening sessions; the seminar lasts five days. Many seminars are scheduled over weekends to minimize absence from regular classes. Approximately 10 seminars are scheduled on the campuses of participating universities during an academic year. The University of Oklahoma administers the program on behalf of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

Faculty at the University of Oklahoma may serve as resource persons for these seminars. Both faculty and students are invited to participate in a forum discussion with the visiting scholar. The public is invited to a free lecture featuring the scholar’s primary area of intellectual interest.

The OSLEP office is located at 630 Parrington Oval, Monnet Hall, Room 559.

(Director, Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, 7 -1 -86, 4 -1 -88)


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7.6 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS/INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS CENTER

The purpose of the International Programs Center (IPC) is to encourage and facilitate activities as a means of enriching our students’ education and preparation for professional careers. Its goal is to foster interdisciplinary education that will prepare OU graduates for success in the global environment and to enhance the University’s role as a regional leader in our nation’s international relations.

The IPC sponsors The Global Forum, a monthly lecture series which provides an opportunity for speakers to address international topics. IPC also encourages other research, seminars, conferences, and publications on international and foreign policy issues.

Another important component of the IPC is to enhance the University’s outreach to business, civic, and educational leaders in Oklahoma and the region. This outreach will benefit state economic growth and community relations by increasing awareness of international matters and providing intellectual support for international business initiatives and related activities.

The IPC has ties with foreign policy and international relations institutions, such as the Asia Society, The Council on Foreign Relations, the Institute for International Public Policy, the Institute of International Education, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Foreign Policy Association, and the World Affairs Council.

The International Programs Center serves as the coordinating element for International Academic Programs and the Office of International Relations.


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7.7 EDUCATION ABROAD AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES

The Office of Education Abroad and International Student Services currently coordinates teaching/research abroad and study abroad programs with over 90 universities in more than 40 countries, ranking first in the Big 12 in student exchanges.

Opportunities are available at institutions of higher education in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. OIR administers a broad spectrum of study abroad programs, providing summer, semester or yearlong opportunities for study in almost every discipline at universities in all regions of the world.

(Director, Office of International Programs, 12 -20 -93; Executive Director, International Programs Center 11 -6 -97)


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7.8 [ SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND AREA STUDIES – N/A; REMOVED FOR OBSOLESCENCE]
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7.9 OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION (OCCE)

The Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education is the focus of continuing education and public service programs at the University. Funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the state of Oklahoma, OCCE is one of ten W. K. Kellogg Foundation-funded, university-based residential conference centers in the world. The OCCE facility includes the Thurman J. White Forum Building with meeting rooms that can accommodate 1,500 people; two housing units, Sooner Hotel and Sooner Suites; the Commons Restaurant, a dining hall providing a variety of food services; McCarter Hall with its six floors of administrative offices and meeting rooms; and an administration building that houses the College of Continuing Education. More information is available at http: //www.ou.edu/outreach.html.

(Vice President for University Outreach, 8 -14 -80, 12 -1 -93, 1 -23 -98 11 -13 -00, 3 -30 -05)


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7.9.1 UNIVERSITY OUTREACH AND THE COLLEGES OF CONTINUING EDUCATION AND LIBERAL STUDIES
(A) The Vice President for University Outreach, who is also the Dean of the College of Liberal Studies, is responsible for the University's College of Continuing Education, which coordinates programs for adult and part-time students both on and off campus, as well as all public service programs that aid individuals, government agencies, and organizations in the identification, study, and resolution of human and social problems. Many public service and other programs are offered under the auspices of state and federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. More information is available at http: //www.ou.edu/outreach.html.
(B) The College of Continuing Education’s (CCE) Continuing Education Academic Programs (CEAP) division provides educational opportunities through a diverse group of departments that specialize in unique areas. The Center for English as a Second Language serves the English language needs of the University’s international students. Intersession offers accelerated credit courses between normal fall, spring and summer sessions. The Center for Arts and sciences, Fine arts, and Education programs (CAFÉ) specializes in working with the University’s academic colleges in the development and delivery of credit and non-credit programs for learners of all ages. Other departments within CEAP include Continuing Legal Education, Senior Adult Services, Precollegiate Programs, the Center for Independent and Distance Learning, Aviation, the Center for Business and Economic Development, and the KGOUKROU radio station. The CEAP division also provides training programs to the United States Postal Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and Tinker Air Force Base.
(C) Additional programmatic departments reporting to the Vice President for University Outreach include the American Indian Institute; Center for Child and Family Development; Center for Early Childhood Professional Development; Center for Public Management; Center for the Study of Small/Rural Schools; Educational Training, Evaluation, Assessment, and Measurement; Executive Training/Team Quest; Health Promotion Programs; Medieval Fair; National Conference Logistics Center; National Center for Disability Education and Training; National Resource Center for Youth Services; Public Service Institute; Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies; Southwest Prevention Center; and the Workforce Oklahoma Training Institute.
(D) The Support Services division provides credit and non-credit registration and records administration, information technology support, human resource administration, conference and meeting facilitation at the Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education Thurman J. White Forum Building, comparative institutional research data through the Center for Institutional Data Exchange and Analysis, television production, digital editing and satellite uplink/downlink services, and postal and duplicating services.
(E) The College of Liberal Studies (CLS) offers undergraduate and graduate degree options designed specifically for working adults. With flexible class scheduling and independent study enrollments conducted at home or over the Internet, CLS allows students to complete a degree in ways that are convenient to adult life circumstances. Maintaining high academic standards and rigorous course offerings, CLS is a national leader in the field of adult and distance education. College of Liberal Studies’ programs emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship; students study in three broad areas of knowledge – social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. Programs offered by the College focus on enhanced critical thinking skills and preparing students for a life of continued learning. Program options also allow for development in professional and career fields (e. g., Master of Liberal Studies in Museum Studies). More information is available at www.ou.edu/cls/.

(Vice President for University Outreach, 7 -8 -81, 6 -8 -88, 12 -1 -93, 1 -23 -98, 11 -13 -00, 3 -30 -05)


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7.9.2 THE CENTER FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The Center for English as a Second Language, within the College of Continuing Education, serves the English language needs of the University's international students. Its primary purpose is to provide intensive English instruction to academically qualified students who have not been granted admission to the University because of a need for more preparation in the English language. In addition, the Center provides instruction to the wider community by offering second language classes such as Spanish and French through the Oklahoma Language Academy. More information is available at www.esl.ou.edu/.

(Vice President for University Outreach, 12 -1 -93, 3 -30 -05)


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7.9.3 BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Center for Business and Economic Development is the College of Continuing Education’s primary provider of executive business and economic development training. The Center provides specifically tailored training programs to meet the needs of management professionals and professional associations. The Center for Business and Economic Development includes the internationally recognized economic development executive program, University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU/EDI), which provides contemporary, “state of the art” training in locations around the U. S. Other Center programs include the American Bankers Association, the Conference for State Bank Supervisors, and the Chamber of Commerce Excellence Program, as well as providing support for the State of Oklahoma’s Scenic Byways program. The Laurence Reid Gas Compressor Conference, Corrosion Control Conference, and the Blowout Prevention School are international programs within the Center that provide training for professionals in the oil and gas industries. More information is available at http: //www.ou.edu/outreach.html.

(Vice President for University Outreach, 12 -1 -93, 1 -23 -98, 3 -30 -05)

The Center for Economic and Management Research (CEMR) is located in the Michael F. Price College of Business. CEMR performs extensive economic analyses and research for the State of Oklahoma. One service performed by CEMR is ORIGINS, an on-line source of employment and economic data about the counties in Oklahoma.

Along with the City of Norman and the Norman Chamber of Commerce, the University is a member of the Norman Economic Development Coalition (NEDC). Three members of this nine-member council are from the University. The NEDC hires the Norman Economic Development Director and sets policy for the economic development of Norman.

(Dean, Michael F. Price College of Business, 8 -28 -98)


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7.9.4 RADIO STATION

KGOU/KROU is a community-supported public radio service of the University of Oklahoma administered through the College of Continuing Education. The signal of KGOU, 106.3 FM, can be heard throughout the Cleveland County area. KROU, 105.7 FM, can be heard throughout the greater Oklahoma City Metropolitan area. KGOU/KROU serves the Central Oklahoma listening area with news and information programming from the National Public Radio and Public Radio International, state and regional news, public affairs, and music from the jazz and blues genres. KGOU/KROU is staffed with full-time and part-time professional staff, community volunteers, and student broadcasters. More information is available at www.kgou.org/.

(Vice President for University Outreach, KGOU, 8 -15 -85, 4 -21 -88, 11 -19 -93, 10 -24 -97, 3 -30 -05)


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7.9.5 TELEVISION AND SATELLITE SERVICES

Television and Satellite Services (TVSS) provides television production, digital editing and satellite uplink and downlink services at the College of Continuing Education. Ku-band as well as C-band reception services are available. Remote production services include videoconferencing to audiences around the world. TVSS also provides technical support for all University electronic outreach efforts and operates a broadcast-quality television facility, a fiber optic interconnection network, and broadcast-quality remote and field production services. More information is available at http: //www.ou.edu/outreach.html

(Vice President for University Outreach Education, 12 -1 -93, 7 -95, 3 -30 -05)


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7.9.6 WASHINGTON, D. C. OFFICE

The University's College of Continuing Education maintains a Washington, D. C. office to provide services, advising, and faculty support for its Advanced Programs students who are based at the Pentagon and other Washington, D. C. military installations. Additionally, it provides support and office infrastructure for grants and contract work of the College of Continuing Education. More information is available at www.GoOU.ou.edu/.

(Vice President for University Outreach, 8 -14 -80, 12 -1 -93, 7 -10 -95, 3 -30 -05)


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7.10 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS

On January 1, 1929, the University Press began operations, and under the direction of Joseph August Brandt it soon gained national prominence as a publisher of scholarly books.

Between 1938 and 1967, under the direction of Savoie Lottinville, the Press became what Time magazine called “the nation’s standout example of a regional publisher. ”

In 1983 George W. Bauer, assistant director of Cornell University Press, was appointed director. By 1997 the Press had experienced unprecedented growth, established an endowment to support publication of specialized scholarship, and won many awards. Prominent among these is the first LMP Corporate Award for scholarly publishing (later won by the Princeton and Harvard university presses). The citation reads: “The winner... is dedicated to the publication of outstanding scholarly works by both national and international scholars, and is the preeminent publisher of books about the West and the American Indian. ”

John Drayton, who had served as editor-in-chief since 1981, became director of the Press in 1998. He is on the faculty of the Denver University Publishing Institute, and in 2002 received the Western History Association Award of Merit “for outstanding contributions to western history. ” Under his leadership, the Press continues to strengthen its position as a preeminent publisher of award-winning books about the American West and American Indians, while expanding its program in other scholarly disciplines such as classical studies, military history, political science, and natural science.

(Director, University Press, 7 -31 -80, 5 -1 -88, 10 -30 -97, 2 -22 -05)


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7.11 WORLD LITERATURE TODAY

World Literature Today, an international literary quarterly that is edited by University faculty and staff members and published by the University, is a leader in the world of letters. An award, now $40,000, known as the Neustadt International Prize for Literature was given for the first time in 1970. The presentation continues to focus worldwide attention on the University, and the prize is ranked second only to the Nobel Prize for Literature. The journal also co-sponsors, with the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, the biennial Puterbaugh Conferences on World Literature, begun in 1968.

(Director, World Literature Today, 10 -19 -93)


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7.12 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CAMPUS - North

Prompted by its development potential, the University of Oklahoma has completed plans and initiated a program to guide future development of the University Research Campus - North. Containing approximately 1,200 acres, the site is comprised of two distinct areas: Max Westheimer Airport, Swearingen Research Park and the Employment Center. Information pertaining to these areas is as follows:


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7.12.1 MAX WESTHEIMER AIRPORT
(A) The airport is a general aviation, reliever category airport. It is capable of handling aircraft up through and including executive class jet aircraft. As a result of more than 60 capital improvements, undertaken since 1982, it is one of the finest facilities of its kind.
(B) A broad variety of aircraft services are provided by a fixed base operator and specialty shops, including flight training, major airframe and power plant repairs, fueling, aircraft rental, tie-downs, etc. The University owns and operates 30 small T-Hangars and 10 large t-hangars, all of which are for lease by airport patrons.
(C) The airport is open seven days a week, around the clock. The University owned control tower is fully FAA certified, along with the associated controlled airspace, and operates daily from 8:00 A. M. to 10:00 P. M. Air traffic is handled on a first come, first served basis in accordance with federal and local regulations. Control Tower services are provided by Midwest Air Traffic Control Services, Inc., via a contract between the Federal Aviation Administration and the University.
(D) The airport owns and operates an Automatic Weather Observation Station (AWOSIII). The AWOS provides current weather 24 hours per day and is able to detect thunderstorms and lightening within 30 miles. AWOS information is accessible via telephone, 325 -7302, as well as by radio for aircraft on frequency 119.55. The airport is served by navigational aids and associated instrument approaches.
(E) For further airport information, contact the Airport at 325 -7233.

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7.12.2 SWEARINGEN RESEARCH PARK
(A) Swearingen Research Park contains a variety of old structures that are available on a short-term lease basis at competitive rates. A systematic approach has been implemented to demolish old buildings to make way for further development.
(B) Several new facilities mark the way of future development including the National Severe Storms Laboratory, National Weather Service, Cleveland County YMCA, Red Cross, and Merrick Computing Center.
(C) For information pertaining to short-term leasing of Airport and research park properties, contact the Contracts and Real Estate office at 325 -6041.

(Vice President for Administration and Finance, 7 -1 -86, 5 -1 -88, 12 -1 -97, 3 -31 -05)


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7.12.3 UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CAMPUS – South

The 271 -acre Research Campus brings the University research community together with government and private enterprise to promote high technology research and education leading to economic development for the state and nation. Anchoring the campus are the Stephenson Research and Technology Center, which included OU’s Supercomputing Center for Education and Research, and programs in genomics, bioengineering, and robotics; the National Weather Center and One Partner’s Place, home to a complex of federal, state, private, and University meteorological agencies, including OU’s academic and research and operations programs. One Partner’s Place is the first of a series of buildings designed to collocate private sector companies on campus to collaborate with the University.


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7.13 OU SUPERCOMPUTING CENTER FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH (OSCER)

In 2001, the Vice President and Chief Information Officer established the OU Supercomputing Center for Education and Research (OSCER). OSCER has been developed cooperatively by approximately 150 researchers from 24 academic departments within five colleges.

OSCER has two primary missions: first, to educate faculty, staff and especially students (both undergraduate and graduate), not only in the principles underlying High End Computing (HEC) but also in the practice of effective HEC software design; second, to collaborate directly with OU researchers in the application of this knowledge to their specific investigations.

To address OSCER's educational objectives, the center offers a series of workshops on "Supercomputing in Plain English," targeted at an audience of not only computer scientists but especially application scientists and engineers, including a mixture of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff. These workshops focus on fundamental issues of HEC as they relate to computational science and engineering, including: the storage hierarchy; instruction-level parallelism; high performance compilers; shared memory parallelism (e. g., OpenMP); distributed parallelism (e. g., MPI); scientific libraries; visualization. The core philosophy of these workshops is that a HEC-based code should be maintainable, extensible and, most especially, portable across platforms, and should be sufficiently flexible that it can adapt to, and adopt, emerging HEC paradigms (e. g., Grid computing).

In addition, OSCER facilitates ongoing HEC-based research by partnering with individual scientific teams to adopt appropriate HEC methodologies into their software. OSCER staff are committed to regular, frequent interactions with each participating research group, providing expertise and direction in the HEC aspects of code implementation.

OSCER maintains three HEC platforms of substantial size and power, as well as two storage systems, which are available to the entire OU research community.

7.13.1 As of 2005, anticipated resources to be available to OSCER Members:

(A) National Lambda Rail (NLR): Oklahoma is a full NLR partner. NLR capability has been fully funded and is expected to be deployed in Oklahoma in 2005 (www.nlr.net).
(B) Condor (www.cs.wisc.edu/condor): OSCER and other divisions of OU's Department of Information Technology are currently embarking on a large scale Condor pool deployment project, to consist of approximately 750 desktop CPUs in student PC labs across the OU campus, for the benefit of loosely coupled jobs (e. g., Monte Carlo). This is expected to provide the equivalent of more than 2 TFLOPs of peak performance.
(C) Statewide and Regional Grids: Initially via the Condor project, OU is beginning to pursue both a statewide and a regional Grid. The statewide grid will be developed in cooperation with Oklahoma's Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Oklahoma's statewide education and government network, OneNet (www.onenet.net); the regional grid will be developed in collaboration with the Great Plains Network (www.greatplains.net).

(Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, 3 -31 -05)


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7.14 OU-Norman Policy and Procedure Guide for Centers and Institutes

The purpose of this policy is to establish uniform guidelines that will apply to all centers, institutes, and other related entities for the OU-Norman campus regarding approval, creation, governance, operation, review, and discontinuation. This policy applies to all centers and institutes based in OU-Norman, and to other similar, named academic organizations with titles such as laboratory, unit, consortium, program, etc.


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7.14.1 Definitions
(A) Organized Research Units (ORUs) – are centers, institutes and other related non-degree-granting entities established to provide support and infrastructure for interdisciplinary research. Because their role is to complement the academic goals of departments, schools, and colleges, they do not act as academic home units for faculty, and they do not offer degree programs or formal coursework. However, ORUs can and often do informally support the educational activities of their faculty, which helps to link these two important missions of the university. ORUs are established to serve compelling university research priorities, and they are subject to review every five years to ensure a continuing and dynamic commitment to relevant interdisciplinary research.
Directors of Norman campus-wide ORUs report to the Vice President for Research and Partnerships (VPRP), and their formation requires approval of both the VPRP and the provost. Directors of centers contained within a single college report to the dean, and their formation requires approval of both the dean and VPRP. Directors of centers housed within institutes report to the institute director, and their formation requires approval of both the institute director and VPRP.
Laboratories or other organizations in which all participating faculty members are within the same academic department or school are department-level organizations, not ORUs.
(B) Organized Academic Units (OAUs) – are centers, institutes and other related non-degree-granting entities engaged in some combination of educational activities, service, outreach and scholarship. Because their role is to complement the academic goals of departments, they do not act as academic home units for faculty. They do not offer degree programs, although some coursework may be associated with them. Their primary focus is not research, but they can and do often support the educational and research activities of their associated faculty.
OAUs are generally housed within individual colleges, and their directors report to the college dean. The formation of an OAU requires approval of both the college dean and the provost.

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7.14. 2 Designations of ORUs and OAUs
(A) Institutes - are the largest form of ORU/OAU, and they are organized to support research (ORU) and educational programming (OAU) that generally spans disciplinary boundaries. They may also be actively involved in community engagement and in undergraduate and graduate education, usually in association with interdisciplinary graduate/undergraduate programs. Institutes are characterized by long-term sustainability, with their own budget and multiple sources of funding rather than a single source (such as a grant). ORU institutes typically receive external funding exceeding $1 million per year in expenditures, and they have dedicated administrative and technical staff and commitments of faculty FTEs, programs of research training, and substantial infrastructure.
(B) Centers - are organized to conduct research (ORUs) or to provide educational programming and support (OAUs) around a specific theme or topic that is often interdisciplinary and spans several fields. They are more limited in scope than institutes, although centers also have a separate budget, a director, and faculty and professional staff representing more than one academic department or discipline. Centers can be housed within individual colleges or may be campus-wide. The lifetimes of such ORUs are often limited by the time and financial commitments for completing a specific project.
(C) Other Terms: During formation of a new ORU/OAU, the use of a name other than center or institute (such as laboratory, unit, program, field station, etc.) must be justified and approved as part of the regular ORU/OAU approval process. Currently existing organizations may retain their designations/names after justification and approval as part of the process of review of ORU/OAUs existing before implementation of this policy (see section 7.14.6. c).
Names for department-level organizations must be approved by the chair or director of the unit and the college dean. To avoid confusion or conflict with other existing or planned entities, additional approval is required from the VPRP (for research-focused organizations) or provost (for all other organizations).
Recognizing the variety of names currently in existence for OAUs, OAUs founded before the adoption of this policy will be permitted to retain their current designations.

