Reappointments and Career Pathways 

Your rights at work begin from the moment you are hired at UC. The contract you sign with your department should include a clear description of your work duties, as well as the service period of your appointment (single quarter/semester vs. academic year) and appointment percentage, as it impacts your wages/salary. Your department should also consult you about the time and location of your course(s). If these conditions are not addressed in your hiring paperwork, contact your local chapter.

If you’re offered a 0% appointment or a Without Salary (WOS) appointment, reach out for guidance before you accept it. Contact your local campus representative asap. 

After you’ve signed your hiring paperwork, the UC cannot reduce or terminate your appointment ending date without cause. 

If you are newly hired at UC on a one-year contract and you would like to be rehired after the end of your current appointment, we strongly encourage you to request reappointment right away. The deadline to request reappointment during your initial one-year appointment is October 15. For those appointed for only one semester/quarter in the Winter and Spring, the deadline in Feb. 1st.

1. All pre-continuing lecturers are strongly advised to request reappointment as a means of ensuring you receive full consideration. You can use this form and send it to your department chair, along with your C.V. 
2. Lecturers in the final year of a multi-year appointment are strongly encouraged to do the same. 

At the end of your initial appointment, you are entitled to written feedback about your teaching. You will be assessed on:

1. Demonstrated competence in the field
2. Teaching ability
3. Academic responsibility
4. And other assigned duties (which may include University co-curricular and community service).

If you do not hear from your department by by late winter quarter/mid spring semester, you should inquire into your assessment, reaffirming your interest to be assessed for a reappointment.

Ask what materials you should submit, and submit any other materials you think are relevant. These include (but are not limited to): teaching syllabi, letters of support from students/faculty/etc., peer reviews, examples of assignments, commentary on student work, lecture slides, evidence-based teaching, new methods, successful student outcomes.

After receiving written feedback and demonstrating your teaching competence, you should receive a reappointment letter from your department. In accordance with our hard-won job security protections, that reappointment should extend your appointment for two years. 

For academic year appointments, reappointment letters should be received by June 1 (quarter campuses) or May 1 (semester campuses). For quarter-based or semester-based appointments, you should receive your appointment letter 60 calendar days prior to the commencement of the first service period of the appointment (Article 7A, section c.1).

Under our current contract, late appointment letters are only permitted due to “reasons outside of the University’s control, such as unanticipated faculty leaves, withdrawals from instruction, separation unavailability, or unanticipated increases in enrollments” (Article 7A, section C.4). If you receive a late appointment letter for any reason, you should contact your field rep as soon as possible. 

Having demonstrated your teaching competence, you should receive a multi-year reappointment as well as a minimum one-step (3%) Merit Increase to your salary at the start of your next multi-year appointment. 

Your multi-year appointment should be the same minimum appointment percentage as your initial appointment. Although that percentage may vary term-by-term, it should be consistent across all years of your multi-year appointment. Your department may offer you supplemental assignments that temporarily increase your appointment percentage. If that supplemental assignment continues for three consecutive years, it should be added to your minimum appointment percentage for reappointment (Article 7A, section D.5).

As you begin a multi-year appointment, we also encourage you to start building your file towards your Excellence Review, the review at the end of your 18th quarter/12th semester to determine whether you will receive a Continuing Appointment. Collecting materials that evidence your teaching excellence can also be helpful should your department or campus administration attempt to modify your work duties, cut your classes, or otherwise violate your rights during your multi-year appointment. Ways to build your file include (but are not limited to):

1. Collecting teaching evaluations and letters of support from your students;
2. Participating in teacher trainings, professional development workshops, and other ongoing education opportunities;
3. Developing new curriculum, assignments, or lesson plans with evidence-based teaching methods that you can highlight in your teaching statement;
4. Building relationships with your colleagues, including senate faculty, through mutual support (e.g. peer reviews, letters of support, etc.).

Start building your file and collecting these materials now so that you’ll be prepared well in advance of your Excellence Review. 

At the end of each multi-year appointment, you will undergo the Pre-Six Academic Review unless you have reached your 18th quarter/12th semester and therefore will undergo the Excellence Review. You should be notified of the review timing, criteria, and procedure at least 30 days in advance (Article 7A, section F.3). You will be evaluated on teaching effectiveness, academic responsibility (Article 3), and other assigned duties. 

