News

The Faculty Workload and Merit Evaluation Policy establishes workload expectations for full-time, regular faculty members. These expectations inform the annual faculty merit evaluation process.

The Tobacco-Free and Smoke-Free Campus Policy prohibits smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, and other tobacco products) and nicotine substances not approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as smoking cessation products by students, faculty, staff, and visitors on all University owned, operated, leased, occupied, or controlled property.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Policy (BU-PP 415) and the Lactation Accommodations Policy (BU-PP 416) have been updated to ensure compliance with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and to provide greater clarity for employees.

The Export Compliance Policy establishes the University’s compliance with federal regulations concerning exports.

The Tuition Reimbursement Program provides tuition assistance to eligible employees who are pursuing a post-secondary degree or taking courses or training towards the maintenance of an existing job-related credential.

The Shared Governance Policy provides guidance and facilitates transparency across the institution regarding how Baylor’s various constituent groups speak into shared governance and decision-making processes.

The Code of Ethics and Personal Conduct Policy establishes the University’s ethical principles and guidelines on expected behavior in the workplace.

The Facility Improvements, Capital Projects, and Space Allocations Policy, originally published in March 2022, formalized the prioritization and approval process for facility improvements and projects, and ensures all University space is allocated, utilized, and managed according to Baylor University’s vision, mission, and goals, in direct support of the strategic plan. 

The Academic Credentials for Faculty, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Other Teachers Policy (“Faculty Credentials Policy”) provides clear and appropriate guidelines for the qualifications of any Baylor University teacher of record.

The Workplace Violence policy establishes a zero-tolerance policy that prohibits discrimination and retaliation.

The Excused Absence for Required Short-Term Military Service policy provides reasonable academic accommodations to students who are called to short-term required U.S. military service in order to assist them in meeting their academic requirements.

Student location can impact enrollment eligibility for educational programs, depending on state licensure requirements by the agencies with jurisdiction. Academic programs leading to professions with state licensure or certification requirements will disclose to applicants and students the program’s determination whether it meets the licensure or certification requirements of the states in which the applicant or student is located and/or intends to practice the profession. Students must formally communicate their location by the time of initial enrollment and whenever they have a change of their location.

The Admission to Campus Events and Certain University Facilities policy provides details on the events and facilities that employees and retirees have access to as a perk of being an employee of Baylor University.

The Credit Hour Policy addresses Baylor University’s definition of a credit hour and how that credit hour relates the course curricula to their specified learning outcomes and the estimated time allotted to achieve those outcomes.

The Technology Incident Reporting Policy discusses how the Baylor University community reports a technology-related incident to ITS.

The Lab Visitor Policy provides guidance around access to Lab Spaces and under what conditions.

The Procurement Policy is intended to guide University employees making and approving purchase transactions on behalf of the University.

The Contract Signature Authority and Board Approvals Policy establishes principles and thresholds to be followed in seeking Board of Regents approval prior to executing a contract. 

The Health Leave Policy provides paid leave to eligible employees for reasons related to mental health or illness of an employee, their spouse, children or parent. Paid time off is also provided for attending healthcare and dental appointments for employees, their spouse, children, and parents.

The Traffic, Transportation, and Parking Policy regulates parking and transportation at Baylor University.

The Affiliate Faculty Policy sets forth the qualifications, responsibilities, and guidelines for appointment for Affiliate Faculty at Baylor University.

The Short-Term Study Abroad Compensation Policy is designed to specify compensation rates for faculty teaching in and/or directing short-term study abroad programs.

The Adjunct Faculty policy establishes baseline standards related to search processes, employment agreements, and conditions of employment for adjunct faculty.

The Policy on Full-Time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors at Baylor University sets forth the roles and responsibilities of full-time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors at Baylor University in support of Baylor’s mission.

The Guest Housing Policy provides guidelines for the apartments managed by Guest Housing.

The Outside Activities and Interests Policy provides resources and guidelines for employees about situations that could generate or appear to generate conflicts of interest.

The Protection of Minors Policy sets forth the efforts our faculty, staff, students, volunteers, contractors, and consultants are required to take to minimize the threat of child abuse and to respond promptly should abuse be observed, suspected, or disclosed.

The Minister FICA Exemption Policy establishes a process by which ordained ministers can request exemption from FICA tax withholding.

The Access Control Policy provides guidance for access to facilities and other buildings across Baylor University.

