Several policy updates were recently approved and posted on the Policy website. Please Angie Zirschky or the responsible party listed in the policy with questions.
Approved Policy Revisions
Purchasing Card and Corporate Travel Card (Policy 6140): This policy was revised, adding language around the new Corporate Travel Card. Under section 3 – Purchasing Card (P-Card), subsection d. was added, requiring software purchasers to request and complete a Software and Accessibility Review (SARB) prior to purchase. Section 4 – Corporate Travel Card was added outlining the guidelines and responsibilities for the Corporate Travel Card. Section 6 – Cardholder Responsibilities, subsections b., c., e., and f. were added. Under section 9 – Authorized and Unauthorized P-Card Purchases, the examples were removed, and a reference to the Vendor and Procurement Services website was added. Section 12 was revised, adding reporting requirements for known or suspected fiscal misconduct and that such complaints must be handled pursuant to University Policy 6000 (Fiscal Misconduct).
Travel (Policy 6180): The following substantive changes were made to this policy:
- Under section 4.2 – Travel Authorization, language was added clarifying that recurring vicinity travel may be covered on one travel authorization form covering no more than one (1) year.
- Under section 4.5.a. – University Purchasing Card (P-Card) or University Corporate Travel Card, language was added establishing the Corporate Travel Card as the preferred method of payment for employee travel-related business expenses.
- Under section 4.7.a. – Air Travel, language was added allowing coach or economy class upgrade charges for seating changes if approved by the manager, regardless of funding source. International premium economy class upgrades may be approved by the president/vice president when using local or sponsored funds, provided the travel time of the flight segment is greater than eight (8) hours and the upgrade is allowed by the sponsor (if using sponsored funds).
- Under section 4.8 – Foreign Travel, subsection b. was added, requiring travelers to provide input on what property or assets they plan to travel with and bring back to Boise State on the Travel Authorization Form.
- Under section 4.9.b. – Lodging, language was added regarding alternative lodging, such as short-term rentals through Airbnb Business, which may be allowed subject to departmental approval and in conformance with the guidance on the Office of General Counsel’s website.
- Under section 4.9.c. – Lodging, language was added, clarifying that travelers may stay with family or friends while in travel status; however, lodging costs are not allowable in those instances.
- Under section 4.9.d. – Lodging, language was added requiring travelers to consult with the Office of Sponsored Projects with questions on acceptable lodging arrangements when traveling for sponsored projects.
- Under section 4.9.1 – Room Sharing, language was added prohibiting employees and volunteers from sharing motel/hotel rooms or bedrooms with minors unless the minor has a legally recognized family relationship with the employee or volunteer. An exception was added under subsection b. for remote travel where the travelers may be staying in tents (or other alternative lodging), provided a written safety plan is put in place prior to the travel.
Paid Parental Leave (Policy 7610): This policy was revised adding language supporting the Governor’s Aug. 06, 2024, charge to extend paid parental leave for foster care or kinship placement beginning Oct. 1, 2024.
Information Privacy and Data Security (Policy 8060): This policy was revised removing the numerical designations for data classifications (e.g., Level 1, 2, and 3) and replacing them with classifications modeled after the General Data Protection Regulation “GDPR” and the National Institute of Standards and Technology “NIST” standards (i.e., Restricted, Confidential, Internal, and Public). The following additional changes were made:
- Under section 3.12 – Protected Information, “Confidential Information” was added to the list of protected information examples to cover confidential information shared by an industry partner, including sponsors, collaborators, and vendors.
- Under section 4 – Data Classifications, Specific examples for each data classification level can now be found on OIT’s data use guidelines.
- Under section 4.3 – Internal Data, “proprietary information” was removed from the description.
- Under sections 8 and 10, responsibilities for the Data Governance Committee and the Division of Research and Economic Development (DRED) were added.
Telephone Services (Policy 8090): This policy was revised to support the university’s move to Zoom phone and its ability for SMS messaging. An additional authority reference to the 10DLC Rules was added. The change to 10DLC improves the deliverability of text messages. Adhering to this industry standard will support the university’s transition to Zoom phones, including text messaging capability, which will allow the integration of Zoom phone with Canvas. Under section 4 – Department and End-User Responsibilities, subsection c. was added requiring departments to verify phone location information for E911 accuracy (Ray Baum’s Act) when an employee changes work locations on campus or remotely.
Collection, Management, and Public Display of University Art (Policy 9090): This policy was significantly rewritten. Definitions for “Accession,” “Deaccession,” and “Memorial” were added under Section 3. Under section 4, subsection d. was added, clarifying that any Public Art or Memorials that will permanently modify a university space or facility or require professional design services prior to installation must be reviewed by Campus Operations. Under Section 5.2 – Membership, an informal member consisting of either an individual from the Idaho State Board of Education or the Director of Risk Management was added to the University Art Collections Committee (UACC). Under section 6.1 – Acquisition and Accession Additions, language was added clarifying that when considering proposed gifts of artwork, the UACC will consider the quality and condition of the artwork(s), its relevance to the collection, and its goals at Boise State, its historical and culture significant to the community, the region, and within the history of artmaking. Section 6.2 – Memorials was also added.
Environmental Health and Safety (Policy 9140): This policy was revised to clearly define the areas of responsibility that fall under Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Chemical and Lab Safety (CaLS) (see Section 3.). In addition, under section 3.3 – Supervisor/Manager, Lab Manager, and Principal Investigator (PI) Responsibilities, language was added to ensure that PIs and lab managers maintain all chemicals in the university’s chemical inventory system and that reports of malfunctioning life-saving devices and engineering controls should be made immediately to CaLS. Under section 3.4 – Employee Responsibilities, the medical treatment options for a work-related illness or injury were added.
Laboratory Safety Committees (9240): This policy had not been reviewed since 2012 and was revised updating department names and titles throughout and adding a representative from the College of Innovation and Design to the University Laboratory Safety Committee.
Communicable Disease (9270): This policy was revised to transition it from a more Covid-specific policy to an all-encompassing communicable disease policy. Specifically, the definition of Communicable Disease under Section 3.2 was revised, eliminating the list of reportable or restrictable diseases in alignment with the definition of Communicable Disease under IDAPA 16.02.10. Under Section 3.9, a definition for Members of the University Community was added. Under Section 4 – Public Health Responsibilities, subsection e. was added stating that Public Health will determine and communicate, based on the Communicable Disease concern and its potential impact on the campus community, what interventions are necessary (e.g., required disease reporting, testing, isolation, quarantine, etc.) and for whom.
Approved New Policies
Participant Support Costs (Policy 5130): This new policy was developed to set guidelines for participant support costs on externally funded sponsored projects in conformance with the Uniform Guidance, which describes the cost accounting standards that all universities are required to follow to receive federal funding (see Participant Support Costs, 2 CFR §§ 200.1 & 200.456).