Academic Senate

Committed to Academic Excellence and Shared Governance

Guidance on evaluating academic progress in the current term from Systemwide Senate Leadership

November 23, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

I am forwarding the enclosed and below communication from the Systemwide Academic Senate leadership. This detailed letter provides important principles to consider as we navigate the strike, as well as, responses to questions that we have heard from the faculty:

  1. Can faculty be disciplined in violation of APM 015 Faculty Code of Conduct?
  2. What would be acceptable faculty conduct regarding the submission of grades?
  3. Would cancelling final examinations be acceptable?
  4. How do I distinguish between academic work for which a graduate student is seeking credit and work for which the student is being paid and might be striking?
  5. Am I allowed to speak to my graduate student about their academic progress for courses they are enrolled in this term?
  6. Can alternative grading options be offered?
  7. What are the possible consequences for withholding my labor in sympathy with the strike?

Adding to (2) above, I remind us that our Registrar communicated an extension of grading deadline for Fall 2022 (email 11/17/22):

As a result of the ongoing labor negotiations and strike activity, the Fall 2022 grading deadline is being extended to Sunday, December 18th at 11:59 p.m. While finalizing your grades this quarter, please keep the following in mind:

  • Delayed grades do have an impact on students; therefore, please try to submit grades as promptly as reasonably possible based on your class circumstances. We hope the extension of time will assist.
  • The Registrar’s Office will assign Grade Delays (GDs) to all missing grades on Monday, December 19th. If you have not submitted your roster at that time, you will still have access to iGrade to submit your grades.
  • You should not assign an Incomplete (I) grade unless the student meets the Senate regulations – “The grade I (incomplete) denotes that a student's work was of passing quality but incomplete for good cause.”
  • You should not assign a grade delay (GD) yourself to document a late grade submission. A faculty assigned GD indicates that you have reported the student to SCAIP for an academic integrity review.
  • If you experience circumstances that result in you not being able to meet the extended grading deadline please do not do anything in iGrade until you are ready to submit official grades. Once you submit a roster in iGrade you will be required to complete grade change forms for any subsequent changes to your grades.

The Senate stands committed to academic excellence and the wellbeing of our students, partners, and collaborators in upholding the UC mission and tradition. We support our faculty who are respecting the picket line and carrying out responsibilities in teaching and research.

Yours in service,
Sang-Hee Lee
Riverside Division Chair

Attachment - https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/reports/sc-js-division-chairs-faculty-strike-guidance-2.pdf