SUBJECT:	Formal Review of the Proposed New Staff and Academic
	Reduction in Time (START) Program

In order to help UC cope with anticipated budget cuts, the University is proposing to implement a new Staff and Academic Reduction in Time (START) Program, a temporary voluntary time reduction personnel program, to achieve salary savings. Implementation of START is subject to Regental approval of amendments to the UCRP to ensure that participation in the program will not reduce an employee's accrual rate of UCRP service credit or the amount of pay used to determine UCRP benefits. The amendments are scheduled for consideration by The Regents at their May meeting.

Under the proposed program, temporary salary savings would be achieved through a voluntary reduction in time and corresponding pay. UC San Diego department heads/chairs, at their discretion and with the appropriate approval of the respective vice chancellor, may extend START to their organization at any time during the START program period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2010.

The features of the proposed START program are as follows:

ELIGIBILITY:

All full- and part-time non-probationary career ("regular status") staff employees and academic appointees, except those in faculty and student academic titles and Postdoctoral Scholars, would be eligible to volunteer to reduce their time. In all cases, participation would be dependent upon the approval of the department head/chair and the respective vice chancellor (if required by separate communication of the vice chancellor to members of the respective vice chancellor organization).

Participation in the START Program for represented employees is dependent upon agreement by the applicable union.

PROGRAM PARAMETERS:

* Eligible employees would volunteer to reduce their time from a minimum of 10% to a maximum of 50% of full-time. However, an employee's work schedule cannot be reduced below 50% time in any month of participation in START.

* In return for a voluntary reduction in time, participants would:

* Accrue, on a month by month basis, vacation and sick leave credits at the rate accrued prior to the commencement of START;

* Accrue, on a month by month basis, UCRP service credit for each month of START participation at the rate accrued prior to commencement of the program, provided that the employee is on pay status for at least 50% time (Note: service credit during participation in START would be reduced by a leave without pay or other periods of time off pay status not reflected in the START contract)

* Not have their UC health and welfare, retirement, disability or survivor benefits affected by START

* Participants could volunteer to reduce their time for a minimum of one month to a maximum of 24 months. A written START contract signed by both the department head/chair and the employee would specify the participant's percentage of time and the begin and end dates of the contract

* An eligible employee could participate in START more than one time, as long as participation ends by June 30, 2010

* The time reduction under a START contract could be changed by mutual agreement of both the employee and the department head/chair and with 30 days advance notice

* Participation in START could be ended by the employee or the department head/chair with 30 days advance notice

The proposed program will be posted at the following URL:

http://atyourservice.ucop.edu

If you would like to comment on the proposed START program, please email your comments by May 28, 2008 to Jenni Leibman, Director, Employee Relations, Policy Development and Work/Life at employeerelations@ucsd.edu or Tricia Takacs, Director of Academic Personnel at ttakacs@ucsd.edu.

Paul W. Drake Senior Vice Chancellor - Academic Affairs Steven W. Relyea Vice Chancellor - Business Affairs