UC proposes adding a section to the Academic Personnel Manual’s section on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline (APM-016). Specifically, a pause on the merit and promotion process is proposed when there is even an uninvestigated allegation of misconduct. Such a pause could be easily abused to the detriment of faculty as it removes the presumption of innocence and risks indefinitely delaying merit and promotion cases.
Several faculty members, including Walter Leal (Molecular & Cellular Biology, UC Davis), have written a powerful letter opposing this amendment and are collecting signatures from faculty before delivering the letter to UC’s Vice Provost of Academic Personnel and Programs during the proposal comment period, which ends on July 8.
We highly recommend that, if you have not done so already (hundreds of faculty members have already signed on), you take a look at the letter and consider signing on yourself:
https://forms.gle/acCfaAEE8qUEd6Da6
Please note that you must scroll all the way down, past the many signatures, and click the “Next” button in order to add your signature.
Sincerely,
The Board of the DFA