- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
May 24, 2021
Dear friends,
Tomorrow marks one year since the murder of George Floyd. We pause to reflect on and honor his memory, and the countless others who have been maimed or killed by forces of oppression and bigotry during our nation's long history. The pernicious effects of racism have altered the course of our country from before its founding, and persist in ways large and small to this very day.
This past year in particular – with international public reckoning over racial injustice, and the disproportionate public health and economic impacts of the pandemic on people of color – leaves us keenly aware of the challenges we face in returning to a forever altered world. It also reminds us of the...
California and the nation have made great progress in fighting the COVID pandemic! While we continue to take precautions and seek to vaccinate as many individuals as possible, activities and operations are gradually returning to normal. Given recent progress and following on our last message regarding remote work through June 30, 2021, it is time to prepare to officially re-open our locations, effective July 1.
Formal re-opening guidelines and telecommuting criteria are under development with planned distribution in early June. That information will be shared in future updates and posted on the website
Starting on June 1, 2021, Zoom cloud recordings will be retained for only 120 days and then automatically deleted. This means any existing cloud recordings will be deleted 120 days after June 1, 2021. Likewise, any new cloud recordings created on or after June 1, 2021, will be stored for 120 days and then deleted.
Why is this necessary?
ANR has seen explosive growth in the amount of Zoom cloud recordings on our account. All ANR shares a limited Zoom cloud storage, which isn't designed for long-term archiving. If we go over our cloud storage limit, we will no longer be able to create cloud recordings, and we will also be charged overage fees. We need...
I am pleased to announce that we plan to release a handful of UCCE academic positions for recruitment as soon as we know the final state of our FY2021-22 state budget. The state has announced full restoration of UC's budget for this next fiscal year, offering significant relief to UC ANR's budget outlook. That announcement means that the 12.7% cut we experienced in FY 2020/21 will be reversed, bringing our FY 2021/22 budget back to the pre-COVID levels we had in FY 2019-20.
While this news is very good, challenges will remain to fill the many other UCCE positions identified as high priority. Over the past 20 years, state funding for UC ANR decreased by almost 50% (adjusted for inflation), resulting in a significant decrease of...
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Masks remain a requirement for UC ANR personnel while working on-site or in the field
In response to recent updates of public health guidance concerning use of masks by the general public in certain outdoor settings, we have updated and clarified UC ANR's requirements for employees to wear a mask while working onsite or in the field. With limited exceptions, employees are still required to wear a mask when working indoors and when working outdoors and less than 6 feet away from other persons. This requirement is based on the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards and will remain in place until these...
