500.205 - Recall of Academic Appointees

A.  DEFINITION and ELIGIBILITY

The University of California may recall to active service, for a term appointment, academic appointees who have retired from the University. Recall to an academic title may be for one or more of the following duties: teaching, research, service or faculty administrator service.

Recall appointments are limited to individuals returning to an academic title who have retired from a University of California academic appointment and who elected to receive their University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) benefits in the form of monthly payments or as a lump sum cashout; both are considered retired academic appointees.

B.  RECALL APPOINTMENT TYPES AND TITLE CODES

Senate and non-senate faculty recalled to serve as instructor of record must be appointed to a Recall title even if there is no compensation involved. Senate faculty with emeritus status may perform uncompensated activities such as mentoring, serving on dissertation committees, and/or performing campus or department service without a recall appointment.

The following titles are payroll titles, but appointment and reappointment letters may use a more specific working title that reflects the nature of the recall appointment, such as Research Professor, Lecturer Recalled, or Director Recalled.

1. Recall Teaching – Title Code 1700
   Use for senate appointees whose assigned recall duties are teaching only.
   
2. Recall Faculty – Title Code 1702
   Use for senate appointees whose assigned recall duties include non-teaching activities such as research or service, including administration. This type of recall appointment may also include assigned teaching duties.
   
3. Recall Teaching Non-Senate – Title Code 1699
   Use for non-senate appointees whose assigned recall duties include teaching. This type of recall appointment may or may not also involve non-teaching duties, such as performing department or program service.
   
4. Recall Non-Faculty Academics – Title Code 3802
   Use for non-senate appointees whose assigned recall duties do not include teaching.

C.  RESTRICTIONS

Recall appointments may not exceed a total of 43 percent time per month, or if paid as a flat rate, by agreement basis (BYA), may not exceed 43 percent of the maximum monthly salary rate for recall appointments (described in F.1), inclusive of all recall appointments. There is no exception to this maximum of 43 percent time or pay per month.

D.  LENGTH OF RECALL APPOINTMENTS

Recall appointments are normally one year or less but may be up to three years in cases of pre-retirement agreements. Following a positive review, recall appointments may be renewed on an annual basis thereafter.

For recall appointments involving active research grants, appointments may be made up to the period of secured funding. Following a positive review, the same is true for reappointments.

E.  AUTHORITY

The academic deans have been delegated authority to approve recall appointments, including pre-retirement recall agreements, and reappointments consistent with this policy, with the exception of positions that would report to the campus provost/executive vice chancellor and/or recall appointments/ reappointments with salary rates above the Indexed Compensation Level. This authority may not be further redelegated. Recall appointments are not reviewed by the Committee on Academic Personnel.

F.  SALARY

1. Rate of Salary

Retired academic appointees may be recalled to a compensated or an uncompensated appointment. The maximum salary rate for all recall appointments, except recall to a faculty administrator title only, is the individual’s annual base salary rate (including any off-scale) for the academic position held at the time of retirement, range adjusted forward. Additional compensation earned prior to retirement, including stipends, negotiated salary components, and summer salary, is not to be factored into the maximum salary rate for recall appointments. Recall appointments may also be compensated at negotiated amounts that are based on less than the maximum salary rate.

The salary rate for retired academic appointees recalled to serve as a faculty administrator (as described in APM 246, CAPM 304.241, and 300.240) is a negotiated rate based on the nature and scope of the duties assigned, other comparable positions, and the relevant administrative experience of the individual. This rate may exceed the maximum salary rate for recall appointments described above.

2.  Maximum Percentage/Pay

As stated in section C, Restrictions, non-administrative recall appointments may not exceed a total of 43 percent time per month, or if paid as a flat rate, by agreement basis (BYA), may not exceed 43 percent of the maximum monthly salary rate for recall appointments (described in F.1), inclusive of all recall appointments. Administrative recall appointments may not exceed 43 percent time regardless of pay.

