Faculty, Staff Invited to Comment on Four Campus, Systemwide Policies

Faculty and staff members are invited to provide comments on four policies:

• Staff Policy PPSM — Types of Appointment — this revised systemwide policy applies to staff employees in the Professional and Support Staff and Managers and Senior Professionals personnel groups and to Senior Management Group members. The proposed policy revisions will combine PPSM 3 with PPSM 24 (per diem positions) and PPSM 61 (release during the probationary period or from limited casual/restricted and floater positions) in order to have all relevant language in one policy. Comments are due by May 24.
• Policy on Assurance of Laboratory Safety Compliance — applies to all principal investigators (PIs) and anyone working in a UC Merced laboratory. The policy’s purpose is to assure healthy and safe working environments in UC Merced laboratories for all campus community members by outlining minimum safety procedures and requirements. The policy also establishes a procedure for correcting deficiencies and issues of non-compliance. Comments are due by May 31.
• Presidential Policy on Export Controls — seeks to provide a framework for all university locations to develop further local export control compliance programs that satisfy federal legal requirements while allowing each location the flexibility to develop its own specific requirements and practices. Compliance with Export Controls requires cooperation and is the responsibility of various offices and individuals across the university. The proposed policy identifies some of those offices and individuals and describes some of their responsibilities to ensure that the university follows export control laws and regulations. Comments are due by May 31.
• Revised Presidential Policy on Electronic Information Security (IS-3) — provides a security framework that protects UC’s institutional information and IT resources from accidental or intentional unauthorized access, loss or damage, while preserving UC’s collaborative academic culture. It is modeled on a recognized set of best practices and security controls from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Use of a standards-based approach is crucial for UC to obtain cybersecurity insurance, take advantage of vendor services based on these standards and ensure faculty eligibility for certain federal research contracts that deal with controlled unclassified information (CUI). Comments are due by July 24.

The policies are posted on the Draft Policies Posted for Comment section of the Office of Campus Climate and Compliance website.

Employees covered by these policies may submit comments to UC Merced’s Office of Campus Climate and Compliance by the dates noted above, by emailing policy@ucmerced.edu.