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7.14.3 Leadership and Personnel
(A) Supervising Administrator. For campus-wide ORUs, the supervising administrator is the VPRP or the VPRP’s delegate. For centers contained within institutes, the supervising administrator is the institute director. For OAUs and all other centers contained within colleges, the supervising administrator is the college dean.
(B) ORU/OAU Directors. Depending on the focus of the organization, ORU/OAU directors are valued members of the university leadership who are expected to build strong collaborations among faculty, build cohesive teams of researchers, promote world-class excellence in scholarship, and create outstanding educational opportunities for students. Each ORU/OAU should be headed by a director who is a tenured and distinguished member of the faculty. The director may receive an administrative stipend in addition to their faculty salary as determined by the supervising administrator. Unless an exception is granted by the provost, an ORU/OAU director cannot simultaneously serve in a second administrative capacity (such as associate dean or as chair or director of department or school), and such dual responsibilities should be avoided where possible.
An ORU/OAU directorship is an at-will position with a term of no longer than five years, although each director can be reappointed for additional terms. For an initial appointment, the supervising administrator will issue a campus-wide call for nominations and appoint a search advisory committee that will review all nominations, screen candidates, and make an appointment recommendation, with the final selection made by the supervising administrator. With approval of the provost (OAUs) or VPRP (ORUs), director searches may be conducted either internally and/or externally.
Annual reviews of each director will be conducted by the supervising administrator. Prior to renewal of a director for an additional five-year term, the supervising administrator should also solicit input from the five-year ORU/OAU review committee (see 7.14.6. b).
(C) Managing Director. To provide the administrative bandwidth needed in larger ORUs to effectively support ambitious research goals, these entities should generally have a managing director. The managing director is a staff member who reports to the ORU director and serves full-time as the manager of operations.
(D) Associate Directors. Larger ORUs may need associate directors to provide leadership for distinct functions within the organization (e. g., corporate interactions, research development). In exceptional circumstances, larger OAUs may also need associate directors to provide leadership for distinct functions within the OAU (e. g., student programming, undergraduate research and internships).
These positions must be recommended by the director and be approved by the supervising administrator. In general, these individuals will serve in a supplemental administrative capacity, rather than as a full-time administrator.
(E) Advisory Committees. Each OAU shall have an Internal Advisory Committee (IAC), and each ORU shall have an IAC or External Advisory Committee (EAC) to be determined by the supervising administrator.
(1) Each IAC shall meet at least twice per year and submit an annual evaluative report to the director, supervising administrator, and VPRP (for ORUs) at the end of each academic year. The IAC members should serve five-year terms that coincide with the director’s term and should be appointed based on recommendations made by the director and with approval by the supervising administrator. Members of the internal advisory committee may be drawn from individuals internal or external to the university, but they should not be otherwise affiliated with the ORU/OAU.
The IAC evaluates the annual progress of the ORU/OAU and also offers advice on important matters such as membership, policies, operations, and management. The IAC also offers an outside perspective on the effectiveness of the ORU/OAU in serving its mission, with the intention that this advice will help guide the director and its members as the ORU/OAU develops and matures.
(2) Each EAC shall meet at least once a year at OU and submit an annual evaluative report to the ORU director, supervising administrator, and VPRP issued at the end of each academic year. The EAC shall be comprised of 3 -5 nationally-recognized experts in the relevant research theme of the ORU. Each EAC member will be appointed by the director in consultation with the VPRP and invited to serve a five-year renewable term. The EAC evaluates the annual progress of the ORU and also offers advice on important matters such as center membership, policies, operations, and management. The EAC provides an external, national perspective on the relevancy of the research activities and effectiveness of the center, including outreach and educational activities, with the intention that this advice will help guide the director and its members as the ORU develops and matures.
(F) Affiliated Faculty, Researchers, and Students. The goal of each ORU/OAU is to promote vibrant, multidisciplinary, innovative research or multidisciplinary activity and programming through an actively engaged and diverse community. Therefore, all individuals with scholarly interests that align with the ORU/OAU should be invited to join, but the organization should also have by-laws, subject to approval by the supervising administrator, that articulate membership policies and requirements for entry.
For example, an ORU/OAU’s by-laws could define eligibility for membership to include: (1) faculty members, who have their appointments in traditional academic departments, (2) research scientists appointed either in the ORU or other OU research centers, but who are also adjunct faculty in an academic department, and (3) graduate students, undergraduate students, or professional staff. The by-laws may also define procedures for membership nominations (e. g., submission of nomination letter and curriculum vitae), vetting (e. g., a presentation and meetings with affiliates), and voting (e. g., approval by two-thirds of current ORU/OAU members voting). Affiliate membership may be defined more broadly to include, for example, non-voting members of the ORU/OAU and members without appointments at OU.
The ORU/OAU’s by-laws should include policies on voting on regular or affiliate member addition and removal and the rights and responsibilities of members and affiliates, including their access to ORU facilities, staff, and resources. ORU/OAU members should be expected to uphold the basics tenets of the center, including collegiality and respect for everyone’s role in the ORU/OAU. By-laws might also specify a mechanism for providing feedback about a faculty member’s participation to their Committee A for the purposes of annual evaluation.

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7.14.4 B udget s and Personnel

ORU/OAU budgets will typically be based on funding from a variety of sources, which may include private giving, grants and contracts, and recharge center revenue, as well as additional funding from academic colleges, the VPRP, and/or the provost. The budgets will cover administrative support for the ORU/OAU, needed infrastructure (such as equipment and core expertise), and other activities in direct support of the organization’s mission. For ORUs, although ongoing OU financial and other support may be required, it is expected that some aspects of the ORU’s operations will become largely or completely self-sustaining within five years. These budgets may be reviewed and adjusted annually at the discretion of the supervising administrator and VPRP (ORUs) or provost (OAUs).

Appointments of ORU personnel funded entirely by ORU resources shall be limited to the life of the project or ORU, after which neither the ORU, VPRP, college, or provost will be responsible for salary commitments. These positions must be created and filled in accordance with University policies and procedures.


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7.14.5 Criteria and P rocess for E stablishing a n ORU/OAU
(A) Proposal
Proposed ORU/OAUs should be organized around inter- or multidisciplinary scholarly themes that have high intellectual merit and timeliness, with great potential benefit to augment research, creative work, and/or education and scholarship at OU.
Faculty seeking to establish an ORU/OAU should consult early with their college dean(s) and the VPRP (for ORUs) and should then develop a proposal with the following recommended elements:
1. Proposed ORU/OAU name. The name should indicate the primary function of the ORU/OAU (e. g., Advanced Radar Research Center; the Institute for the American Constitutional Heritage).
2. Executive summary of the scope and purpose of the proposed ORU/OAU.
3. Mission statement.
4. Proposed scholarly program, including research and creative activity, education, and service goals for ORUs and educational and scholarly activities and service goals for OAUs.
5. Discussion of ORU/OAU alignment with college, campus, or university mission and strategic plans, and of added value/capabilities that cannot be achieved with existing ORU/OAUs and academic units.
6. National/international benchmarking/comparator analysis.
7. Proposed membership eligibility. For ORUs, this should include any record of proposed members working together as a collegial team (e. g., joint paper/proposals/grants, sharing equipment, etc.).
8. Proposed leadership and organizational structure.
9. Proposed advisory committee membership and terms.
10. For ORUs, experience and records (e. g., research expenditures, publications, patents, graduate student mentorship, etc.) of core participating faculty in interdisciplinary research--include short (max 4 page) CV for each in appendix.
11. Potential for revenue generation (such as through external grants, contract income, corporate partnerships, private donations, etc.).
12. Budget and resource justification. For ORUs, this should include anticipated sources of funds for first two years, plus projection for years 3 -5. The proposal should include a plan for obtaining substantial extramural funding to support ORU research goals. No one-size fits all funding model exists, but the proposal should specify plans for the ORU to become as self-sustaining as possible and reasonable given opportunities available in the thematic focus area.
13. Immediate space (and any renovation) needs and how these will be met for the initial 2 years, plus projected needs for years 3 -5.
14. Performance targets and timeline for determining success (extramural funding amounts and sources; scholarly contributions; public service products; educational impacts; research partnerships with corporations, foundations, and government entities; community partnerships; collaborations; participating ORU/OAU personnel, etc.) as well as specific measures of quality to be used to assess organizational effectiveness, increased success of ORU/OAU members, and impact on broader institutional research, academic and other goals.
15. Letters of support from core participating faculty and their college deans as well as other informed internal or external individuals.
16. Proposed ORU/OAU by-laws.
17. For ORUs, the expected lifecycle of the organization. If the funding is time-limited, the proposal should include an explicit plan for closure of the unit at the end of the funding period.
For ORUs, if the proposed organization is advanced for further consideration as a result of the administrative review process, it may be subject to external review by a team of distinguished scholars in the proposed ORU’s primary areas of scholarship to assess the strategic importance of the proposed ORU to the University, the breadth and complexity of the ORU, the need for University resources, and the prospect for leveraging University resources to secure extramural funding.
(B) Proposal Review and Approval
1. OAUs: The initial review will focus on intellectual and educational merit, such as the interdisciplinary nature of the OAU and alignment with college and OU strategic goals and mission, as well as the quality of proposed educational mission. Later stages of the review will focus on assessment of resources and commitments to ensure success, plus agreement on metrics for future evaluation. OAUs must be approved by the college dean and the provost.
2. ORUs: The initial review will focus on intellectual merit, such as the interdisciplinary nature of the ORU and alignment with college and OU strategic goals and mission, as well as the quality of proposed research. Later stages of the review will focus on assessment of resources and commitments to ensure success, plus agreement on metrics for future evaluation.
The necessary approvers for an ORU depend on its proposed scope:
a. College-level ORUs must be approved by the college dean and VPRP.
b. ORU to be housed within other ORUs (typically institutes) must be approved by the Institute Director and VPRP.
c. Campus-wide ORUs must be approved by the VPRP and provost.

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7.14.6 ORU/OAU R eview S chedule and P rocess
(A) Annual Reports
Each ORU/OAU must submit an annual report prior to the end of each fiscal year to the supervising administrator and VPRP (for ORUs) and Provost (for OAUs) that discusses progress, future plans, and significant changes. The Office of the VPRP (OVPRP) will provide an annual ORU report template, and the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost (OSVPP) will provide an annual OAU report template.
For ORUs, an annual progress report required by an extramural sponsor may serve as an acceptable substitute for the annual report, although addenda may be needed to supply required components. The VPRP’s or Provost’s acceptance of the annual report and its findings will be required before the next year of University-level funding can be released. The ORU director must also submit updates annually for the web site directory of ORUs maintained by the OVPRP.
(B) Five-Year Performance Review
Each ORU/OAU will be subject to a five-year performance review to be conducted within the last semester of each five-year term. The purpose of the performance review will be to provide an in-depth, peer review of the ORU/OAU’s management, its programs and goals and their alignment with OU’s goals and mission, the quality and impact of the research or educational and scholarly activities, the added value of the ORU/OAU, opportunities for future growth and development, and a justification of ongoing space, budget, and other support commitments. ORU/OAUs undergoing a five-year performance review will not be required to also do a concurrent annual report or EAC review.
To begin the five-year performance review, the supervising administrator will appoint a review committee (distinct from advisory committee), subject to approval by the OVPRP or OSVPP as appropriate, and will meet with the review committee to provide instructions for how to conduct and report on the review. The review process will include the preparation of a self-study by the ORU/OAU director according to OVPRP/OSVPP office guidelines. The committee’s evaluation will include meetings with the ORU/OAU director and other leadership, advisory committee members, associated faculty and deans, and other pertinent individuals.
For university-level ORUs, the five-year performance review committee should include external reviewers who are distinguished experts in the ORU’s primary areas of scholarship.
The final report must include recommendations about the future of the ORU/OAU – for continuation, termination, or transition to a different designation and level of organization. It must follow a template provided by the OVPRP/OSVPP (that may include sections for an executive summary, ORU/OAU organizational structure and space, facilities and equipment, research accomplishments over 5 -year period, teaching and education, benchmarking; financial data, partnerships, five-year goals, director effectiveness). The review should be focused on what has been achieved because of the ORU/OAU, not just the aggregated accomplishments of the affiliated faculty, researchers/staff, and students. For ORUs, grants and scholarly achievements involving multi-departmental teams of researchers that were made possible by the ORU will be of particular relevance.
(C) Review for ORU/OAUs Existing Before Implementation of this Policy
ORU/OAUs founded before the adoption of this policy will be subject to a performance review within 18 months of implementation of the policy and should work with the supervising administrator to develop a plan for review within one year.

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7.14.7 Process for ORU/OAU Closure

The provost, VPRP, supervising administrator, or five-year performance review committee may recommend closure of an ORU/OAU, and the supervising administrator makes the final decision. Upon receiving a closure recommendation, the supervising administrator will obtain input from the provost, VPRP, advisory committees, deans and chairs/directors of participating departments, and directors of other ORU/OAUs that would be impacted.

If the determination is made to close an ORU/OAU, the supervising administrator – in consultation with the provost, VPRP, and dean(s) involved – may provide a phase-out period of up to two years for orderly transfer/termination of personnel, grants, financial accounts, space, and programs. Reappointment or terminations, budget adjustments, and space reassignments must be made in accordance with University policies and procedures.


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7.14.8 Exceptions

Exceptions to this policy, including the exceptional use of named OU-Norman campus entities that do not conform to the definitions set forth within this policy, must be approved by the VPRP (for research organizations) or provost (for all other organizations). OAUs currently in existence may retain their current names but must undergo review within 18 months as specified in section 7.14.6. c above.

(Senior Vice President and Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships, 4 -14 -20)


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8 .0 Services and Facilities
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8.1 UNIVERSITY OMBUDS SERVICE

The University Ombudsperson serves faculty, staff and students on the Norman, OU Health Sciences and OU-Tulsa campuses in the areas of dispute resolution and mediation of campus-related issues. The Ombudsperson also provides information about faculty and staff grievance procedures and the administrative appeals process.

The Office of the Ombudsperson is located in Room 213 of Bizzell Memorial Library and can be reached at (405) 325 -4137.

(Senior Vice President and Provost, 6 -1 -94)


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8.2 COUNSELING AND TESTING SERVICES

The staff of Counseling and Testing Services is professionally trained in helping students, faculty, and staff with problems of all kinds including anxiety, depression, interpersonal conflict, loneliness, communication problems, decision-making and problem-solving, self-management, and personal growth exploration. All counseling is confidential.

Choice of career and academic major can be explored through a battery of tests interpreted by a counselor. Information about standardized national tests (ACT, GRE, LSAT, etc.) is also available.

NUMBER NYNE, the University-sponsored phone crisis and referral service, provides confidential, and anonymous counseling by trained volunteers during evening and late night hours. Call 325 -NYNE.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 8 -27 -80; Department of Educational Psychology, 8 -15 -94)


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8.3 IDENTIFICATION CARD

The University provides an identification card to each employee appointed on a continuous basis at .50 FTE or greater and to each retiree. The card is to be presented for securing the privileges of using various facilities and activities available to University employees.

The card is good only during the period of employment or retirement and does not authorize the holder to obligate the University in any manner. All electronic privileges are eliminated when faculty/staff termination papers are processed through the Office of Human Resources.

Department heads are responsible for the return of an employee's Staff Identification Card upon termination from University employment.

On the Norman Campus, cards for faculty, executive officers, and administrative officers are produced and distributed by the One Card Office located in OMU 127.

(President, 1 -21 -85, Controller, 12 -1 -97, Student Affairs, 3 -31 -05)


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8.4 SPACE REQUESTS

The space and facility planning process for the University of Oklahoma is based on the concept that all requests for modified or additional space will be developed initially at the departmental level. The process will consist of evaluation of facility needs at the departmental, college, vice president, Senior Vice President and Provost, and campus levels. Finally, a University-wide plan for meeting the space and facility needs of the University of Oklahoma will be developed.

Based on the space and facility requirements of the departments, each dean will develop a proposal for the college. College proposals will be presented to the Senior Vice President and Provost for evaluation and adjustment. Similar procedures will be followed by the non-academic units. The requests of the various non-academic units will be evaluated by the appropriate vice president.

(Presidential Policy Statement, 7 -23 -86)


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8.5 AUDITORIA

Several auditoria are available on the Norman Campus. Arrangements for audio-visual equipment may be made through the Instructional Services Center. The rooms, the number of seats and the offices through which they may be reserved follow:

8.5.1 Dale Hall 200 (577 seats), Dale Hall 211 (403 seats), Dale Hall 103 (220 seats), Dale Hall 128 (220 seats), Physical Sciences Center 201 (274 seats), Botany and Microbiology Building 123 (254 seats), Felgar Hall 300 (315 seats), and Adams Hall 255 (163 seats), reserved through the Classroom Scheduling Officer of the Office of Admissions and Records or the Office of Student Development.

8.5.2 Holmberg Hall Auditorium (700 seats), Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall (1,018 seats), Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall (125 seats), and Grayce B. Kerr Gothic Hall (150 seats), reserved through the School of Music Office.

8.5.3 Rupel J. Jones Theater (643 seats), and the Weitzenhoffer Theater (210 seats) are located in the Fine Arts Center at 563 Elm and the Lab Theater (80 seats) located in Science Hall (640 Parrington Oval) can be reserved through the School of Drama Office.

The Lloyd Noble Center is a multi-purpose facility for the Norman and University of Oklahoma communities with a permanent seating capacity of 11,000. The theater section is designed to seat approximately 2,800 persons. The center is used for events such as commencement exercises for the University of Oklahoma and Norman High School, athletic events, and cultural activities. Information about rental rates and activities can be obtained by calling the director.

8.5.4 Meacham Auditorium (400 seats) in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, reserved through the Union Business Office.

8.5.5 All University functions have first priority for the use of auditoria. College and departmental functions have second priority, and reservation requests are filled in the order in which they are made. Reservations must be made at least two weeks prior to an event, and it is advisable that reservations be made as early as possible; facilities may be booked a year or more in advance.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 8 -27 -80, 12 -1 -97, Dean College of Fine Arts, 9 -11 -98)


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8.6 UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA FOUNDATION, INC.

The University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc., was organized in 1944 as a trust and incorporated in 1955 to accept and administer gifts, bequests, and endowments for the benefit of the University of Oklahoma. It is a charitable corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Oklahoma.

Gifts to the Foundation may be in the form of cash, securities, leases, royalties, literary and artistic collections, and real or personal property. There are several gift income plans available to donors that pay income for life to the donor or his/her designee. Gifts may be made for specific purpose or unrestricted; in either case, the donor's name or a designee's name may be memorialized.

Foundation activities are administered by a board of 26 trustees. They are elected for a term of three years. These leading business and professional people serve without compensation and are chosen for their wide experience in banking, investment, and finance.

Additional information is available through The University of Oklahoma Foundation Inc. ’s publication, “Guidelines For Use of Foundation Funds” at www.oufoundation.org.

(Executive Director, University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc., 8 -30 -84, 2 -28 -04)


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8.7 PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Public Affairs is composed of two units that offer a variety of services to students, faculty, and staff. Working together and with the cooperation of the University's faculty and staff, the two units are responsible for furthering OU's image and promoting OU's teaching, research, and public service missions and strategic goals. The publicity and promotional efforts are aimed toward achieving consistent, positive coverage of the University of Oklahoma in the state and nation.

