University policy updates: March to May 2025
From: Office of the Vice President for Policy and Governance
The following university policies were updated between March to May 2025. Both substantive and technical updates are included below. Note: The most recent updates to a posted policy can be found at the end of that policy under “Approvals and Revisions.” Please read to learn more.
Advancement
No. 12200 – Virginia Tech Daily and Virginia Tech Student Edition Email Policy: This policy modification eliminated language describing obsolete non-email weekly distribution, clarified the description of VT News email editions, and updated links.
Auxiliary and Business Services
No. 5450 – University Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Policy: This policy was comprehensively revised to reflect enterprise-wide changes to the AED program.
No. 5615 – University Safety and Security: This policy was revised to update organization titles.
No. 5616 – Campus and Workplace Violence Prevention Policy: This policy was revised to update organization titles.
Campus-wide
No. 1025 — Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, and Sexual Assault: This policy was revised to remove reference to Federal Executive Order 11246, which was rescinded in January 2025.
Facilities
No. 5215 – Sales, Solicitation and Advertising on Campus: This policy was revised to update departmental and position titles and links and delete the reference to the university’s online calendar.
No. 5403 – Policy on Employee Housing: This policy was revised to update references and links.
No. 5404 – Renovation, Maintenance and Repair of Leased University Facilities: This policy was revised to update department and position titles.
No. 5405 – Non-capital Construction, Renovation, Maintenance and Repair of University-owned Facilities: This policy was revised to update position titles.
No. 5406 – Requirements for Temporary Structures: This policy modification updated the policy title and provided clarifying language for examples of temporary structures and a timeline for contacting Miss Utility of Virginia. Updates to policy section titles, regulations, references and links were also incorporated.
No. 5407 – University Building Official Office: This policy was revised to update division and position titles.
No. 5410 – Official Building and Facility Names, Designations, and Numbers: This policy was revised to update division titles and links.
No. 5420 – Policy on Facility Use Agreements: This policy was modified to update acronyms for clarification.
No. 5505 – Campus Energy, Water, and Waste Reduction Policy: This policy was revised to update division and position titles, and update nomenclature to align with university adjustments.
No. 5620 – Access Control: Key Control Policy: This policy was modified to update organization responsibilities and departmental and position titles, and added references and acronyms.
Finance and Business
No. 3640 — Virginia Tech Foreign Financial Support – Gifts and Contracts: This new policy was created to provide a consistent interpretation and guidance of federal foreign gifts and contracts (foreign financial support) reporting for the university and its affiliates, in accordance with federal foreign financial support reporting requirements.
Human Resources
No. 4010 — Policies Governing University Staff: This policy was revised to add a reference and update names of statutes and links to forms.
No. 4060 — Conviction and Driving Record Investigation for Employment: This policy was modified to provide clarity and consistency of terms, update department names, titles and links to websites, and remove reference to obsolete Form P12W.
No. 4296 – Adjunct and Wage Faculty Payments (P14 Payments): This policy was modified to update the minimum salary threshold to $684 per week per pay period to be considered exempt, per the Department of Labor’s Overtime Final Rule, and added clarifying language that non-exempt employees must use the university’s electronic timekeeping system to record employee hours worked.
No. 4320 – Guidelines for the Fair Labor Standards Act: This policy was modified to update the minimum salary threshold to $684 per week per pay period to be considered exempt, per the Department of Labor’s Overtime Final Rule, but include the university’s minimum exempt salary threshold to $844 per week for A/P and staff positions. Added clarifying language that non-exempt employees must use the university’s electronic timekeeping system to record employee hours worked, and updated references and links.
Research
No. 13030 — Virginia Tech Recombinant and Synthetic Nucleic Acid and Biohazard Research Policy: This policy was completely revised to align with the May 6, 2024, United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential, effective May 6, 2025.
No. 13050 — Virginia Tech Life March Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential Policy: This policy was completely revised to align with the May 6, 2024, United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential, effective May 6, 2025.
For more information on policies and the policymaking process at Virginia Tech, visit Policies at Virginia Tech. Policy questions may be sent to vppg@vt.edu.