Appointment Guidelines and Forms for Visiting Scholars

Visiting Scholar Appointments

Visiting Scholars at UCLA must be appointed officially through Graduate Division. Departments must submit all appointment requests to the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services (OPVSS), 1255 Murphy Hall, mail code 142801.

Processing Check List

The following checklist is a helpful reminder when processing appointments.

Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Processing Check List (PDF-63KB)

Guidelines for New Appointments

1. If sponsoring an international scholar, the department is responsible for requesting the appropriate visa through the Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars. The visa request should be the first step in facilitating a visiting scholar appointment, as it is an intensive and time-consuming process.

2. The department nominates the eligible scholar to the Graduate Division for appointment to the visiting scholar status by completing the Visiting Scholar Appointment Form.

   Visiting Scholar Appointment Form (iPDF-197KB)
   Can only be viewed by the UCLA community. Must be completed by the nominated scholar's sponsoring department or unit.

3. The department submits the official appointment request to the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services, 1255 Murphy Hall, mail code 142801. Please submit all of the following documents:

   • Visiting Scholar Appointment Form
   • Current resume/ Curriculum Vitae
   • Brief statement of objective (approximately 250 words)
   • Signed Copy of the Oath and Patent Acknowledgment Form

   Effective July 1, 2010, OPVSS must have a copy of a signed Oath and Patent Acknowledgment Form to process NEW appointments. Please note the following:

   • Departments keep the original, signed form in a location separate from the visiting scholar's "personnel" file.
   • U.S. citizens sign both the Oath and Patent section of the form.
   • Non-U.S. citizens sign ONLY the Patent section of the form.
   • Departments send the Patent Acknowledgement form to international Visiting Scholars via email instructing them that once they get to UCLA, they will have to sign this form. They may read and get advice from their employer or university before they come. The form will be completed and witnessed by a UCLA employee.
      

4. Upon submission of the required appointment forms, the department applies online for a BruinCard. Select Forms and then select Affiliate/Guest Request Form.
    
   Note: Effective June 1, 2011 departments applying for a BruinCard and UID on behalf of a Visiting Scholar must apply within five days or less of the Visiting Scholar’s start date. This policy will ensure that the BruinCard request and Visiting Scholar paperwork are processed in a similar timeframe.

5. The BruinCard office will send a "pending" email to the department and Graduate Division. Graduate Division replies with a confirmation (or rejection) and provides the appointment dates. The BruinCard Office will assign an ID number and process the request. The department and Graduate Division will receive email confirmation upon completion with the assigned ID number, dates of visit, and other details.
    
   Note: The Visiting Scholar may not receive their BruinCard and UID for approximately five to seven business days following their start date at UCLA. During this time please make the necessary accommodations for the Visiting Scholar to ensure that they can temporarily access various services needed to perform their research.

6. Graduate Division reviews the appointment and maintains a record of the scholar. Upon approval by Graduate Division, both the appointed Visiting Scholar and the department will receive an electronic approval letter and confirmation email.

Please allow 5-7 business days for processing the Visiting Scholar appointment forms in Graduate Division after receipt of the confirmation email from the BruinCard Office.

Appointment Considerations

• OPVSS will only process complete applications. CVs must include certification of the Ph.D. or proof of holding a position comparable to UCLA faculty.
   
• If a Visiting Scholar is beginning a new appointment in a department/unit other than the one in which s/he was originally enrolled, the previous appointment must be terminated using a Visiting Scholar Appointment Form, and another form submitted for the new appointment. Appointments cannot overlap.

Exceptions

Associate Dean Dean Ross Shideler will consider the following types of requests for exception:

• The prospective Visiting Scholar does not hold a terminal degree (ie… PhD, DDS, MD, JD).
   
• The prospective Visiting Scholar does not hold an appointment at an outside university or research center comparable to those of UCLA faculty.
   
• The faculty mentors would like to compensate the Visiting Scholar using University funding such as paying a grant stipend (note: ordinarily, Visiting Scholars are self-supported, or have adequate support funds from sources outside the University).

To submit a request for exception to the terms of the union contract:

1. The Department submits a complete Visiting Scholar Exception Request Form (iPDF-180KB) with the written concurrence of the supervisor (faculty mentor).
    
2. Send the exception request in hard copy at least thirty (30) business days in advance of the requested appointment date.
    
3. Submit the Exception Request Form to Mike Flaxman, 1255 Murphy Hall, Mailcode 142801.

Guidelines for Reappointments ("Extensions")

The department chair/unit director may request a renewal of the appointment by completing a Visiting Scholar Appointment Form and requesting a "Reappointment." The dates of and reasons for the reappointment must be included on the form.

Visiting Scholar Appointment Form (iPDF-197KB)
Can only be viewed by the UCLA community. Must be completed by the nominated scholar's sponsoring department or unit.

The Appointment Form must be submitted to the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services, Graduate Division, 1255 Murphy Hall, mail code 142801.

Effective July 1, 2010, OPVSS must have a copy of a signed Oath and Patent Acknowledgment Form to process Reappointments ONLY if the department has not submitted the form previously. In other words, the form needs to be submitted only once per Visiting Scholar. See above under “new appointments” for instructions.

Graduate Division reviews the reappointment form and maintains a record of the scholar. Upon approval by Graduate Division, both the appointed Visiting Scholar and the department will receive an electronic approval letter and confirmation email.

Certificate of Visiting Scholarship

Upon request from the visiting scholar’s faculty sponsor/supervisor and the department chair, OPVSS will issue a certificate of completion, confirming completion of the program of research and training. Please send the Recommendation for Issuance of Visiting Scholar Certificate to Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services, Graduate Division, 1255 Murphy Hall, mail code 142801. Allow 7-10 business days for processing.

Recommendation for Issuance of Visiting Scholar Certificate (iPDF-176KB)
Can only be viewed by the UCLA community. Must be completed by the scholar's sponsoring department or unit.

Payments

Please consult the Office of Postdoctoral & Visiting Scholar Services if you need to pay a Visiting Scholar.

Help

For assistance or further information, please contact Mike Flaxman at mflaxman@grad.ucla.edu in the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Services, Graduate Division, 1255 Murphy Hall, mail code 142801.