UCLA Academic Senate Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide

The UCLA Academic Senate Handbook serves as a crucial resource for faculty conduct, academic regulations, and governance within the university. It outlines policies, procedures, and guidelines that govern various aspects of academic life at UCLA. This document is essential for understanding the rights, responsibilities, and privileges of faculty members and students alike.

Faculty Conduct and Discipline

Implementing University Policy

At UCLA, the Academic Senate Handbook implements University policy on faculty conduct and the administration of discipline. This applies to all members of the Academic Senate and academic staff whose instructional duties are not subject to direct supervision. These procedures apply only when an individual is charged with improper faculty conduct and do not affect a faculty member's rights in cases not involving discipline.

Two-Tiered Disciplinary Process

Allegations of violations of the Faculty Code of Conduct are treated in a two-tiered process:

Investigatory Stage: Initiated by filing a complaint. The Charges Committee determines whether probable cause of a violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct has occurred.
Formal Hearing Stage: Occurs if the charge is not resolved in the first stage.

Handling Specific Violations

Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Policy Violations: Cases involving violations of the University of California Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH Policy) or of the Faculty Code of Conduct, APM 015, Part II, Sections A.3, C.6, or D.3, follow specific procedures.
Discrimination Complaints: In cases involving a complaint of discrimination under the Faculty Code of Conduct (APM 015 Part II, Sections A.2, C.5, and D.2), specific protocols are in place.
Other Cases: In all other cases, the Charges Committee conducts an inquiry to determine whether there is probable cause of a violation of the Faculty Code of Conduct.

Informal Resolution and Mediation

Opportunities to resolve disciplinary matters through mediation or negotiation are available at any stage of the process before the formal hearing stage, provided such mediation is acceptable to the administration. The Committee may assist in selecting an appropriate mediator. Informal resolution may involve consultation with department chairs, deans, the Ombudsperson, or a member of the Grievance Advisory Committee, or actions taken by the Vice Chancellor. Academic Personnel and the Charges Committee. Resolution may result in withdrawal of the complaint or a formal settlement, including disciplinary sanctions.

Filing a Complaint

Allegations against a faculty member originating from any source are normally addressed to the Chair of that faculty member's department or the relevant Dean. In the case of an allegation of sexual violence or sexual harassment, the procedures for initiating a complaint described in the University SVSH Policy should be followed, including referral of the matter to the Title IX Office as specified in that Policy. If the matter is not resolved, a formal complaint may be filed with the Charges Committee. Before filing a formal complaint, the complainant will be given an opportunity to meet with a member of the Grievance Advisory Committee (GAC) to discuss the functions of the Charges Committee and the Committee on Privilege and Tenure, and to review relevant University documents.

Formal Complaint Requirements

The formal complaint must be in writing and should identify the relevant sections of the University Policy on Faculty Conduct and the Administration of Discipline, along with a full statement of the facts that allegedly constitute a violation of University Policy. The Charges Committee will promptly transmit a copy of the complaint to the faculty member complained against, along with relevant University documents.

Interim Suspension

If the Vice Chancellor believes that the continued assignment of a faculty member to regular duties will be immediately and seriously harmful to the University community, the Vice Chancellor may place the faculty member on full or partial interim suspension with full pay. The Vice Chancellor will consult with the Charges Committee and provide the faculty member with a written statement of the reason for the suspension, and will refer the matter to the Committee on Privilege and Tenure.

Investigations by Title IX Office and Discrimination Prevention Office

A complaint that a faculty member has violated the University SVSH Policy will first be investigated by the UCLA Title IX Office. Upon initiation of a formal investigation by the Title IX Office, the Chair of the Charges Committee and the Vice Chancellor will be promptly notified. Following all investigations involving Senate Faculty, the Title IX report is to be submitted to the Charges Committee Chair and to the Vice Chancellor.

