Academic Personnel & Human Resources

ECE Academic Personnel & Human Resources

Faculty Appointments

For faculty appointments, please reach out to the Academic Personnel Analyst at [email protected]. An overview of the appointment process/policy and the faculty appointment checklist are linked below for your reference.

Merits & Promotions

The merit and promotion process gives faculty the opportunity to advance in rank and/or salary step based on achievements in teaching, research, and service. The steps below outline the department-level process and the deadlines that govern it.

Timelines

• Dossier preparation: summer months
• Dossier submission deadline: September 1
• Candidate fact check of the draft department letter: 3 days
• Faculty vote: typically 5 days
• Candidate review of the final department letter: 10 days

Process Steps

• Step 1. Eligibility notification
• The Academic Personnel Committee Lead and/or the Academic Personnel Analyst notifies faculty who are eligible for merit advancement or promotion. The notification confirms eligibility, lists the available advancement options (merit increase, promotion, or deferral), and states key deadlines and next steps.
• Step 2. Decision to proceed
• Faculty choose either to proceed with advancement or to defer consideration, where deferral is available. Candidates who move forward should begin preparing their dossiers at this point.
• Step 3. Dossier preparation in MyInfoVault
• Faculty compile and submit their dossiers in MyInfoVault. This work typically takes place over the summer months. See the ECE Step-by-Step Dossier Instructions under Helpful Resources.
• Step 4. Dossier submission
• Faculty submit completed dossiers to the Academic Personnel Committee and the Academic Personnel Analyst by September 1.
• Step 5. Committee review and draft department letter

• The Academic Personnel Committee reviews submitted materials for completeness and corrections, then prepares a draft department letter evaluating the case and providing recommendations in three areas: teaching and mentoring, research, and service.

  The Chair shares the draft department letter with the candidate for a factual accuracy check only. The candidate has three days to identify factual errors. The evaluative content and recommendations in the letter are not subject to negotiation.

• Step 6. Faculty vote
• The dossier and draft department letter are circulated to eligible faculty for a vote. The voting period is typically five days and may be extended if participation is insufficient.
• Step 7. Final department letter and candidate review
• The final department letter, including vote results, is shared with the candidate. The candidate has ten days to review the case and may submit a rejoinder letter to respond or provide clarification.
• Step 8. Finalization
• All materials, including the dossier, department letter, vote results, and any rejoinder, are finalized in MyInfoVault. The candidate completes and signs the Candidate Disclosure Statement.
• Step 9. Submission to the College
• The department submits the completed action to the College for the next stage of review.

Notes

• Begin early to allow time for revisions.
• Deadlines are firm to ensure timely progression through the review process.
• Questions? Contact the Academic Personnel Committee Lead or the Academic Personnel Analyst, Pam Singh ([email protected]). 

GSR Appointments

The GSR process runs once per quarter and starts about two months before the quarter begins, so all appointments are active by the first day of the term.

Timelines

• Spring: process starts in early February
• Summer: process starts in early May
• Fall: process starts in early August
• Winter: process starts in early November

• Step 1. Launch and share GSR spreadsheets

• The CAO sends an announcement to all the faculty members with the relevant spreadsheet approximately two months before the start of a new quarter. Faculty use the spreadsheet for the upcoming quarter to list all planned GSRs, with dates, percentages, and funding sources.

• Step 2. Faculty submit GSR requests

• Faculty complete the spreadsheet and return it to the ECE Finance and Graduate Program Coordinator by the deadline.

• Step 3. Eligibility and data review

• The Graduate Program Coordinator reviews all entries for eligibility, enrollment, dates, appointment percentage, and completeness, and flags any new GSRs with no prior academic appointment.

• Step 4. Misconduct disclosure for new GSRs

• For new GSRs, the Graduate Program Coordinator and Academic Personnel Analyst initiate the misconduct disclosure process and confirm clearance before offer letters are issued.

• Step 5. Funding review

• ECE Finance reviews and confirms all funding sources, correcting account numbers and verifying that funding is available for each appointment.

• Step 6. Offer letters

• The Graduate Program Coordinator prepares and sends GSR offer letters with clear terms and acceptance deadlines that support pre-quarter processing.

• Step 7. Acceptance

• GSRs sign and return their offer letters by the deadline. The Graduate Program Coordinator tracks responses and follows up on any missing acceptances.

• Step 8. AggieService entries
• Once offer letters and, if needed, misconduct clearance are on file, the Academic Personnel Analyst enters GSR tickets in AggieService and routes them for approval so all appointments are active in UCPath by the start of the quarter.

Independent Contractors

If you need to process a one-time payment for a workshop/conference participant, a stipend, or an honorarium, please reach out to CAO, Mohabbat Ahmadi for guidance. Independent Contractors must complete an online Vendor Self Registration form on PaymentWorks. Once a PrePurchasing request is submitted for the new vendor, UCD Shared Services will review the request and then send an email invitation to the vendor to complete their registration. Individuals must complete an online Vendor Self-Registration form before payment can be processed. 

Process to hire an independent contractor:

Initiator/PI must submit three required forms: 1. PreHire 2. Statement of Work and 3. a Federal W-9. Once these forms are complete, you will need to upload the completed forms in a new PrePurchasing request.

Work may not begin until a Contract is fully approved and signed by the Contracting Department. Otherwise, a Confirming Order Justification form will need to be completed by the PI and signed by the Dean’s office. The PI would need to explain why the policy was not followed, and work started before a Contract was approved.

Steps:

• 1. Submit your request to hire

• Requests to hire should be submitted via PrePurchasing

• 2. Approval process

• Request first routes to the Department CAO and Finance Manager for Approval. Once approved by both parties, request routes to Shared Services for review

• 3. Shared Services completes the request

• Once Shared Services completes the request, Shared Services will contact the Independent Contractor by email to them up as a Vendor. Please do not collect the W-9 form from the vendor for security reasons. The vendor will receive an email from the UCD Vendor department with instructions to upload their W-9 form securely. This step may take 2 days to 2 weeks depending on Vendor desk workload/routing.

Additional details: Once the Vendor has been approved, General information clarified, and Forms completed, Shared Services will submit request to Contracting for approval. The process may take 2 days to 4 weeks or longer if additional information will be required.

Lecturer Appointments

For lecturer appointments, please reach out to the Academic Personnel Analyst at [email protected]. An overview of the appointment process/policy and the lecturer appointment checklist are linked below for your reference.

Postdoc Appointments

Postdoctoral Scholars are early-career researchers who engage in advanced, mentored training as they develop independent research skills and contribute to ongoing research projects. Below, we outline how ECE appoints postdoctoral scholars, summarizing the key appointment types and the steps required to initiate and complete the appointment process.

Scholar Attributes

Appointment Types

8-Step Appointment Process

• 1. Confirm Funding

• PI verifies sufficient funding for the appointment period and confirms candidate meets all eligibility criteria.

  Required Verification:
  • Funding available for entire appointment period
  • Candidate meets all postdoctoral scholar attributes
  • Appropriate funding source identified
  
  Responsible: Principal Investigator (PI)

• 2. Initiate Employment Misconduct Disclosure

• Academic Personnel Analyst initiates the Employment Misconduct Disclosure Process.

  Critical: Must be completed and cleared before preparing offer materials. Allow 5-7 business days.

  Responsible: Academic Personnel Analyst

• 3. Prepare the Offer Letter

• PI completes the Postdoctoral Scholar Offer Letter Template.

  Required Information:
  • Appointment dates (start and end)
  • Salary/Step based on UCOP scales
  • Funding source(s) with account numbers
  • Mentor information and contact details
  • Job expectations and responsibilities

  Action: Send completed draft and candidate's CV to Academic Personnel Analyst for review.

  Responsible: Principal Investigator (PI)

• 4. Chair Review and Signature

• Analyst reviews offer letter for accuracy and policy compliance, then forwards to Department Chair for approval.

  Review Checklist:
  • All required fields completed
  • Salary matches UCOP scale
  • Funding codes verified
  • Policy compliance confirmed

  Responsible: Academic Personnel Analyst & Department Chair

• 5. Submit to Graduate Studies

• Submit signed offer letter to Graduate Studies via AggieService for institutional review and approval.

  Submission Requirements:
  • Use AggieService portal
  • Include all required documentation
  • Allow 7-10 business days for review
  • Monitor for questions or requested revisions

  Responsible: Academic Personnel Analyst

• 6. Share Final Approved Offer Letter

• Send Graduate Studies-approved offer letter to candidate.

  Distribution Details:
  • Send via secure email or certified mail
  • Include acceptance instructions
  • Provide clear response deadline
  • Include contact information for questions

  Responsible: Academic Personnel Analyst

• 7. Candidate Accepts the Offer

• Candidate reviews, signs, and returns offer letter to formally accept the position.

  Required from Candidate:
  • Signed offer letter
  • Any required supporting documentation
  • Confirmation of start date

  Responsible: Candidate

• 8. Submit Onboarding Request

• Submit Onboarding Ticket via AggieService to initiate employment processing and setup.

  Onboarding Includes:
  • HR employment processing
  • IT account creation
  • Benefits enrollment
  • Orientation scheduling
  • Workspace and equipment setup
  • Building access and keys

  Responsible: Academic Personnel Analyst

Staff Appointments

For all staff appointments, please reach out to the ECE Chief Administrative Officer at Mohabbat Ahmadi. 

Please provide the following: 

• Rationale for the recruitment
• Funding Source(s)
• Job Description
• Org Chart of your group

Volunteer Appointments

All volunteer appointments require a completed Volunteer Intake Form, a successful background check, and an approved Temporary Affiliation Request (TAF). This process outlines the steps required to ensure all volunteers are appropriately cleared before beginning their appointment.

Process

• Step 1: Faculty Member Submits the Volunteer Intake Form
• The faculty member should complete and submit the Volunteer Intake Form for the volunteer candidate.
• Step 2: Department Initiates the Background Check
• Once the Volunteer Intake Form has been received, the department will submit a background check request to Human Resources (HR).
• Step 3: Human Resources Completes the Background Check
• HR will conduct the required background check and notify the department once the candidate has successfully cleared the process.
• Step 4: Department Approves the Temporary Affiliation Request (TAF)

• After receiving confirmation from HR that the background check has been successfully completed, the department will approve the Temporary Affiliation Request (TAF).

  Note: TAF requests will not be approved until both the Volunteer Intake Form has been submitted and the background check has been successfully completed.

Visiting Scholar Appointments

This process outlines the required steps for a visiting appointments including J1 visas. 

• Step 1: Verify Visitor Eligibility
• Before proceeding, confirm that the prospective visitor meets eligibility criteria in accordance with UC Davis policy. Draft an invitation letter using the official Invitation Letter Template to outline the purpose, duration, and scope of the visit. Collect the visitor’s CV.
  
  Submit the invitation letter and CV to the Academic Personnel Analyst. The Academic Personnel Analyst sends an instructional email to the visitor outlining the remaining steps, including required forms, visa processing timelines, and documentation needed.
• Step 2: Academic Affairs Clearance
• The visitor must be cleared by Academic Affairs. This step involves:
  - Completion of the Authorization to Release Information form (by the visitor)
  - Completion of the Disclosure Questionnaire (by the visitor)
  - Review and approval by Academic Affairs
  - More information regarding the process can be found at Academic Affairs
  
  Estimated Timeline: 1 week
• Step 3: Submit Exemption Request to UC Recruit
• Academic Personnel Analyst will submit an exemption request to UC Recruit for approval of the visiting appointment.
  
  Estimated Timeline: 1 week
• Step 4: Visa Process
• Once Academic Affairs clearance and UC Recruit exemption approval are received, the visa process may begin.
  
  Academic Personnel Analyst will initiate J1 visa request through iGlobal
  
  iGlobal Workflow:
  - Academic Personnel Analyst completes departmental visa request forms in iGlobal.
  - Visitor completes their portion of the forms in iGlobal.
  - PI reviews and certifies the request via faculty certification.
  - Department Chair provides final departmental approval.
  Estimated Timeline for Steps 1-4: 1 week
  
  Once all certifications are complete:
  - The request is routed to SISS (Services for International Students and Scholars).
  - SISS reviews and processes the request.
  
  Processing Time: Up to 15 business days
• Step 5: Visa Appointment & Notification
• Once the DS-2019 is issued:
  - The visitor schedules a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate
  - After visa approval, the visitor notifies the department of their approval and intended arrival
  
  Estimated Timeline: 2-4 weeks (varies by country)
• Step 6: HR Onboarding
• The Academic Personnel Analyst submits an onboarding ticket to HR.
  
  HR processes the visitor’s appointment:
  - Enters the visitor into HR systems
  - Sets up access to email and university systems
  
  Estimated Timeline: 1 week

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who Can Answer My General Human Resource (HR) Questions?
• For general human resource questions, please reach out to CAO, Mohabbat Ahmadi.
• When Can My Employee Start Working?
• Employees cannot begin working until AUSS-C verifies receipt of the I-9.
• How Do I Enroll In/Update my Direct Deposit?
• To sign-up or make changes to your payroll direct deposit, please visit UCPath.
• If I Do Not Get Paid, Who Should I Contact?
• Please check back later. For now, contact your supervisor and they can redirect you to the correct sources.
• How do I Initiate a Visa?

• Visa requests should be initiated by completing the correct scholar or postdoc form, obtaining signatures, and forwarding to [email protected]. Visa renewals should be initiated by the scholar and are processed by the ECE Main Office.

  The department only covers visa costs for faculty hires.  Visas for postdocs and visiting scholars need to be directly charged to the faculty sponsor’s account. There is an option to ask the visiting scholar or postdoc to reimburse the faculty sponsor.