June Distribution SYS Policy Approvals

On June 12, President Rothman approved the new policy SYS 405, Universities of Wisconsin Travel and Expense Policy, and revisions to the policy SYS 435, Universities of Wisconsin Business Meals and Events. He also approved the rescission of the following policies:

On June 16, President Rothman approved the new policy SYS 195, Institutional Statements.

On June 17, President Rothman approved revisions to the policy SYS 1315, Patents and Inventions.

On June 18, President Rothman approved the rescission of SYS 616, University of Wisconsin Student Drivers Under the State’s Liability Protection. Chief Compliance Officer Smith also approved the new guidance for SYS 615: Guidelines for Students Driving Universities of Wisconsin Vehicles.

See a brief summary of these items below.

SYS 405, Universities of Wisconsin Travel and Expense Policy

This new policy will be effective on July 1, 2025.

Summary of Policy

  • This policy establishes the general parameters for conducting University-sponsored travel and accounting for expenses. It outlines the acceptable modes of travel, meal expenses, and miscellaneous items that are eligible for payment or reimbursement. It replaces the current policy SYS 405, Travel and Expense – General Travel & Expense Policy. Specific policy provisions include:
    • Outlining the expense reimbursement requirements and process, including general receipt requirements for common travel-related expenses and when an expense is taxable under the Accountable.
    • Establishing general requirements for booking University-sponsored travel, including cost-comparisons and eligible expenses for personal travel.
    • Detailing the correct way to purchase air travel and lodging, allowances for meal and incidental per diem, and vehicle use requirements (including the use of vehicle rentals and mileage reimbursement, as well as vehicle insurance considerations). Also addresses long-distance ground and local transportation, as well as miscellaneous travel expenses.
  • This policy combines the parameters on specific areas of university travel currently contained in separate policies. See below for a listing of policies rescinded as a result of this work.

University Comments and Concerns

SYS 435, Universities of Wisconsin Business Meals and Events

These policy revisions will be effective on July 1, 2025.

Summary of Policy and Policy Revisions

  • The purpose of this policy is to establish parameters for the payment or reimbursement of costs associated with UW business meals and events. Revisions to the policy include:
    • Updating and simplifying Business Meal and Event Rates.
    • Changing policy title and simplifying policy by removing these specific sections:
      • Events Attended Primarily by UW Employees
      • Events Attended Primarily by the General Public
      • Off Campus Meetings/Training Sessions Held Primarily or Exclusively for Employees of the Same Institution
    • Removing “Within Wisconsin Rates” so rates are based on “Continental US” and “All Other Locations – Including International.”
    • Adding section on “Use of Gift Funds and/or Foundation Funds.” This allows for any amount exceeding the allowable per person limit to be charged to UW gift funds or to UW Foundation funds, if available. Alcohol may only be charged to UW Foundation funds.
    • Updating the criteria for when meal and refreshment costs are allowable.

University Comments and Concerns

  • A commenter from UW-Superior suggested changes to the header in the table in Section 6.B, Business Meal and Event Rates, to state “Continental US.”
    • The header reads “Continental United States” and “All other Locations (including international).”

SYS 400 Series Policy Rescissions

The following policy rescissions will be effective on July 1, 2025:

Background Summary of Policies

  • The purpose of these policies is to establish general parameters for conducting university sponsored travel and accounting for expenses. As they currently exist, each policy provides parameters on specific areas of university sponsored travel.

Rationale for Rescission

  • SYS 400-01, Interim: Air Travel and Meal & Incidental Expense Policy Amendments was approved on January 10, 2025. This interim policy action provided the first step towards the substantial revisions planned for the 400 series policies. Revisions included in the interim action were be incorporated into the upcoming singular travel policy.
  • Policy owners have previously identified a need for a singular travel policy. While simultaneously updating these policies in accordance with the implementation of Workday, the individual policies were rescinded and combined into one singular travel policy. This singular policy replaces SYS 405, Travel and Expense – General Travel & Expense Policy.

University Comments and Concerns

  • There were no comments received from the universities during the University distribution period.

SYS 195, Institutional Statements

This new policy was effective upon signature by the president.

Summary of Policy

  • This policy establishes a general principle of viewpoint neutrality for institutional statements issued publicly on behalf of the university and its units. It makes permanent the principles established in the interim policy action SYS 100-10, Interim: Institutional Statements. It is designed to provide further clarification and guidance on the principles affirmed in RPD 4-12, Commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression. Specific policy provisions include:
    •  Establishing that institutional statements issued by university leaders should be limited to matters that directly affect the core mission of the university and should maintain viewpoint neutrality in any reference to any other matter. Such statements many express a position of support or opposition only when authorized by the president or chancellor. Institutional statements expressing solidarity or empathy are permitted in response to incidents or events that directly affect the operations and core mission of the university so long as their selective issuance does not imply preference for the viewpoint of one group over another.
    • Clarifying that this policy does not apply to:
      • Faculty and staff within a unit who may choose to express their expertise or judgement of a situation as it relates to their academic disciplines or research expertise, but that care should be taken to ensure that such statements are not misconstrued to represent the university or unit.
      • Faculty and staff expressing personal statements on non-university owned channels.
      • Officially recognized shared governance groups, though they should make clear in public statements that they are speaking on behalf of their group and not the institution.
    • Permitting the president and chancellor to adopt additional institution-specific guidance and procedures consistent with this policy.
    • Clarifying that the president and chancellors may not expand the scope of this policy to restrict the free expression rights of individuals or groups of individuals who do not present themselves as speaking in the name of and on behalf of the university or a unit.
    • Committing to preserving the academic freedom of faculty, research or instructional staff and students with respect to scholarship, teaching, and intellectual debate.