Your teaching effectiveness will be measured by evaluation of evidence presented in your review file. Criteria may include:

1. Dedication to and engagement with teaching;
2. Command of the subject matter and continued growth in mastering new topics;
3. Organizing and presenting course content effectively and with demonstrated learning outcomes;
4. Setting pedagogical objectives appropriate for the course topic, level, and format;
5. Responding to student work in ways commensurate with student performance, course topic, level, and format;
6. Developing pedagogically effective assignments, lecture slides, lesson plans, exams, and/or other course materials and./or prompts for student work;
7. Awakening in students an awareness of the importance of the subject matter; inspiring interest in beginning students and stimulating advanced students to do complex work.

The contract also stipulates that “due attention should be paid to the variety of demands placed on instructors by the types of teaching called for at various levels, and the total performance of the Unit 18 faculty should be judged with proper reference to all assigned duties” (Article 7A, section G.3).

You will be notified of the outcome of your review within 20 calendar days from its completion (Article 7A, section F.4). Upon receiving a positive review, you should receive a second multi-year appointment of three years. At the start of this multi-year appointment, you should also receive another minimum one-step (3%) Merit Increase to your salary.

A negative finding in your Excellence Review results in separation from the UC. You should receive a written explanation in your layoff notice. If you feel the review had a procedural violation, contact your field rep immediately.

As you approach your 18th quarter/12th semester of teaching in the same department or program, you will become eligible for Continuing Status, following your successful completion of an Excellence Review. 

Your eligibility is determined by your Quarter/Semester count, so it’s important that you keep track of that count yourself (Article 7b and 7c). If you have a joint appointment in more than one department or program, you may receive credit toward continuing eligibility in your home program (Article 7A, section A.11). Quarters/semesters can only be counted in one department and are not transferrable if your home department changes. Summer session appointments may be counted at the request of the lecturer under certain circumstances (Article 23.B).

The Excellence Review process should begin when you receive an appointment that includes your 18th quarter/12th semester of teaching. You will receive notice 45 days in advance of your review, which will include the timing, criteria, and procedures that will be followed (Article 31, section B.1). Your file will first be reviewed by your department and you will have the right to review all non-confidential materials before your file is passed to Academic Personnel.

Your excellence in teaching will be measured by an evaluation of evidence presented in your review file. Criteria may include:

1. Dedication to and engagement with teaching;
2. Command of the subject matter and continued growth in mastering new topics;
3. Organizing and presenting course content effectively and with demonstrated learning outcomes;
4. Setting pedagogical objectives appropriate for the course topic, level, and format;
5. Responding to student work in ways commensurate with student performance, course topic, level, and format;
6. Awakening in students an awareness of the importance of the subject matter; inspiring interest in beginning students and stimulating advanced students to do complex work. 
7. Inspiring interest in beginning students and stimulating advanced students to do complex work;
8. Developing pedagogically effective assignments, lecture slides, lesson plans, exams, and/or other course materials and/or prompts for student work.

You should receive notice of the outcome of the review by the end of your 18th quarter/12th semester. A finding of excellence results in a Continuing Appointment, with a two-step (6%) salary increase. You should be appointed at the same or increased appointment percentage as your previous appointment, unless the University gives a specific, allowable reason (Article 7C, section B). A continuing appointment guarantees an ongoing, indefinite appointment and regular merit reviews and salary increases. 

A negative finding in your Excellence Review results in separation from the UC. If you feel the review had a procedural violation, contact your field rep immediately.

Every 3 years after achieving Continuing status, lecturers have a right to a merit review. Your department should provide a copy of their merit review guidelines. You also have a right to review all non-confidential materials before your file is passed to Academic Personnel. Your department should notify you at least 45 days in advance of your merit review. You may choose to defer by up to one year. 

If your performance is deemed excellent, you should receive a minimum salary increase of two-steps (6%). After you have had 2 positive merit reviews, Continuing Lecturers are eligible to request appointment to Senior Continuing Lecturer during your 3rd review period (Article 7d).

Upon appointment as a Senior Continuing Lecturer, you should receive a minimum three-step (9%) increase in salary. A Senior Continuing Lecturer shall be considered for additional merit increases at least once every three years following promotion to Senior Continuing Lecturer. You may also request that your merit review be deferred for up to one year (Article 7d).

The standard for achieving Senior Continuing Lecturer is exceptionalism, including instructional contributions that are broad ranging and/or greatly enhance the academic mission of the university (Article 31, section D.2). 

While our 2021 contract strengthens the job security protections for all UC teaching faculty, we know that sometimes departments and programs do not abide by those terms. You should receive an explanation in your layoff notice and re-employment rights through the end of your appointment. If you feel the review had a procedural violation, contact your local steward or field rep immediately.