Systemwide Policy Revisions for Employee Comments

Systemwide Policy Revisions for Employee Comments

Presidential Policy Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations and Students (PACAOS) 100.00 and PACAOS-Appendix H

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations and Students (PACAOS) 100.00 and PACAOS-Appendix H. The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key issues:

Incorporation of New Appendix H

• PACAOS 100.00 formally references Appendix H. [cite: 1]
• Appendix H establishes systemwide investigation and resolution procedures. [cite: 1]

Standardized Investigation & Resolution Framework

• Clear systemwide procedures for investigating and resolving allegations of student and student organization misconduct. [cite: 2]
• Defined pathways for:
  • Alternative resolution [cite: 2]
  • Administrative resolution [cite: 2]
  • Hearings (when suspension or dismissal is proposed) [cite: 2]

New Sanctioning Framework

• Updated sanction definitions and options. [cite: 2]
• Creation of a consistent yet flexible structure for assigning sanctions and other university actions across campuses. [cite: 2]

Compliance with Assembly Bill 602 (AB 602)

• Incorporation of required limited disciplinary amnesty for certain alcohol- and drug-related violations. [cite: 3]
• Amnesty applies when students seek or obtain medical assistance during a medical emergency. [cite: 3]

Compliance with Assembly Bill 1575 (AB 1575)

• Strengthened procedural protections and notice requirements. [cite: 3]
• Updates to timelines and transparency standards. [cite: 3]
• Alignment of PACAOS 100.00 and Appendix H with updated California law. [cite: 3]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Rachel Lloyd at rjlloyd@ucanr.edu, no later than June 5, 2026. Please indicate “PACAOS 100” in the subject line. [cite: 4]

Anatomical Donation Program and Anatomical Materials

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy on Anatomical Donation Programs and Anatomical Materials. The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key issues: [cite: 4, 5]

• Specifying California State Universities and Community Colleges in the allocation hierarchy [cite: 5]
• Clarifying existing practice whereby UC does not accept unclaimed human remains or unrepresented donors for use in education and research [cite: 5]
• Replacing an approval process with an informational training [cite: 5]
• Updating definitions, links and personnel designations [cite: 5]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Rachel Lloyd at rjlloyd@ucanr.edu, no later than March 20, 2026. Please indicate “Responding to ADP” in the subject line. [cite: 6]

Presidential Policy on Educational Loan Practices

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy Educational Loan Practices. The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key issues: [cite: 6, 7]

• The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued guidance on § 1026.46(b)(5) Regulation Z clarifying that their supervisory authority extends to school entities when they offer private education loans as defined in section 140 of the Truth in Lending Act, 15 U.S.C. 1650. [cite: 7, 8] Private education loan includes “billing plans” with extension of credit longer than one year, even if there is no interest charged. [cite: 8] As loans, these “billing plans,” also known as deferred tuition programs, would need to follow all the various relevant provisions and guidance surrounding Regulation Z. [cite: 9]
• The purpose of UC’s Educational Loan Practices policy is to ensure the protection of students through our systemwide assessment of educational loans. [cite: 9] UCOP conferred with outside counsel who advised of the risk to the system if these types of plans were not addressed in current systemwide policy. [cite: 10]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than January 27, 2026. Please indicate “Responding to Educational Loan Practices” in the subject line. [cite: 11]

Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) Section 30, Compensation and Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) Section 2, Definition of Terms

The University of California is proposing revisions to PPSM-30 (Compensation) & PPSM-2 (Definition of Terms), which applies to staff employees in the Professional & Support Staff, Managers & Senior Professionals, and Senior Management Group personnel groups. [cite: 12, 13]

PPSM-30 includes proposed updates to align the policy with current practice, provide clarifications, and improve organization. [cite: 14] PPSM-2 includes proposed updates to align with the draft edits to PPSM-30. [cite: 14]

Employees covered by this policy who wish to provide comments on the proposed revisions may submit them to Rachel Lloyd at rjlloyd@ucanr.edu, no later than November 19, 2025. Please indicate “PPSM-30 & PPSM-2” in the subject line. [cite: 14]

Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on the proposed Presidential Policy on Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct (UC Research Misconduct Policy). [cite: 14] The proposed policy updates the current University Policy on Integrity in Research. [cite: 15, 16]

On September 6, 2024, the Office of Research Integrity (ORI) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued revised regulations on research misconduct, Public Health Service Policies on Research Misconduct (PHS Regulations). [cite: 16, 17] The PHS Regulations apply to institutions starting January 1, 2026. [cite: 17]

The UC Research Misconduct Policy includes the following:

• Publication in the correct format for UC Presidential Policies. [cite: 18]
• Adoption of definitions related to research misconduct provided in the Federal Policy on Research Misconduct. [cite: 19]
• Restatement that UC is committed to maintaining the integrity of scholarship and research, responding to allegations of research misconduct, and to fostering a climate conducive to research integrity in accordance with the UC Statement of Ethical Values. [cite: 20]
• A Procedures Section that directs Locations to implement local policies and procedures for responding to allegations of research misconduct, including complying with federal policies and conditions of extramural awards. [cite: 21]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than December 16, 2025. Please indicate “Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct” in the subject line. [cite: 22]

Academic Personnel Manual (APM) Section 036, General University Policy Regarding Academic Appointees/Employment

The University invites comments on proposed revisions to Section 036 of the Academic Personnel Manual: [cite: 23]

• APM - 036, Employment [cite: 23]

The revisions are intended to address the following two important issues: [cite: 23]

• To address changes to the California Education Code – Specifically, the recent addition of Section 66284, which requires institutions to adopt a written policy regarding Official Letters of Recommendation (second systemwide review). [cite: 23]
• To address a gap in the current APM – Specifically, clarifications regarding the classification of academic employees under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the incorporation of related compensation standards (first systemwide review). [cite: 24]

To support implementation, the Office of the President will provide a toolkit and guidance documents when the final policy is issued, to help faculty, administrators, and staff understand and apply the revisions consistently across campuses. [cite: 24, 25]

Background

Previously proposed revisions to add the Letters of Recommendation sections of the policy were considered during the first systemwide review period from January 22, 2025, to March 24, 2025. [cite: 25] Based on feedback received, further revisions have been incorporated for this second systemwide review. [cite: 25, 26] These proposed revisions respond to the addition of California Education Code Section 66284, effective January 1, 2025 (reference AB 1905 “Public postsecondary education: employment: settlements, informal resolutions, and retreat rights”), which requires public postsecondary educational institutions to adopt a written policy on Official Letters of Recommendation. [cite: 26, 27] This law mandates that University supervisors and administrators take certain steps to ensure the requesting employee is not a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint before providing an official letter of recommendation. [cite: 27, 28]

This review also addresses a gap in the current Academic Personnel Manual (APM) regarding the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). [cite: 29] The FLSA establishes minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping, and other requirements. [cite: 29, 30] Under the FLSA, employees are classified as either exempt or non-exempt based on their duties and method of compensation. [cite: 30, 31] Exempt employees (e.g., faculty) are not required to report hours worked and are not eligible to receive premium overtime pay, while non-exempt employees (e.g., non-instructional titles that fall below a minimum salary threshold) are compensated hourly, must record and report hours worked, and may be eligible for premium overtime pay. [cite: 31, 32] Exempt employees are paid a set salary and are expected to fulfill the duties of their positions regardless of the hours worked. [cite: 32, 33] Historically, the University has referred to the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 30: Compensation for guidance on FLSA compliance for academic appointees, but those provisions are now being incorporated into the APM, as the APM includes the policies pertaining to the employment relationship between an academic appointee and the University of California. [cite: 33, 34]

This review further addresses a gap in the current APM regarding lactation accommodation by incorporating lactation accommodation provisions into the APM. [cite: 35] Historically, the University has referred to the Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 84: Lactation Accommodation for guidance on lactation accommodation for academic appointees. [cite: 35, 36]

Key Policy Revisions in response to Changes to California Education Code

The following summary of proposed revisions includes changes based on comments received during the initial systemwide review and clarification from UC Legal regarding compliance with California Education Code Section 66284. [cite: 36, 37]

