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Human Resources > Compensation > Guidelines > Acting and Interim Appointment Guidelines
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Acting and Interim Appointment Guidelines

When a campus department needs to make an acting appointment (to perform the duties of an employee who has been granted a leave of absence) or an interim appointment (to perform the duties of a vacant career position while recruitment is underway), the department may choose to appoint an existing employee. The department has an obligation to make its best judgment regarding the selection of a qualified temporary replacement. Perceptions about the lack of open recruitment need to be carefully considered; a business reason for not having an open recruitment must exist.
  1. It is recommended that the senior leadership meet to discuss the best approach and confer with Human Resources to ensure a sound process.

  2. The University is committed to fairness, diversity and equal opportunity for career development.

  3. Training and development opportunities, such as temporary assignments, are an important component of our Affirmative Action Plan.

  4. If a position covered by a collective bargaining agreement is involved, consult the contract article on out-of-class assignments.

  5. An administrative stipend may be used to compensate the temporary replacement when higher level duties and scope of responsibility are involved. Temporary reclassifications are no longer used. See Personnel Policies for Staff Members, Policy 30.J (Administrative Stipend), UCD Procedure 30.J Note 1, and UCD Procedure 36.A Note 7, for further information.
  1. Acting Appointment
    2.

    When a department needs a replacement for an incumbent who will return within 6 months, the department may make an acting appointment of an existing UCD employee. The selection process must often be brief, if there is a sudden, immediate need. Sometimes, there may be a qualified employee within the program or department. In this case, the appointing authority should:

    1. announce the opportunity within the department and give a date by which letters of interest must be submitted;

    2. interview interested employees who meet the minimum qualifications;

    3. consider equal opportunity and diversity needs when selecting the temporary replacement.

    If the appointing authority chooses to consider employees from outside the department, the process should be coordinated with Human Resources to ensure some form of announcement to interested employees and documentation thereof. In this case, the appointing authority should:

    1. announce opportunity within the department and in other departments as recommended by Human Resources and give a date by which letters of interest must be submitted;

    2. interview interested employees who meet the minimum qualifications;

    3. consider equal opportunity and diversity needs in selecting the temporary replacement;

    4. tell the temporary replacement whether he or she has a right to return to his or her permanent position at the end of the acting appointment.

  2. Interim Appointments
    3.

    When a position is vacant, and the department needs to fill the position for a limited period of time (up to one year) preparatory to a full recruitment, the department may make an interim appointment of an existing UCD employee. The process should be coordinated with Human Resources to ensure some form of announcement to interested employees and documentation thereof. In this case, the appointing authority should:

    1. announce the opportunity within the school or college, and in other departments as recommended by Human Resources, and give a date by which letters of interest must be submitted;

    2. indicate that an open recruitment will occur in the future to permanently fill the position;

    3. interview interested employees who meet the minimum qualifications;

    4. consider equal opportunity and diversity needs in selecting the temporary replacement;

    5. tell the temporary replacement whether he or she has a right to return to his or her permanent position at the end of the acting appointment;

    6. appoint a selection committee and begin the recruitment for the permanent position, or begin reorganization efforts, at least 120 days before the end of the interim appointment.

    If the appointing authority is unable to find a qualified employee within the school or college, the search may be expanded by sending an announcement to the deans and vice chancellors, Human Resources Committee, and Senior Advisors, then repeating the steps listed above.

  3. Reorganization to Eliminate a Vacant Position
    4.

    When the appointing authority chooses to reorganize a unit or program in order to eliminate a vacant position, the responsibilities of the position may be assigned to another, existing employee. If this reassignment involves a reclassification of the existing employee, the appointing authority should:

    1. determine if the employee is qualified to perform these duties;

    2. identify appropriate adjustments to the employee's workload, either by redistributing work or by eliminating existing work;

    3. develop a proposed job description and perform or request (depending on delegation of classification authority) a classification review;

    4. comply with applicable union contract provisions.

    The issue of concern is that there should be a clear business rationale, clearly articulated in the reorganization plan and/or the request for reclassification, for the reassignment of duties and responsibility, and/or program expansion, to another position.

  4. Near Relative
    5.

    Approval is required by Compensation Services prior to appointing a near relative to an acting, interim, or other position resulting from a reorganization. See UCD Policy and Procedure Manual, Section 380-13 and the Near Relative Request for Change of Relationship of Employees in the Same Department form.