DEANS
DEPARTMENT AND PROGRAM CHAIRS
DEPARTMENT AND PROGRAM MANAGERS
COLLEGE PROVOSTS AND ASSISTANTS
DIVISIONAL ACADEMIC PERSONNEL COORDINATORS
Re: Expansion of DivData Review Online System
Dear Colleagues:
I am pleased to announce that as of today, DivData Review, our campus system for online academic personnel actions, will now support appointment and advancement reviews for all non-student appointees in the academic divisions. Divisions will need to develop and implement revised business processes for non-senate reviews and fully transition to DivData Review no later than October 1, 2015. We thank the many staff and faculty in the divisions who have participated in this project.
Please note the following important points about the expansion of DivData Review:
- The majority of non-senate actions are decanal authority. All division-specific processes will need to be updated. This may include revising forms, training materials, websites, communication tools, reports, etc. Divisions will coordinate training sessions for staff users, with participation from the APO DivData training group. Information sessions for academic users are also available from APO by request.
- Non-senate and appointment actions that are already in progress on May 1, 2015 can be completed outside of the system.
- Divisions may choose to accept hard copy files for a short time after May 1, 2015 while implementing new procedures. Reviews with effective dates of October 1, 2015 or later should be conducted in DivData Review.
- Use of DivData Review is mandatory for supported titles and actions as it will be the system of record. Hard copy review files for system-supported titles and actions will not be accepted, though guidelines allow for certain supporting materials to come forward in hard copy.
- Non-senate candidates for reappointment and advancement are responsible for uploading their own materials to DivData Review. Candidates for appointment do not need to use DivData Review. Departments can download application materials from UC Recruit in a single .pdf file for upload to DivData Review.
- Depending on the divisional implementation, principal investigators, ORU directors, college provosts, and others in supervisory roles may be responsible for uploading the department/unit recommendation for non-senate appointees.
- Divisions will manage assignments and provide support for Divisional Committees on Academic Personnel (DCAP) within the system.
This multi-phase project was first announced in July 2013. The system was launched on May 1, 2014 for senate faculty advancement actions. Over the past year, the project team has worked to expand system functionality to support appointment and non-senate advancement actions. In addition, we are introducing several enhancements designed to improve user experience and streamline certain process steps for greater efficiency. Following is a synopsis of the year-two changes now in place:
- Better integration between the Biobibnet and Review components of DivData for candidates.
- Increased visibility to the current state of review files within a user’s purview.
- Other user interface enhancements, including more descriptive buttons and labels; sorting and filtering features for the Docket; and drag-and-drop file upload capability. • More informative system-generated notification emails.
- Review managers will be able to add non-confidential materials such as course evaluations to a review file before the candidate submits the file to the department. Departments/units must therefore ensure that candidates have adequate time before their submission deadline to review and comment upon any materials added by the department. (At least two weeks is recommended; in no case may it be less than the candidate’s response period as set by policy.)
- When a department accepts a submitted file, the designated faculty reviewers will immediately gain access to candidate materials and course evaluations. All other department/unit documents, including solicited letters, will be released to faculty reviewers once the candidate has had the opportunity to review and respond to the entire set of added materials, including any solicited letters. If no materials are added to the file after the candidate has submitted it to the department, the candidate will not be required to complete the review and response steps prior to the department recommendation and the entire file will be released for faculty review.
- The department or unit recommendation letter can be uploaded by either the chair, manager, lead faculty reviewer, or person to whom this role is delegated for the purpose of that review file.
The DivData Review project is led by the Academic Personnel Office (APO), supported by Information Technology Services, and guided by a steering committee comprised of divisional and departmental staff and faculty. It advances our efforts to provide technology that supports current staffing levels as well as campus needs and sustainability goals. We welcome feedback from all users as we continue to develop and improve DivData Review. Additional information on the system, training opportunities, guidelines, and user support will be announced and posted on the DivData website. If you have questions, or would like to schedule a presentation, please contact divdata-help@ucsc.edu.
Sincerely,
Pamela G. Peterson
Assistant Vice Chancellor
Academic Personnel
cc: Chancellor Blumenthal
University Librarian Cowell
CAP Chair Dean
CP/EVC Galloway
VPDUE Hughey
VPAA Lee
APO Analysts
CAP Analysts
