More Fiddling With Librarian Definitions

We noted an effort to correct what were said to be typos in various definitions applicable to UC librarians back in late March.* This seems to be an ongoing thing, for unclear reasons. See below:

June 30, 2025

Amy K. Lee, Deputy Provost, Systemwide Academic Personnel

Monica Varsanyi, Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs

Re: Systemwide Senate Review of Proposed Revisions to APM - 360 - Librarian Series

Dear Deputy Provost Lee and Vice Provost Varsanyi,

As requested, I distributed for systemwide Academic Senate review the proposed revisions to Academic Personnel Manual (APM) - 360. Nine Academic Senate divisions and three systemwide committees (UCPB, UCFW, and UCAADE) submitted comments. These were discussed at the Academic Council’s June 25, 2025 meeting, and the compiled feedback is attached for your reference.

We understand that the intent of the revisions is to address ambiguities introduced in the 2016 version of APM - 360 and to more accurately reflect the original intent and ensure consistency with University policy—not to redefine the role of the librarian series. The Academic Council appreciates this effort. Senate feedback reflects concerns with several elements of the revisions.

Instructional Role of Librarians: The proposed substitution of “instruction” with “training and resources” in APM - 360-4(c) was a concern among some reviewers. Reviewers noted that instructional activity has been a longstanding function of academic librarians, who may participate in for-credit courses, curriculum development, and classroom-based instruction. Revisions to APM-360 should not inadvertently devalue librarians’ educational contributions and weaken their connection to UC’s teaching mission.

Council members were strongly supportive of revisions that clarify APM - 360 does not confer or imply instructor-of-record status to librarians. Yet in recognition of the role librarians play in teaching research methods and  information literacy, restoring “instruction” with clarifying modifiers, such as “library instruction” or “instructional resources,” should be considered.

Research and Creative Activity: Another concern among some reviewers is the proposed change in APM - 360-4(d) from “carrying out research and creative activity” to “acquiring information and knowledge.” This change may be viewed as diminishing the scholarly contributions of librarians.

While peer-reviewed research is not a required criterion for advancement in the librarian series, creative activities should be encouraged. Council members and reviewers recommended maintaining the existing language or using a broader phrase that acknowledges the diverse scholarly activities of librarians, such as, “other scholarly or creative activity, including research.”

Definition of Work Location: The addition of the phrase “in the University campus libraries” to clarify the scope of librarian services was seen as overly narrow. Reviewers noted that librarians increasingly work in classrooms, research centers, affiliated locations, and remote environments, providing critical support for both in-person and digital scholarship. Several reviewers recommended alternative phrasing such as “library-affiliated locations” or “other University venues” to better reflect the actual scope of librarians’ work.

Policy Consultation Process: Several divisions raised concern about the consultation process with the Librarians Association of the University of California (LAUC) and the Council of University Librarians (CoUL). In 2016, the consultation process was apparently wider, which culminated in the 2016 revisions. Some perceive revisions to APM - 360 are being framed as “error corrections,” which contributed to process concerns. Further engagement is recommended.

Systemwide Committee Opinions: UCPB, UCAADE, and UCFW submitted letters in support of the proposed revisions.** These committees agreed that clarifying the distinction between faculty and librarian roles helps sharpen evaluation criteria and broaden recognition of librarians’ diverse contributions. They viewed the changes not as limiting to librarians, but as protective and inclusive of the full range of librarian work.

The UCFW letter in particular received support during the Council’s discussion. UCFW emphasized that the revisions provide librarians with more flexible career pathways, allowing them to be recognized for outreach, training, and service without requiring conformity to traditional faculty teaching or research models. UCFW supported replacing “instruction” with “training” to reduce ambiguity and avoid conflating librarian duties with Senate faculty instructor of record roles.

Regarding research, UCFW noted that while some librarians produce peer reviewed scholarship, requiring this of all librarians risks imposing expectations inconsistent with the purpose of the series. The revised APM - 360 preserves the option for librarians to pursue research while allowing others to be evaluated on the basis of valuable contributions in practice and service.

Council members agreed that librarians should be recognized and rewarded when they engage in instructional or research activities but should not be penalized for focusing on other core responsibilities. There was support for appointing librarians to Senate instructional titles when appropriate, if they seek to serve as instructors of record for credit-bearing courses, to ensure alignment with Senate oversight of instruction.

Conclusion: Overall, the Senate supports proposed revisions to APM– 360 with the following recommendations:

• Reconsider or revise the proposed changes to APM - 360-4(c) and (d) to ensure they do not devalue librarians’ instructional and scholarly work, while preserving evaluation flexibility for librarians whose primary contributions lie in other areas.

• Revise or remove the phrase “in the University campus libraries” to more accurately reflect the varied environments in which librarians perform their work.

• Encourage librarians who wish to serve as instructors of record for credit-bearing courses to hold concurrent instructional titles when appropriate, in keeping with Senate oversight of instruction.

• Re-engage LAUC and CoUL in a consultative process prior to finalizing policy changes.

Thank you for the opportunity to opine.

Sincerely,

Steven W. Cheung

Chair, Academic Council

Encl. (Includes various documents running over 50 pages)

cc: Academic Council

Executive Director Anders

Senate Division Executive Directors

Senate Executive Director Lin

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Source: https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/reports/council-faap-ap-apm-360.pdf.

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*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2025/03/error-correction-really.html.

**UCPB = University Committee on Planning and Budget; UCAADE = University Committee on Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Equity; UCFW = University Committee on Faculty Welfare.