Communication Services prepares and disseminates news releases to the media, engages in public relations activities, and produces and directs promotional plans. The office also assists the media in gathering information about the University, designs and publishes a variety of printed materials, and offers writing and editing services. The office is responsible for reviewing materials in accordance with the University's Publications Policy.

The Special Events Office enables the University to create a wide variety of activities to heighten community awareness of the University's mission. This office oversees major, university-wide events.

(Vice President for Public Affairs, 10 -1 -93, 3 -4 -05)


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8.8 ALUMNI AFFAIRS/OU ASSOCIATION

The mission of the OU Association is to promote the advancement of the interests of the University of Oklahoma and to develop closer fellowship among alumni, former students, and friends.

Files are kept on graduates noting dates of attendance, degrees conferred, and current addresses. The Association sends out a monthly emailed newsletter and publishes OU People, an annual magazine with news of the alumni, and University events. The Association also conducts leadership forums and OU activities in communities. Association staff members serve as a liaison between local alumni groups and the University.

(Associate Vice President of University Development and Executive Director, Alumni Affairs, 4 -21 -88, 7 -11 -95, 3 -16 -05)


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8.9 FACULTY LIABILITY AND LEGAL ASSISTANCE

If a faculty member is sued, or threatened with suit, because of some action taken or omitted, in good faith, in the course and scope of performing his/her duties for the University, the faculty member should immediately notify both the Office of Legal Counsel and the Office of Risk Management in writing. Failure to give prompt notice of such a suit or cooperate in the defense thereof will extinguish rights, privileges, or defenses that might otherwise be available to a faculty member and/or the University.

The University's Legal Counsel will provide or assist in the legal defense in keeping with their professional responsibility and, where applicable, the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act. The Act sets forth the legal framework for prosecuting civil tort claims against the government which, in most cases, requires suit to be brought against the University, not the employee. Copies of the Act are available for review at the Office of Legal Counsel.

(Legal Counsel 9 -12 -86, 10 -1 -93, 2 -1 -98, 3 -31 -05)


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8.10 LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

The Director of Government Relations is responsible for assuring effective coordination and communication between the University and all areas of state government and federal government: legislative, executive, and judicial. This officer also is responsible for examining proposed legislation and bringing it to the attention of the appropriate University official.

(Vice President for Development, 8 -30 -78, 11 -23 -93; Director of Government Relations, 8 -27 -98, 3 -31 -05)


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8.11 CAMPUS CONNECTIONS

Campus Connections is a newsletter for the faculty and staff of the University of Oklahoma's Norman and Health Sciences Center campuses. It disseminates official University policy and other information. Information for Campus Connections should be sent to Communication Services, 319 Whitehand Hall, Norman, Oklahoma 73019 -5143, (325 -1701).

(Vice President for Public Affairs, 3 -18 -86, 11 -19 -93)


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8.12 OU INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

OU Information Technology’s vision is to create and sustain an environment where all students, faculty, and staff have easy, accurate, secure, and reliable access to the information services and resources they need to succeed. Technology services include:

  • Secure wired and wireless network
  • Hardware and software discounts through the OU IT Store and One U Store
  • Over 800 computer lab workstations (PC and Mac)
  • Classroom technology in over 130 centrally-scheduled classrooms
  • Office 365 applications and email service
  • Campus-wide emergency communication system
  • Numerous online services

COMPUTER USE POLICY

To safeguard the University’s network and all of its computer resources (the System), appropriate University discipline and/or criminal and civil penalties may be sought and imposed for illegal or unauthorized use. To protect the integrity, reliability, and security of the System for lawful and authorized use, monitoring and auditing are necessary. By accessing the System, an employee expressly consents to the measures set forth in the Acceptable Use of Information Resources Policy.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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8.12.1 SUPPORT SERVICES

The OU IT Service Centers serve students, faculty, and staff as a single point of contact for computer-related requests. Contact the OU IT Service Centers:


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8.12.2 TELEPHONE SERVICES

For faculty and staff telephone support, contact OU IT through one of the methods listed in section 8.12.1 above. Or you can visit: http: //itscnorman.ou.edu/portfolio/phone/


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8.12.3 OUNET ACCOUNT, EMAIL AND CONNECTIVITY

(A) OU EXCHANGE email

Students, faculty, and staff are automatically issued an ou. edu email address and an email box in addition to the latest Microsoft products via your own licensed Office 365 account. Your default email address is a combination of your first name, middle initial, last name, and a number used to distinguish between others with the same name (Ima. B. Sooner-1 @ou. edu). You can create an email alias (e. g., newsooner@ou. edu) at http: //account.ou.edu.

(B) WIRELESS ACCESS

OU currently offers two main wireless connection options, OUWIFI and OUGUEST.
IMPORTANT: To access OU IT services from off campus, you must have an internet connection and utilize OU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, which provides a secure link to University Information systems. Download the VPN client at http: //itstore.ou.edu. For download instructions, please visit http: //askit.ou.edu/customer/portal/articles/1596655 -download-and-connect-via-ou-vpn-.

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8.12.4 COMPUTER SECURITY-RELATED RESOURCES

OU IT Security focuses on securing OU computer and network resources against unauthorized access or misuse. View security policies and other detailed security information at http: //security.ou.edu. Contact (405) 325 -HELP or security@ou. edu for security assistance.

Anti-virus Protection

As a service to faculty and staff, OU IT provides anti-virus for all university owned computers. Use of anti-virus is encouraged to promote safe and secure computer usage. Dell Antivirus can be downloaded from the OU It store at http: //itstore.ou.edu.


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8.12.5 ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY TOOLS AND SERVICES

OU IT offers a wide range of tools and support services to support the integration of technology and instruction for faculty.


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(A) Learning Management System
Canvas is the primary learning management system at the University. Canvas is your central location to post course content such as syllabi, notes, and videos. OU Canvas allows you to easily enable students to electronically submit homework assignments. With a built-in gradebook, you can keep students up-to-date on their progress throughout the semester. OU IT automatically creates a course site in Canvas for each class available through online enrollment. Visit https: //canvas.ou.edu to access Canvas.

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( B ) Classroom Technology Training and Support Services
OU IT maintains classroom technology in over 130 centrally-scheduled classrooms. Find information regarding equipment availability, room simulations, and instructions by visiting www.ou.edu/content/ouit/learning/classrooms.html. To schedule on-site training for technology-enabled classrooms please visit http: //itscnorman.ou.edu/portfolio/university-technology-training.
These classrooms are also equpped with a “hot line” phone for immediate technology support. Dial 2 to reach OU IT Help desk. For additional support, training, or assistance, call 325 -HELP.

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(C ) Lynda. com Training Software
OU IT provides free access to Lynda. com for all faculty, staff, and students. Lynda. com provides hours of dynamic video tutorials on Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and more. Visit Lynda. ou. edu to login and get started!

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(D ) Video Recording and Distribution Platform
MyMedia enables students, faculty, and staff to create, store, and distribute video content. The seamless integration with Canvas allows instructors to share video content, explore video quizzing, and more. Easily capture and edit presentations or screen recordings with the CaptureSpace software. Visit mymedia. ou. edu to access MyMedia and download CaptureSpace.

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(E )   Student Response System
Clickers are a tool that allows instructors to create questions to evaluate class comprehension or retention of complex material and create an interactive learning experience by polling students. Students enter their responses into a wireless keypad that looks like a remote control, providing instantaneous assessment feedback that enables instructors to confidently move forward with material or step back and review, closely tailoring the lecture to the students’ needs. The University has standardized iClicker as the primary physical clicker service, offering integration with OU Canvas. To learn more, visit http: //itscnorman.ou.edu/portfolio/iclicker.

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(F )   Survey and Polling Platform
Qualtrics is used within academic institutions for consumer research surveys, institutional research surveys, event registrations, assessments, experimental design projects, tests and quizzes. The product has more than 100 question types and branching, even for open-ended question types. Visit survey. ou. edu to access Qualtrics.

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8.12.6 COMPUTER HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

OU IT offers discounted computer hardware, software, accessories, and technology services for both departmental and personal purchase via the OU IT Store. Log in with your OUNetID at http: //itstore.ou.edu or visit the One University Store in the Oklahoma Memorial Union to take advantage of these discounts and other free software downloads.

Faculty and staff can purchase items using an OU account number or credit card. Students can purchase items with a credit card.

(A) COMPUTER LEASING AND PURCHASING
(1) Departmental purchases: OU IT Store recommends leasing computers over purchasing because it minimizes start-up costs to departments and provides for regular technology refreshes. You can lease or purchase both Apple and Dell computers from OU IT. Visit http: //itstore.ou.edu to begin configuring your system. To purchase other computer brands, you must first contact OU IT at (405) 325 -1925 or http: //itstore.ou.edu.
(2) Personal Purchases: OU students, faculty, staff, and alumni can purchase discounted Apple and Dell computers and accessories for personal use from either the OU IT Store website at http: //itstore.ou.edu or the retail location.
(B) SOFTWARE PURCHASING AND DOWNLOADING
OU IT has software agreements in place to provide the most updated versions of commonly-used software at discounted prices. There are also many free software packages available for download.
(1) Microsoft Software. All faculty, staff, and students have access to the latest Microsoft products via your own licensed Office 365 account. Login with your OU email address and password at http: //portal.office.com.
(2) Free Software Downloads. OU IT Store also provides free software downloads, such as anti-virus and OU VPN (connect to campus resources from home. Visit http: //itstore.ou.edu to download.
(3) Discounted Software. The OU IT Store features a wide range of software titles – from Adobe/Macromedia to Apple – at http: //itstore.ou.edu. Please review the OU IT Store for all of your software needs.  You can try many of these software packages in the OU IT computer labs.
(4) IT Software Catalog. OU IT offers a listing of campus software downloads through the IT Software catalog. Learn more by visiting http: //itscnorman.ou.edu/it-software-catalog/.

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8.12.7 ADDITIONAL ONLINE SERVICES
(A) Enrollment: Students can build class schedules, enroll, drop and add classes by visiting https: //one.ou.edu.
(B)  Grades and Transcripts: The Student Services site is an online resource for accessing grades, class schedules and unofficial transcripts and is located at https: //one.ou.edu.
(C)  University College Advising Scheduler: University College students can now schedule their advising appointments online at http: //www.ou.edu/univcoll. (Please note: Students must first complete a personal advising session before using the online tool.)
(D)  Payment: Visit http: //pay.ou.edu to pay tuition, parking tickets, Goddard Health Center charges, printing fees, and other charges. Students can give their parents a special log in that allows parents to pay for Bursar charges online.
(E)  Parking Permits: Purchase parking permits online at http: //www.ou.edu/parking.
(F) Financial Aid: Online financial aid assistance is available at http: //www.financialaid.ou.edu.
(University Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, 3 -31 -05, 7 -15 -08, 8 -17 -17)

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8.13 LEASED OR RENTED VEHICLES: INSURANCE
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8.13.1 LIABILITY INSURANCE

The State of Oklahoma provides professional and automobile liability insurance under the State Tort Claims Act for all employees who are acting within the scope of their duties. The liability coverage also extends to authorized volunteers for their operation of University-owned vehicles while acting within the scope of their authority if the authorized volunteer has completed and filed the Volunteer Acknowledgment and Release Form with the authorizing department. Copies of the State of Oklahoma Certificate of Self-Insurance are located in the glove compartment of all University vehicles. Further information is available from the Office of Risk Management. Employees are prohibited by state law from texting or utilizing electronic devices while driving University vehicles or while driving private vehicles on University business. Failure to abide by this policy results in the loss of insurance coverage for any accident, and the employee will be held personally liable for any and all damages and injuries caused as a result of such accidents, regardless of actual fault. Further, smoking in University-owned, rented, or leased vehicles is prohibited by state law.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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8.13.2 PERSONAL VEHICLE USE

If University employees or authorized volunteers are permitted to use their personal vehicles for University business, the liability coverage outlined above extends to their personal vehicle (just as if it were a University-owned vehicle). However, the State of Oklahoma also requires such persons to have personal automobile liability insurance in force at the time of use. No physical damage insurance is provided by the University or state for an employee's/volunteer's personal vehicle while that vehicle is being used on University business. When private vehicles are used for state business purposes and reimbursement is expected pursuant to applicable state law, the transporting of private passengers is not prohibited; however, it is suggested and requested that the practice be held to a minimum. Requests for an exception must be submitted in writing to the President or his or her designee. Further information is available from the Office of Risk Management, Financial Services, and Fleet Services.

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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8.13.3 LEASED/RENTED VEHICLES

The University’s liability coverage extends to vehicles leased or rented by individuals or departments of the University while the vehicles are being used on University business. No physical damage insurance is provided by the University or state; physical damage coverage for the leased/rental vehicle must be purchased by the individual or department. For example, if using a rented vehicle while traveling on University business, employees/departments must purchase the Collision Damage Waiver unless a personal automobile insurance policy will extend physical damage insurance to the rented vehicle, or the University contract with the auto rental company exempts liability for collision damage. Further information is available from the Office of Risk Management.

For additional information on vehicle rentals contact University Fleet Services at https: //www.ou.edu/fleetservices.html

(Regents, 6 -23 -11, 1 -24 -12)


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8.14 Listing of Web Addresses of Additional University Services/Facilities:

Below is a listing of web addresses for additional University Services/Facilities:

Department of Public Safety: http: //www.ou.edu/police

Law Enforcement and Related Services: http: //www.ou.edu/police
Bomb Threats and Suspicious Mail: http: //www.ou.edu/police
Security of Facilities and Assets: http: //www.ou.edu/police
Emergency Preparedness: http: //www.ou.edu/police
Other Police Department Services: http: //www.ou.edu/police

Goddard Health Center: http: //goddard.ou.edu/

Housing and Food Services: http: //www.housing.ou.edu/

Human Resources: http: //hr.ou.edu

Includes: Information for New Employees; Payroll and Records; Employee Relations and Development; Benefits and Retirement, Compensation Services

Information Technology Services: https: //webapps.ou.edu/it/services/

Newspaper -- The Oklahoma Daily: http: //oudaily.com

Prospective Student Services: http: //www.go2.ou.edu/

Oklahoma Memorial Union: http: //union.ou.edu/

Printing Services: http: //printing.ou.edu

Document Production Services
(Word Processing/Typing Services): http: //printing.ou.edu

University Bookstore (Faculty Services): http: //www.ou.edu/provost/efollett

University Fleet Services (for vehicle rentals): https: //www.ou.edu/fleetservices.html

University of Oklahoma Federal Credit Union: https: //www.oufcu.com/


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9.0 Culture and Recreation
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9.1 FINE ARTS PROGRAMS
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9.1.1 Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts

The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts Office is located in the west portion of Fred Jones Jr. Memorial Art Center (Room 122).


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9.1.2 FINE ARTS COLLEGE TICKET SERVICE

The Fine Arts College Ticket Service office (FACTS) is located in the lobby of the Catlett Music Center (Elm Street Entrance). For information and tickets for fine arts events, phone the FACTS office (325 -4101) between 11:30 a. m. and 5:30 p. m., Monday through Friday.


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9.1.3 SCHOOL OF ART

The School of Art is the largest, most comprehensive are school in Oklahoma having a faculty of 26 full-time artists, designers, scholars, a full-time Artist-in-Residence, Film Maker-in-Residence, and the Charles Marion Russell Memorial Chair of Art of the American West, serving approximately 400 undergraduate and over 30 master’s level students. The primary goals of the school are to provide excellent professional education and a focus for the study of visual arts on both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Additionally, the School of Art is dedicated to promoting, pursuing and supporting creative activity and scholarly research in the visual arts.

The School of Art includes four broad divisions; studio art, art history, media, and visual communications. Studio art consists of programs in painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics. Art history is a humanities field that teaches the history of art, artifacts, and architecture. Media includes the photography, video, and film areas. Visual communications majors become graphic designers, illustrators, production managers, and other visual specialists working in advertising and related fields.

In addition to the Fred Jones Art Center that houses the School of Art, resources include additional studio spaces for faculty and graduate students located on the North Campus adjacent to the Max Westheimer Airport and the Ceramics Facility which is located on the South Base. The Old Faculty Club building across Boyd Street has been renovated to house the Charles M. Russell Center for Study of the Arts of the American West and as a studio and teaching space for the School of Art Artist in Residence, a sculptor. In addition to the Charles M. Russell Center, the School of Art is pleased to offer students the privilege of working with nationally and internationally known artists under Visiting Artist or Artist in Residence Programs such as the Jerome M. and Wanda Otey Westheimer Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair. Visiting artists come to campus for varying periods of time.

For more information about the School of Art, please contact our office at 405 -325 -2691 or visit our website http: //art.ou.edu.


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9.1.4 SCHOOL OF MUSIC

The University Of Oklahoma School Of Music is Oklahoma's only comprehensive music program offering bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in performance and academic areas. The School is a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Distinctive undergraduate and graduate academic programs encourage music students to develop special interests and talents under technical and theoretical training of the highest professional caliber. The School has one of the finest electronic and MIDI teaching labs in the Southwest. An active outreach program includes performances throughout Oklahoma and the nation. Each year, the School offers more than 250 concerts, recitals, and lectures to the University community.

More than 40 full-time faculty members offer instruction in all orchestral and band instruments, as well as voice, piano, organ, composition, music education, history, theory, and world music. The faculty are active performers, producers, and authors. Many perform regularly throughout the world as soloists, conductors, clinicians, and adjudicators. A substantial number of the faculty are members of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra. Many serve as officers in national organizations and are recipients of national and university awards in teaching, research, and creative activity. Student and faculty ensembles perform by invitation at regional and national conventions, and performances are featured on compact discs, tapes, and in Early Music Television videos.

The Catlett Music Center, one of the finest performance and instructional music facilities in the country, Holmberg Hall, and Carpenter Hall serve as home to the School of Music. Catlett Music Center is the center for the School of Music’s activities, containing faculty studios, classrooms, rehearsal suites, and three performance halls (Paul F. Sharp Concert Hall, Morris R. Pitman Recital Hall, and Grayce B. Kerr Gothic Hall). The School of Music is a leader in the use of technology in the educational process and has extensive computer and MIDI technologies for student use. For information about the School of Music, please call 325 -2081. For concert information, please call the FACTS Box Office at 325 -4101.


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9.1.5 SCHOOL OF DANCE

The School of Dance is performance-oriented in its approach to training pre-professional dancers, teachers, and choreographers and is nationally recognized as one of the top three Schools of Dance in the country. Each year, the School of Dance offers major dance productions by its resident companies--the Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Modern Repertory Dance Theatre--as a part of the University Theatre season. Styles range from full-length classics to contemporary, comedic, and romantic dance works. State, regional, and international tours; lecture demonstrations; open rehearsals; studio performances; and a concert of original student choreography are presented by this nationally recognized, pre-professional program that also participates in the Musical Theatre program. The School of Dance is located in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center.


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9.1.6 SCHOOL OF DRAMA
(A) The School of Drama is the second-oldest university theatre school in the United States. The School of Drama prepares students for professional careers in theatre, television, and film and theatre education.
The School of Drama offers programs leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) or a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Drama. Degree tracks include Acting, Design (Scenic, Lighting, or Costume), Dramaturgy (History, Criticism, Directing and Playwriting), Theatre Management (Stage Management and Theatre Management), and Technical Production (Costume Technology and Scenic Technology. All Drama students must declare the 1007 F Theatre degree as their major.
(B) FACULTY
The faculty consists of outstanding artists and scholars that blend academic skill and professional experience, producing theatre training of the highest caliber. They are a highly regarded and nationally recognized team of professionals committed to the training and education of young artists. Visiting artists and artists-in-residence supplement the faculty and staff in providing a wide range of student experience.
(C) RUPEL J. JONES
Named for a former director of the School of Drama, this highly flexible 700 -seat proscenium theatre is located in the Fine Arts Center at 563 Elm on the northwest corner of the Norman Campus. The School of Drama, The Department of Musical Theatre, School of Dance and the School of Music, under the organizational title of University Theatre and guidance of the University Theatre Artistic Director, produce a series of major productions drawn from classic and contemporary drama, dance, and musical theatre. Jones Theatre is the performance home of Oklahoma Festival Ballet and the Modern Repertory Dance Theatre. Season and individual tickets are available for these productions. The main season plays from September through April; the summer season plays in June and July.