The Faculty Grievance Policy addresses situations in which faculty might have grievances.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy is designed to comply with the University’s obligations toward its employees under all relevant federal, state, and local laws set forth in the American with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The Faculty Separation Policy seeks to ensure that all separations, regardless of the reason(s), are executed in a consistent, fair, supportive, and respectful manner.

The Policy on Clinical Faculty at Baylor University sets forth the roles and responsibilities of clinical faculty.

The Policy on Full-Time Lecturers and Senior Lecturers at Baylor University sets forth the roles and responsibilities of lecturers.

The Study Abroad Summer Compensation Policy is designed to specify compensation rates for faculty teaching in and/or directing summer study abroad programs.

The Fraud Policy outlines the University’s commitment to creating an anti-fraud culture and maintaining high ethical standards.

The Policy on Protected Health Information Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act informs Baylor community members of the lawful handling of PHI and establishes a system and provides guidance for operating units for complying with HIPAA regulations.

The Lactation Accommodation Policy creates a supportive working environment to enable faculty and staff to have time during work to express breastmilk.

The Post-Issuance Compliance Policy establishes guidelines to facilitate compliance with the federal tax law applicable to Baylor’s outstanding tax-exempt debt issues, including documentation and filing requirements, use of proceeds, and limitations on the use of property financed by tax-exempt debt.

The Financial Liquidity Policy establishes standards regarding how financial resources are to be managed to support the short-term and long-term financial health of the University, including preservation of sufficient liquidity to meet obligations as they come due and to plan for strategic investments which further the University’s mission.

The Survey Policy is a new policy, intended to ensure that surveys are conducted effectively and within the guidelines of the University.

The International Agreements Policy is designed to provide guidance to Baylor faculty and staff seeking to enter into agreements with international entities.

The Policy on Hazing is an adaptation of the previous statement on hazing, intended to provide clarity for students and those who work with students on what constitute hazing under the State of Texas laws and what constitutes hazing for Baylor University.

The Fleet Management Policy is a new policy, intended to promote a proactive approach to procedures and processes for the efficient management of university fleet for departments.

The Institutional Base Salary Policy defines Base Salary for Baylor faculty and staff for the purpose of ensuring consistency when salaries are charged to federal grants and agreements, as required by the Code of Federal Regulations 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance, or UG), section 430, “Compensation for Personal Services.”

The Travel Card Policy formalizes and expands on current Travel Card guidelines and outlines requirements for card eligibility, use, and reconciliation.

The Travel and Business Expense Policy formalizes and expands on current travel and expense guidelines and outlines university requirements for all stages of the travel process.

The Civil Rights Policy prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics (excluding sex-based harassment which is addressed by the SIM Policy) and provides grievance processes for allegations of conduct prohibited by this policy.

The Traffic, Transportation, and Parking Policy regulates parking and transportation at Baylor University.

The Policy on University Distinguished Professors at Baylor University is a new policy, intended to codify a process for recognizing faculty who have achieved exceptional national and international recognition in their respective disciplines.

To increase policy efficiency while continuing to comply with industry best practices to ensure fairness and equity in our staff selection and hiring process, the former Staff Promotions/ Transfer, New Employment Onboarding, and Temporary Staff Employment policies have been merged with the updated Staff Recruitment and Employment policy.

The Use of Air Charter Services and Donor Aircraft Policy acknowledges time is an important consideration for the President, Vice Presidents, and other senior staff when traveling, and the necessity of attending certain events or meeting University obligations may require adaptability not found in the current commercial air market. Air charter service is also frequently used for athletic team travel, especially when required by athletic regulatory agencies for health and safety measures. In addition, from time to time, Donor Air Charters are made available for use by the University, and such usage needs to receive the same safety and protocol scrutiny as commercial charter flights.

The Family Members Accompanying Short-Term Study Abroad Policy formalizes practices regarding the responsibilities of faculty participating in short-term study abroad programs.

The PCI Policy sets forth the responsibilities of Baylor University (“Baylor”) employees, departments, and Payment Card Oversight Committee in their roles related to the proper and confidential handling of credit card information on behalf of Baylor.

The Use of Online Directories Policy sets forth the rights and responsibilities of Baylor University, its faculty, staff, and students in their roles as members of the University community using information derived from official Baylor online directories.

The Facility Improvements, Capital Projects, and Space Allocations Policy formalizes the prioritization and approval process for facility improvements and projects, and ensures all University space is allocated, utilized, and managed according to Baylor University’s vision, mission, and goals, in direct support of the strategic plan.

The Distance and Online Learning Student Information Policy is a new policy to explicitly meet federal and accreditation requirements for students enrolled in distance and online courses or programs.

The Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure outlines the University’s academic appeals process.

The Student Employment Policy (BU-PP 121) establishes eligibility, guidelines, and procedures to allow currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students to perform work at the University.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy establishes guidelines and procedures to provide qualified individuals with reasonable accommodations in compliance with civil rights law.

The Handling of Confidential Information Policy sets forth the rights and responsibilities of Baylor University faculty and staff in their roles as members of the University community using confidential information.

The Art & Collections Policy formalizes and expands on existing University practices regarding the care and use of art and collections owned by Baylor.

The Staff and Student Employee Grievances Policy establishes a framework for staff and student employees to be able to formally raise workplace concerns.

The Policy on Academic Professionals sets forth the qualifications, responsibilities, and terms of employment for Academic Professionals at Baylor University.

The Video Surveillance Policy outlines the purpose and principles governing CCTV and/or video security systems on campus.

Baylor University vehicles are available for use in furtherance of University business only by personnel who are authorized drivers under the procedures established in this policy.

The Student Organization Conduct Policy outlines Baylor University’s steps in addressing alleged violations of policy by both chartered and non-chartered student organizations.

The Academic Freedom and Duties policy articulates the University’s commitment to academic freedom for faculty members, as well as expectations for the performance of their duties.

The Retirement Benefits policy provides certain fringe benefits to retirees according to eligibility and retirement classification.

The Baylor Benefits Section 125 Cafeteria Plan policy allows health-related insurance premiums and other allowable expenses to be deducted from the employee’s pay before Federal income tax withholding and Social Security taxes are calculated and deducted.

The Unemployment Compensation Policy informs employees of their unemployment benefits in accordance with state law.

The Staff Performance Appraisal and Planning Process Policy (BU-PP 804) establishes an annual performance evaluation as a part of ongoing performance management to provide performance feedback to employees, inform the merit process, and provide information that may influence salary decisions, promotions, and transfers.

The Work Hours and Schedules Policy establishes work schedules and outlines procedures for recording leave hours and hours worked.

Baylor University has revised its Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy to ensure compliance with recent court rulings and expressed intent from the Department of Education.

The Clery Notification policy outlines Baylor University’s responsibilities to disseminate Clery required emergency notifications, timely warnings, and safety notifications.

The Tenure at Baylor University policy sets forth the qualifications, responsibilities, and terms of employment for faculty on Tenure-Track and with Tenure at Baylor University.

The Policy on Clinical Faculty at Baylor University provides guidance for faculty and administrators with respect to Clinical Faculty members’ roles, responsibilities, review, and progress toward promotion.

The Group Long-Term Disability policy provides details on the group long-term disability insurance coverage that Baylor provides eligible employees. The policy provides details regarding the eligibility and approval process along with the amount of coverage this policy provides to eligible employees.

Baylor University offers a “457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan” (the “Plan”), which is designed to permit any participant who has maximized their 403(b) elective deferrals with an additional opportunity to save for retirement.

The Group Life and Dependent Life Insurance policy provides details on the group life and dependent insurance coverage that Baylor provides eligible employees and their eligible dependents. The policy provides the coverage levels provided to employees and their eligible dependents.

Baylor transitioned the Policy on Romantic and/or Sexual Conduct with Students or Supervisees to the new policy template. The document continues to provide policy in relation to expected conduct consistent with the stated Christian mission of the University while maintaining a learning environment based on ethical and professional behavior and mutual respect for all students and employees.

The Staff Teaching policy establishes the University’s position regarding staff employees teaching outside of their primary staff role. It is the policy of Baylor University to provide an environment where staff can focus their time, effort, and energy on their primary job functions resulting in effective job performance. Only in rare circumstances when the teaching need cannot be met by current faculty or other external hires, should a staff member be utilized for a temporary and limited purpose.

The Intellectual Property Policy (BU-PP 721) addresses how Baylor University responds to an invention, how the intellectual property (IP) is managed, and how revenue shares generated from IP are distributed within the University. A revision of this policy, last addressed in 2005, was necessary given an increase in intellectual property and commercialization opportunities within Baylor over the last few years. This trend is expected to continue as Baylor continues its rise towards R1 status.

The intent of the policy is to ensure effective planning and implementation of new initiatives or significant changes that will impact students and other university constituents. This policy update reflects recent changes to federal law and SACSCOC accreditation standards related to substantive changes.

The Academic Credentials for Faculty, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Other Teachers Policy provides academic credential guidelines for faculty as well as others who teach at Baylor University.