Overall, feedback from the first systemwide review raised concerns about the need for more clarity with respect to what kinds of letters of recommendation are subject to California Education Code Section 66284, the distinction between official and personal letters, who the “appropriate entity” is for academic administrators and supervisors to seek verification from, and the application of the policy to different faculty roles. [cite: 38] These revisions provide clearer definitions and guidance to address those issues. [cite: 38, 39] New revisions are indicated below with bold and underlined text: [cite: 39]

• 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. [cite: 39]
• Add section APM - 036-6 Obligations; b. Official Letters of Recommendation [cite: 40]
  • This section prohibits academic administrators and supervisors 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 and any of the following has occurred: (1) the employee is determined in a final administrative decision to have committed sexual harassment; [cite: 40, 41] (2) before a final administrative decision is made, and while an investigation is pending, the employee resigns from their current position; [cite: 42] or (3) the employee enters into a settlement with the public postsecondary educational institution based on the allegations arising from the sexual harassment complaint. [cite: 43] Language has been added to this policy that these requirements are in accordance with California Education Code 66284. [cite: 43]
  • This section clarifies that APM - 036 does not apply to letters of recommendation provided to individuals who are not employees or do not speak to the individual’s qualities as an employee. [cite: 43]
  • Language has been added to clarify that “appropriate entities” for the purposes of consultation on providing Official Letters of Recommendation must be defined in local campus procedures. [cite: 43]
  • Official Letter 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. [cite: 43, 44] Additional language has been added to define an Official Letter of Recommendation. [cite: 45]
  • Administrator or Supervisor is defined in this section. [cite: 45]
  • In the first systemwide review, proposed revisions included required language for personal letters of reference or recommendation to confirm whether the letter was written in a personal rather than “official” capacity. [cite: 45] To address feedback received during the first systemwide review, the required language is a requirement for an Official Letter of Recommendation only. [cite: 46]
• Add section APM - 036-6 Obligations; c. Personal References and Personal Letters of Recommendation [cite: 47]
  • In the first systemwide review, proposed revisions included guidelines and required language for personal letters of reference or recommendation to confirm whether the letter was written in a personal rather than “official” capacity. [cite: 48] To address feedback received during the first systemwide review, the required language has been moved as a requirement for an Official Letter of Recommendation only. [cite: 48]
  • Revisions in this review include clarification that letters of reference or recommendation not meeting the requirements noted for Official Letters of Recommendation in APM - 036-6 c. [cite: 49] should be considered personal letters of reference or recommendation, even when written by an administrator or supervisor on University of California letterhead or issued via a University issued email address. [cite: 49]
  • This section clarifies that letters solicited for academic review files, letters written for current and former students regarding academic performance, and other letters used for a purpose other than employment, e.g., grant applications and award nominations, are not Official Letters of Recommendation and are not subject to prior verification with “appropriate entities” before providing the letter. [cite: 49]

To support implementation following this systemwide review and issuance of the policy, a toolkit will also be issued that will include model statement language, a consultation flowchart, and FAQs. [cite: 50, 51]

Key Policy Revisions in response to Addressing a Gap in the Current APM

Additionally, the proposed revisions include explanations of current procedures and practices in place at the campuses, in compliance with state and federal law. [cite: 51, 52] To ensure consistency in application for academic appointees, the following information has been included in the proposed revisions: [cite: 52]

• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines as established in the FLSA regulations. [cite: 53] These clarifications are important because the FLSA distinguishes between exempt employees, who are paid a set salary and are expected to fulfill the duties of their positions regardless of hours worked, and non-exempt employees, who are paid hourly, are eligible for premium overtime pay, and must report time worked. [cite: 53, 54] While faculty are exempt employees, faculty may supervise a mix of exempt and non-exempt employees. [cite: 54]
• Service obligations as established in Regents Policy 7303, Service Obligations and Leaves of Absence. [cite: 54]
• Explanations of when academic appointees will be afforded meal, rest, and lactation breaks, as established by state and federal law. [cite: 54]
• Clarification of working and non-working time and expectations to ensure accurate leave recording. [cite: 55] These revisions do not introduce any new requirements for faculty to report time worked through time and attendance systems. [cite: 55, 56] Rather, it affirms existing practices and ensures consistency across campuses, while respecting areas where faculty already follow local timekeeping processes. [cite: 56]