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9.1.7 WEITZENHOFFER THEATRE

Also located in the Fine Arts Center at 563 Elm, this innovative space opened in 1994. The 200 seats surround the stage in an intimate setting where the "off-Broadway" portion of the University Theatre Season is presented. Dramas, comedies, and small musicals are presented here. Both the Weitzenhoffer and Jones Theatres open on the same lobby where the Fine Arts Ticket Sales Office is located.


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9.1.8 LAB THEATRE

Located in Old Science Hall at 640 Parrington Oval, the Lab Theatre has been the home of hundreds of full-length and one-act productions since it opened in 1953. Presently, it is used primarily as a teaching laboratory for actors and directors and for special projects, graduate directed productions, and one-act plays. The Lab Theatre is a small proscenium theatre that seats 90.

(Dean, Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, 7 -9 -86, 5 -25 -88, 12 -1 -93, 9 -11 -98, 10 -1 -04)


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9.2 SPEAKERS AND POPULAR ARTISTS

Each year, the University of Oklahoma Speakers' Bureau, a branch of the Campus Activities Council, sponsors a series of nationally known speakers. All speakers' appearances on campus are free public lectures.

The Speakers' Bureau also subsidizes appearances of speakers of special interest for student organizations. Information about programs may be obtained from the Center for Student Life.

A variety of popular entertainers appears throughout the year at the Lloyd Noble Center. Information about scheduled appearances for the current year and purchase of tickets may be obtained from the Box Office, Lloyd Noble Center.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 8 -27 -80, 12 -1 -97)


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9.3 FILM PROGRAMS

Several campus organizations present films during the year. Most films are free of charge; others require nominal fees. Schedules are announced in The Oklahoma Daily.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 8 -27 -80, 12 -1 -97)


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9.4 UNIVERSITY CLUB

The University Club is located on the mezzanine level of the Oklahoma Memorial Union. Membership is available to any member of the University community on a dues-paying basis. The University Club has been redecorated to reflect the $13 million renovations taking place in the Union.

The Club offers lunch, dinner, and refreshment service. The Club also features special activities throughout the year including Friday Happy Hour with live music followed by a buffet special. Coaches' luncheons during football season, New Year's Eve parties, and traveling art exhibits are featured Tuesday through Friday. Cocktail and evening dinner services are also available Tuesdays through Saturdays.

The University Club may be reserved by members for special activities. Further information may be obtained from the Union Business Office or the Club Manager.

(Director, Oklahoma Memorial Union, 3 -27 -86, 12 -1 -97)


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9.5 UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION

The purpose of the University Women's Association shall be to promote fellowship and provide support to the University. The organization's program includes social events, special interest groups, and support for a scholarship for a female student attending the University of Oklahoma.

Those eligible for membership in the Association are wives of current, retired, or deceased University of Oklahoma faculty/staff and current or retired women faculty/staff.

(President, University Women's Association, 10 -8 -86, 10 -17 -93)


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9.6 ATHLETICS

The University of Oklahoma’s athletics history predates statehood, and the Sooners have been successful for nearly all of that time. Today, OU athletics features 20 sports, 10 for men and 10 for women. In its history, the school has won 23 national championships.

Seven of those national titles came in the sport for which Oklahoma is perhaps best known, football. The Sooner’s perennially field one of the top teams in college football. As is the case with most great programs, outstanding coaches and individuals have paved the way for the remarkable success. Some 141 OU players have achieved All-America status in football and four have received the coveted Heisman Trophy.

But there is more to the athletics scene at OU than football; a lot more. Over the last six years, three other OU teams (men’s gymnastics, twice, and softball) have won national championships, and in 2002, both the men and women’s basketball teams advanced to the Final Four. In 2004, nine OU teams finished their competitive campaigns ranked among the top 25 nationally. OU’s student-athletes also have performed well academically, posting the Big 12 ’s top graduation rate in 2003.

Tickets for OU events, when they are not sold out, are available at the venues or from the athletics ticket office in the Asp Avenue Parking Facility (405 /325 -2424 or 1 -800 -456 -GoOU). The athletics department also features one of the most comprehensive web sites of its kind at http: //www.soonersports.com.

(Athletic Director, 3 -24 -86, 5 -20 -88, 3 -4 -94, 10 -30 -97, 3 -31 -05)


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9.7 RECREATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Facilities for faculty, staff, and student recreation are available on the Norman Campus through Recreational Services. The primary facilities include the Sarkeys Fitness Center and the Murray Case Sells Swim Complex.

The 150,000 square-foot Sarkeys Fitness Center offers a variety of opportunities for fitness from Group Fitness Classes to two weight rooms, a cardio room, eight basketball courts, racquetball, squash, badminton, and a nearly twenty-five foot climbing wall. Murray Case Sells Swim Complex offers indoor swimming during most months and an outdoor pool during the summer. Tennis courts are available as well. Use of the facilities is included in the membership fee.

For information, please call Recreational Services at 325 -3053 http: //recservices.ou.edu/.

(Vice President for Student Affairs, 7 -8 -81, 3 -31 -05)


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9.8 NORMAN AND OKLAHOMA CITY

Norman's recreation facilities include Lake Thunderbird in the 4,000 -acre Little River State Park that includes game preserves, marinas, riding stables, swimming areas, water-skiing areas, fishing barges, camp sites, and hiking trails.

Norman also has an excellent public library, swimming and wading pools, golf courses, tennis courts, a community art center where instruction in various media is offered, a museum sponsored by the Cleveland County Historical Society, and a city recreation program for children and adults.

Places of interest in Oklahoma City include the Kirkpatrick Center/Omniplex, Oklahoma Historical Society Museum, State Capitol Building, Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma City Zoo, Contemporary Arts Foundation Gallery, National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center, Oklahoma Museum of Art, and the Oklahoma Heritage Center, Norman Chamber of Commerce http: //www.normanok.org/.


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10 .0 Appendix A: Charter of the Regular Faculty and the Faculty Senate, Norman Campus
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10.1 THE REGULAR FACULTY
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COMPOSITION

The Regular Faculty of the University is composed of all faculty members with tenure track, tenured and renewable term appointments at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. The Regular Faculty does not include faculty members with temporary appointments.

POWERS

All legislative powers of the faculty of the University relative to the University as a whole are vested in the Regular Faculty. These legislative powers shall be exercised either directly by the Regular Faculty or by the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate shall remain responsible to the Regular Faculty for all action taken in its behalf.

OFFICERS

The officers of the Regular Faculty shall be the officers of the Faculty Senate: Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary. The three officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Regular Faculty and shall develop the agenda for meetings and otherwise fulfill the duties that may be described in bylaws.

MEETINGS

The Regular Faculty shall meet at least once each semester (ordinarily on the third Thursday of October and the third Thursday of April) and at other times upon call by the Executive Committee. Such a call may originate from the President of the University or from a petition submitted to the Chair of the Regular Faculty by 30 faculty members representing two or more degree-recommending divisions. A minimum of 20 percent of the Regular Faculty on the Norman Campus shall constitute a quorum.


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10.2 THE FACULTY SENATE
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10.2.1 COMPOSITION

The Faculty Senate shall consist of 50 members of the Regular Faculty. The senators shall be elected to three-year terms in the degree-recommending divisions of the University. The electors shall consist of members of the Regular Faculty. Full-time administrative personnel above the department level shall be excluded from future elections of the Faculty Senate.

In the Faculty Senate, seats shall be allocated as follows: one seat to each degree-recommending division with at least one percent of the total faculty. Members of the Regular Faculty who are not members of a degree-recommending division of the University, or who are in a degree-recommending division with less than one percent of the total faculty, shall be treated as a separate division. The balance of the seats will be allocated among faculty members placed in this separate division according to a triennial apportionment proposed by the Faculty Senate and approved by the Regular Faculty. Degree recommending divisions with no faculty members will be allowed to appoint a faculty member as an ex-officio member with all the rights and privileges of senate membership excluding the right to vote in official Faculty Senate actions.

Five students, including both graduate and undergraduate, chosen by the University of Oklahoma Student Association, shall serve as official student representatives to the Faculty Senate. Without voting privileges, these representatives will observe, participate in discussion, and maintain communication with the Student Association in regard to Senate actions. Six representatives of the Informational Staff Association of the University of Oklahoma and one representative of the Senior Vice President and Provost's Office also may attend meetings and participate, without voting privileges, in Senate discussion.

(Regents, 6 -25 -70, 5 -13 -71, 6 -8 -72, 11 -8 -73, 6 -13 -74, 5 -8 -75; Amended, Regents, 2 -12 -76, 5 -12 -77,1 -27 -04, 6 -21 -2010)


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10.2.2 ELECTION PROCEDURE

Before the end of March each year, the Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall notify the dean of each constituent faculty of the number of senators which faculty shall elect for the ensuing year. Those senators shall then be elected in April or May. They shall assume their duties in September and ordinarily will serve three-year terms.

The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall maintain the roster of Faculty Senate membership. At any time that a vacancy occurs, the Secretary shall notify the appropriate dean so that immediate steps may be taken to elect a replacement to serve the unexpired portion of the three-year term.

The Secretary of the Faculty Senate will continuously monitor absences. When in a given academic year a senator has accumulated four absences that senator is to be dropped automatically from the membership of the senate. The Secretary will notify the appropriate dean to take immediate steps to provide a replacement for the remainder of that senator's term.


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10.2.3 POWERS

The Faculty Senate shall exercise the legislative powers of the faculty of the University as delegated by the Regular Faculty. The Faculty Senate shall have the power to initiate any legislation requiring the Board of Regents' approval in accordance with provisions of the University Constitution.

The Faculty Senate shall determine its own time of meeting and its own rules of procedures, promulgate rules and regulations governing its internal affairs, and establish standing and special committees. The Faculty Senate shall establish and publish its own set of operational procedures or bylaws.

The Faculty Senate shall elect a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary, and such other officers as it shall by its operational procedures provide. Each standing committee of the Faculty Senate is authorized to select non-Senate members of the Regular Faculty. Students may be asked to serve and, in such cases, will be appointed by the University of Oklahoma Student Association.

The Faculty Senate may establish procedures to review the various functions of the University and any matter affecting the welfare of the University. Subjects for either review or legislation may be brought to the attention of the Senate by written communication either from any member of the University community or from any officially constituted agency.


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10.2.4 LIAISON WITH THE PRESIDENT

The President shall present to the first meeting of the Faculty Senate in each new academic year a general message on the state of the University in which he or she shall give recommendations for the furtherance of the progress of the University.

The President shall, within 30 calendar days after receipt of a Senate action, inform the Faculty Senate by written message of his or her disposition of a Senate measure. If disapproving the measure, the President shall, in writing, give the Senate reasons for the action.

Faculty/student councils shall be utilized by the President of the University in the development of policies on matters of vital interest to the University. These areas include teaching, research, and creative/scholarly activity, and professional and University service and public outreach, libraries, budgetary planning, faculty personnel, University relations, University community, athletics, University operations, and University projects. In order to give the faculty a voice in determining the faculty membership of major councils, which shall be named by the Faculty Senate resolution, the Faculty Senate shall each year provide a list of nominees from which the President will make his or her appointments for the ensuing year.


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10.2.5 LIAISON WITH FACULTY SENATE, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

The Faculty Senate (Norman) shall maintain a liaison with the Faculty Senate (Health Sciences Center) through an Inter-Senate Liaison Committee composed of the Chairs, Chairs -Elect, and the Secretaries of the two Senates.

The purpose of the Inter-Senate Liaison Committee is to exchange information between the Senates on either campus and concerns and actions of mutual interest and to recommend actions to the respective bodies on each campus. The respective Chairs of the two Faculty Senates should arrange for the meetings for the Inter-Senate Liaison Committee.


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10.2.6 AMENDMENT OF THIS CHARTER

This Charter may be amended by a two-thirds vote of those present in any regular or special session of the Regular Faculty provided that no amendment shall be effective until it shall have been approved by the Board of Regents.

A proposal to amend the Charter may originate by action of the Faculty Senate or by motion in a meeting of the Regular Faculty. In those cases in which the proposal originates through Senate action, the proposal must be submitted to the Regular Faculty, and consideration for the adoption of the proposal by the Regular Faculty shall not occur until the expiration of 30 days after the notification of the Regular Faculty through the Journal of the Faculty Senate.

If the proposal originates in the Regular Faculty, it shall not be considered for adoption until the expiration of 30 and not more than 40 days after the members of the Regular Faculty have received copies of the proposal from the Secretary of the Regular Faculty (Secretary of the Faculty Senate).

(Regents, 6 -25 -70, 5 -13 -71, 6 -8 -72, 11 -8 -73, 6 -13 -74, 5 -8 -75; Amended, Regents, 2 -12 -76, 5 -12 -77,1 -27 -04, 6 -21,2010)


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11 .0 Appendix B: By-Laws of the Faculty Senate, Norman Campus
A. OFFICERS:
1. The officers of the Senate shall consist of a Chair, a Chair-Elect, and a Secretary.
2. The Chair-Elect and the Secretary shall be elected by ballot at a meeting of the Senate in May. If either office is vacated, a replacement shall be elected at the next meeting of the Senate.
3. The Chair-Elect will succeed to the office of Chair when it is vacated or when his or her own successor is elected. Normally, the Chair's tenure of office will be from May to the following May.
4. For officers elected between May 1 and January 31, the term of office will be until the following May. For officers elected between February 1 and April 30, the term of office will be until the second May following.
5. A Chair-Elect will remain a member ex officio of the Senate, even though the term as a Senator may expire, until terms as Chair-Elect and Chair expire.
B. MEETINGS:
1. The Senate shall meet regularly on the second Monday of each month of the regular school year and on call of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, or by petition, presented to the Secretary and signed by five members.
2. Meetings of the Senate are open to attendance by all members of the University community and representatives of the Press. However, the Senate may go into executive session by a majority vote of the members present.
3. A person not a member of the Senate may speak only by invitation or permission of the Senate. Requests from non-members to speak shall be addressed in writing to the Chair. The Chair will present such requests to the Senate for action.
4. At the beginning of each academic year, the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall elect a member of the Senate to serve as the Parliamentarian at all meetings of the Senate and the General Faculty during that year.
C. QUORUM:
A majority of the Senate's members shall constitute a quorum.
D. PROCEDURES:
1. Voting shall be viva voce, or by show of hands, but five members may require a roll call vote upon any proposition.
2. The presiding officer shall have a vote only in case of a tie.
3. The agenda of each meeting shall be prepared and distributed in advance by the Agenda Committee, which shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, and the Secretary. Any matter submitted by a member to the Secretary shall be placed upon the agenda of the next regular meeting.
4. In the event that the absence from campus of a significant number of members of the Senate makes holding an in-person meeting impracticable, the Faculty Senate may meet via an electronic system enabling synchronous voice and/or video communication with supplementary recording capabilities. Reasons for holding synchronous, remote meeting might include, but are not limited to, the closure of campus due to a health emergency. Such synchronous, remote meeting may conduct all the normal business of an in-person meeting and is subject to the same procedural rules, including establishing a quorum, with such minor technical adaptations as are necessary to conduct business electronically. Votes on routine motions may be held during synchronous, remote meetings. Special care should be taken to ensure votes are accurately registered, such as through using recorded “chat” or other text-based features, or a motion for a roll-call vote. For votes normally done anonymously by paper ballot, such as elections of officers, an online voting or survey service such as Qualtrics may replace paper ballots, subject to the condition that all voting members of the Faculty Senate have access to the appropriate platform(s), that vote outcomes are recorded, and that adequate time for voting is allowed. For votes conducted with such a service, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee will determine and announce a voting period, which should generally allow two business days for responses. Votes may be reviewed and verified by the Faculty Senate administrative coordinator. If less than a majority of the Senate submits a vote, the motion will be tabled due to lack of quorum. A summary of the motion and results of the vote will be recorded and reported in the Journal of the Faculty Senate. Electronic discussion contributions are subject to open records requests.
5. In the event that urgent, time-sensitive matters requiring action on the part of the full Faculty Senate arise (i. e., situations that preclude the customary month separating discussion and voting), as determined by a two-thirds majority of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee may offer a motion to the Faculty Senate to be discussed electronically, such as in a virtual, synchronous meeting that should be announced in accordance with open meetings laws. The motion may be voted on during such a meeting in accordance with the bylaws and established procedures. For motions to be adopted before the customary month separating discussion and voting, they must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the Faculty Senate.

E. COMMITTEES:

1. The standing committees of the Senate shall consist of:
(a) Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the following eight members: the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Secretary, the Chair of the Faculty Welfare Committee, the Chair of the Committee on Faculty Compensation, and three members elected by the Faculty Senate in the Spring to be widely representative of the University and to serve one-year terms. The three elected members may not succeed themselves. In addition, the Chairs of the University Councils sit as ex officio members, without vote, on the Executive Committee. The three immediate past chairs of the Faculty Senate also shall be given ex officio membership on the Executive Committee, without voting privileges, provided they remain qualified to serve in the Senate and are teaching on the Norman Campus.
(b) Committee on Committees. The Senate shall elect a Committee on Committees consisting of five members elected for staggered terms in such a manner that not more than two members will be elected in any one year. They must have been members of the faculty for at least five years and hold tenure. Members of the Committee will be nominated from the floor and elected by the Senate.
In its nominations, the Committee on Committees will consider broad and balanced representation for the entire University.
In carrying out its function of providing nominations, the Committee will seek information from chairs of departments, deans, directors, and others who have a wide knowledge and acquaintance of faculty personnel. Final nominations, however, will be made by the Committee on Committees and the Senate.
(c) Faculty Welfare Committee.
Charge: This Committee is responsible to the faculty for policy review and recommendations on questions of tenure, faculty evaluations, professional conduct, promotion, fringe benefits, and working conditions. It shall review policies and programs, propose changes and additions, distribute information, and supervise the implementation of Senate recommendations.
The Committee shall report at least yearly to the Senate and, upon approval, to the President and the Senior Vice President and Provost.
In carrying out these responsibilities, the Committee shall:
(1) Gather information about other policies and programs within the University and in other universities.
(2) Distribute information to the faculty in simplified form and see that new faculty receive comprehensive information.
(3) Establish priorities on recommendations for changes and additions.
(4) Participate in the process of amending the Faculty Handbook and make recommendations to the Senate.
Operating Procedures: The Committee shall formulate its own operating procedures, which shall include:
(1) The election of a chair from among the faculty members of the Committee.
(2) Provision for liaison with all appropriate councils and committees.
(3) Provision for sub-committees of the Committee to which non-members of the Committee may be appointed if appropriate.
MembershipHow NominatedTerm
5 faculty members To be elected by the3 years
Faculty Senate(staggered terms)
(d) Committee on Faculty Compensation.
Charge: This Committee is responsible to the Faculty Senate for reviewing and recommending policy on questions related to the economic welfare of the faculty.
In carrying out this responsibility, the Committee shall:
(1) Monitor, each year, the entire process by which salary increases are requested and fixed by the University administration, the University Regents, the State Board of Regents, and the State Legislature.
(2) Gather information about salaries from within the University and from other universities, put such information into proper form, and make it available to the Senate for the purpose of accurately presenting the economic position of the faculty and the faculty's economic needs to the administration, the Boards of Regents, the Legislature, and the general public.
(3) Suggest to the Senate appropriate proposals, strategies, and forums for advancing the economic position and needs of the faculty, both inside and outside the University community.
(4) Recommend to the Committee on Committees the faculty nominees for the University Employment Benefits Committee.
(5) Report at least yearly to the Senate and, upon approval, to the President, the Senior Vice President and Provost, and the Budget Council.
Operating Procedures: The Committee shall formulate its own operating procedures, which shall include:
(1) The election of a chair from among the faculty members of the Committee.
(2) Provision for a sub-committee of the Committee to which non-members of the Committee may be appointed by the Faculty Senate, if the Senate deems such additions appropriate.
(3) Provision for liaison with all appropriate councils and committees.
MembershipHow NominatedTerm
5 faculty members To be elected by the3 years
Faculty Senate(staggered terms)

2. Special Committees:
The Senate may at any time create a special committee to study and report upon a specific problem.
F. COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND PROCEDURE
1. Each standing and special committee shall have the authority to select non-Senate members of the general faculty to serve as members of the committee.
2. Each special and standing committee shall elect its own chair. However, the Chair-Elect of the Faculty Senate shall function as the Chair of the Faculty Senate Committee on Committees during tenure as the Chair-Elect.
3. The Secretary shall keep a list of all Senate and non-Senate members of special and standing committees.
4. All reports of standing committees shall be duplicated and distributed to all members of the Senate in advance of the date of the report's consideration.
5. The Secretary shall receive and file duplicate copies of every Senate committee's report, one of which may be borrowed by any committee of the Senate or of the general faculty, but which must be returned to the Secretary after the borrowing committee has completed its investigations.
G. AMENDMENT:
These rules may be altered or amended at any time provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted to the Senate one month in advance and a copy of the amendment shall have been distributed to the members of the Senate two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the voting is to take place.
(This text of the bylaws incorporates changes as of 4 -1 -86, Faculty Senate, 5 -3 -99, President, 5 -11 - 00, Faculty Senate, 5 -8 -20)

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12 .0 APPENDIX C: CHARTER S OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY AND THE GRADUATE COUNCIL, NORMAN CAMPUS
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12.1 CHARTER OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY – NORMAN CAMPUS

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this organization shall be "The Graduate Faculty of The University of Oklahoma--Norman Campus."