3. Percentage-Based or Flat Rate (BYA)

Compensated recall appointments should be percentage-based, and typically, recall appointments involving compensated research must be percentage-based due to effort reporting requirements.  However, recall appointments may be made at a negotiated amount, which is paid as a flat rate (BYA). Whether paid as a percentage-based or flat rate (BYA) appointment, the 43 percent maximum per month applies (described in F.2).

4.  Pay Basis

Recall appointments may be made on an academic year basis or a fiscal year basis depending upon the nature of the recall appointment. In all cases, the appointee’s pay cannot exceed 43 percent per month of the maximum annual salary rate for non-administrative recall appointments as described above.

Conversion from an academic year salary to a fiscal year salary is accomplished by increasing the academic year salary by 16 percent (i.e., multiply by 1.16).

5.  Salary Increases

Recalled appointees are ineligible for merit or other performance-based salary increases or advancements.

G.  TERMS and CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. Pre-Retirement Recall Agreements

Campus administrators may only make a pre-retirement recall agreement with academic appointees age 60 or older and who have five years of service credit (“UCRP normal retirement age”). Such an agreement may provide for a recall term of up to three academic years, with the possibility of annual renewal thereafter. Administrators may not discuss recall appointments with academic appointees who have not attained the UCRP normal retirement age.

2. Return to Service

A recall appointment service date may occur no earlier than 30 calendar days following the academic appointee’s retirement date. The retirement date is distinct from the appointee’s separation date (or last day on pay status) and refers to the date that the appointee is eligible to receive retirement benefits as per their retirement election form

3. Early Termination

The University may terminate a recall appointment prior to the specified end date with a minimum of 30 calendar days notice, or pay-in-lieu of notice for those who are compensated.

4. Complaints and Appeals

Senate members may pursue their grievance rights under the terms of Senate Bylaw 335 and non-Senate academics may pursue their grievance rights under the terms of APM 140.

5. Benefits

Recalled academic appointees are ineligible for active employee health, welfare and retirement benefits due to the maximum 43 percent limit on the appointment, but may contribute to the UC Defined Contribution 403(b) and 457(b) Plans consistent with their terms. 

6. Compliance with University Policies

Recalled academic appointees must comply with all applicable University policies, procedures, rules, and training requirements.

H.  CRITERIA

The following criteria shall be considered in determining whether to recommend or approve a recall appointment:

1.  The teaching, research, service, or faculty administrator needs of the unit;

2.  The ability of the candidate in relation to the criteria for the type of recall appointment proposed, which should include evidence of one or more of the following:

•      a. positive teaching evaluations for the same or similar courses proposed
•      b. active external funding, a proposal to attain funding, or a recent history of external funding
•      c. recent publication of scholarly and/or creative work
•      d. regular scholarly presentations at professional meetings
•      e. successful service for the department, division, or campus
•      f. successful service as a faculty administrator

3.  Availability of office and/or laboratory space; and,

4.  Budgetary resources.

I.  PROCEDURES

1. The unit head or individual may request a recall appointment.

2. The unit head will evaluate whether a recall appointment of the candidate is the best way to fulfill the temporary staffing needs or other contributions to the unit. As applicable, and in accordance with department procedures and Bylaw 55, the chair will consult appropriately with the faculty.

3. The candidate will be asked to provide an up-to-date biobibliography. The unit head will write a recommendation, which must address the ability of the candidate in relation to the type of recall appointment proposed. Evidence of the candidate's abilities should include an evaluation of activities during the current year and the last several years. For recall appointments involving research, the recommendation should specifically comment on evidence of continued scholarship, and unless extramurally funded, should address the availability of supporting resources within the unit and describe how the individual's research contributes to the unit's mission. If the candidate has not served in the University within the past several years, the unit may include evaluation of relevant activities during retirement. The recommendation will be submitted to the dean.

4. For recall appointments that are dean’s authority, the dean will review the recommendation and will notify the candidate of the recall appointment in writing, with a copy to the recommending unit and the Academic Personnel Office.

5. For all other recall appointments, the dean will add a recommendation and forward the file to the Academic Personnel Office. The campus provost/executive vice chancellor will review the recommendations and will notify the candidate of the recall appointment in writing, with a copy to the recommending unit and dean.