Employee Comment: APM-036, 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 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 proposed revisions are posted here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/PCPA/Revisions/. 

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment on this policy revision, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than March 22, 2025. Please indicate “APM-036” in the subject line. 

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