Archived Announcements

June 2024

Sherry Coane’s Retirement Announcement

It is with a bittersweet sentiment that we announce Sherry Coane will be retiring from the Academic Personnel Office (APO), effective June 27, 2024.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Sherry for her 23 years of service and for supporting the successes of UC Merced’s academic appointees. She has been a crucial member of the APO team, and we highly value her efforts toward supporting the School of Engineering (SoE) and the ORUs. More recently, Sherry has been working diligently toward sharing her depth of knowledge around all aspects of her work, with a focus on represented Postdoctoral Scholars and Academic Researchers.

Thank you, Sherry, for your incredible contributions to the APO. We will certainly miss you and would like to extend our warmest wishes as you embark on this new chapter in life.

Moving forward, Nordene Smith-Hayles will serve as a business partner to the SoE and ORED, including ORU actions.

Systemwide Policy Updates

Academic Personnel Policy Issuance: APM - 285, Professor of Teaching Series

Issued May 1, 2024, by Provost and Executive Vice President Katherine S. Newman, revised Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Section 285, Professor of Teaching Series, is effective immediately. For reference, the issuance letter and revised policy can also be found on the Academic Personnel and Programs website.

Key Policy Revisions

• Change in title for the “Lecturer with Security of Employment” (LSOE) title series to “Professor of Teaching.” The revised title for the series is reflective of the professional and scholarly achievements required for promotion in the series and aligns with the naming convention of Senate titles. The current LSOE titles will be mapped to the new Professor of Teaching titles as follows:
  •  Lecturer with Potential Security of Employment = Assistant Professor of Teaching
  • Lecturer with Security of Employment = Associate Professor of Teaching
  • Senior Lecturer with Security of Employment = Professor of Teaching
• This revision also includes the removal of Appendix A. Appendix A was created with the substantive revisions to APM - 285 issued in 2018 to allow a transition period to the new criteria for those LSOE faculty appointed prior to October 1, 2018. The transition period allowed in the APM ended June 30, 2023.

Academic Personnel Policy Issuance: APM - 035, Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

Issued May 3, 2024, by Provost and Executive Vice President Katherine S. Newman, revised Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Section 035, Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment, is effective retroactive to January 1, 2024. For reference, the issuance letter and revised policy can also be found on the Academic Personnel and Programs website.

Key Policy Revisions

• The revisions add nondiscrimination for off-duty cannabis use consistent with Assembly Bill 2188, which added Section 12954 to the Government Code.
• In addition, Appendix A was deleted and incorporated into policy, and language regarding pay transparency from the systemwide Anti-Discrimination Policy was moved to the APM because the new Anti-Discrimination Policy, issued effective February 20, 2024, applies to students and other nonemployees.

2024-25 Academic Salary Plan

UC Office of the President is implementing a salary increase budget of 4.2 percent for policy-covered staff and academic appointees at all locations. Please note, this salary program is contingent on the outcome of the State budget allocation. In the event the current budget expectations are significantly altered, UC Office of the President will provide an updated announcement at that time. Excluded from this program are staff employees and academics appointees who are represented by our various unions as their wages are governed by collective bargaining unit agreements. This information can also be found under the News tab of the APO website.

Overview of the 2024-25 Program

• The overall salary scales for policy-covered academic appointees will be raised by 4.2% and will include modest smoothing to the scales to continue consistent increments between steps.
• The annual academic merit review process to determine reappointments, as well as adjustments in rank and step will continue.
•  There will be no increases off-scale salaries. Above-scale salaries will be increased by the same amount as the on-scale increase for Professor Step IX.
• In line with established processes, for Senate Faculty the adjustment to the academic salary scales will be effective October 1, 2024, and July 1, 2024, for other policy-covered academic appointees.

Other non-represented academic appointees

• The scales for policy covered non-faculty academic appointees (which includes policy-covered librarians and academic researchers) will be increased by a general range adjustment of 4.2% on July 1, 2024 for monthly paid or July 7, 2024 (the first pay period commencing after July 1, 2024) for biweekly paid academic appointees (the precise amount will vary due to rounding). Scales with ranges will be increased in a similar fashion.

