To protect and support the health and safety of the USC Community by surveillance
testing faculty, staff and student populations for potential COVID-19 infection, and
to use this information to prevent, reduce, track and contain the transmission of
COVID-19 at USC.
Author: Michelle Yi
COVID-19 Vaccination Program
The purpose of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program is to protect and support the health and safety of the USC Community including the University’s faculty, staff, students, and patients.
Suppliers and Competition
The purpose of this policy is to ensure the best overall value to the university for the expenditure of funds; this includes the use of preferred suppliers, establishes USC’s competitive bidding requirements, and identifies other supplier requirements.
Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
USC’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation incorporates a University-wide approach to preventing and responding to discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, retaliation, and specific forms of harassment based on sex: sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and related forms of conduct.
Research Personnel Protection
Safety is a core value at USC. The university is committed to advancement of an institutional safety culture, with strong programs of personal safety, accident and injury prevention, wellness promotion, and compliance with applicable environmental and health and safety laws and regulations.
Minors in Laboratories and Shops
USC encourages and actively promotes creative education, hands-on workshops, and the mentoring of minors (children under 18) who attend educational events on USC campuses.
Reimbursements
University community members incur various types of expenses as they perform tasks and duties that support the operations of the university and further its mission.
Indirect Cost Rate
When conducting sponsored projects, USC is required to apply the appropriate Facilities and Administrative (“F&A”) rate (also referred to as the “Indirect Cost Rate”) to the appropriate direct cost base for each project.
Expense Business Purpose and Approvals
All university expenses must be necessary and reasonable in terms of price and purpose. Therefore, each university reimbursement and payment request must be supported by a written business purpose, regardless of the item, type of service, amount or form of payment.
Travel Expenditures
The purpose of the policy is to ensure travel expenditures are reasonable, customary, and necessary to conduct official university business.
HIPAA PAT-607 Mitigations and Sanctions
It is USC’s policy to monitor compliance with HIPAA policies and to mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harm resulting from inappropriate access to, acquisition of, use of, or disclosure of protected health information.
Gift Acceptance and Campaign Counting
All university employees and volunteers must adhere to this policy, which also acts as a guide for prospective donors and their advisors, providing assurance that all donors are treated equitably.
Fundraising Coordination
The generosity of alumni, friends, grateful patients, corporations and foundations plays a vital role in supporting USC’s mission of excellence.
Recruitment and Relocation Expenditures
This policy is to ensure that university funds allocated toward recruitment and relocation are appropriately approved by the hiring department and processed in compliance with university policies and local, state, and federal requirements.
Investigation of Non-Protected Class Conduct in Violation of University Policy
The Office of Conduct, Accountability, and Professionalism (OCAP) investigates violations of university policy that have not been investigated by the Office of Equity and Diversity, the Office of Compliance, the Office of Internal Audit or an office investigating research misconduct.
Vehicle/Driver Requirements
This policy covers requirements for the use of university vehicles. USC reserves the right, at its discretion, to prohibit any individual from driving a university vehicle, or to prohibit an employee from driving a personal vehicle for university business.
Travel Cards
USC staff and faculty are eligible for a Travel Card provided they meet the following criteria: Have active employment status, in good standing.
Procurement Cards
The Procurement Card (P-Card) is a corporate card issued on behalf of USC by a bank (Issuing Bank). The P-Card is used for buying goods and services for the university.
Signage
All university signs, both permanent and temporary (i.e. banners), for interior and/or exterior installation, are subject to administrative review and approval by representatives from the Office of the Provost, University Communications and Capital Construction.
Tailgating
Tailgating before a football game is part of the rich heritage that makes Trojan Game Day special. This policy provides guidelines to help ensure a safe, family-friendly game day environment, and applies only to USC’s University Park Campus – not the Coliseum or other facilities. However, both tailgating, and open containers, are strictly prohibited at USC Village.
International Collaborations and Export Controls
USC engages in a variety of activities related to research, instruction, healthcare, student outreach, and other strategic partnerships and affiliations that may create obligations under United States export control regulations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and economic and trade sanctions regulations.
Protection of Social Security Numbers and Other Restricted Information
USC receives and collects Restricted Information, as defined below, from and about students, faculty and staff employees, patients, and business partners, among others, in order to provide academic and clinical services and/or to conduct business operations. USC will use, store and transmit “Restricted Information” responsibly and in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
Smoke Free Policy
The university is committed to promoting a healthy, safe and comfortable environment for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. Smoking is prohibited in all indoor and outdoor facilities on university owned and leased property with no exception, including within vehicles parked on those properties.
University Sponsored Advertising and Sponsorships
To protect and present an appropriate and consistent image, the university restricts the advertising of, or sponsorship agreements involving, certain products and services.
HIPAA PAT-608 Breach Notification
USC shall comply with breach notification requirements under federal and state laws, including the HIPAA privacy and security regulations and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”) Regulations.
HIPAA PAT-601 Access to Protected Health Information
This policy describes when it is appropriate to permit a patient to access his or her Protected Health Information and the procedures to follow when approving or denying a patient request to access his or her Protected Health Information.
HIPAA Privacy Rule: Education of Covered Workforce
It is USC’s policy to provide education to its faculty, staff, students and other employees or volunteers who use, disclose or access Protected Health Information as part of their job responsibilities at USC.
Emergency Management
The university recognizes the need to prepare for unexpected events such as natural or human-caused disasters, as well as the need to return the university as quickly as possible to its normal operations should such events occur.
HIPAA CLIN-207 Security Risk Analysis and Management
In accordance with the HIPAA Security Rule, USC maintains a HIPAA security risk analysis and management program to assess and prioritize risks to the confidentiality,
integrity and availability of Protected Health Information (PHI) and to respond, accept or remediate as appropriate.
Unmanned Aerial Systems (drones)
Due to potential risks to safety, security and privacy, USC generally prohibits operations of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS; commonly known as a drone) on or above USC property or in connection with a USC-sanctioned or affiliated event or activity, including commercial, recreational, hobbyist, or other uses.
Disability Accommodations
The university is committed to the full accessibility of our campus, programs and activities to individuals with disabilities.
Sponsored Project Funded Expense Provisions (Expenditures)
The purpose of this policy is to ensure controls for sponsored project funded expense provisions. When expenses are to be charged to a sponsored project account, the terms of the applicable contract or grant will take precedence over university expenditure policies.