Non-Academic Policies

Student Conduct Code

The purpose of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (“University”) student conduct process is to support the vision, mission, and values of the University and the Division of Student Affairs, and the tenets of the University’s creed, The Blazer Way. Through a student-focused and learning-centered lens, the Office of Community Standards & Student Accountability and the student conduct process uphold individual and community standards; encourage an environment of personal accountability for decisions; promote personal growth and development of life skills; and care for the wellbeing, health, safety, and property of all members of the University community.

The Student Conduct Code (“Code”) describes the standards of behavior for all students and student organizations and outlines rights and the process for adjudicating alleged violations. It is set forth in writing in order to give general notice of non-academic prohibited conduct. The Code should be read broadly and is not designed to define non-academic conduct in exhaustive terms. All students and student organizations are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the Code. The current version of the Code, which may be revised periodically, is available from Community Standards & Student Accountability or online.

Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment  Policy

UAB is committed to equal opportunity in education and employment, and the maintenance and promotion of nondiscrimination and prevention of discriminatory harassment in all aspects of education, recruitment and employment of individuals throughout the university.

Immunization Policy

UAB requires that first-time entering students, international students and scholars, and students in health-related schools provide proof of immunization against certain diseases.

Non-Resident Tuition Policy

This policy addresses non-resident tuition, certification of residency status by campus officials, and establishment of campus policies to administer an appeals process.

Drug-Free Campus Policy for Students

Unlawful possession, use, manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of illicit drugs, controlled substances, or alcoholic beverages by any UAB student is prohibited.

https://www.uab.edu/students/wellness/policies-resources/drug-free-schools-communities-act

UAB Annual Security & Fire Safety Report

The 2023 UAB Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is now available online. To access it, you can go to the UAB Police Department website at http://www.uab.edu/police and click on “Read the 2023 UAB Annual Security & Fire Safety (Clery) Report,” or go directly to the report at:

https://www.uab.edu/police/images/Annual__Security__and__Fire__Safety__Report.pdf

For a print copy of the report, call (205) 934-4649. The report follows the guidelines mandated by the Federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and contains the following information: reporting incidents; federal campus sex crimes prevention act; missing person procedures; distribution of timely warnings; emergency preparedness, response and evacuation procedures; criminal statistics; fire safety report, etc.  

Copyright Policy

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (the "University") is dedicated to instruction, research and service to benefit society and encourages its faculty, staff and students to carry out scholarly endeavors in an open and free atmosphere, and to publish the results of such work without restraint, consistent with applicable law and policy.

Patent Policy

UAB encourages the development of  procurement and licensing of patents for inventions in the interest of the public, the inventor, and the university. 

Data Protection and Security Policy

Data (electronic) created at UAB must be protected and maintained in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws and university policies.

Student E-Mail Address Policy

November 10, 2003

See also:

Electronic Data Processing Security Policy

Acceptable Use Policy

Network Usage Guidelines

Purpose

UAB provides electronic mail resources in support of its instruction, research, and service activities. The purpose of this policy is to establish the use of electronic mail (e-mail) as one of the official methods for communicating with UAB students.

Official Communications Using E-Mail Addresses

In a similar manner as mail distribution of paper communiqués to a student's "permanent" address is considered an official method for distributions to students, so also are official e-mail messages sent by UAB to a student's "@UAB.EDU" e-mail address considered an official distribution method. For purposes of this policy, "official" communiqués or e-mails as used here are those established as "official" through other approval mechanisms in place at UAB.

Student Requirements and Responsibilities

Every student enrolled at UAB must have an e-mail address that ends with "@UAB.EDU". Such an e-mail address is required for a student to register for UAB credit courses. It is the student's responsibility to obtain an official UAB e-mail address in a timely manner from the UAB e-mail registering system (BlazerID World Wide Web site). This will require the student also to have a valid, current, and reliable electronic mailbox through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or portal or on a server administered by the student's academic department, or on the central mail service provided by the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology. It is the student's responsibility to check his or her e-mail regularly for distribution of official UAB communiqués. UAB recommends that e-mail be checked at least once a day, when practicable. UAB is not responsible for lost, rejected, or delayed e-mail forwarded by UAB from a student's "@UAB.EDU" address to off campus or unsupported e-mail services or providers. Such lost, rejected, or delayed e-mail does not absolve the student from responsibilities associated with an official UAB communiqué sent to the student's official UAB e-mail address ("@UAB.EDU"). If there is a change in a student's e-mail address to which the"@UAB.EDU" alias address is re-directed, it is the student's responsibility to make the changes in the UAB e-mail registering system.

UAB Responsibilities

UAB will ensure that all students have access to an e-mail account and will provide means for students who do not otherwise have access to e-mail-capable computers to be able to check their e-mail through such mechanisms as computer labs, the UAB libraries, and public terminals. UAB will provide mechanisms to allow students to request that their e-mail addresses not be published in a similar way that other student directory information is not published. However, unpublished e-mail addresses will be used for sending official UAB communiqués to students including communications to a group of students such as a course e-mail list. Students also will be provided mechanisms for requesting that their e-mail addresses not be used for general UAB mailings that are not official communications with students. UAB is not responsible for the handling or mishandling of students' e-mail by non-UAB providers or by unofficial (non-@UAB.EDU) e-mail servers.

