Academic Personnel Office

Fostering Academic Success

Employee Relations

Employee Relations

The Academic Personnel Office provides proactive problem solving for departments and divisions in situations involving work-related issues. We provide consultation and advice to supervisors and employees in the areas academic personnel issues, including performance management, corrective actions, interpretation of policies and procedures and collective bargaining agreements, conflict management, counseling, and training. Academic Personnel Office also partners with the campus’ Labor Relations office to ensure the correct application of policies, procedures and laws are being used to manage a large and diverse academic workforce.

The success of the University of California Riverside relies on establishing a culture of support and accountability. These procedures are designed to create a uniform approach for the fair and equitable treatment of academics, while ensuring that performance concerns and misconduct are addressed appropriately and in a timely manner.  The Performance Management, Corrective Action, and Dismissal Policy and Procedures (Non-Senate Academic Titles) document is a resource to employees, supervisors of Non-Senate Academic titles, and policy advisors alike in understanding and navigating the challenges related to employment issues and performance management.

For questions or more information, send an email to academicpersonnel@ucr.edu.
  • Complaints, Concerns, and Grievances

    As issues arise, academic employees are encouraged to navigate the challenges with their immediate supervisor. However, some challenges may require other avenues of resolution. Please review the Complaints, Concerns, and Grievances (Guidance) below to know your reporting options:

    • Non-Senate - Complaints, Concerns, and Grievances (Guidance) (pdf)

    Additional complaint mechanisms:

  • Conflict Management

    Conflict between employees arises when challenges surrounding communication occur. Conflict can result in strains in collaboration for those involved and create a negative work environment for others exposed to it. Conflict Management is the act of resolving these communication issues. When encountering conflict, all parties should remain professional and make every effort to deescalate. In the face of conflict, all employees should follow UCR’s Principles of Community.

    For all academic employees, including supervisors, the following resources are available to provide assistance or guidance in resolving conflict:

    • Department Chair, Associate/Divisional Dean, Dean
    • Academic Personnel Director in the Dean’s Office
    • Academic Employee Relations (APO)
    • Equity Advisor or Office of DEI
    • VPAR (if Senate Faculty are involved)
    • HR Employee and Labor Relations (if a staff or represented employee is involved)
    • Title IX/EOAA Office (When SVSH issues or protected categories are involved)
    • Ombuds (Confidential resource available for consultation)

     

    If bullying or abusive conduct is involved, the issues or incidents should be reported immediately to the Academic Personnel Office at apomail@ucr.edu. See the UCR Anti-Bullying policy for more information.

  • Resources for Academic Supervisors

    At UC Riverside, academic employees of different types may be in various roles where they supervise other academic personnel. These roles include serving as a Principal Investigator, Department Chair, Dean, or even as a course instructor supervising Teaching Assistants.

    Management Resources at UC Riverside:

    3rd Party Resources for Supervisors:

    • Lab Dynamics: Management and Leadership Skills for Scientists. 3rd ed., by Cohen, Carl M., and Suzanne L. Cohen. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2018.
    • New Employee Checklist Infographic (link) by The Business Backer
    • Anatomy of a Great Meeting (link) by EAB

    What do I need to know as an Academic Supervisor of Non-Senate Academics?

    • Understand your responsibilities under UC Riverside PMCAD Policy (link)
    • Know the relevant Non-Senate policies for each employee type that reports to you (link)
    • Know your support contacts available to you:
  • Standards of Conduct

    All employees are expected to follow the standards of conduct outlined in the following policies, as they apply to them:

  • Templates and Examples

    • Unit 18 Lecturer - Job Description and Expectations Example (pdf)

    • Unit 18 Continuing Lecturer - Job Description and Expectations Example (pdf)

    • Unit 18 Senior Continuing Lecturer - Job Description and Expectations Example (pdf)

    • ASE - Description of Duties Template (pdf)

    • ASE - Description of Duties Template (with Check Boxes) (pdf)