Reference Request Approvals for Faculty or Unit 11 Employees

CSU employees who are asked to provide letters of recommendation or other formal requests for references for current/former faculty or Unit 11 student academic employees (TA's, GA's, and ISA's) on behalf of the CSU must confer with the Office of Academic Personnel prior to responding to the request or provide their finalized letter of recommendation to the Office of Academic Personnel for review prior to submission. The Office of Academic Personnel shall review the employee’s personnel file and shall inquire of the campus Title IX/DHR office as required by the policy, when applicable.

CSU will not provide any official positive letters of recommendation or reference, either verbally or in writing, for a current or former CSU employee who: (i) is subject to a finding that the CSU employee has engaged in misconduct that resulted in the employee being non-retained, terminated, or is separated through mutually agreed upon settlement terms; (ii) is currently under investigation for misconduct or violation of university policy (in abeyance until the completion of the investigation and any appeals); or (iii) has had their retirement benefits rescinded under The Public Employees' Pension Reform Act due to criminal misconduct associated with their official duties. In such cases, the Office of Academic Personnel shall inform the third party requesting the reference of CSU’s employee reference policy and provide an employment verification only, as set forth below, for the current or former CSU employee.

Personal references are permissible. Such references must clearly identify that they are being provided in an individual capacity and not on behalf of the CSU. Personal references cannot be on CSU letterhead. Any references made outside of the Office of Academic Personnel, and where no check-in or review with the Office of Academic Personnel has occurred, will be considered personal and not to have been provided on behalf of the CSU.

References by presidents, executives, or other university officers in senior administrative positions may be perceived as being provided on behalf of the University by virtue of their position. Therefore, such individuals must also consult with Human Resources or the Office of Academic Personnel to determine whether letters of recommendation or positive references are appropriate and may be provided, even in their personal capacity.

See the full policy for details:
https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/12142918/latest/

Requesting a Reference Approval

If an employee of Chico State has requested that you write a letter of reference/recommendation:

1. Send your reference request with the person's First and Last Name and Chico State ID number to: academicpersonnel@csuchico.edu

If a student of Chico State has requested that you write a letter of reference/recommendation:

1. Have they or do they currently work for Chico State?
   1. If no, you do not need to request approval.
   2. If yes or you are unsure, move to the next step.
2. Send your reference request with the person's First and Last Name and Chico State ID number to: academicpersonnel@csuchico.edu

Note: When requesting approval, please allow a week for processing time.