Following this systemwide review and issuance of the policy, an implementation toolkit will include a quick guide on exempt versus non-exempt roles, a summary of meal and rest break provisions for non-exempt academic appointees, and guidance on leave and time documentation that will assist academic supervisors with compliance with the FLSA. [cite: 57]

Additionally, technical revisions have been made to APM - 036-0 a. Recruitment and APM - 036-0 b. Selection to be inclusive of State contractor obligations and anti-discrimination efforts and to remove references associated with specific Federal compliance obligations that no longer apply. [cite: 58, 59]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than December 16, 2025. Please indicate “APM-036” in the subject line. [cite: 60]

Proposed Presidential Policy IMT-1300: Information Technology Accessibility

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy IMT-1300: Information Technology Accessibility. [cite: 61] The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key issues: [cite: 61]

• Aligns with the technical standard (WCAG 2.1 AA) set by two new digital accessibility regulations, which implement Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. [cite: 61]
• Requires locations to establish an accessible course content program to ensure faculty support in creating accessible course content and to assist faculty in remediating course content. [cite: 61, 62]
• Provides guidance and necessary frameworks for procurement of accessible products, a more defensible exception process for goods and/or services that do not conform to the WCAG 2.1 AA technical standard, and a complaint/grievance process. [cite: 62]
• Establishes a reporting requirement for better systemwide oversight and coordination. [cite: 62]
• Provides additional guidance around processes and authority. [cite: 62]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than December 17, 2025. Please indicate “IMT-1300 Policy” in the subject line. [cite: 63]

Proposed Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on the proposed revisions to the existing Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices. [cite: 64, 65] The policy is proposed to be revised and includes the following key issues: [cite: 65]

• Green Building – New provisions added requiring Regents’ approval for investments in natural gas infrastructure that exceed $20M and requiring that new buildings and major renovation projects complete one year of monitoring-based commissioning to ensure that they perform as designed. [cite: 65]
• Clean Energy and Climate Action - Updates remove references to centrally procured biogas (per the UC Energy Services Governing Board’s direction to focus on direct emissions reductions over the use of biogas as a transition fuel source) and add a provision allowing locations to update their interim greenhouse gas reduction targets at regular intervals. [cite: 65, 66] Additional minor revisions remove outdated provisions, clarify intent, and improve organization. [cite: 67]
• Sustainable Transportation – Soon to be outdated single-occupancy vehicle reduction targets were replaced with general requirements to continue promoting commute trip reduction programs and support locations’ greenhouse gas reduction efforts. [cite: 67, 68] Additional updates streamline the policy, clarify which State electric vehicle regulations apply to UC, and add a requirement that each location administer an annual commuter survey. [cite: 68]
• Sustainability at UC Health – This section was removed and its policy elements embedded within related topical policy sections. [cite: 69] Additionally, the terms for campuses and health locations were standardized throughout the policy to clarify which provisions apply to campuses, health locations, and/or all UC entities. [cite: 69, 70] Although these revisions touch all sections of the policy, they do not alter existing requirements. [cite: 70]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than December 17, 2025. Please indicate “Sustainable Practice Policy” in the subject line. [cite: 71]

Academic Personnel Manual Policies 015 and 016

The University frequently revises existing policies and creates new policies in alignment with state and federal regulations. [cite: 72] The University invites employee comments on these revisions and new policies before they are finalized. [cite: 72, 73]

Below is a list of policies currently or previously open for employee comment. [cite: 74]

Academic Personnel Manual 015 (APM-015) - The Faculty Code of Conduct

Academic Personnel Manual 016 (APM-016) - University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline

The University invites comments on proposed revisions to the Academic Personnel Manual (APM) as follows: [cite: 74]

• APM - 015, The Faculty Code of Conduct [cite: 74]
• APM - 016, University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline [cite: 74]

In addition, the following systemwide guidelines are subject to systemwide review: [cite: 74, 75]