Ordinarily a complaint that a faculty member has violated APM 015, Part II, Section A.2, C.5, D.2 will first be investigated by the Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO) if the claim of discrimination is on the basis of a protected classification or, for a complaint of gender-based discrimination, by the Title IX office of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Similarly, to the extent that a violation of The Presidential Policy on Nondiscrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace is alleged to violate APM 15, Part II, § C.8, ordinarily the allegation will first be investigated by the Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO) or, for a complaint of gender-based discrimination, by the Title IX office of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

If such a complaint is filed in the first instance with the Charges Committee, the Committee will advise the complainant of the option to have his or her complaint investigated first by the DPO or the Title IX office. If the complaint is first investigated by either the DPO or the Title IX office, following all investigations involving Senate Faculty, the investigative report is to be submitted to the Charges Committee Chair and to the Vice Chancellor.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

Research Misconduct

If the matter involves an allegation of research misconduct against a faculty member, an Advisory Committee will be appointed in compliance with the UCLA Policy 993: Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct. The Research Integrity Officer (RIO) shall appoint the Advisory Committee in consultation with the Chair of the Charges Committee. The Advisory Committee’s determination shall be forwarded to the Charges Committee by the RIO, and a formal complaint may be filed with the Charges Committee by the Chair, the RIO, the complaining party or other appropriate person. If no formal complaint is filed, the matter is terminated.

Probable Cause

Probable cause is shown “if a person of ordinary caution or prudence would be led to believe and conscientiously entertain a strong suspicion of” a violation of the Faculty Code.

Investigation and Factfinding

Investigation and factfinding by the Charges Committee in a disciplinary proceeding shall be conducted in accordance with relevant University policies and rules adopted by the Charges Committee. These rules shall provide adequate opportunity to the faculty member complained against and to the complainant to be heard.

Complainant Information

Complainants have a legitimate interest in being kept informed as the process proceeds and, within appropriate parameters, should be able to participate in various stages of the process. However, the complainant does not have a right to receive or comment on written statements submitted by the faculty member complained against or on any other evidence uncovered in the course of the investigation.

Vice Chancellor Action

The Vice Chancellor must act within thirty days after receiving the letter determining whether or not there is probable cause from the Charges Committee. If the Vice Chancellor concurs when there has been a determination of no probable cause, the matter is terminated, and the complainant and the faculty member complained against are so notified by the Vice Chancellor. With probable cause, the Vice Chancellor shall notify the complainant and the faculty member charged of the intent to file a formal complaint with the Committee on Privilege and Tenure.

Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors

Settlement of Disciplinary Complaint

Once a formal complaint has been filed, at any stage of the proceedings the Vice Chancellor may enter into a settlement of the disciplinary complaint with the faculty member complained against or charged.

Academic Regulations

Departmental Scholar Program

A student who has completed 24 courses or 96 quarter units at UCLA, or the equivalent at another institution, and who has completed the requirements in preparation for a major, may be designated a Department of (…) Scholar. Departments will designate only exceptionally promising students as Departmental Scholars, subject to approval of the Graduate Council. The Departmental Scholar will be admitted provisionally to the Los Angeles Division of Graduate Education in his or her department or in an interdepartmental degree program in which that department is a component field. In order to obtain both a Bachelor's and Master's degree, the Departmental Scholar must fulfill requirements of each of these programs. No course may be used to fulfill the requirements of both these degrees.

Should a student for any reason be forced to, or wish to, withdraw from the Departmental Scholar program, his or her department will notify the Division of Graduate Education, and the student's provisional admission to the Division of Graduate Education will be lapsed.

Graduate Courses Toward Bachelor's Degree

With specific approval by the instructor and the department, and subject to the requirements of the college in which the student is enrolled, qualified undergraduate students may take 200 series courses to apply toward their Bachelor's degrees. No course taken by an undergraduate to fulfill requirements for the Bachelor's degree can be used to fulfill requirements for a higher degree.

Academic Notice and Dismissal

The following provisions shall govern the scholastic status of all undergraduate students at Los Angeles except students in the School of Dentistry and School of Medicine:

Academic Notice: A student shall be placed on academic notice if, while in good standing, the student fails to maintain at least a grade "C" average for all courses undertaken in a quarter.
Academic Disqualification: A student shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University if (a) the student's grade-point average falls below 1.5 for any quarter, or (b) after two quarters on academic notice the student has not achieved a grade-point average of 2.0 (C average) for all courses undertaken in the University, or (c) while on academic notice the student's grade-point average for work undertaken during any quarter falls below 2.0 (C average).
Minimum Progress: An undergraduate student who does not pass at least 36 units during any three consecutive terms shall be placed on academic notice, and an undergraduate student who does not pass at least 32 units during any three consecutive terms shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University.
Minimum and Expected Cumulative Progress: In the College an undergraduate student is required to enroll in a minimum of 13 units in a regularly scheduled quarter and to maintain expected cumulative progress. An undergraduate student who does not fulfill unit requirements for expected cumulative progress in the previous two completed quarters shall be placed on academic notice and after four completed quarters shall be subject to disqualification from further registration at the University.

