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Staff Hiring Pause

Last Updated: March 5, 2025 11:01:16 AM PST
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Effective February 19, 2025, UC San Diego is pausing hiring for core-funded positions. The pause will be in place until further notice, and may be amended if circumstances change. The campus will be notified of changes by email and on this page. FAQs on this page will also be updated in response to questions and as new information becomes available. 

 

Note

Academic Affairs employees, please refer to the 2025 Hiring Pause Exception Guidance for Academic Affairs page for detailed information, including the exception process for Academic Affairs.

Guidelines 

 

All staff recruitments on campus are subject to review and approval based on the following scope: 

  1. Core and non-core funded career, contract, and STE positions: VC Designee and CHRO approval required 
    • Note: Contract and STE extensions (including those requiring the creation of Job Descriptions) are exempt from approvals 
  2. Non-academic Student Employees, TES, and 3rd party agencies generally: Heightened scrutiny recommended 

The following positions are generally exempt from the approval process:

  1. Non-academic Student Employees and temporary employees (including Temporary Employment Services and 3rd party agencies) will be generally allowed.   
    • For TES employees, be prepared to answer the exception questions outlined below.  
  2. Health System hiring as they already have a rigorous review process. 
  3. Staff Promotion Program opportunities will still be allowed as long as no backfill is planned but will be captured using HireOnline in the Exception process tracking.  
 

Exceptions and Exception process 

For all new recruitments submitted after February 19, 2025: 

Campus

  1. Hiring department collects email approval from VC designee using required prompts
    • Is the position core funded? If not, how is the position funded?
    • Is the position mission critical?
    • What is the consequence of not filling the position?
    • Can the work be reallocated through reorganization?
    • Can the position be temporarily backfilled with available talent from another area that has capacity? 
  2. Upon email approval, hiring department creates requisition and attaches email approval as PDF
  3. Recruiter notifies CHRO via email (CC: appropriate Director), attaching approval PDF
  4. CHRO reviews approval PDF and approves, declines, or requests additional information
  5. Upon approval or decline, Recruiter opens or cancels requisition and attaches decision email as PDF 

 

Academic Affairs

  1. Hiring department submits request via AA Blink page 
  2. Upon approval hiring department creates requisition and attaches approval as PDF 
  3. Recruiter notifies CHRO via email (CC: appropriate Director), attaching approval PDF 
  4. CHRO reviews approval PDF and approves, declines, or requests additional information 
  5. Upon approval or decline, Recruiter opens or cancels requisition and attaches decision email as PDF 
Coming soon: These will be tracked in HireOnline, our regular recruitment system.  

The HireOnline Process will involve:
  1. Hiring Department will address the following prompts in the system (expectation that these discussions have happened with leadership prior to submission and now documenting within our system of record):
    • Is the position core funded? If not, how is the position funded?
    • Is the position mission critical? 
    • What is the consequence of not filling the position?
    • Can the work be reallocated through reorganization?
    • Can the position be temporarily backfilled with available talent from another area that has capacity?
  2. Hiring Department submits the requisition.
  3. VC authority approves or declines in HireOnline.
  4. CHRO approves or declines in HireOnline.
  5. Weekly updates shared with Chancellor and Associate Chancellor (unless frequency of requests implicate sooner updates).

 

Expand all

Expand section FAQ's

What about grant-funded positions?
Expectation for Department and VC Authority to exercise the utmost scrutiny to consider if grant-funding under threat or potential threat of Federal action or other external factors that would implicate the Department utilizing core funds to cover employee costs. 
What about recruitments submitted but not completed before February 19, 2025?
HR will send a list of pending recruitments to each VC so they can determine if they want to cancel the recruitment or finish it depending on what stage of the process it is in with recommendations. 
  • If a recruitment continues (because it is at the point of no-return or potential reputational risk), but the candidate declines, the recruitment will end unless otherwise can meet the review of the exception process outlined. 
What about external consultants?
External consultants should not be hired to avoid the hiring pause for career employees.
  • Procurement will be on alert for these types of requests.
Do I need any additional approvals if I have already initiated the interview process?
It's likely, yes. Given the ambiguity of the current funding and budget environment, we want to be very thoughtful about the need for current positions (especially core-funded positions), and our commitment to both the campus and any candidate we hire that the position is still needed and can be funded for the expected term of the position.
Do I need any additional approvals if I have already extended an offer?

It's likely, yes. Given the ambiguity of the current funding and budget environment, we want to be very thoughtful about the commitment we're making to the candidate/new employee and to the university.

  • Have you carefully reassessed your funds for your role? Are you confident they will remain available for the term of this position? These are important questions to answer before moving forward with offer completion.
Does the hiring pause include reclassifications?
No. Currently the hiring pause only covers recruitments, though VC areas or departments may decide to make the pause stricter than the campus requirements. If the scope of the pause changes at the campus level, you will be notified.
How can I determine if the position is considered mission critical?

You will want to work with your area leadership to make that determination. It's helpful to think of the following items during your assessment: 

  • What are your mission critical operations? 
  • What things do you do that, if you didn't do them, would turn the lights off at the university, damage the reputation, impact human or animal life? 
  • Who provides that in your organization? 
Non-academic student employees are listed as an approved Exemption. Are academic student employees not included in the Exemption (our Teaching Assistants, Associate Instructors, Readers, etc.)?
Academic student employees are not included in this hiring pause since they fall under academic purview. We recommend reaching out to GEPA or APS for additional information.
Will contract extensions be issued during this hiring pause?
Yes, extensions for contract employees is currently exempt from approvals. You may proceed with extensions using the normal process.
What is the approval process for new stipend requests for staff taking on additional duties as a result of the hiring pause?
No change unless your VC or department has implemented a change.
If you have questions, please reach out to hr@ucsd.edu.