609.430 - Visiting Scholars and Other Visitors

UCSC:APO:CAPM 04/16

A. POLICY

Short-term visits play an essential academic function in bringing to the University of California knowledge, methodologies, and perspectives; and they allow the University to disseminate knowledge, establish intellectual relationships with other institutions, and foster international exchanges.  The limited nature of the visit affords benefits, in variety and flexibility, different from and supplementary to those associated with longer-term appointments. Appointees in these titles are not to be assigned supervisory responsibilities nor are they to assume supervisory responsibilities.

B. DEFINITION

A person on leave from an academic appointment, or other employment, or student enrollment at a home institution or other entity may be appointed as a Visitor to the University of California to participate in a short-term educational, research, or other academic project under the supervision of an academic appointee.  A Visitor shall be designated, as appropriate, as a Visiting Scholar, Visitor (Graduate Student), or Visitor (Undergraduate).  One-time participants in accredited continuing education activities are exempted from these definitions.

Persons visiting a campus may be eligible for appointment in other series and must be so appointed to receive salary or wages from the University of California.  See, for example, APM - 230, Visiting Appointments; see also the Research titles available in APM - 310, Professional Research Series, APM - 330, Specialist Series, and APM - 355, Non-Salary Research Positions.

C. CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT

A Visiting Scholar must possess a terminal degree appropriate for this status.  A Visitor (Graduate Student) and Visitor (Undergraduate) must be enrolled in a degree granting program or equivalent at an institution of higher education other than the University of California.  The appointment must serve an academic purpose for the unit in which they are visiting.

D. TERM OF APPOINTMENT

Visitors are appointed for short periods not to exceed one year (12 months), and more typically, for six (6) months or less.  The appointment is self-terminating.  Reappointment is permitted.  The University of California may terminate the appointment without prior notice and withdraw associated privileges. 

E. SALARY

  1. Visitors are ineligible for compensation, whether in the form of salary or wages, from the University of California.

  2. Visitors are self-supported and must provide evidence, appropriate to the duration of the appointment, of adequate support from external sources and of health insurance.

F. CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT

  1. Service as a Visitor constitutes neither employment nor enrollment as a student at the University of California.

  2. A Visitor may not be a UC-registered student or have an active appointment or employment (including as a contractor) with the University of California.  Since UC-registered students have reciprocity privileges at UC campuses, they need not be approved for Visitor status.

  3. No person may be appointed as a Visitor if an appointment as Postdoctoral Scholar is more appropriate.

  4. Visitors may be eligible for reimbursement of expenses including official University business travel and incidental research expenses, as well as health insurance and/or malpractice insurance if appropriate or required.  A reimbursable expense is an expense that contributes to any one of the University's major functions of teaching, research, patient care, or public service.*

    *See Business and Finance Bulletin G-28 for guidelines related to reimbursement of business and travel expenses.

  5. Visitors are ineligible for salary or wages, but they may receive supplementary support in the form of a cost of living allowance, or other support to help defray the amount of money spent on food, clothing, housing, and other basic necessities.

  6. A Visitor is bound by the rules and policies of the University of California, including but not limited to, those governing ownership of intellectual property rights, safety, and harassment.

G. AUTHORITY TO APPOINT

Academic deans have authority to make appointments and reappointments consistent with this policy.