To transfer from one campus of the University to another, or from one college or school to another on the same campus, a student who has been academically disqualified or is on academic notice must obtain the approval of the Faculty, or its designated agent, to whose jurisdiction transfer is sought.

Grades

The Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Law shall develop their own grading codes for their respective professional programs and these programs are therefore excepted from the provisions of this grading code. The instructor in charge of a course shall be responsible for determining the grade of each student in the course.

Grading of Undergraduate Students: The level of achievement of all undergraduate students shall be designated in the following terms: A+ (extraordinary), A (superior), B (good), C (fair), D (poor), F (fail), I (incomplete), IP (in progress), P (passed), NP (not passed), DR (deferred report). The passing grades A, B, C, and D may be modified by plus (+) or minus (-) suffixes.

Grade points per unit shall be assigned by the Registrar as follows: A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1, F-zero. "Plus" grade carry three-tenths grade-point more per unit, with the exception of the A+, and "minus" grades carry three-tenths grade-point less per unit than un-suffixed grades.

Grading of Graduate Students: The work of all graduate students shall be reported in terms of the following grades: A (superior achievement), B (satisfactorily demonstrated potentiality for professional achievement in the field of study), C (passed the course but did not do work indicative of potentiality for professional achievement in the field of study), F (fail), I (incomplete), IP (in progress), DR (deferred report), S (satisfactory) U (unsatisfactory). The passing grades A, B and C may be modified by plus (+) or minus (-) suffixes.

Grade-point per unit shall be assigned by the Registrar as follows: A-4, B-3, C-2, F-zero. "Plus" grades (except A+) carry three-tenths grade-point more per unit and "minus" grades carry three-tenths grade-point less per unit than un-suffixed grades. The grade A+ carries 4.0 grade-points per unit, the same as for an (un-suffixed A;) but when A+ is reported, it represents extraordinary achievement.

The I Grade: The grade I may be assigned when a student's work is of passing quality, but is incomplete. The grade I shall only be assigned when it is established to the instructor's satisfaction that the student's work is incomplete for good cause.

Senate Governance

Legislative Rulings

Legislative Rulings are issued by the Divisional Committee on Rules and Jurisdiction pursuant to Bylaw 100 and hold the status of legislation unless superseded by actions of the Legislative Assembly or UC Regents. These rulings cover various aspects of Senate governance, including:

Alternative Dispute Resolution Process for Appendix V Actions
Service on Senate Governance Committees
Role of Student Representatives

Academic Senate Organization

Source of Authority: The membership, duties, powers, and privileges of the Academic Senate are defined by the Bylaws and Standing Orders of the Regents of the University of California.
Membership: Members of the Los Angeles Division are: the President of the University, the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, Deans, Directors of Academic Programs, the Chief Admissions Officer, the Registrar, the University Librarian, and all officers of instruction at Los Angeles whose academic title entitles them, by Order of the Regents, to membership in the Academic Senate, those Senate members holding University-wide appointments who elect to enroll in this Division, and any other persons certified for membership by the Secretary of the Division in accordance with Divisional and Senate legislation.
Power and Duties: The Los Angeles Division is possessed of all authority of the Academic Senate at UCLA not specifically delegated to the Assembly of the Academic Senate or to University Senate committees.

Officers and the Executive Office

Chair: Presides over meetings, maintains communication, submits budget requests, and serves ex officio on various boards and assemblies.
Immediate Past Chair: Serves as a member of the Executive Board and Legislative Assembly to maximize continuity between divisional Officers.
Vice Chair: Assumes the duties of the Chair in their absence and performs assigned duties.
Secretary: Prepares meeting minutes, determines membership, and supervises elections.
Parliamentarian: Assists in issues of Parliamentary Procedure, provides guidance on questions regarding Divisional Bylaws and Regulations and Serve as an ex officio and fully contributing member on the Committee on Rules and Jurisdiction.
Executive Office: Assists officers and committees, maintains records, and provides information to members.

Committees

The following agencies are designated Committees of the Los Angeles Division: Standing Committees (including the Executive Board), Special Committees of the Division, each Faculty, the Divisional Legislative Assembly, and Senate Electoral Committees. Each committee is responsible to the agency establishing it and is obligated to report its actions to that agency. Each member of a Divisional committee must be a member of the Academic Senate.

tags: #ucla #academic #senate #handbook