ARTICLE II: ORGANIZATION

A. There shall be a single University-wide Graduate College with a single University-wide Graduate Faculty.
B. Unless superseded by direct action of the Graduate Faculty acting as a whole, the legislative and academic authority of the Graduate Faculty shall be vested in the Graduate Council.
C. The Dean of the Graduate College shall be the chief University-wide officer for graduate studies and research. The Dean shall coordinate graduate programs among the respective program units. The Dean shall serve as the presiding officer of the University-wide Graduate Faculty and Graduate Council. The Office of the Dean of the Graduate College shall be the administrative center for all official communications between the Graduate Council and the faculty and administrators.

ARTICLE III: PURPOSES

The purposes of this organization shall be to:

A. Promote excellence in graduate teaching, research, and creative activity.
B. Assist the Graduate Faculty in its teaching, research/creative activity, and related functions.
C. Promote collaborative effort, exchange of information, and mutual understanding among the Graduate Faculty.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1: GRADUATE FACULTY COMMITTEES

A. Any academic unit offering courses or coursework in any college awarding an undergraduate degree on the Norman Campus may appoint members of the Graduate Faculty. In order to make such an appointment, the academic unit must elect a Graduate Faculty Committee made up of members of the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Faculty Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
(1) Developing and publishing the criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty which are appropriate for that academic unit. Such criteria must be consistent with Section 2 of this Article.
(2) Providing the Graduate Dean with the unit's criteria for membership.
(3) Providing the Graduate Dean with a list of members of the Graduate Faculty in accordance with Section 2. A .5 of this Article.
B. Faculty members may appeal to the Graduate Dean decisions of an academic unit regarding their Graduate Faculty status. Decisions of the Graduate Dean regarding Graduate Faculty status may be appealed to the Senior Vice President and Provost, whose decision will be final. The Graduate Dean, with the advice and consent of the Graduate Council, will publish procedures for the appeal of Graduate Faculty status.

SECTION 2: TYPES OF MEMBERSHIP

Only persons holding an appointment to the Graduate Faculty under the provisions in this section may participate in teaching graduate courses, serving on master's committees, chairing master's committees, serving on doctoral committees, or chairing doctoral committees.

A. Regular Member
(1) Eligibility. Any faculty member holding a regular faculty appointment, as defined in the Faculty Handbook, in any college awarding an undergraduate degree on the Norman Campus is eligible for membership on the Graduate Faculty. Only persons holding such appointments will be eligible for Regular Member status on the Graduate Faculty.
(2) Privileges. Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty may have some or all of the following privileges:
a. teaching graduate courses
b. serving on master's committees
c. serving on doctoral committees
d. chairing master's committees
e. chairing doctoral committees
Endorsements (d) and (e) may be granted only by the academic unit in which the master's or doctoral degree programs is offered. Only academic units offering the doctoral degree may appoint members with the endorsement for chairing doctoral committees.
(3) Credentials. Each academic unit will publish a document that lists the credentials and, if appropriate, activities required to be a Regular Member of the Graduate Faculty in that unit. Individuals teaching in graduate programs should hold the terminal degree determined by the discipline and have a record of research, scholarship or achievement appropriate for the graduate program. When the terminal degree is in a field other than that in which the individual is teaching, that faculty member should have completed a minimum of 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline or subfield in which they teach. Evidence of continuing scholarly activity is required of all faculty members who have the endorsement to chair doctoral committees or research-based master’s committees.
(4) Tested experience. Qualified faculty members are identified primarily by credentials, but other factors, including but not limited to equivalent experience, may be considered in determining whether an individual is qualified for Graduate Faculty membership. The Graduate Dean, with the advice and consent of the Graduate Council, will publish procedures for defining a minimum threshold of experience for Graduate Faculty appointments. Appointments of Graduate Faculty that rely wholly or in part on tested experience must be approved by the Graduate Dean.
(5) Appointment. Each academic unit will provide the Dean of the Graduate College with a list of Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty. This list must be provided to the Dean of the Graduate College according to a schedule to be established by the Dean. The unit will be responsible for determining what privileges are accorded to each Regular Member approved by that unit. Units may appoint any faculty member — including those from other units, departments, or colleges — meeting the eligibility requirements of Section 2. A .1., Section 2. A .2., Section 2. A .3., and Section 2. A .4 of this Article.
(6) Term. Academic units are responsible for setting the appropriate term for Graduate Faculty appointments, which should be for seven years or less. Since evidence of continuing scholarly activity is expected for the endorsement to chair doctoral committees and research-based master’s committees, Regular Members with such an endorsement must be subject to periodic review. This review process must be specified in the unit's published criteria for membership on the Graduate Faculty. A Regular Member of the Graduate Faculty may at any time petition the appointing unit for consideration for reappointment with additional privileges.
B. Special Member
This status shall be assigned to persons whose participation in the graduate programs is recommended by their department(s) for a limited period or for a limited objective and whose appointment is approved by the Dean of the Graduate College. This status can be accorded to individuals within or outside the University. Normally this status would be assigned for one year so that a faculty member could teach a graduate course, serve on a graduate examination committee or serve on a thesis or dissertation committee in which the faculty member has recognized expertise. At the expiration of the appointment period, the Special Member may be reappointed with the recommendation and approval of the Dean of the Graduate College.
C. Ex Officio Members
The President, the Provost, all college deans, graduate department chairs/directors, and the University Libraries Dean will be ex officio members of the Graduate Faculty. If appropriate, they may also be Regular Members, Special Members, or Members at Large of the Graduate Faculty.
D. Members-at-Large
The Dean of the Graduate College may recommend to the Graduate Council, through its Graduate Faculty Membership Committee, individuals for Member-at-Large status on the Graduate Faculty. In doing so, the Dean must provide a record of appropriate credentials, reason for appointment, statement of duties and privileges of that person. Graduate Council approval is required.

SECTION 3: REDUCTION IN STATUS

A. Should a member no longer qualify for Regular Member status under Article IV, Section 2. a .1. (for example, due to retirement or resignation), the Graduate Faculty membership will be rescinded. The member may, with the approval of the Graduate Dean, be granted permission to continue teaching graduate courses and serving on student committees either as a Special Member, a Member-at-Large, or an Ex Officio Member.
B. If, at the end of the term of appointment, a Regular Member no longer qualifies for the endorsement to chair doctoral committees or master’s committees, the academic unit will so notify the Regular Member. Upon the written request of the Regular Member, the academic unit will grant a one-year extension of the endorsement to chair doctoral or master’s committees, during which time the Regular Member will have an opportunity to re-establish the appropriate credentials.
C. In certain cases, such as those of professional incompetence, dishonesty, or failure to fulfill professional duties related to Graduate Faculty membership, a Member may have some or all privileges on the Graduate Faculty rescinded prior to the end of the term of appointment. This is an exceptional event and should be undertaken only after other administrative remedies have failed. In accordance with Article IV, Section 1. B., the Graduate Dean, with the advice and consent of the Graduate Council, will publish procedures under which privileges may be rescinded prior to the end of the term appointment and under which the member involved may appeal such rescission. If an appeal is filed, the Member's privileges will continue until the appeal is resolved.
D. No officially constituted master’s or doctoral committee will be affected by any change in the privileges or status of a member of the Graduate Faculty serving on that committee unless the change occurred under the authority of Section 3. A. or Section 3. C. of this Article. This provision does not apply to Special Members, Members at Large, or Ex Officio Members of the Graduate Faculty.

SECTION 4: CONTINUATION OF PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS

A. Appointments that were made under the authority of Article IV of the Charter of the Graduate Faculty in force at the time of the enactment of this revised Article IV will continue until the end of the appointments. Such appointments remain subject to the eligibility requirements in force at the time of appointment. However, any appeals of revisions to such appointments will be processed according to the guidelines described in this Article. This Article will govern any reappointment or additional privileges granted to such individuals.
B. With the consent of the individual concerned, an academic unit may process a new Graduate Faculty appointment under the authority of this Article, in which case the previous appointment is without effect.

ARTICLE V: VOTING RIGHTS

Voting rights are restricted to Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty. Unless they are simultaneously Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty, Ex Officio members, Special Members and Members at Large shall not be granted voting privileges. No votes shall be cast by proxy.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

SECTION 1: MEETINGS

The Graduate Faculty shall meet as needed, usually at least once every academic year.

SECTION 2: SPECIAL MEETINGS

A. Special Meetings may be called by the Graduate Council, Norman Campus, by the Dean of the Graduate College, or upon written petition of a total of 40 Members of the Graduate Faculty.
B. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call.
C. All Graduate Faculty shall be notified.
D. The Dean shall schedule a meeting of the Graduate Faculty no earlier than 7 calendar days nor later than 45 calendar days from receipt of the petition by the Dean of the Graduate College. In cases of emergencies, the Dean may call a meeting on shorter than 7 days.

SECTION 3: QUORUM

Twenty members of the Graduate Faculty of the Norman Campus representing at least 4 different departments/schools constitute a quorum provided that no more than one-half of the members present is from any one department.

ARTICLE VII: RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY

The Graduate Faculty, in conjunction with the Dean of the Graduate College, shall have the responsibility and power to determine requirements for the admission and retention of students in the graduate programs; to establish degree requirements; to recommend through the Senior Vice President and Provost and the President of the University to the Board of Regents the awarding of degrees earned; to formulate and implement policy related to all matters of graduate education; to set standards of research and scholarly creative achievement; and to take steps necessary for safeguarding and upholding such policies and standards. Nothing in this Article shall be deemed to modify or limit the responsibilities and powers of either the OU Board of Regents or the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to review any items described in this Article.

ARTICLE VIII: THE GRADUATE COUNCIL

The Graduate Council, as the instrument of the Graduate Faculty, shall exercise the general legislative and academic authority of the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Council also shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of a system for the equitable resolution of differences and issues which may arise between and among graduate students and members of the Graduate Faculty. The Graduate Faculty reserves the right to review, endorse, change, or rescind any action of the Graduate Council. The operation of the Graduate Council is contained in the CHARTER OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENT OF THE CHARTER

SECTION 1: AMENDING

This charter may be amended according to the following procedure:

A. Amendment of this charter will be considered for debate at any regular or special meeting of the Graduate Faculty, if it is proposed by the majority of the Graduate Council or by 40 members of the Graduate Faculty.
B. Voting on proposed amendments shall be by mail or email ballot. To be approved, a proposed amendment requires affirmation by two-thirds (2 /3) of the Graduate Faculty voting.
C. Amendments shall be submitted to each eligible Graduate Faculty member for vote at least fifteen (15) calendar days prior to tabulation of ballots.

SECTION 2: EFFECTIVE DATE

Amendments shall be effective at the beginning of the academic term following the approval by the Board of Regents.

ARTICLE X: ADOPTION

This Charter shall become effective when it has been approved by a majority of the Graduate Faculty voting and by the Board of Regents.

(Regents' Approval, 3 -8 -84, 6 -27 -95, 3 -29 -00, 1 -27 -04, 1 -30 -20)


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12.2 CHARTER OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL - NORMAN CAMPUS

ARTICLE I

The name of this organization shall be: "The Graduate Council of the University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus".

ARTICLE II - FUNCTION

The graduate faculty shall be the academic policy-making body within the University on all matters relating to graduate studies. The Graduate Council, as the instrument of the graduate faculty, shall exercise the general legislative and academic authority of the graduate faculty; establish policies and standards governing development and changes in graduate curricula, including new courses and degree programs; make recommendations on all proposals for new graduate programs, substantially modified graduate programs, and deletions of graduate programs; monitor graduate course offerings; determine the eligibility of students for admission, financial aid, and graduation, and advise the Dean of the Graduate College on other Graduate College matters. The Graduate Council also shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of a system for the equitable resolution of differences and issues which may arise between and among graduate students and members of the graduate faculty. The graduate faculty reserves the right to review, endorse, change, or rescind any action of the Graduate Council as provided by Article VII of this Charter.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

A. The Graduate Council shall be composed of three groups of members:
1. Ex Officio Members
a. The Dean of the Norman Campus Graduate College, who shall be Chairperson of the Council. The Chairperson of the Council may vote only in the event of a tie vote by the Council.
b. The Dean of the Tulsa Graduate College, the Assistant and Associate Deans of the Norman Campus Graduate College, who shall serve without vote. In the absence of the Dean, the Dean of the Tulsa Graduate College, the Associate or the Assistant Dean will be the Acting Chairperson of the Council as designated by the Dean.
c. The Secretary of the Graduate Council, who shall be selected by the Graduate Dean and serve without vote. The secretary shall have the responsibility to:
1) Schedule meetings of the Graduate Council.
2) Prepare and circulate agendas of meetings.
3) Prepare and circulate minutes of the meetings of the graduate faculty and Graduate Council.
4) Keep a record of all actions taken.
5) Perform other duties that may be necessary to accomplish faculty and Council business.
2. Members elected from the University graduate faculty according to the following criteria:
a. Each college offering one or more graduate programs shall be entitled to a minimum of at least one elected member. In a college with more than one representative, that college should develop election procedures to ensure broad representation of the areas within that college.
b. The maximum number of elected members from any college shall be one for each whole ten percent (10 %) of the total University full-time equivalent graduate student population enrolled in the college. Graduate student enrollment percentages will be rounded to the nearest multiple of ten percent.
c. Official graduate student full time equivalents in the various colleges shall be determined from the records of the Graduate Colleges for the fall semester of the academic year in which the elections are held.
d. No faculty member shall be eligible for election to membership on the Graduate Council unless he/she is a Regular Member of the graduate faculty.
e. Each elected member shall serve for a three year term, and, when possible, elections will be staggered to ensure approximately one-third new members each year. The term shall commence on September 1.
f. No faculty member can serve more than six consecutive years.
g. Vacancies caused by resignation, leave, illness, etc., shall be filled by election in the college with the vacancy. The member will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.
3. Graduate Student Members
Four graduate students shall be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate College from at least eight nominations made by the Graduate Student Senate. Student members will serve with voting privileges for one-year terms and no two may be from the same college. Students may serve for more than one term.
B. Any Council member who misses three or more Council meetings in a year (September through the following June) will be subject to dismissal from the Graduate Council. The Dean of the Graduate College will investigate the reasons for the absences and decide whether or not to declare the seat vacant.

ARTICLE IV - ELECTION OF MEMBERS

A. Elections shall be held in April or May of each year within each college for which there is an actual or impending vacancy in Graduate Council representation. Vacancies shall be filled only by election, regardless of cause. (That is, vacancies caused by resignation, leave, illness, etc., as well as those due to expiring terms, shall be filled by election).
B. When an election is necessary in a given college, the Dean of the Graduate College will notify the dean of the college.
C. The dean of the college will then arrange for an election to be conducted. Only members of the University graduate faculty shall be eligible to vote.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

A. Meetings shall be held monthly during the academic year. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Dean of the Graduate College.
B. A quorum shall consist of more than half of the voting members of the Council.
C. Items of Council business and agenda shall be emailed to all members of the Council so as to be available in advance of a meeting.
D. Business of an emergency nature can be brought before Council at any meeting if a majority of the member’s present vote to consider the issue.
E. Items of business shall be passed if a majority of members present vote favorably.
F. The Chairperson of the Graduate Council shall appoint a faculty member to serve as parliamentarian.
G. All meetings shall follow Robert's Rules of Order.

ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES

A. There shall be the following standing committees of the Graduate Council:
1. Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
2. Graduate Faculty Membership
3. Courses and Program Changes
4. Travel and Research
B. Each standing committee shall have at least four members and generally be chaired, by one of the deans in the Graduate College. A slate of membership for each committee shall be prepared by the Dean of the Graduate College and presented to the Graduate Council for approval at the first Council meeting in the fall semester. The term of duty is one calendar year.
C. Agenda items for these standing committees normally shall be directed to them by the Graduate Council Secretary or by the Dean of the Graduate College. These committees shall report and make recommendations to the Graduate Council.
D. Ad hoc Committees, whose membership may be drawn from the graduate faculty at large, shall be authorized and selected by the Dean of the Graduate College.

ARTICLE VII - COUNCIL ACTION

The dean of each college, chair/director of each department/school, and all Regular Members of the Graduate Faculty shall be sent copies of the Council's agenda before meetings and copies of the Council's minutes afterward. Each department is urged to post a copy of the minutes so they will be available to graduate students. Members of the graduate faculty and deans of each college (or their designated representatives) shall have the right to be present at meetings of the Council and may, with the permission of the Council's Chairperson or a majority of the Council, participate in a non-voting capacity in discussion of business before the Council.

Course Changes and Petitions will be considered approved by the graduate faculty seven calendar days (7) after the minutes are delivered if no written protest is received in the Graduate College office. When a written protest is made by one or more Regular Members of the graduate faculty, the course change or petition will be returned to Council for reconsideration. If the Council confirms its initial action, the matter will be considered final.

All other actions of the Graduate Council will have a twenty-one (21) calendar day faculty protest period after the notification of such actions has been circulated among the graduate faculty. If during the 21 -day period a valid written protest to Council action is made, the matter will be returned to the Council for reconsideration. To be valid, the protest must be signed by 40 Regular Members of the graduate faculty or 80 currently enrolled graduate students. If the Council confirms its initial action, a meeting of the graduate faculty shall be called for its consideration of the contested action. Following the meeting, the graduate faculty will be polled by mail or email ballot.

(Regents, 3 -8 -84, 1 -30 -20)


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13.0 APPENDIX D: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE, NORMAN CAMPUS (EXCLUDING LAW)
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13.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS
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13.1.2 Basic Principle of Academic Integrity

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. Academic assignments exist to help students learn; grades exist to show how fully this goal is attained. Therefore all work and all grades should result from the student's own understanding and effort.


