The Utah Board of Higher Education has adopted new guidelines for indigenous land acknowledgement statements.

At a March 27 meeting, the board approved a new policy outlining which institutions may have land statements. Utah colleges and universities must have an agreement with or a grant related to one of Utah’s Native American tribes that supports tribal members’ access to higher education; be engaged in education, research or service for one or more tribes; or have a land-grant mission.

The guidelines include:

• The times and places a land acknowledgement should be shared
• The parts of an approved statement (along with an approved template)

Going forward, under USHE policy, land acknowledgements may be read at meetings with the tribes; at events where members of a tribe are speaking or being honored; at research or cultural events; or during discussions of land stewardship or management. Land acknowledgements may also be posted on an institution’s website.

USHE’s policy encourages Utah colleges and universities to establish relationships with Utah’s Native tribes focused on supporting access to and success in higher education. It also requires any USHE institution that has an agreement with a tribe to report to the board annually by May 1 about that agreement and the steps the college or university is taking to meet its commitments.

The University of Utah has had a formal partnership with the Ute Indian Tribe for more than 50 years. The first memorandum of understanding was signed in 2003. And the university adopted its land acknowledgement statement in 2020. The U’s statement complies with the new policy and does not need to be changed.

The system policy preserves academic freedom by affirming faculty members’ right to express personal views, including land acknowledgments, so long as such statements are not made on behalf of the university. It also clarifies that the policy does not extend to student clubs, unless a club is sponsored by the university.