Land Acknowledgement Statements and Communications

Updated as of April 21, 2025

The Utah Board of Higher Education (UBHE) has adopted R252, Institutional Statements Acknowledging Relationships with Tribes and Ancestral Lands. This policy encourages the institutions to establish meaningful relationships with Utah’s native tribes to support access to and success in higher education. 

Under this policy, in order for the university to make a statement or acknowledgement regarding tribes or ancestral lands, the university must have such a relationship, evidenced by meeting one of the following conditions:

  • Has to have a relationship, agreement, or grant with or related to one or more tribes supporting the tribe’s members’ access to higher education;
  • Must be engaged in education, research, or service related to one or more tribes or its members;
  • Be a land-grant mission institution. 

The policy requires the university to submit documentation to UBHE in order to show compliance in the event the university has an agreement with a tribe. It also proscribes the circumstances under which an institution can make a statement when one of the above conditions are met and provides the framework for an institutions’ president or designee to make a statement. 

Weber State University does not currently meet a condition required in order to support continued use of land acknowledgement statements or communications. Employees are required to discontinue usage, orally and in writing, at university events, in signage, on websites, or in communications, such as taglines using university email.

This policy does not apply to informally associated student clubs that are not formal administrative units of the institution. 

The university interprets this law in accordance with the UBHE's Institutional Neutrality and Speech Guidance and does not abridge the right of employees to make personal expressions of support for Utah’s tribes, provided the guidance is followed and statements are not made on behalf of the university or as part of the individual’s employment capacity.  

This policy went into effect March 27, 2025.

 

Concerns, questions, or suggestions may be submitted to legal@weber.edu.

 

 

The information above is for general overview purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Each situation is different and legal review is fact-specific. Consult the law or policies for specific information.