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13.1.3 Scope

This Code applies to all work for any class or other academic activity conducted by a Norman Campus unit, excluding the College of Law. It also applies to other academic activities such as enrollment, withdrawal from classes and the like. Misconduct in admissions is not covered except when discovered after the student's classes begin. Violations of expectations for orderly conduct in instructional activities shall be governed by the Student Code and by such rules as the Provost may establish or approve.


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13.1.4 Definition of Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is any act which improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement. Misconduct occurs when the student either knows or reasonably should know that the act constitutes misconduct. The Provost shall develop policies and instructional materials to illustrate specific forms of misconduct such as fraud, plagiarism, and improper collaboration.


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13.1.5 Integrity Council

The Integrity Council shall be an organization of students that maintains and promotes academic integrity on the Norman Campus. Assisted by faculty, staff and administrators, it shall fulfill the investigative, adjudicative, and advisory functions provided in this Code and otherwise promote integrity on the Norman Campus. The Provost shall approve the Council's procedures as well as bylaws and membership requirements. The Integrity Council shall be advised by a board appointed by the President, with representation from faculty, students, and others as appropriate.


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13.1.6 Integrity Pledge

Instructors are encouraged to advise students of the requirements of the University Academic Integrity Code and its application to any assignments, examinations, policies and procedures in the course. Although the Code is binding on student conduct by its own force, instructors may additionally choose to remind students of the importance of the Code by formal or informal means. An example of a formal reminder would be to have students attest in writing that they have complied with the Code with regard to a specific assignment or examination. An informal reminder may be an oral statement made to the class that the Code is binding with respect to a collaboration or research project.


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13.2 REPORTING ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Any person may report suspected misconduct to an instructor (or to the relevant administrator as appropriate), or to the Integrity Council. Instructors and administrators who receive a report or otherwise learn of suspected misconduct may first investigate and should report the matter to the Integrity Council as described below.


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13.3 INFORMAL RESOLUTION: THE ADMONITION

13.3.1

Choosing the admonition. An admonition is a warning from the instructor to the student. It may be accompanied by a grade reduction up to a zero on the assignment and/or additional required work. An admonition is not an adjudication of academic misconduct. However, in any subsequent misconduct proceeding the admonition will establish the student's familiarity with integrity standards. Admonitions are typically appropriate when the student’s conduct would count as misconduct but is better addressed through an immediate instructional response rather than referral to the Integrity Council. Admonitions are not appropriate for egregious misconduct, or for cumulative examinations, and other semester-long assignments, or for graduate assignments such as general examinations. Ordinarily no student should receive more than one admonition.

13.3.2

Conditions for imposing the admonition. An instructor who elects to use the admonition option shall inform the student of the nature of and basis for the misconduct; explain the grade reduction or other requirement to be imposed; and inform the student how to contest the decision. The Provost shall approve rules to report admonitions, ensure that students may contest them, and restrict their use in repeat or egregious cases.


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13.4 INTEGRITY COUNCIL INVESTIGATION

Upon receipt of a report of misconduct, the Integrity Council shall investigate unless the case is referred back to the instructor for review and informal resolution. The Integrity Council shall adopt investigation procedures that ensure fundamental fairness to the students involved, protect the community's interest in enforcement of standards, and prompt resolution of cases. These procedures shall include:

(a) Notice to the student, no later than 30 regular class days of when the incident is discovered
(b) a grade of "N", a temporary neutral grade, to be assigned while the matter is pending;
(c) referral to an appropriate Integrity Council designee(s), who will answer questions and counsel the student as to the rights available under the Code, and be available to the student throughout the investigation process as an informative resource only;
(d) the option to seek further advice or counsel from a designated student advisor, including UOSA general counsel;
(e) a report of findings, in writing, that shall be provided to the student, the instructor or other administrator reporting the incident, and other university officials with a need to know.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the matter may be concluded by dismissal, if insufficient evidence exists to support a finding of responsibility; default, if the student fails to respond to reasonable notice; admission of responsibility by the student; or hearing.

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13.5 HEARINGS

Upon the student's request for a hearing, the matter shall be assigned to an Integrity Council Inquiry Panel. The Inquiry Panel shall consist of two students, two faculty members, and a student chair. The case shall be adjudicated according to procedures that honor the following principles:

(a) Students are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
(b) Students are entitled to a reasonably prompt hearing.
(c) Hearings are not adversarial: the Panel shall be primarily responsible for eliciting information from all relevant sources, which shall ordinarily include the instructor, investigator, and student.
(d) The student shall represent himself or herself but may be advised by his or her Integrity Council advisor.
(e) Responsibility for misconduct must be established by a preponderance of the evidence.
(f) At the conclusion of the hearing the Panel shall deliberate and decide by majority vote whether the student is responsible for an act of misconduct.

If a student is found not responsible for misconduct, the matter shall be dismissed. If a student is found responsible, the Panel shall recommend an institutional penalty to the Provost and may make recommendations to the instructor as to the grade penalty.


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13.6 REMEDIATION FOR MISCONDUCT

In any case resolved with a finding of responsibility for misconduct, a grade reduction may be imposed by the instructor and institutional remediation may be imposed by the Provost.

13.6.1

Grade reduction. Grade reductions are determined and imposed by instructors. Grade reductions may exceed the value of the assignment in which the misconduct occurred and may also be accompanied by requirements to complete a substitute assignment or examination.

13.6.2

Institutional remediation. The remedial sanctions noted below shall be imposed by the Provost, upon consultation with the Integrity Council. Additional guidelines and interpretations for these sanctions may be adopted by the Provost. The Integrity Council shall publish descriptions of typical cases in which particular consequences are imposed.

Censure. Censure is a written reprimand for violation of integrity standards and a warning that a further act of academic misconduct will result in more severe action. Censure shall not be noted on a student's transcript, but will be noted in the student's education record.

Service and Instructional Alternatives. In appropriate cases, a student may be allowed to complete a voluntary community service or instructional exercise in lieu of suspension or expulsion.

Suspension. Suspension is loss of student status for a period of not less than one academic session. Credits earned elsewhere during the suspension shall not be accepted by the university. A notation of the suspension shall be made on the student's transcript and shall remain there until the student graduates, or permanently, depending on the severity of the offense.

Expulsion. Expulsion is termination of student status for an indefinite period, usually intended to be permanent. A notation of expulsion for academic misconduct shall be made on the student's transcript and will remain there permanently. Reconsideration of any expulsion is not guaranteed; it occurs at the discretion of the Provost, in consultation with the Integrity Council.


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13.7 RECORDS

The Provost shall establish a schedule for the maintenance of misconduct records and procedures for students to request early expungement of records for good cause shown.


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13.8 APPEALS AND RECONSIDERATION

Appeals must be based on procedural irregularities so substantial as to deny the student a fair hearing; or on new and significant evidence that could not have been discovered by a reasonably diligent student. Appeals shall be decided by the Provost. The President and the Board of Regents reserve the right to review, at their discretion, any decision for manifest error or inequity.


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13.9 EFFECTIVE DATE

This Code shall be effective when the President and Provost complete the initial appointment of officers and approve the Integrity Council policies and procedures described herein. Until then, the current Academic Misconduct Code shall remain in effect.

(Regents, 1 -26 -2011)


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14.0 APPENDIX E: Pre-Hearing and Hearing Procedures Guidelines for Faculty Appeals of the Institutional Equity Office’s Investigations and Findings, Norman Campus

The Institutional Equity Office (IEO) is tasked with accepting and investigating complaints arising under:

(1) the Nondiscrimination Policy, which prohibits, in both the educational and employment context, discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, color, age, religion, disability, political beliefs, or status as a veteran (see http: //www.ou.edu/home/eoo.html); and

(2) the Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination and Harassment Policy which prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the interference with the enjoyment or entitlement to educational or employment benefits because of a person’s gender (see http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html); and

(3) the Consensual Sexual Relations Policy which prohibits persons in positions of authority from having intimate relationships with their subordinates or students (see http: //www.ou.edu/home/misc.html).

(collectively referred to as “Civil Rights”). When issues involve Civil Rights matters, if the complaining party has not already reported the matter to the University’s Institutional Equity Office, the appropriate administrative officer shall immediately refer the matter to the appropriate Institutional Equity Officer (i. e., Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator, or Sexual Misconduct Officer) for investigation and findings. When used in these guidelines, “Findings” shall be deemed to be read as “findings, conclusions and recommendations. ” If the investigator determines that a faculty member has violated one of the above policies, the investigator shall refer his/her Findings to the proper administrative officer(s) for action.

I. Less than Severe Sanctions

A. No Violation – Reconsideration.

Where the investigator determines that no violation has occurred, the original complaining party may request that an Institutional Equity Officer reconsider the investigator’s Findings. If the Institutional Equity Officer agrees with the investigator’s Findings, the determination is final and the matter is ended within the University. If the Institutional Equity Officer determines reconsideration is warranted, the matter will be referred to the original investigator for further action consistent with the Institutional Equity Officer’s directions, or the Institutional Equity Officer (“IEO”) may modify the original Findings, as appropriate, and the charged faculty member may appeal the Findings as provided herein.

B. Violation Found – Adjusted Timelines.

Where the investigator/IEO determines that a violation has occurred, but less than severe sanctions are warranted, the charged faculty member may appeal the investigator’s Findings through a modified grievance process referenced in Section 3.9.1 (B) (8) (a), of the Faculty Handbook. When filing the appeal, to account for the compressed time restrictions established by the Office of Civil Rights, the following adjustments to the timelines for the appeal/hearing process will normally be required.

1. Within 3 business days (a “business day” being any day on which the principal chartered banks located in the City of Norman, Oklahoma, are open for business during normal banking hours) of the charged faculty member’s receipt of the investigator’s Findings, if the charged faculty member wishes to appeal the IEO Findings, he/she must file the written request for a hearing with the FAB Chair and also file a copy of the written request for a hearing with the IEO.

2. Within 3 business days of receipt of the charged faculty member’s request for a hearing, the FAB Chair shall (i) schedule a prehearing to take place within 10 business days of said request, as described in § 3.9.1 (B) (4) of the Faculty Handbook and notify the charged faculty member, the IEO officer, appropriate administrative officer and the original complainant of its date, time and place; (ii) select, at random, 3 FAB members of the Committee on Discrimination and Harassment to conduct the prehearing review; (iii) confirm whether the original complainant elects to be a party in the matter; and (iv) notify appropriate parties of the date, time and place for selection of the Hearing Committee should the prehearing panel determine that a hearing is warranted.

3. Within 1 business day of the conclusion of the prehearing, the prehearing panel will determine whether, in its opinion, a hearing is required. The basis for the decision shall be whether:

a. the evidence is deemed to be insufficient to support the investigator’s Findings utilizing a preponderance of the evidence standard; or

b. evidence not previously available during the investigation exists that, if known, could have materially altered the investigator’s Findings;

c. if either a or b are answered in the affirmative, the prehearing panel shall recommend that the charged faculty member be granted a hearing and the FAB Chair shall immediately notify the parties and IEO; otherwise, the charged faculty member shall not be entitled to a hearing and the FAB process is ended; provided however,

d. if requested within 3 business days of the prehearing ruling, and if a and b, above are answered in the negative, the charged faculty member may request that the appropriate administrative officer reconsider the disciplinary action. The officer may review the matter, and, after consulting the IEO and/or Legal Counsel, render the final decision, at which point the matter is ended.

4. If a hearing is recommended by the prehearing panel, within 3 business days of the prehearing ruling, the appropriate administrative official, the IEO officer, the charged faculty member, and, if the original complainant has elected to be a party and participate in the hearing, the original complainant or their authorized designees, shall convene with the FAB Chair at the appointed time and place to select members of the FAB Committee on Discrimination and Harassment to serve on the Hearing Committee, as provided in Section 3.9.1 (B) (7) of the Faculty Handbook.

5. Within 3 business days of being selected, members of the Hearing Committee shall convene to choose a chair of the Hearing Committee, set the date for the hearing to take place, and to inform all appropriate persons of the hearing date. Generally, the hearing shall be scheduled to take place no later than 30 calendar days from the convening of the Hearing Committee.

6. Within 3 business days of the conclusion of the hearing, the Hearing Committee shall forward the Committee’s written Findings to the charged faculty member, appropriate administrative officer, IEO officer, and President.

7. Within 3 business days of receipt of the Hearing Committee’s Findings, the President may adopt, overturn, or modify the Hearing Committee’s Findings or remand the matter for further action; provided, if the President does not act on the recommendation within that time, the Hearing Committee’s Findings shall become final and its recommendations put into effect.

8. If remanded, the Hearing Committee shall reconsider the matter as reasonably required in view of the President’s stated concerns and report the matter back to the President for appropriate action, all as promptly as possible and as is consistent with applicable law.

9. All timelines may be shortened or lengthened if agreed to by all parties and they are consistent with the timeliness requirements of Title IX, as determined by the Office of Legal Counsel in conjunction with the appropriate IEO officer.

C. Hearing Regulations Adjustments.

The following adjustments to the hearing regulations will be required in non-severe sanction cases involving Civil Rights issues:

1. According to federal guidelines, the original complainant has the option to be both a witness and a party in a Civil Rights case. If the original complainant chooses to be a party, she/he will have rights similar to those accorded to the other parties and may actively participate in the proceedings. The original complainant also has the option to attend the hearing or participate via Skype, video-conferencing, and the like. The FAB Chair shall confirm selection of those options as early as possible to afford the original complainant appropriate opportunities to participate.

2. The IEO officer may be a witness in a Civil Rights case, or may present the University’s case to the Hearing Committee, as appropriate.

3. In its deliberations, the Hearing Committee shall apply a preponderance of the evidence standard, meaning that more likely than not, the charged faculty member committed a policy violation.

II. Severe Sanctions

A. No Severe Sanctions Violation Found.

Where the investigator/IEO officer determines that a violation has occurred but does not warrant imposition of severe sanctions or that no Civil Rights violation has occurred, the appellate provisions of Article I apply.

B. Severe Sanctions Violation.

Where the investigator/IEO officer determines that a violation has occurred, that severe sanctions are warranted and has forwarded the Findings to the appropriate administrative officer for action as referenced in Section 3.8.3 of the Faculty Handbook, the case against the charged faculty member shall follow a modified process referenced in Section 3.9.1 (B) (8) (a), of the Faculty Handbook.

C. Severe Sanctions Violation Timelines.

To account for the compressed time restrictions established by the Office of Civil Rights, the following adjustments to the timelines prosecuting the internal Civil Rights complaint normally will be required.

1. Within 5 business days of receipt of the complaint, the charged faculty member shall file a written response to the President’s complaint with the FAB Chair who shall immediately: (i) distribute copies thereof to the Provost, General Counsel, IEO Officer, and original complainant; (ii) notify said persons of the date, time, and place for selection of the Hearing Committee; and, (iii) confirm whether the original complainant elects to be a party in the matter.

2. Within 3 business days of receipt of the charged faculty member’s written response, the President (complainant), the charged faculty member (respondent), and, if the original complainant has elected to be a party and participate in the hearing, the original complainant (original complainant) or their authorized designees, shall convene with the FAB Chair at the appointed time and place to select members of the FAB Committee on Discrimination and Harassment to serve on the Hearing Committee, as provided in Section 3.9.1 (B) (7) of the Faculty Handbook.

3. Within 3 business days of being selected, members of the Hearing Committee shall convene to choose a chair of the Hearing Committee, set the date for the hearing to take place, and to inform all appropriate persons of the hearing date. Generally, the hearing shall be scheduled to take place no later than 30 calendar days from the convening of the Hearing Committee.

4. Within 3 business days of the conclusion of the hearing, the Hearing Committee shall forward the Committee’s written Findings to the charged faculty member, appropriate administrative officer, IEO officer, and President.

5. As promptly as possible, after receipt of the Hearing Committee’s Findings, the President or Board of Regents, as appropriate, may adopt, overturn, modify, or remand them to the Hearing Committee for additional action. If the Hearing Committee recommends severe sanctions, or despite a contrary finding the President recommends severe sanctions, the matter will be immediately referred to the Board of Regents for action in accordance with Section 3.9.1 (B) (8) (h) of the Faculty Handbook.

a. The Board of Regents shall review the record and transcript of the proceedings and make a final determination in the matter as promptly as possible and as is consistent with applicable law.

b. The Board of Regents shall notify the President of its final determination who shall promptly notify the charged faculty member, University Counsel, the IEO officer, and original complainant of the Board’s final determination, which shall end the matter within the University.

6. If remanded, the Hearing Committee shall reconsider the matter as reasonably required in view of the President’s/Board’s stated concerns and report the matter back to the President for appropriate action, all as promptly as possible and as is consistent with applicable law,.

7. If the President recommends less than severe sanctions, regardless of the Hearing Committee’s Findings, no further appeal by the charged faculty member is available.

8. All timelines may be shortened or lengthened if agreed to by all parties and they are consistent with the timeliness requirements of Title IX, as determined by the Office of Legal Counsel in conjunction with the appropriate IEO officer.

D. Hearing Regulations Adjustments.

The following adjustments to the hearing regulations will be required in Civil Rights severe sanctions cases:

1. According to federal guidelines, the original complainant has the option to be both a witness and a party in a Civil Rights case. If the original complainant chooses to be a party, she/he will have rights similar to those accorded to the other parties and may actively participate in the proceedings. The original complainant also has the option whether to attend the hearing or participate via Skype, video-conferencing, and the like. The FAB Chair shall confirm the original complainant’s selection of these options as early as possible to afford the original complainant appropriate opportunities to participate.

2. The IEO officer may be a witness in a Civil Rights case or may present the University’s case to the Hearing Committee, as appropriate.

3. In its deliberations, the Hearing Committee shall apply a preponderance of the evidence standard, meaning that more likely than not, the charged faculty member committed a policy violation.


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INDEX

References are to section numbers.

