On June 19, 2020, the UC Provost granted a seventh year (two semester) extension to the total length of service performed by Academic Student Employees including Readers and Tutors on annual stipends, and Graduate Student Instructors. The full text of the memo is included below and can also be downloaded here. In recognition of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic’s impact on student employees who perform work as a Reader on an annual stipend, Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, and/or Associate, I am approving a temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority under APM – 410, Teaching Assistants and Graduate Student Instructors and APM – 420, Readers, to grant a seventh year extension (a maximum of 21 quarters/14 semesters) to the total length of service rendered in any one or any combination of the titles. University policy provides that “the total length of service rendered in any one or any combination of the following titles may not exceed four years: Reader on annual stipend, Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, and/or Associate. Under special circumstances, the Chancellor, upon recommendation of the department chair and the dean of the school or college, may authorize a longer period, but in no case for more than six years.” Under APM – 410 and APM – 420, campuses have a long practice of granting requests to extend the total length of service beyond four years. As a temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority, following the same local procedures already in place, a seventh year extension is permissible for matriculated students at UC during the quarters/semesters in which instruction is substantially impacted by COVID-19. Should these circumstances persist I may consider additional adjustments. In addition, although the total length of service for Graduate Student Researchers is not dictated by the Academic Personnel Manual, I encourage those campuses that have established a service limitation to evaluate whether a similar extension of time would be appropriate for Graduate Student Researcher employment. I understand COVID-19 has varied implications for graduate students, including impacting normative time to degree. This temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority addresses the terms of appointment for Academic Student Employees. It does not address normative time as there is no systemwide normative time policy. While there is no systemwide policy it is clear that each campus offers flexibility around normative time and some have already made formal adjustments to their policies in light of COVID-19. Each campus graduate council can seek to make or approve changes to local normative time policies; if extensions to normative time are desired, I encourage campus academic senates to work in collaboration with campus graduate divisions. Michael T. Brown, Ph.D. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
On June 19, 2020, the UC Provost granted a seventh year (two semester) extension to the total length of service performed by Academic Student Employees including Readers and Tutors on annual stipends, and Graduate Student Instructors. The full text of the memo is included below and can also be downloaded here. In recognition of the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic’s impact on student employees who perform work as a Reader on an annual stipend, Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, and/or Associate, I am approving a temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority under APM – 410, Teaching Assistants and Graduate Student Instructors and APM – 420, Readers, to grant a seventh year extension (a maximum of 21 quarters/14 semesters) to the total length of service rendered in any one or any combination of the titles. University policy provides that “the total length of service rendered in any one or any combination of the following titles may not exceed four years: Reader on annual stipend, Teaching Assistant, Teaching Fellow, and/or Associate. Under special circumstances, the Chancellor, upon recommendation of the department chair and the dean of the school or college, may authorize a longer period, but in no case for more than six years.” Under APM – 410 and APM – 420, campuses have a long practice of granting requests to extend the total length of service beyond four years. As a temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority, following the same local procedures already in place, a seventh year extension is permissible for matriculated students at UC during the quarters/semesters in which instruction is substantially impacted by COVID-19. Should these circumstances persist I may consider additional adjustments. In addition, although the total length of service for Graduate Student Researchers is not dictated by the Academic Personnel Manual, I encourage those campuses that have established a service limitation to evaluate whether a similar extension of time would be appropriate for Graduate Student Researcher employment. I understand COVID-19 has varied implications for graduate students, including impacting normative time to degree. This temporary extension of the Chancellor’s authority addresses the terms of appointment for Academic Student Employees. It does not address normative time as there is no systemwide normative time policy. While there is no systemwide policy it is clear that each campus offers flexibility around normative time and some have already made formal adjustments to their policies in light of COVID-19. Each campus graduate council can seek to make or approve changes to local normative time policies; if extensions to normative time are desired, I encourage campus academic senates to work in collaboration with campus graduate divisions. Michael T. Brown, Ph.D. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs