[Faculty] Fwd: AB 1905 Information and Campus Guidance

[Katina Napper]

Date:     February 14, 2025

To:         FACULTY, ACADEMIC APPOINTEES, DEANS, ACADEMIC PERSONNEL STAFF
AND CFAOS

From:    DANIEL JESKE, VICE PROVOST FOR ACADEMIC PERSONNEL

              ACADEMIC PERSONNEL OFFICE

Re:       *AB 1905 Information and Campus Guidance*



On January 1, 2025, A new bill was signed into California state law that
requires the University to adopt a written policy regarding official
letters of recommendation as a condition of receiving state funding.
Official letters of recommendation are endorsed by the University and
represent the views of the employer.

In addition, APM 036 is being revised to include this requirement.
Information on the revision of APM 036 can be found here:


https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/academic-personnel-policy/policies-under-review/apm-036.html

Most letters of recommendation written by faculty members and other
academic appointees are not considered an Official Letter of
Recommendation. Instead, they are personal references/letters of
recommendation that do not serve as an Official Letter of Recommendation
from the University. Personal references/letters of recommendation
represent the views of the individual letter writer and are provided in an
individual capacity. University letterhead and/or a university email
address can still be used, if the letter clearly states that it is written
from a personal perspective, and the letter is not written on behalf of the
University.

To ensure that your letter is not considered an official letter of
recommendation, please add the following (or similar) language to your
personal references/letters of recommendation: “The following
recommendation represents my personal perspective working with [name] and
does not represent the viewpoints of UC Riverside or the University of
California system.”

Official Letters of Recommendation are prohibited if it is determined the
employee is a respondent in a sexual harassment complaint and any of the
following has occurred:



1.      There is a “final administrative decision” (sustained finding) that
the
employee committed sexual harassment.



2.      The employee resigned while an investigation is pending and before
a final
administrative decision is made.



3.       The employee enters a settlement with the University based on the
allegations arising from the sexual harassment complaint.



Before providing an Official Letter of Recommendation to an employee
(academic, staff, or student), *there must be a consultation with the
appropriate entities* to determine if the employee is a respondent in a
sexual harassment complaint filed with the University. If you think you
need to write an official letter of recommendation, please contact the
Academic Personnel Office via academicpersonnel at ucr.edu for assistance with
the necessary consultation.





Sincerely,



Daniel Jeske

Vice Provost for Academic Personnel
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