Abrogation of Tenure, 3.8, 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3

Academic Appeals Board, 4.16.1

Academic Divisions, 1.1

Academic Due Process, 3.9, 3.9.1

Academic Forgiveness, 4.15

Academic Freedom, 3.2.1

Oklahoma Ethics Rules, 3.2.3
Alleged Violations of, 3.9.1

Academic Integrity, Student, 4.16

Academic Misconduct, 13

Academic Responsibility, 3.2.2

Academic Structure, 1.1

Academic Tenure – Definitions, 3.7.1

Academic Units, Services for, 3.14

Academic Year, 3.15

Unscheduled Holidays, 3.15.1
Religious Holidays, 3.15.2

Access to Personnel Files, 5.34

to Research Materials, Libraries, 7.1.5

Accommodation of Disability, 5.4

Accommodation Policy, 5.4

Accountability, Faculty, 3.3

Accreditation, 1.1

Acting President, 2.3.2

Administration, College and Department, 2.8

Administration, University, Section 2

Administrative Advisory Committees, 2.7.4

Administration and Finance, Division of, 2.3.7

Administrative Leave, 3.21. 2

Administrative Officers, Council of, 2.6

Administrative Organization, 2.3

Interim Appointments, 2.3.15
President, 2.3.1
President, Tulsa Campus, 2.3.12
Senior Vice President and Provost, 2.3.3
Senior Vice President and Provost, Health Sciences Center, 2.3.4
University Vice President for Technology Development, 2.3.6
Executive Vice President and Vice President for Administration and Finance, 2.3.7
Vice President for Development, 2.3.5
Vice President for Governance/Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents, 2.3.14
Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer, 2.3.11
Vice President for Public Affairs, 2.3.8
Vice President for Research, 2.3.10
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, 2.3.9
Vice President for University Outreach, 2.3.13

Administrative Search Committees, 2.7. 8

Administrative Staff Council, 2.6

Advanced Placement Program, 4.13

Advanced Standing Credit, 4.13

Advancement in Rank and Salary, 3.13.2, 3.13.3

Advertising and Educational Information, 5.18

Advertising and Promotion, 5.18.1
Educational Information Policy, 5.18.3

Advisement

of Entering Students, 4.2
of Student Organizations, 4.3

Affirmative Action Officer, 2.3.1

Affirmative Action Plan, 5.1.1

Airport, 7.12.1

Alcohol Abuse and Drug Use on Campus and in the Workplace, 5.12

Alumni Affairs, 8.8

Alumni Association, University of Oklahoma, 2.3.5, 8.8

American Association of University Professors, 3.2.1, 3.2.2

Animal Care and Use Committee, 3.35

Annuities, Tax-deferred, 6.5

Appeals and Grievances (see also Grievances), 3.9

Appeals Boards

Academic, 4.16.1
Faculty 3.9.1

Appeals Concerning English Proficiency of Instructors, Student, 4.17

Appointments, Personnel Actions, 3.5

Appointments, 3.5.2
Academic, 3.5.2
Chairs of Departments, 2.8.2
Deans, 2.3.15, 2.8.1
Directors of Schools, 2.8.2
Interim, 2.3.15
Joint, 3.5.2
New Faculty, 3.5.2
Notification of Non-Reappointment of Tenure-Track Contract, 3.5.5. A
Notification of Non-Reappointment of a Ranked Renewable Term Contract, 3.5.5. B
Part-time, 3.5.2
Period, 3.5.2
Personnel Actions, 3.5.1
President, 2.3.15, 2.7.8
Provost, 2.3.15, 2.7.7
Reappointment and Non-reappointment, 3.5.4
Regular, 3.5.2
Renewable Term, 3.5.2
Research Faculty, 3.5.3
Caps on Research Faculty Appointments, 3.5.3
Governance Issues for Research Faculty, 3.5.3
Impact Evaluation, 3.5.3
Recruitment and Appointment, 3.5.3
Salary, Bridge Funding, Promotion, and Raises for Research Faculty, 3.5.3
Resignation, 3.5.6
Temporary, 3.5.2
Tenured, 3.5.2
Tenure-track, 3.5.2
Vice Presidents, 2.3.15, 2.7.8

Architectural and Engineering Services, 2.3.7

Art Center, Fred Jones, Jr. Memorial, 9.1.1, 9.1.3

Art, Museum of, 7.4

Art, School of, 9.1.3

Athletics, 9.6

Council, 2.7.2
Director, 2.3.1

Attendance

Class, 4.19
Faculty, 4.19
Students, 4.19
Summer Institutes, 3.24

Auditing Courses, 4.14

Auditoria, 8.5

Automobile

Use of State for Private Purposes, 5.22

Avian Research Center, 1.1

Awards

College, 3.20.1
Faculty, 3.20
Regents, 3.17
Research and Creative Activity, 3.17
Teaching, 3.17
Service, 3.17

Bass Collection, 7.1.1

Benefits Designation, 6.1

Bicycle Policy, 5.41

Biological Station, 1.1

Bizzell Memorial Library, 7.1

Board of Regents

Secretary of the, 2.3.1
State, 2.1
University, 2.2

Bomb Threats, 8.14

Bookstores, 8.14

Book Funds, Libraries, 7.1.3

Books (Library), Ordering, 7.1.4

Boren Professorship, David L., 3.18.1

Boyd Professorship, David Ross, 3.18.2

Branch Libraries, 7.1

Budget Office, 2.3.7

Building Security, 8.14

Bulletins and Catalogs, 5.27

Business and Economic Development, Office of, 7.9.3

Business, Conducting Private, 5.24

By-Laws of the Faculty Senate, 11

Campaigning, Political, 5.9

Campaigns, Participation in Political, 3. 23,

Campus Connections, 8.11

Campuses

College of Medicine-Tulsa, 1.1
Health Sciences Center, 1.1
Main Campus in Norman, 1.1
North Campus in Norman, 1.1
University Center at Tulsa, 1.1

Campus Tenure Committee, 3.7.5 (k)

Candidates for Political Office, 3.22

Caps and Gowns, 3.27

Career Development, 3.3, 3.14

Services, 3.14

CART, 5.19.1

Catalogs and Bulletins, 5.27

Catlett Music Center, 9.1.4

Censure of Student, 13

Center for Business and Economic Development, 7.9.3

Center for English as a Second Language, 7.9.2

Centers and Institutes, Policy and Procedure Guide 7.14

Certificates, 5.26.3

Chairs, Endowed, 3.19

Chairs of Departments,

Appointments of, 2.8.2 (g), (h)
Evaluation, 2.8.2 (e)
Expectations, 2.8.2 (d)
Faculty Grievances Concerning, 2.8.2 (I)
Responsibilities, 2.8.2 (c)
Selection, 2.8.2 (f)

Charter of the Regular Faculty and the Faculty Senate,

The Regular Faculty, 10.1
The Faculty Senate, 10.2

Charter, Graduate Faculty, 12

Cheating, 4.16.1, 13

Chief Information Officer, 2.3.11

Chief Legal Counsel, 2.3.1

Child Care Center, 8.14

Class Attendance, 4.19

Class Meetings

During Finals Week, 4.21
Irregular, 4.20
Rescheduling, 4.12

Classes (also see "Courses")

Irregular Class Meetings, 4.20
During Finals Week, 4.21

Code, Student, 4.1

Collections, Special Libraries, 7.1.1

College Administration, 2.8.1

College Awards, 3.20.1

College Level Examination Program, (CLEP), 4.13

Colleges, 1.1

Awards, 3.20
Administration, 2.8.1
Dean, Responsibilities, 2.8.1
Departmental Organization, 2.8
Governance Documents, 2.8.1

Commencement, Faculty Participation in, 3.27

Commercial Advertising Policy, 5.18.1

Commercial Term Papers, 4.18

Committee A, 2.8.2

Committees and Councils, 2.7

Administrative, 2.7.5
Administrative Search Committee, 2.7.8
Attendance Requirements, 2.7.6
Copyright, 3.29.4
Membership in, 2.7.3 (b)
Names of, 2.7.3, 2.7.4
Other University, 2.7.5
Research, 3.25
Resignation from, 2.7.7
Standing Committees, 2.7.4
University Patent Committee, 3.29.2

Communicable Disease Policy, 5.11

Communication with State Officials, 5.17

Compensation Services, 8.14

Compliance Policies, 3.30

Administration of the Compliance Program, 3.30.5
Adoption of Compliance and Quality Improvement Program, 3.30.1
Advisory Committee, 3.30.3
Monitoring and Compliance Reviews, 3.30.7
Office of Compliance, 3.30.2
Response and Prevention, 3.30.8
Reviews, 3.30.7
Standards of Conduct, 3.30.4
Training and Education, 3.30.6

Conference Rooms and Faculty Studies, 7.1.9

Confidentiality of Personnel Records, 5.34.3

Conflicts of Interest, 5.10

Consensual Sexual Relations Policy, 3.11

Continuing Education, Oklahoma Center for, 7.9

Continuing Education and Public Service, Vice Provost for, 2.3.3

Contacts with News Reporters, 5.16

Contract of Employment, 3.7.3

Contracts, Gifts and Grants, 5.14

Controller's Office, 2.3.7

Copyright

Administration, 3.29.4 (e)
Committee, 3.29.4 (h)
Contractual Term, 3.29.4 (f)
Ownership and Royalty Distribution, 3.29.4 (c)
Policy, 3.29.4 (b)
Research, 3.26
Resolution of Conflict, 3.29.4 (g)
Revenue Sharing, 3.29.4 (d)

Correction of Records, 5.34.5

Councils and Committees, 2.7

Administrative, 2.7.5
Administrative Search Committee, 2.7.8
Attendance Requirements, 2.7.6
Copyright, 3.29.4
Membership in, 2.7.3 (b)
Names of, 2.7.3, 2.7.4
Purpose, 2.7.1
Research, 3.26
Resignation from, 2.7.7
Standing Committees, 2.7.4
Other University, 2.7.5
University Patent Committee, 3.29.2

Counseling Assistance, 5.13

Employee Assistance Program, 5.13.1

Counseling and Testing Services, 2.3.9, 8.2

Courses

Auditing, 4.14
Enrollment of Faculty and Staff, in University, 4.23.1
Evaluation & Publication of, 3.32
Irregular Class Meetings, 4.20
Rescheduling of, 4.12
Sale of Required Course Material to Students, 4.25.1
Creative Activity, 3.6.2

Credit, Advanced Standing, 4.13

Credit Union, 8.14

Criteria for Tenure Decision, 3.7.4

Cross Research Professorship, George Lynn, 3.18.3

Dale Hall, Auditoria, 8.5

Dance, Department of, 9.1.5

David L. Boren Professorship, 3.18.1

David Ross Boyd Professorship, 3.18. 2

Day Care, 8.14

Deans, 1.1, 2.3.3

Appointments, 2.7.8, 2.8.1
Appointment, Interim, 2.3.15
Evaluation, 2.8.1
Listing of Colleges, 1.1
Responsibilities, 2.8.1
Role, 2.8.1
Searches, 2.8.1

Deans Council, 2.3.3

Deficit Policy, 5.29

Degrees and Certificates, 5.26

Certificates and Diplomas, 5.26.3
Degrees Granted by State Regents, 5.26.1
Honorary Degrees, 5.26.2
Posthumous Degrees, 5.26.4

Department of Public Safety, 8.14

Departmental Administration, 2.8, 2.8.2

Chair, 2.8.2
Committee A, 2.8.2
Faculty, 2.8.2

Departmental Organization, 2.8

Departmental Examinations, 4.8

Designated Scholarship Committees, 2.7.5

Desk Copies of Textbooks, 8.14

Development, 2.3.5

Development, Technology, 2.3.6

Diplomas, 5.26.3

Director of Athletics, 2.3.1

Directors of Departments

Appointments of, 2.8.2 (g), (h)
Evaluation, 2.8.2 (e)
Expectations, 2.8.2 (d)
Faculty Grievances Concerning, 2.8.2 (I)
Responsibilities, 2.8.2 (c)
Selection, 2.8.2 (f)

Director of Government Relations, 2.3.1, 8.10

Disabilities

Individuals with Disabilities, 5.2
Office of Disability Services, 5.3
Leave Policy, 3.21
Reasonable Accommodation Policy, 5.4

Disability Services, Office of, 5.3

Disabled

Employees, 5.2
Reasonable Accommodation Policy, 5.4
Student Services, 5.3
Coordination of, 5.3.4
Evaluation or Confirmation of Disability, 5.3.3
Grievances, 3.9, 5.3.6
Identification of, 5.3.2
Role of the Academic Areas, 5.3.5
Transportation for, 5.19

Disciplinary Sanctions, Students, 13

Discrimination

Policy, 3.9
Racial/Ethnic Harassment Policy, 3.10
Sexual Harassment Policy, 3.10

Disease Policy, 5.11

Dishonest Work, 3.26

Dismissal Before Expiration of a Term Appointment, 3.8

Distinguished Professorships, 3.18

David L. Boren Professorship, 3.18.1
David Ross Boyd Professorship, 3.18.2
George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, 3.18.3
Presidential Professorships, 3.18.4
Regents Professorship, 3.18.5

Document Production Services (Word Processing/Typing Services), 8.14

Drug Use, Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and, 5.12

Dual Career Couples, 5.6.1

Duties, Faculty, 3.16

Economic Development, 7.9.3

Education Abroad and International Student Services, 7.7

Educational Information Policy, 5.18.3

Eligibility for Tenure, 3.7.2

Emergency Preparedness, 8.14

Emeritus Titles, 6.3

Employee Assistance Program, 5.13.1

Employee Financial Obligations to the University, 5.39

Employees, New (Human Resources), 8.14

Employment Benefits for Eligible Employees, 6.4

Payroll Deductions, 6.4.1

Employment of Relatives, 5.6

Employment Services Division, Personnel Services, 8.14

Endowed Chairs and Professorships, 3.19

English as a Second Language, Center for, 7.9.2

English Language Requirements, 3.31

Appeals Based on, 4.17
Classroom Observation, 3.31.4
Instructional Activity, 3.31.1
Non-Tenure Track Instructional Staff, 3.31.2
Tenured, Tenure-Track, and Renewable Term Faculty, 3.31.3

Enrollment of Faculty and Staff in University Courses, 4.23.1

Environmental Health and Safety office and Radiation Safety Office, 3.36

Equal Opportunity Policy, 5.1

Affirmative Action Plan, 5.1.1
Staffing Plan Procedure and Affirmative Action Plan, 5.1.2

Equipment

Use of, 5.23

Ethics in Research Policy, 3.26

Ethnic Harassment, 3.10

Evaluation, Faculty

Course, 3.32
By Students, 3.32
Instructional, 3.32
Performance, 3.13

Examinations

Conflicts, 4.7
During Final Week of Classes, 4.10
Final, 4.7
Makeup Examinations (Other than Final) Due to University-Sponsored Activities or Legally Required Activities, 4.9
Returning Examinations, Papers, and Projects to Students, 4.11
Uniform or Departmental, 4.8

Expulsion, Student, 13

Extended Sick Leave, 3.21.4

Faculty

Abrogation of Tenure, 3.8, 3.8.1, 3.8.2, 3.8.3
Academic Freedom, 3.2.1
Academic Responsibility, 3.2.2
Academic Tenure – Definitions, 3.7.1
Academic Year, 3.15
Accountability, 3.3
Activities, 3.6
Research or Creative Achievement, 3.6.2
Service, 3.6.3
Teaching, 3.6.1
Advancement in Rank and Salary, 3.13.1, 3.13.3
Alleged Violation of Academic Freedom or Academic Due Process or Other Grievances, 3.9
Appeals and Grievances, 3.9
Appointments, Personnel Actions, 3.5
Attendance at Summer Institutes, 3.24
Awards, 3.17
Charter, 10
Class Attendance, Faculty, 4.19
Consensual Sexual Relations Policy, 3.11
Discrimination Policy, 3.10
Copyright Policy, 3.29.4
Departmental Administration, 2.8.2
Discussion Groups, 3.14
Distinguished Professorships, 3.18
Duties, 3.16
Ethics in Research, 3.26
English Language Requirements, 3.31
Enrollment in University Courses, 4.23.1
Evaluation
Course, 3.32
By Students, 3.32
Instructional, 3.32
Performance, 3.13
Faculty Appeals Boards, 3.9
Fellowships and Scholarships, 3.21.1.1
Fiscal Responsibility, 3.4
Graduate Faculty, 3.1.2
Grievances, 3.9
Appeals and Grievances, 3.9
Hiring of New, 3.5.1
Leaves of Absence, 3.21
Liability and Legal Assistance, 8.9
Mentors, 3.33
Participation in Commencement, 3.27
Patent Policy, 3.29.2
Personnel Policies, 3.1
The Regular Faculty, 3.1.1
The Graduate Faculty, 3.1.2
Post Tenure Review, 3.7.6
Professional Activities of, 3.6
Professorships, Distinguished, 3.18
Promotion, 3.13.3
Regular Faculty, 3.1.1, 10
Relationships with Students, 3.11
Research, 3.6.2
Resignation, 3.5.6
Resources, 3.14
Sabbatical Leaves Policy, 3.21.1
Salary Adjustments, 3.13.2
Sale of Required Course Material, 4.25.1
Scholarly and Professional Organizations, 3.28
Scholarships and Fellowships, 3.21.1.1
Senate, 2.4, 10, 11
Service, 3.6.3
Services Available for, 3.14
Summary Suspension, 3.8.2
Teaching, 3.6.1
Teaching Guidelines/Loads, 3.16.1
Tenure, 3.7

Faculty Club (University), 9.4

Faculty Senate, 2.4, 10

By-laws, 11
Senate Charter, 10

Fees, Waiver of, 4.22

Federal and State Legislative Affairs, 8.10

Fellowships, 3.21.1.1

FICA (Social Security), 6.2.5

Field Trips, 4.24

Film Programs, 9.3

Final Examinations, 4.7

Uniform Final or Departmental Examinations, 4.8

Finals Week, Classes During, 4.21

Financial Aid Information, 4.4

Financial Conflicts of Interest Policy – Norman Campus, 5.10

Financial Emergency Policy, 5.30

Financial Obligations to University, Employee, 5.39

Fine Arts Programs, 9.1

Box Office, 9.1.2
School of Art, 9.1.3
School of Dance, 9.1.5
School of Drama, 9.1.6
School of Music, 9.1.4
Studio Theatre, 9.1.8
Ticket Service, 9.1.2
Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts Office, 9.1.1
Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 9.1.7

Firearms Policy, 5.40

Fiscal Policy, 5.31

Fiscal Responsibility, 3.4

Fleet Services, 8.14

Forms, 5.28

Foundation, Inc., University of Oklahoma, 8.6

Fred Jones Jr. Memorial Art Center, 9.1.1

Fund Raising

Campus, 5.35
University, 2.3.5

Geophysical Observatory, 1.1

George Lynn Cross Research Professorship, 3.18. 3

Gifts, Grants and Contracts, 2.3.5, 5.14

Giving, Policy on Voluntary, 5.35.3

Goddard Health Center, 2.3.9, 8.14

Grades, 4.5

Penalties, 13
Posting of, 4.6.1
Reporting of, 4.6

Grading System, 4.5

Graduate Assistants

English Language Requirements, 3.31
Non-resident Tuition Waiver for, 4.23.2

Graduate College, 1.1

Council, 12
Faculty, 3.1.2, 12
Charter, 12

Graduate Faculty Charter, 12

Graduation, Participation in, 3.27

Grants and Gifts, 2.3.5, 5.14

Grants and Contracts, 5.14

Grievances, 3.9

Academic Freedom, 3.2.1
Academic Due Process, 3.2.1
Non Discrimination, 3.10
Mediation of, 8.1
Racial/Ethnic Harassment, 3.10
Sexual Harassment, 3.10
Student, 3.12

Grounds for Abrogation of Tenure, Dismissal and Severe Sanctions, 3.8.1

Grounds for Summary Suspension, 3.8.2

Handicap, see Disabled

Harassment

Racial and Ethnic, 3.10
Sexual, 3.10

Hazardous Materials, 3.36

Health Center, Charles B. Goddard, 2.3.9, 8.14

Health Sciences Center, 1.1, 2.3.4

Health Services, 2.3.9, 8.14

Hiring of New Faculty, 3.5.1

Contract, 3.5.2
Joint Appointments, 3.5.2
Official Offer, 3.5.2
Part-time Appointments, 3.5.2
Reappointments, 3.5.4
Tenure-track, Tenured, and Temporary Appointments, 3.5.2

History of Science Collection, 7.1.1

History of the University, 1.1

Holidays

Religious, 3.15.2
Special, 3.15.1
Unscheduled Holidays, 3.15.1

Holmberg Hall Auditorium, 8.5.2

Honesty, 13

Honorary Degrees, 5.26.2

Housing, University, 2.3.9, 8.14

Sarkeys Fitness Center, 9.7

Human Resources, 8.14

Human Subject Research Policy, 3.34

Identification Card, 8.3

Illness, Leave of Absence for, 3.21. 4

Information for New Employees (Human Resources), 8.14

Information Technology Services, 2.3.11, 8.12

Academic Technology Tools and Services, 8.12.5
Additional Online Services, 8.12.7
Computer Hardware and Software, 8.12.6
Computer Security Related Resources, 8.12.4
OUNet Account, Email and Connectivity, 8.12.3
Support Services, 8.12.1
Telephone Services, 8.12.2

Intellectual Property Policy, 3.29

Copyright, 3.29.4
Copyright Committee, 3.29.4
Patents, 3.29.2
Trademarks, 3.29.3

In-state Travel, 5.25

Institutes, Policy and Procedure Guide 7.14

Institutional Advertising Policy, 5.18.1

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, 3.35

Instructional Evaluation, 3.13, 3.32

Instructional Travel Policy, 4.24

Insurance, Group, 6.4

Dental, 6.4
Dependent's Coverage, 6.4
Health Coverage, 6.4
Leased or Rented Vehicles, when using, 8.13
Life, 6.4
Long-term Salary Continuance Plan, 6.4
Personal Vehicles, when using, 8.13
State-Owned Vehicles, when using, 8.13
Unemployment, 6.4
Worker's Compensation, 6.4

