Skip to content
News

News

New J Visa Request Form

The Office of Academic Personnel (OAP) is pleased to announce that we’ve built an enhanced J visa request form, which is more user-friendly and allows for more efficient review. This form is live as of June 1, 2020. Here are a few of the highlights!

  • Ability to see summary information about previous requests including request number, scholar name, start date, and request status
  • More intuitive user interface
    • Appointment information now comes prior to funding information (sections 3 and 4 swapped)
    • Navigation links so you can navigate up and down through the request
    • Request numbers are standardized to always use the Request Tracker (RT)/ticket number, even for invoices
  • Better data validation, which should highlight common issues prior to OAP review
    • Checks for “short-term scholar” category only used for visits up to 6 months
    • Title-specific reminders based on title selected, such as information about the maximum appointment length
    • Warnings related to start dates, funding and salary minimums
    • Ability to submit documentation for scholars with previous U.S. visits
  • Better behind-the-scenes tools for OAP
  • Better invoicing
    • Invoices will be generated and sent out more quickly
    • Invoice file names will include the scholar’s name and request number
    • Versioned invoices will be used to track corrections, e.g. when budget information changes
    • Invoice numbers in MyFinancial.desktop (MyFD) will correspond to the Request Tracker (RT)/ticket number with line numbers and descriptions for each charge

This initiative is part of OAP’s strategic priority 3:“Get ‘Leaner’ on at least one complex process per year.” OAP reviewed common issues from past J visa requests to identify form improvements.

Thanks very much to ABC Shared Services and the College of Arts and Sciences Shared Services for providing feedback and identifying important user interface improvements.

The H visa request form is next in line for review and enhancement.

The new J-1 Visa Request form and the updated  J Visa Intake Form are now available. If you have any questions or issues with the new form, please contact acadvisa@uw.edu.

COVID-19 and Interfolio Faculty Search (FS)

Tracking COVID-19 Impact through Interfolio FS

OAP has developed a few new features in UW Interfolio Faculty Search system to help units track the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruitment efforts.

New Position Statuses
Two new position status options – “Search Delayed – COVID-19” and “Search Cancelled – COVID-19” – are accessible via the Status drop-down menu near the top of the position page. While use of the position status feature is optional, we hope these new options will help units to better monitor and analyze recruitments during this challenging time.

New Disposition Code
Additionally, a new COVID-19-related disposition code has been created and added to the disposition matrix. Units can use the new “Review Suspended – COVID-19” code to disposition applicants who were still under consideration when the recruitment was cancelled due to COVID-19. Any applicants who were reviewed and taken out of consideration prior to the cancellation should be dispositioned using the standard disposition codes. All applicants need to be assigned a disposition code before a search is closed with or without hire, or canceled due to COVID-19.

For UW Interfolio Faculty Search resources, visit the user guides and our newly updated Interfolio FAQ page on the OAP website.

UW Establishes New Professorial Teaching Track

Overview

In April, the University of Washington’s voting-eligible faculty approved legislation to amend the UW Faculty Code and establish a new professorial teaching track. Select UW lecturers, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers who meet specific eligibility criteria set forth in the approved legislation will convert to assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, and teaching professor ranks, respectively. Not all lecturer titles are eligible to convert, so units should not notify faculty or otherwise alter appointment/reappointment letters at this time. The Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) is working with the Integrated Service Center (ISC) to plan for and centrally-manage the conversion of eligible academic personnel into this new track with the goal of completing the conversion on September 16, 2020.

Planning for Recruitment

Units who prioritize as a critical hire the continuation of an active competitive recruitment for a Lecturer Full-time, Senior Lecturer Full-time, or Senior Lecturer Part-time, must include the proposed hire on their 2020-21 hiring plan submission. This step must be taken regardless of whether or not it was a requirement on their 2019-20 hiring plan. Such recruitments should be included in the hiring plan request using the currently recruited lecturer title(s). Until approved on your 2020-21 hiring plan, these recruitments remain subject to the provost’s restricted hiring protocols as communicated to deans and chancellors.

Units who wish to recruit in the newly created professorial teaching track (assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, teaching professor) must include the proposed hires on their 2020-21 hiring plan, which is subject to review and approval by the provost.

In the coming months, APF will follow up with more details about how the conversion will work, how to approach new professorial teaching track hires, and what academic units can do to support a smooth transition.