• Faculty Respondent Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity [cite: 75]
• Companion Document – Faculty Disciplinary Sanctions Guidelines re Expressive Activity [cite: 75]
• Non-Senate Academic Appointee Respondent Corrective Action/Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity [cite: 75]
• Guidelines on Good Cause Factors re Extensions of Time [cite: 75]

The proposed policy revisions and guidance documents respond to a request from The Regents to reduce the time that it takes to resolve faculty discipline cases, promoting consistent application of discipline across the system, and remaining fundamentally grounded in joint governance. [cite: 75]

Key Policy Revisions

The proposed policy revisions include the following changes: [cite: 76]

• Timelines for Faculty Disciplinary Process: The proposed revisions implement timelines for completion of the initial assessment of allegations of misconduct, the completion of the investigation and submission of the investigation report, the filing of disciplinary charges, and the appointment of a hearing panel. [cite: 76]
• Systemwide Network Privilege and Tenure (P&T) Committee: The Systemwide Network P&T Committee will be comprised of members from the campus P&T committees who are available to hear cases if a campus P&T hearing panel is unable to be appointed within 14 calendar days of the administration filing disciplinary charges. [cite: 76]
• Single-Investigation Model: Each campus shall develop procedures for a single formal investigation. [cite: 77]
• Faculty Respondent Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity: These guidelines provide advisory committees and decision makers with benchmarks for recommending and approving disciplinary sanctions based on several factors. [cite: 77]
• Companion Document - Faculty Disciplinary Sanctions Guidelines re Expressive Activity: This document provides additional context and guidance, relevant language from the Faculty Code of Conduct (APM - 015) and other policies, links to the campus Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) policies, and describes the interplay of the policies and extramural speech. [cite: 77, 78]
• Non-Senate Academic Appointee Respondent Corrective Action/Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity: This document is intended to provide advisory committees and decision makers with benchmarks for recommending and approving disciplinary sanctions for non-Senate academic appointees, based on several factors. [cite: 78]
• Guidelines on Good Cause Factors re Extensions of Time: This document provides a framework for good cause assessment to determine if a good cause extension is warranted. [cite: 78, 79]

Systemwide Calibration Guidelines on Expressive Activities and Guidelines on Good Cause Factors for Extensions of Time

The following guidance documents are also being distributed for systemwide review: [cite: 79]

• Faculty Respondent Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity: These guidelines provide advisory committees and decision makers with benchmarks for recommending and approving disciplinary sanctions based on several factors. [cite: 79, 80]
• Companion Document - Faculty Disciplinary Sanctions Guidelines re Expressive Activity: This document provides additional context and guidance, relevant language from the Faculty Code of Conduct (APM - 015) and other policies, links to the campus Time, Place, and Manner (TPM) policies, and describes the interplay of the policies and extramural speech. [cite: 80]
• Non-Senate Academic Appointee Respondent Corrective Action/Disciplinary Sanction Guidelines for Misconduct Related to Expressive Activity: This document is intended to provide advisory committees and decision makers with benchmarks for recommending and approving disciplinary sanctions for non-Senate academic appointees, based on several factors. [cite: 80, 81]
• Guidelines on Good Cause Factors re Extensions of Time: This document provides a framework for good cause assessment to determine if a good cause extension is warranted. [cite: 81]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than November 21, 2025. Please indicate “APM-015-016” in the subject line. [cite: 81]

Presidential Interim Policy for the University of California's Use of Online Program Management Companies

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on an interim Presidential Policy for the University of California’s Use of Online Program Management Companies. [cite: 82] The policy, issued as interim effective June 26, 2025, includes the following key issues: [cite: 82]

• Instructor Transparency for Online Courses [cite: 82]
• Course Evaluation Process and Student Feedback [cite: 82]
• Prohibition of Incentive-Based Compensation for Recruitment, Admissions, or Awarding of Financial Aid [cite: 82]
• Compliance with Regulations on the Use of Non-Accredited Entities [cite: 82, 83]

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than November 7, 2025. Please indicate “Use of OPM” in the subject line. [cite: 83]