Academic Actions Deadline to APO

We would like to thank you for your continued efforts in ensuring that all academic actions are submitted to the Academic Personnel Office (APO) following the published APO Personnel Payroll Deadlines.

The APO would like to encourage you to continue submitting your actions as early as possible. Submitting your actions to APO on or before our deadline will allow APO adequate time to complete the review process as well as address/resolve issues in a timely manner.

Deadline for any actions on:

June 1-June 30 (Paid July 1) --> May 24th

July 1-July 31 (Paid August 1) --> June 24th

August 1-August 31 (Paid August 31) --> July 22nd

Any action submitted to APO after the deadline cannot be guaranteed to be processed and paid until the following payday.

GLAAS 4.11 Release

On 5/29/2024, GLAAS underwent another maintenance to implement 4.11 enhancements and features.

Please note, this GLAAS version has important updates to comply with new contracts negotiated with ASE/GSR/Unit 18 Lecturers. New Written Notice of Appointment templates have been uploaded and available for Academic Student Employees (ASEs): Teaching Assistants (TA), Teaching Fellows (TF), Teaching Fellow IoR (TF IoR), Readers and Remedial Tutors to reflect Department Chairs as signees.

Here you will find the list of GLAAS 4.11 enhancements (also sent to all GLAAS users via email on 5/29/2024 and a screenshot was shared on the same day.)

Process for AY24/25 Eligibility Letters

We ask the schools to please include the signed-off eligibility letters in a Box folder by June 30, 2024. The following APO team members should be granted access to the folder:

• Pam Moody
• Jessica Salas-Mendonça
• Nordene Smith-Hayles
• Christine Lima

Verification of Employment (VOE)

VOE requests have been delegated to the schools, effective immediately. Please complete these requests by pulling information via UCPath. If requests require additional information that schools do not have access to, please contact the Academic Personnel Office.

May 2024

APO Staffing Updates

We are excited to announce that APO has hired three new staff. Please join us in welcoming our new team members:

We are excited to see our new team members apply their experience and contribute to the continued success of the APO.

Systemwide Policy Updates

Academic Personnel Policy Issuance: APM - 210, Review and Appraisal Committees

Issued March 25, 2024, by Provost and Executive Vice President Katherine S. Newman, revised Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Section 210, Review and Appraisal Committees, is effective immediately. The revised APM - 210 may be found online on the Academic Personnel and Programs website. Summarized below are the key policy revisions.

Key Policy Revisions

The approved revisions include substantive changes to the following APM - 210 sections:

• 210-1 Instructions to Review Committees That Advise on Actions Concerning Appointees in the Professor and Corresponding Series;
• 210-2 Instructions to Review Committees That Advise on Actions Concerning the Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine) Series;
• 210-3 Instructions to Review Committees That Advise on Actions Concerning the Lecturer with Security of Employment Series;
• 210-4 Instructions to Review Committees That Advise on the Appointment, Merit Increase, Promotion, Career Status Actions for Members of Librarian Series;
• 210-6 Instructions to Review Committees That Advise on Actions Concerning the Health Sciences Clinical Professor Series.

These changes include:

• Addition of language concerning the consideration of mentoring to criteria and assessment: The policy revisions include additional language concerning the consideration of mentoring, as a component of teaching and as a form of service, to criteria and assessment for the Professor, Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine), Lecturer with Security of Employment, and Health Sciences Clinical Professor Series. The revised language clarifies that mentoring is a component of teaching, that it is not a separate criterion or a requirement for advancement, and that it does not replace the provision of formal instruction or intensive tutorial instruction. The revised language also clarifies that while mentoring alone generally does not satisfy the requirement for University and public service, certain mentoring activities could be documented as service.
• Revisions to text on evaluation and evidence of teaching and mentoring effectiveness: The policy revisions include additional language concerning the evaluation and evidence of teaching and mentoring effectiveness for the Professor, Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine), Lecturer with Security of Employment, and Health Sciences Clinical Professor Series. Campuses are responsible for developing local guidelines for evaluating mentoring and sharing these guidelines with candidates and reviewing bodies.
• Modification of existing language regarding contributions to diversity, equal opportunity, and equal access to education to reflect recognition of contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging: This revision has been approved in sections of the policy relevant to the Professor, Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine), Lecturer with Security of Employment, Librarian, and Health Sciences Clinical Professor Series.
• Recognition of contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the review process for the Librarian Series: The policy revisions include language recognizing contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the review process for policy-covered librarians. The revised language clarifies that such contributions will be given due recognition in the academic review process, but that they are not a separate criterion or a requirement for advancement in the Librarian Series.

