In a major research university, with its great variety of ever-evolving disciplines,  all academic departments and research units should periodically revisit, update and communicate their mandates, goals and self-evaluating criteria for the understanding of the wider campus community. Never is this clarification more necessary than when explanations of a particular faculty member’s expertise, as summarized in a departmental dossier, come before CAP for assessments of promotion. It should not be the job of a CAP case specialist to supply such clarifications and translations.

However, independence is not specifically stated or defined in the APM or CALL, and is often misunderstood to mean that faculty must work alone.  On the contrary, collaborative efforts are strongly encouraged and are becoming essential for the multidisciplinary, high technology research that characterizes modern biomedical science, for instance, and also are commonplace among many other fields of academic pursuit, including the humanities.  CAP recognizes that a faculty member’s entire scholarly productivity may be as part of a collaborative team, in which case evidence of a unique and esse

  One of the most urgently needed, yet inconsistently observed responsibilities of all UCLA departments is the supportive mentoring of junior faculty. From their first days on campus these new arrivals require and deserve all the help they can get in adjusting to this city, learning the ropes of our campus and their department’s academic schedule. It is especially important for them to understand the expectations regarding publications, committee service, course conduct and deadlines as they pertain to their series, rank, and step.

Dear Colleagues,