Student Records Policy

The University of Alabama at Birmingham student records policy complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. All students enrolled or previously enrolled at UAB have certain rights with regard to information included in their education records. These rights are the subject of this policy.

Request to Withhold Directory Information PDF

Classroom Scheduling Policy

  1. Departments will schedule all multiple lecture and laboratory sections so that student course enrollments will be distributed approximately equally between mornings and afternoons and between the different meeting patterns (TR vs. MWF).  Departments will also limit classes taught during peak hours to 50%.  Once departments reach the maximum of courses to be taught during peak hours, the remaining courses should be redistributed across non-peak hours.
  2. Departments will have the ability to schedule in rooms they manage first.  After this, the Registrar's Office will utilize all available classrooms to assist other departments in need of space.
  3. Departments must strictly adhere to the approved standard set of time patterns when scheduling course offerings.
  4. Because of the regular standard meeting lengths for three hour courses are in 50 and 75 minute time blocks, courses offered during non-standard times should be offered in multiples of these times to avoid end times that preclude the students from registering for courses that may follow the standard section.  For example, one non-standard time on Tuesday and another at the same time on Thursday.
  5. Classroom enrollment and capacities should be based on the actual enrollment trends over the past few years to ensure a realistic estimate of room needs and proper seat and room assignments.  Room capacities will be reviewed each semester by the Office of the Provost in collaboration with the colleges and departments to ensure the actual instructional capacities for each room are assessed.
  6. Departments should strive for 80% occupancy.  For example, the number of students enrolled in a class divided by the instructional seating capacity of the room that class is in should be greater than or equal to 80%.
  7. Peak hours are between 9:00 am - 1:25 pm Monday through Friday.  Departments should strive to provide students a variety of options of course offerings throughout the scheduling week by utilizing non-peak hours.  The importance of maintaining the existing course schedule M-F is to allow for courses to be spread more evenly throughout the week.  Not only will this be necessary to accommodate significant course demand in response to projected enrollment increases but it will also provide students with greater flexibility when building schedules and further optimize classroom utilization

New Course Review Process

  • Unit(s)/School(s) should complete their internal review and approval process for their new courses in September and again optionally in April. The courses need to be submitted as new courses to the registrar by October 1st or May 1st.
  • The new course catalog submission deadlines are October 1st and May 1st.
  • New course submissions for UCC/GCC review shall include: 1) course number, 2) course title, 3) course catalog description, 4) credit hours, 5) contact person(s), 6) a list of potential course conflicts, if any, and 7) a discussion of why the new course would not create a conflict. Syllabi may be requested by the UCC/GCC for more information and should be provided by the above listed contact person(s) within 7 days.
  • Proposals for new Programs, Certificates, and/or Tracks that include new courses will include a ‘new course form’ for each new course, provided as addendums in the Proposal. These new course forms will facilitate review of new courses and prevent an unnecessary secondary review once the new course is listed. The new course forms will be removed by the Provost’s office prior to sending a proposal to the Board of Trustees and Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
  • New courses will be reviewed by GCC Liaisons (members), Alternates and by Units/Schools/Departments/Program Leadership during the month of October and June.
  • If a conflict is noted for a new course, it will the responsibility of the Unit/School noting the conflict to send an email with a detailed explanation about the course conflict to the submitting Unit/School’s contact person(s) and copy (Cc) the Chair of the UCC/GCC.
  • The leadership of those Units/Schools involved in a potential conflict, will discuss (and meet, if necessary) the conflicting course(s) during the month of November and July, independent of the UCC/GCC Chair and Senate committees.
  • If the parties have come to a resolution before the end of November/July, both units involved shall notify the UCC/GCC Chair of the resolution and its substance, copying the units and leadership that flagged the concern.
  • If there is no resolution or a disputed resolution, or the Units/Schools were unable to meet during November, the leadership of both Units/Schools will present at the next UAB Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee meeting (either December or January or August) for a vote that will determine the final outcome of the new course proposal.

Use of UAB Facilities and Freedom of Expression Policy

The University has a significant interest in protecting the educational experience of its students, in ensuring health, safety, and order on its campus, in regulating competing uses of its facilities and grounds, and in protecting the safety and well-being of those with the right to use its facilities and grounds to engage in protected speech, among other significant interests.  This policy applies to all individuals and groups that use UAB facilities.  All students and registered student organizations are expected to comply with the Use of UAB Freedom of Expression and Use of UAB Facilities Policy.  Any student or registered student organization who is found to have substantially interfered with the protected free expression rights of others shall be subject to a full range of disciplinary sanctions according to the appropriate disciplinary procedures for misconduct up to and including dismissal from the University.