Systemwide Review of Proposed Revisions to APM - 016

The University invites comments on proposed revisions to the following policy:

APM - 016, University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline

Summarized below are the proposed key policy revisions that are being distributed for systemwide review.

Key Policy Revisions

The policy revisions respond to the need to revise APM - 016 to address the handling of simultaneous academic misconduct investigations and personnel actions and include:

• Pause on Academic Personnel Review Actions: At the beginning of a formal investigation of alleged misconduct by a faculty member, if the Chancellor (or Chancellor’s designee) finds that any of the alleged misconduct is relevant to the assessment criteria for academic personnel review actions, the Chancellor (or Chancellor’s designee) may impose a no-fault pause on any current or future academic personnel action (e.g., for merit, promotion, or advancement) of that faculty member. Locations are responsible for developing implementation procedures that address at what stage in existing local procedures the pause occurs and that identify the offices that have responsibility for providing written confirmation of the pause to the respondent, giving a respondent periodic updates on the status of the investigation, and for notifying relevant administrators of the beginning and end of the pause.
• Conclusion of the pause: The pause will end when the investigative and disciplinary processes are concluded. In the event of a disciplinary process following a formal investigation, the pause will end when a final decision is made whether to impose disciplinary sanctions. The academic personnel process may then proceed according to campus procedures.
• Assistant Professors in Year 8: If the investigative and disciplinary processes are not concluded by the beginning of the faculty member’s eighth year of service at the rank of Assistant Professor (or a combination of equivalent titles), the Chancellor is authorized to recommend to the President that the appointment be extended beyond the eighth year, in accordance with Regents Bylaw 40.3(c).

The proposed APM - 016 is posted to the Academic Personnel and Programs website under the “Systemwide Review” tab.

Please submit your comments, no later than July 8, 2024, to VP-ACADEMICPERSONNEL@ucop.edu and indicate “APM - 016” in the subject line. If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Woolston, Associate Director, Academic Policy and Policy Exceptions, at Rebecca.Woolston@ucop.edu.

Updated Templates

The Dean's Appointment/Offer Letter Templates for the Assistant Professor and Assistant Teaching Professor series have been updated and are available in BOX.  

GLAAS 4.10 Release

On 4/10/2024, GLAAS underwent a maintenance to implement 4.10 enhancements and features.

Please note, this GLAAS version has important updates to comply with new contracts negotiated with ASE/GSR/Unit 18 Lecturers.

Here you will find the list of GLAAS 4. 10 enhancements (also sent to all GLAAS users via email on 4/10/2024 and a screenshot was shared on 4/11/2024.)

GLAAS Approval Workflow

Beginning Fall 2024, Department Chairs will be included in the GLAAS approval workflow for Academic Student Employee (ASE): Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, Reader and Remedial Tutor Appointment.

As a friendly reminder, Time Reporting System (TRS) requires both Primary and Secondary Approvers.

As per the ratified UAW contract, Academic Student Employees (ASE) and Graduate Student Researchers (GSR) are now required to complete and submit monthly time records in TRS.

Per Article 18 section C.1. of that contract, ASEs shall be eligible for "up to three (3) days of paid leave for semester campuses". Readers and Tutors already complete time records and will also be afforded this new leave provision. Such leave usage shall be prorated based on percent time of appointment.

For GSRs, it has been determined that Instructors of Record will be their Principal Investigators. Article 17 section C.1. provides the same language as that for ASEs.

Additionally, per Article 23 of the GSR contract, "personal time off shall be up to twelve (12) workdays for a full twelve-month period", and is also prorated based on appointment percent time. This equates to 5 days per semester and 2 days over the summer period.

Office Hours: GLAAS and ASE/GSR/Unit 18 Faculty

GLAAS and ASE/GSR/Unit 18 Faculty Office Hours will be held weekly on Wednesdays from 9-10 am starting on April 24th. Please stop by if you have any questions.

Office Hours: Summer Salary

Summer Salary Office Hours are held weekly on Mondays and Fridays from 1:30-2:20 pm and Tuesdays and Thursday from 10:30-11:20 am, through the end of August. Although attendance is optional, we encourage you to stop by to ask questions or to learn from what others are asking. Please note, you may join and leave the meeting at any time.

Faculty Success Data Entry Procedure

Friendly reminder, APO now has multiple resources to assist the schools with the Faculty Success data entry process. We encourage you to actively engage and utilize the valuable resources below:

• Office Hours are held every Tuesday from 9-10 am. We encourage you to stop by and ask any Faculty Success related questions.
• APO also composed a comprehensive guide. The procedure document includes detailed screenshots and explanations to facilitate your understanding of the data entry process.
• Additionally, APO produced a new Faculty Success Data Entry Training Video structured in alignment with the procedure document. Due to the sensitive nature of the content, access to the video is restricted to individuals directly involved in Faculty Success data entry. If you wish to access the video, please reach out to Christine Lima. Please note that maintaining the confidentiality of this video is crucial to our operations.

April 2024 

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace Policy

Effective January 1, 2023, the University of California issued a new Presidential Policy that defines and prohibits Abusive Conduct in the Workplace. Please refer to the policy (hyperlinked) for definitions, prohibited conduct, responsibilities, and procedures. Additionally, please refer to the following link for more information and how to file a complaint: https://hr.ucmerced.edu/hr-units/employeelabor-relations/abusive-conduct-workplace.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Effective February 20, 2024, the University of California issued a new Presidential Policy on Anti-Discrimination that defines and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation in order to ensure equitable and inclusive education and employment environments. Please refer to the policy (hyperlinked) for definitions, prohibited conduct, responsibilities, and procedures. As provided in the policy, individuals may report to the Local Implementation Officer (Kim Overdyck), any Responsible Employee, or another appropriate office such as the Academic Personnel Office (APO), Student Affairs, Human Resources (HR), or Office of the Provost. The individual or office that receives the report must then report to OPHD. For questions regarding this policy, please contact the OPHD & Title IX Director, Kim Overdyck (koverdyck@ucmerced.edu).

OATS Category I Approval Term

The current policy on Conflict of Commitment and Outside Activities of Faculty Members, APM -025, states Category I approvals are generally for one fiscal year but may be granted for a longer term, not to exceed five years. After careful consideration, Leadership has confirmed that UCM will grant Category I approvals for up to three years, consistent with other campuses practice. The OATS FAQ webpage has been updated to reflect this change.

New Clarifications and Policy Revisions - Academic Conflict of Commitment and Outside Activities

Effective March 1, 2024, the Outside Activities Tracking System (OATS) was updated based on policy changes effective July 1, 2024.

· Cover Letter

· APM - 025 Policy Revisions

· APM - 671 Policy Revisions

Ethics, Compliance and Audit Services (ECAS), UC Legal, and UC Academic Personnel and Programs created the two infographics on these changes.

· New Clarifications and Policy Revisions - Academic Conflict of Commitment and Outside Activities

· How to Identify a Non-US Talent Recruitment Program

Faculty Success Training

Faculty Success Data Entry Training was conducted on April 2nd. Schools are now responsible for updating their faculty member’s data within Faculty Success. If you were unable to attend the training, please reach out to a colleague for assistance. The session was recorded, APO will notify you when the recording will be released, how it can be found, and who is allowed to few the confidential video. Also, please stay tuned for additional information regarding all questions that were asked during the training and a procedure guide.

Faculty Success Office Hours

Faculty Success Office Hours will be held weekly on Tuesdays from 9-10 am starting on April 16th . Please stop by if you have any questions.

GSR Salaries for Summer 2024

We noticed an increase in requests for estimated Summer 2024 salary for Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs).

As a friendly reminder, school processors may generate the summer salaries for Summer 2024 by following these steps.

New Hire Documents Update for Postdoctoral Scholars

The Postdoctoral Scholar Offer and Notice of Appointment/Reappointment Template has been updated to include the information regarding completion of New Hire documents. Effective immediately, please ensure that you are using the correct template. If your school houses the templates in a personal folder, please make necessary updates.