ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

JOINT ACADEMIC SENATE/FEDERATION PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (JPC)

FOR THE YEAR 2000-2001 (Period covering 7/1/00-5/11/01)

 

 

As of May 11, 2001, the Joint Personnel Committee has received 84 personnel actions.  The details are tabulated below:

 

 

Action Type

Specialist in Coop. Ext.

Research

Specialist

 

 

Appointment

 

Merit

 

Promotion

 

Emeritus Status

 

Appraisals

 

Supp.     Deny     Total

 

1           0              1

 

20          1             21

 

     9*         0              9

 

 1           0              1

 

 

 2           0              2

 

Supp.     Deny     Total

 

11          2            13

 

12          7            19

 

   7*         1              8

 

    0          0              0

 

 

    0          0              0

 

Supp.     Deny     Total

 

     2           0             2

 

     7           0             7

 

     1*           0            1

 

     0            0            0

 

 

     0            0            0

Pending

 

Complete

 

Total

 

     5           0              5

 

   28           1            29

 

   33           1            34

    5          0              5

 

  25         10            35

 

  30         10            40

     1            0             1

 

     9            0             9

 

    10           0           10

 

In addition to the above, there are:

 

            11 promotion cases are pending return from ad hoc committee review

 

 

Observed Frequencies by Gender

 

                                                                        Males                           Females

                        Support                                       44                                 18

                        Deny                                              6                                   5

                        Pending                                          8                                   3

                        __________________________________________________

                        Total                                            58                                 26

Issues and General Comments

 

The Joint Academic Senate/Federation Personnel Committee (JPC) had another busy and productive year as evidenced by the large number of actions (appointments, merits and promotions).  As in previous years the JPC reviewed numerous appointments in the Professional Research Series.  Several of these appointments again reflect attempts to retain Postgraduate Researchers (PGR) whose eligibility in that series has or will expire.

 

Many of the following issues and recommendations have been identified by previous JPC’s, some of them raised in last year’s report.  It is the Committee’s understanding that there are continued plans toward developing and updating current personnel policies and initiating additional streamlining efforts.  The Committee offers the following comments and recommendations:

 

  1. Vague and/or inconsistent positions descriptions, leading to requests for additional information, lead to delays in the review process.  The position description is required and must be included in all cases.  Departments and Offices should be reminded that the Supplemental Guidelines to the Annual Call include a sample position description.

 

With reference specifically to the Professional Research Series, the position description should include a statement to the effect that the incumbent will develop an independent research program, which will be funded by extramural funding.

 

  1. Establishment of peer groups.  Each school/college/division must identify a peer group of federation employees for each academic federation employee.  This collegial group should have similar titles and responsibilities.  The peer group may or may not be completely comprised of colleagues from the candidate’s home department or unit.  The peer group will help foster consistency in the review of candidates with like duties and also assist members of the peer group by providing feedback and guidance.

 

  1. Ad hoc committee membership.  It is our understanding that membership on ad hoc committees will be increased from three to five members effective with the next review cycle.  The JPC recommends strongly against this.  It is difficult getting three individuals to serve, let alone five.  If 5 member committees are insisted on, it is then even more critical that ad hoc service be enforced and monitored by the Provosts Office and department chairs and unit leaders recognize such service

 

The JPC agrees and supports the appointment of a Shadow Joint Committee to make recommendations on personnel actions involving members of the JPC.

 

  1. Supplemental Guidelines to the Annual Call for Federation Appointments.  The JPC recommends that the Supplemental Guidelines be reviewed carefully for updating that is consistent with the Senate Annual Call. 

 

Additionally, it is the Committee’s understanding that there are efforts underway to initiate additional ‘streamlining’ of the merits and promotions process, i.e., redelegation to the deans’ level.  The Committee recommends against any additional streamlining efforts where current checks and balances would be compromised and the evaluation narrowed.   The Committee believes that oversight of academic actions by JPC and CAP is absolutely essential.  The JPC and CAP provide a critical oversight role in the personnel process and attempts to bypass this significant step should not be encouraged.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Shu Geng, Chair – Agronomy & Range Science

Marita Cantwell – Vegetable Crops

Sham Goyal – Agronomy & Range Science

Janet Momsen – Human & Community Development

Eric Mussen – Entomology

Dan Parfitt – Pomology

Ken Tanji – Land, Air & Water Resources