Systemwide Review of Proposed Revisions to APM - 036, General University Policy Regarding Academic Appointees/Employment

The University invites comments on proposed revisions to Section 036 of the Academic Personnel Manual:

APM - 036, Employment

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

The policy revisions respond to the need to address a new bill signed into California state law that adds section 66284 to the California Education Code, effective January 1, 2025 (reference AB 1905 “Public postsecondary education: employment: settlements, informal resolutions, and retreat rights”), and requires the University to adopt a written policy regarding official letters of recommendation, among other requirements, as a condition of receiving state funding. The proposed technical revisions are intended to bring the University into compliance with section 66284 of the California Education Code by incorporating the following changes:

Revise title of policy to “Academic Employment” to clarify that the policy applies to academic employment and to remove the interim status of the policy
Add section APM - 036-0 e. Official Letters of Recommendation
- This section prohibits academic appointees from providing Official Letters of Recommendation prior to consulting with the appropriate campus entities to determine if the employee is a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint filed with the University.
- Official Letters of Recommendation is defined in the policy and excludes other forms of recommendations, such as surveys and phone calls, from the definition of Official Letters of Recommendation.
- Administrator or Supervisor is defined in this section.
Add section APM - 036-0 f. Personal References and Personal Letters of Recommendation
- This section expressly permits academic appointees to provide references or letters in a personal capacity, and the academic appointee is not required to consult with the appropriate entities to determine if the current or former employee is a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint filed with the University. Examples of other letters of recommendation excluded from the definition of Official Letters of Recommendation are provided.
- This section provides sample language to be included in personal references and letters of recommendation for employment.

The draft policy is posted here . If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Paula Johnson in Policy and Records Administration at policy@ucsd.edu no later than March 17, 2025.

Paula Johnson
Director, Policy and Records Administration

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093