University Comments and Concerns

  • A representative from UW-Madison, with concurrence from a representative from UW-La Crosse and one from UW-Stevens Point, recommended deletion of three phrases in the policy statement that 1) discourage institutional statements of empathy which imply viewpoint preference, 2) encourage forgoing institutional statements on issues that do not clearly affect university operations, and 3) address how the policy does and does not affect statements issued by shared governance groups.
    • These changes were not made. Suggested revisions 1 and 2 are contrary to the policy purpose to protect academic freedom and an environment in which competing ideas can be freely discussed and debated by all members of the university community, by limiting institutional statements to matters that directly affect the operations and mission of the university, and that maintain viewpoint neutrality. The language addressing the applicability of the policy to shared governance was recommended by faculty shared governance representatives.
  • A representative from UW-Stout recommended that the definition of “university leaders” be modified to clarify that instructional academic staff (in addition to faculty) may also serve as department chairs.
    • This change was not made. The relevant phrase in the definition was recommended by faculty shared governance representatives. The definition as written acknowledges that department chairs are primarily, but not necessarily, faculty members. The provisions of the policy apply equally to all department chairs regardless of their employment category.

SYS 1315, Patents and Inventions

These policy revisions were effective upon signature by the president.

Summary of Policy and Policy Revisions

  • The purpose of this policy is to establish the applicable UW System policies with respect to inventions and outline the responsibilities, privileges, and options of faculty, staff, and students when they have made an invention. Revisions are as follows:
    • Throughout the policy, references to SYS 346 were updated to SYS 1315.
    •  In the second paragraph of Section 6.A, corrected language from “the” to “their” to reflect that researchers have multiple options to disclose intellectual property they feel has potential commercial value.
    • In the third bullet point of Section 6.A, clarified that employees must “affirmatively assign to the designated IPMO their rights to any invention that arises…”
    • In Section 7, references to SYS 190 were updated to SYS 1305.
    • In Section 7, references to SYS 191 were updated to SYS 1310.
    • In attachment 1315.2 (Example: Intellectual Property Agreement (Long Form)), in the third paragraph, added “I hereby assign my rights to such invention…” to clarify what rights are being assigned to the IPMO.

University Comments and Concerns

  • There was no feedback received from universities during the distribution period.

SYS 616, University of Wisconsin Student Drivers Under the State’s Liability Protection Rescission

This rescission was effective upon signature by the president.

Background Summary of Policy

Rationale for Rescission

  • In accordance with the 2024 Audit Plan, an internal audit of SYS 616 was conducted at all UW universities, with the objective to evaluate and test compliance. One of the system recommendations from the audit was a review of SYS 616.
  • As part of its management response to this audit, the Office of Compliance and Risk Management convened a taskforce comprised of risk and fleet managers from four UW universities to review SYS 616. Over a five-month period this taskforce regularly met and discussed SYS 616. After consulting with the Office of General Counsel, the taskforce’s final recommendation was that SYS 616 be rescinded for the following reasons:
    • The language pertaining to acceptable vehicle use by student drivers is generally duplicative to that found in SYS 615, Vehicle Use and Driver Authorization, which explicitly applies to student drivers.
    • After consulting with the Office of General Counsel, the taskforce determined that the guidance language found in SYS 616 would better serve the universities in a separate SYS 615 guidance document and not in the form of a system policy.

University Comments and Concerns

  • Prior to the May policy distribution, the taskforce’s recommendations were shared with the UW’s communities of practice related to risk management, environmental, health, and safety, and facilities management. During these conversations there were no concerns related to rescinding SYS 616.
  • Prior to the May policy distribution, the taskforce’s recommendations were shared with Internal Audit, including the lead auditor for the SYS 616 audit. Internal Audit did not have any concerns with rescinding SYS 616 and replacing it with a guidance document associated with SYS 615.
  • There were no comments from university stakeholders received during the distribution period.

SYS 615 Guidance: Guidelines for Students Driving Universities of Wisconsin Vehicles

This guidance document was effective upon signature by the chief compliance officer.

Summary of Guidance

  • The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on when students can be considered “agents of the State” when driving university vehicles and therefore eligible for the liability protections afforded under Wisconsin statute. They were developed as part of the response to the internal audit of SYS 616, University of Wisconsin Student Drivers Under the State’s Liability Protection, and are designed to replace that policy to eliminate redundancies.

University Comments and Concerns

  • A commenter from UW-La Crosse recommended that the table in Section 5 not list specific clubs as the status of these clubs may vary by university. For example, the fishing club may be an affinity group at one university and a registered sports club at another.
    • Recommendation incorporated into guidelines.
  • A commenter from UW-Superior suggested adding a new category for student organizations participating in educational activities in the table in Section 5.
    • Recommendation incorporated into guidelines.