Intellectual Property Policy, 3.29

Copyright, 3.29.4
Patents, 3.29.2
Trademarks, 3.29.3

Intercollegiate Sports, 9.6

Interim Appointments, 2.3.15

International Baccalaureate (I. B.), 4.13

International Programs, 7.6

International Student Services, 7.7

International Teaching Assistants Workshops, 3.14

Inventions and Patents, 3.29.2

Irregular Class Meetings, 4.20

Jogging Facilities, 9.7

Joint Appointments, 3.5. 2 (D)

Keys, 8.14

KGOU/KROU (FM) Radio, 7.9.4

Laboratory Safety, 3.36,

Law Enforcement and Related Services, 8.14

Leased or Rented Vehicles, Insurance, 8.13

Leave Policy, 3.21

Administrative Leave, 3.21.2
Breastfeeding Support, 3.21.5
Extended Sick Leave for Nine-month Faculty, 3.21.4
Resignation from Councils and Committees During, 2.7.7
Sabbatical, 3.21.1
Without Pay, 3.21.3

Legal Assistance and Liability, 8. 9

Legal Counsel, University, 2.3.1

Legislative Affairs, 8.10

Liability, 8.9

Legal Assistance, 8.9

Libraries, 7.1 -7.1.11

Access to Research Materials, 7.1.5
Book Funds, 7.1.3
Circulation Records, 5.33, 7.1.11
Classroom/Online Teaching Support Services, 7.1.8
Dean of, 2.3.3
Faculty Studies, 7.1.9
How to Request Book Purchases, 7.1.4
Instruction, 7.1.6
Interlibrary Loan, 7.1.5
Internet-Accessible Resources, 7.1.2
Other, 7.1.10
Reference and Information Services, 7.1.6
Requesting Book Purchases, 7.1.4
Research Materials, Access to, 7.1.5
Special Collections, 7.1.1

Lloyd Noble Center, 9.2

Loan Service Libraries, 7.1.5

Lockshop Services, 8.14

Loyalty Oath, 5.5

Mail Service, 8.14

Makeup Examinations, 4.9

Managerial Staff Association, 2.6

Meacham Auditorium, 8.5.4

Media, 5.15, 5.16

Mediation Services, 8.1

Medical

Emergencies, 8.14

Meetings, Auditoria, 8.5

Memorial Arts Center, Fred Jones Jr., 9.1.1

Mentors, Faculty, 3.33

Military

Credit for Experience, 4.13

Motor Pool, 8.14

Movies, 9.3

Murray Case Sells Swim Complex, 9.7

Museum

of Art, 7.4
Fred Jones, Jr., Museum of Art, 7.4
Of Natural History, 7.3
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 7.3

Music, School of, 9.1.4

Nepotism, 5.6

Dual Career Couples, 5.6.1

New Employees (Human Resources), 8.14

News Releases, 5.15

Newspaper, 8.14

Non-Discrimination Policy and Sexual Assault, Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Grievance Procedures, 3.10

Non-reappointment, 3.5.4

Non-resident Tuition Waiver

Graduate Assistants, 4.23.5

Norman Campus, 1.1

Norman and Oklahoma City Recreation, 9.8

North Campus, 1.1

Notification of Non-Reappointment of Tenure-Track or Renewable Term, 3.5.5 (a)

Notification of Non-Reappointment of Ranked Renewable Term Contract, 3.5.5 (b)

Observatory, Oklahoma Geophysical, 1.1

Occupational Safety, 3.36

Off-Campus Connectivity, 8.12.3. D

Official Communications, 5.17

Office of Business and Economic Development, 7.9.3

Office of Research Services, (ORS), 7.2

Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education, 7.9

Center for English as a Second Language, 7.9.2
College of Continuing Education, 7.9.1
College of Liberal Studies, 7.9.1
Radio Station, 7.9.4
Television and Satellite Services, 7.9.5
University Outreach, 7.9.1
Washington Office, 7.9.6

Oklahoma City, Norman and, 9.8

Oklahoma Daily Newspaper, 8.14

Oklahoma Ethics Rules, 3.2.3

Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1.1

Oklahoma Memorial Union, 8.14

Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 7.3

Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, 7.5

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, 2.1

Ombuds Services, 8.1

Open Records Policy, 5.32

Organizations, Scholarly and Professional, 3.28

Out-of-state Travel, 5.25

Papers

Commercial Term, 4.18
Returning to Students, 4.11

Parking/Transit, 5.19

Participation in University Governance, 3.6.3

Patent Advisory Committee, 3.29.2

Patent Policy, 3.29.2

Administration, 3.29.2 (d)
Background, 3.29.2 (i)
Committee, 3.29.2 (g)
Disclosure, 3.29.2 (e)
Equity Management Committee and Policy, 3.29.2 (c)
Ownership, 3.29.2 (a)
Revenue, 3.29.2 (b)
Term, 3.29.2 (f)
Use of Facilities, 3.29.2 (h)

Payroll Deductions, 6.4.1

Payroll Services Division,

Human Resources, 8.14

Performance Evaluation, Faculty, 3.13, 3.32

Personnel Actions/Appointments, 3.5

Appointments, 3.5.2

Notification of Non-Reappointment of Tenure-Track or Renewable Term, 3.5.5. A

Notification of Non-Reappointment of Ranked Renewable Term Contract, 3.5.5. B

Personnel Actions, 3.5.1

Reappointment and Non-reappointment, 3.5.4

Research Faculty, 3.5.3

Resignation, 3.5.6

Personnel Records, 5.34

Personnel Services (Human Resources), Office of, 2.3.7, 8.14

Personal Vehicle Use, 8.13.2

Phased Retirement, 6.2.7

Physical Fitness Center, 9.7

Physical Plant Office, 2.3.7

Placement Services,

Human Resources, 8.14

Plagiarism, 4.18, 13 (see also Ethics in Research)

Police (Security) Division, 8.14

Political

Activities, 3.2.1, 3.22
Campaigns, Participation in, 3.23
Meetings on Campus, 5.9
Office, Candidacy for, 3.22
Student Activities, 5.9

Posthumous Degrees, 5.26.4

Posting of Grades, 4.6.1

Post Tenure Review Process, 3.7.6

Components of the Review, 3.7.6. C
Expectations, 3.7.6. D
Feedback, 3.7.6. E
Level of Review, 3.7.6. B
Professional Development Plan, 3.7.6. F
Sanctions, 3.7.6. G

President,

Acting, 2.3.2
Appointment, 2.7.8
Appointment, Interim, 2.3.15
Responsibilities, 2.3.1
Searches, 2.7.8
Tulsa Campus, 2.3.12

Presidential Professors, 3.18. 4

Press, Contact with the, 5.16

Press, University of Oklahoma, 7.10

Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and Drug Use on Campus and in the Workplace, 5.12

Printing Services, 8.14

Private Business, 5.24

Conducting Private Business from a State-Owned Facility

Probationary Period, 3.7.3

Professional Activities of Faculty, 3.6

Teaching, 3.6.1
Research and Creative/Scholarly Activity, 3.6.2
Professional and University Service and Public Outreach, 3.6.3

Professional Development Plan, Post Tenure Review, 3.7.6. F

Professional Development Seminar, 3.14

Professional Organizations, Scholarly and, 3.28

Professorships

David L. Boren, 3.18.1
David Ross Boyd, 3.18.2
Distinguished, 3.18
Endowed, 3.19
George Lynn Cross, 3.18.3
Presidential, 3.18.4
Regents, 3.18.5

Proficiency Examination Program (PEP), 4.13

Program Discontinuance Policy, 3.8.1, 5.37.4

Program Review, 5.37

Promotion Decisions, 3.13

Property

Control Procedures, 5.21
Media Sanitization, 5.21.1
Off-campus Usage, 5.23

Prospective Student Services, 2.3.9, 8.14

Provosts (Senior Vice Presidents)

Appointment, 2.7.8
Interim, 2.3.15
Health Sciences Center, 2.3.4
Norman Campus, 2.3.3
Searches, 2.7.8

Public Affairs, 2.3.8, 5.15, 5.16, 8.7

Public Safety, 8.14

Publications and Promotional Materials Policy, 5.18

Advertising and Promotion, 5.18.1
Educational Information Policy, 5.18.3
University Name, Logos, Other Identifying Marks, and Seal, 5.18.2

Purchasing Office, 2.3.7

Procedures, 5.20

Racial and Ethnic Harassment Policy, 3.10

Radiation Safety Office, 3.36

Radio Station, 7.9.4

Rank and Salary, Advancement in, 3.13.2, 3.13.3

Ranked Renewable Term Contract, Notification of Non-Reappointment, 3.5.5. B

Reappointment and Non-Reappointment, 3.5.4

Reasonable Accommodation, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4

Records

Corrections, 5.34.5
Library Circulation, 5.33, 7.1.11
Open Records Policy, 5.32
Personnel, 5.34
Retention of, 5.38

Recreation at the University of Oklahoma, 9.7

Norman and Oklahoma City, 9.8

Reduced Fees for Faculty/Staff, 4.23.1

Regents

Awards, 3.17
Professional and University Service and Public Outreach, 3.17
Research and Creative/Scholarly Activity, 3.17
Teaching, 3.17
Professorships, 3.18.5
State, 2.1
University, 2.2

Regular Appointments, 3.5.2

Regular Faculty, Charter, 10.1

Reimbursement, Travel, 5.25

Relatives, Employment of, 5.6

Religious Holidays, 3.15.2

Rental/Leased Vehicles, 8.13.3

Reporters, Contact with, 5.16

Reporting of Grades, 4.6

Reporting Incidents to Police, 8.14

Rescheduling Courses, 4.12

Research

Animal Care and Use, 3.35
Council, 3.25
Defined, 3.6.2
Ethics in, 3.26
Faculty, Personnel Actions/Appointments, 3.5.3
Facilities, 7
Human Subject, 3.34
Integrity, Office of, 3.26.3
Professorship, George Lynn Cross, 3.18.3
Scholarly Misconduct, Definition of, 3.26.1
Process for Handling Allegations of Scholarly Misconduct, 3.26.2
Appeal, 3.26.2. E
Initiation, 3.26.2. A
Inquiry Phase, 3.26.2. B
Investigation Phase, 3.26.2. C
Resolution, 3.26.2. D
Services, Office of, 7.2
Vice President for, 2.3.10

Research Parks, 7.12

Research Professor Positions, 3.5.3

Resignation, 3.5.6

From Councils and Committees during Leaves of Absence, 2.7.7

Responsibility, Academic, 3.2.2

Retirement, 6.2

Benefits, 6.2.6
Benefits Continuation, 6.2.4
Emeritus Titles, 6.3
Insurance Benefits, 6.2.2
Other Benefits, 6.2.3
Phased Retirement, 6.2.7
Programs Available, 6.2.1
Retirement Plans, 6.2.5
Retirees Returning to Work, 6.2.8

Returning Exams, Papers, and Projects to Students, 4.11

Risk Management and Safety Services, 2.3.7

Running Facilities, 9.7

Rupel J. Jones Theatre, 9.1.6

Sabbatical Leave of Absence, 3.21.1

Salary, 3.13

Adjustments, 3.13.2
Options for Faculty on 9 -Month Appointments, 6.6
Payment Options, 6.6

Sale of Required Course Material to Students, 4.25.1

Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, 7.3

Sanctions

Disciplinary (student), 13
Severe (faculty), 3.8

Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, 7.5

Scholarly and Professional Organizations, 3.28

Scholarly Misconduct, 3.26.1, 3.26.2

Scholarship, 4.4

Committees on, 2.7.5
Financial Aid Information, 4.4
University, 4.4

Scholarships and Fellowships, Faculty, 3.21.1.1

Search Committees

Administrative, 2.7.8
Chairs and Directors, 2.8.2
Endowed Chairs and Professorships, 3.19

Secretarial Service, 8.14

Secretary, Board of Regents, 2.3.1

University, 2.3.1

Security (Police) Division, 8.14

Senate, Faculty, 2.4

By-laws, 11
Charter of the, 10

Senate, Staff, 2.6

Senior Vice President and Provost

Appointment, 2.7.8
Interim, 2.3.15
Health Sciences Center, 2.3.4
Norman Campus, 2.3.3
Searches, 2.7.8

Service, Defined, 3.6.3

Service, Regents' Award for, 3.17

Services Available for Faculty/Academic Units, 3.14

Severe Sanctions, (faculty), 3.8

Severe Weather Procedures, 8.14

Sexual Harassment Policy/Sexual Assault Policy, 3.10

Social Security (FICA), 6.2. 5

Solicitation on Campus, 5.35

Space Requests, 8.4

Speakers

Popular Artists, 9.2
Responsibilities, 3.2.1
Right to Hear, 3.2.1

Special Holidays, 3.15.1

Spotlight on Teaching, 3.14

Staff and Faculty, Enrollment of in University Courses, 4.23.1

Staff Senate, 2.6

Standing Committees, 2.7.4

State Officials, Communication with, 5.17

State-owned Facilities, Conducting Private Business From, 5.24

State-owned Vehicle, Use of for Private Purposes, 5.22

State Regents, 2.1

Stenographic Services, 8.14

Stop Day, 4.7

Student

Academic Appeals Boards, 4.16.1
Academic Integrity, 4.16
Advisement of Entering Students, 4.2
Advisement of Student Organizations, 4.3
Affairs, Division of, 2.3.9
Appeals Boards, Academic, 4.16.1
Appeals Concerning English Proficiency of Instructors, 4.17
Association, University of Oklahoma, 2.5
Class Attendance, 4.19
Code, 4.1
Congress, 2.5 Development Programs, 2.3.9
Evaluation/Grades
Academic Appeals Boards, 4.16.1
Courses, 3.32.1
Academic Misconduct, 4.16, 13
Faculty Teaching, 3.32
Final Examinations, 4.8
Grading System, 4.5
Relationships with Faculty, 3.11 (B)
Reporting of Grades, 4.6
Financial Aid Information, 4.4
Grievances, 3.9
Instructional Travel, 4.24
Organizations, Advisement of, 4.3
President, 2.5
Procedures to Address Student Deaths, 4.1.1
Relationships with Faculty, 3.11 (B)
Scholarship and Financial Aid Information, 4.4
Superior Court, 2.5
Travel, Instructional, 4.24

Students, Advisement of Entering, 4.2

Studio Theatre, 9.1.8

Study Abroad, 7.7

Summary Suspension, Grounds for, 3.8.2

Summer Institutes, Attendance at, 3.24

Supercomputing Center for Education and Research, Oklahoma (OSCER), 7.13

Suspension

Faculty, 3.8.2
Students, 4.16.1, 13

Suspicious Mail, 8.14

Sutton Avian Research Center, 1.1

Swearingen Research Park, 1.1

Swim Complex, Murray Case Sells, 9.7

Syllabus, Course, 4.25

Task Forces, 2.7.5

Tax-deferred Annuities, 6.5

Teaching, 3.6.1

Assistants, English Language Requirements, 3.31
Assistants, International, 3.14
Assistants, Training, 3.14
Awards, 3.17
Defined, 3.6.1
Evaluations, (see also Faculty Evaluation) 3.13.1
Guidelines, 3.16.1
Loads, 3.16.1
Regents' Award for Superior, 3.17

Technology Development, 2.3.6

Television and Satellite Services, 7.9.5

Temporary Appointments, 3.5.2

Tennis Courts, 9.7

Tenure, 3.7

Abrogation of, 3.8
Academic Tenure – Definitions, 3.7.1
Appeal of Decision, 3.9
Criteria for Tenure Decision, 3.7.4
Defined, 3.7.1
Dismissal before Expiration of a Tenure-Track Appointment, 3.8
Early, 3.7.3
Eligibility, 3.7.2
Post Tenure Review Process, 3.7.6
Probationary Periods, 3.7.1, 3.7.3
Procedures for Decision, 3.7.5
Termination of, 3.8.1

Tenure-track

Appointments, 3.5.2
Dismissal Before Expiration of Appointment, 3.8.3
Notification of Non-Reappointment, 3.5.5. A

Term Paper, Commercial, 4.18

Testing Services, Counseling, 8.2

Tests, Returning to Students, 4.11

Theatre

Rupel J. Jones, 9.1.6
Studio, 9.1.8
Tickets, 9.1.2
University, 9.1.7
Weitzenhoffer, 9.1.7

Tickets

Athletic Events, 9.6
College of Fine Arts Events, 9.1.2
Parking, 5.19

Titles

Emeritus, 6.3
Faculty, 3.5.2

Tobacco-Free Policy, 5.36

Trademarks, 3.29.3

Traffic Regulations, 5.19

Training and Development, 8.14

Transportation System, Campus, 5.19

Travel, Faculty 5.25

Travel, Student Instructional, 4.24

Tuition

Academic Scholars Program, Waiver 4.23.4
Exchange Students on a Reciprocal Basis, 4.23.3
Graduate Assistants, 4.23.2
Nonresident Tuition Waiver, 4.23.5
Reduced for Benefits Eligible Employees, 4.23.1
Waiver of, 4.23

Tulsa Campus, 1.1, 2.3.12

Typing Service, 8.14

Uniform Examination, Request for, 4.8

University

Administration and Government, Section 2
Bookstore (Faculty Services), 8.14
Closing, 8.14
Club, 9.4
College, 1.1
Computing Service, 1.1, 8.12
Copyright Committee, 3.29.4 (h)
Government and Administration, Section 2
History, 1.1
Judicial Tribunal, 2.5
Ombuds Services, 8.1
Outreach, 7.9.1
Regents, 2.2
Research Parks, 7.12
Scholarship Procedures, 4.4
Theatre, 9.1.6, 9.1.7, 9.1.8
Vehicles, 8.14
Lease of, 8.14
Rental of, 8.14
Use for Private Purposes, 5.22
Women's Association, 9.5

University of Oklahoma

Alumni Association, 2.3.5, 8.8
Board of Regents, 2.2
Federal Credit Union, 8.14
Foundation, Inc., 8.6
Health Sciences Center, 1.1, 2.3.4
Police, 8.14
Press, 7.10
Regents, 2.2
Secretary of, 2.3.1
Student Association, 2.3.9, 2.5
Tulsa, 1.1

Use of State Vehicles for Private Purposes, 5.22

Vacation

Holidays, 3.15

Vehicles

Rental, 8.14
Use of State Vehicles for Private Purposes, 5.22

Vice President

for Administration and Finance, 2.3.7
for Development, 2.3.5
for Information and Chief Information Officer, 2.3.11
for Public Affairs, 2.3.8
for Research, 2.3.10
for Student Affairs, 2.3.9
for Technology Development, 2.3.6
for University Governance/Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents, 2.3.14
for University Outreach, 2.3.13
Senior Vice President and Provost, 2.3.3, 2.3.4
Appointments, 2.7.8
Interim Appointments, 2.3.15
Searches, 2.7.8

Voluntary Giving, 5.35.3

Waiver of Fees, 4.22

Waiver of Tuition, 4.23

Enrollment of Faculty and Staff in University Courses, 4.23.1
Nonresident Tuition Waiver, 4.23.5
Waiver for Exchange Students on a Reciprocal Basis, 4.23.3
Waiver for Graduate Assistants, 4.23.2
Waiver for Oklahoma State Regents Academic Scholars Program, 4.23.4

Washington, D. C. Office, 7.9.6

Weitzenhoffer Theater, 9.1.7

Western History Collections, 7.1.1

Westheimer Field, 1.1, 7.12

Withdrawal of Students, 4.5

Women's Association, University, 9.5

Work Place Violence, 5.42

Word Processing Service, 8.14

World Literature Today, 7.11








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