ANR Update

John Fox, executive director of Human Resources, to retire

Colleagues,

It is with bittersweet emotions that I announce John Fox's departure from the Division. Earlier this year, John informed me that he will be retiring, effective at the end of February, after more than 30 years of service to the University of California, the last five serving UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. There is no doubt that John's retirement is well deserved, though we will definitely miss his able and calm hands.

As you may know, John joined ANR as Executive Director – Human Resources in October 2015 after many years in the Office of President in various policy and leadership roles. I and the senior leadership of ANR have thoroughly enjoyed working with John these last five years, and I will always be grateful to him for taking on new responsibilities and important projects with me to improve the climate and well-being of the ANR communities. To highlight some of these important projects, we cannot overlook John's effort in implementing the multi-year CE Advisors and Staff compensation equity programs, designed to elevate ANR's compensation structures to more competitive levels. Most recently John played a critical role in implementing the ANR@work Survey, which gives ANR staff and academics an opportunity to give unfettered feedback and guidance to our leadership. Further, working directly with you and the leadership, John helped establish the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council for ANR (soon to be announced more widely). With that and much more, John's work will continue to help shape our culture in years to come.

I personally benefited every day from John's advice, dedication and strong work ethic.

As John transitions and starts a new chapter, I am happy to announce that Bethanie Brown will be appointed Interim Executive Director of Human Resources. Bethanie has been expertly leading the ANR HR Department in recent years and I am grateful to her for stepping up during this challenging interval. Additionally, Academic HR Manager Tina Jordan will assume new responsibilities including ANR's Learning and Development unit, and will also assume the responsibilities as ANR's Affirmation Action Compliance Officer. As the Director of Academic Personnel and AA compliance officer, Tina will represent ANR at all systemwide meetings and councils. Decisions to recruit for John's replacement and timing of same will be made later this year when we have more clarity as to budgetary conditions.

Please join me in thanking John and wishing him the best in his future endeavors. 

Best Regards,

Tu

Tu M. Tran
Associate Vice President

 

Employee comments sought on adding small businesses to Purchases of Goods and Services policy

The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed revision to Presidential Policy UC-PS-20-0489-BUS-43 Purchases of Goods and Services; Supply Chain Management. The proposed revision is to include the Small Business First Program.

The Small Business First Program is designed to address the following:

• Support existing policy for awarding 25% Economically and Socially Responsible (EaSR) spend annually to small and diverse-owned businesses (see UC Sustainable Practices Policy)
• Take advantage of California Public Contract Code Section 10508.5 that allows the University to award purchase agreements valued up to $250,000 to a certified small business without being competitively bid, so long as the UC obtains price quotations from two or more certified small businesses
• Bring procurement practices further in line with the University's overall mission and values
• Strengthen the small business community, which is the engine of California's economy, given that 99.8% of California's businesses are small and employ 48.8% of California's private workforce. For every $100 spent at a small business, approximately $68 stays in California
• Prepare UC to lead the way in California's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn. Statewide, as of November 25, 2020, the number of small businesses decreased by 30.7% compared to January 2020. As the third largest employer in the state, UC supports 1 in 46 of all California jobs and contributes $32.8B annually to gross state product. Additional spend from UC could be the lifeline small businesses need to survive and thrive.

The Small Business First Program also includes the following:

• Exclusions for UC Health as well as Design & Construction
• Exemption for federally funded purchases

The proposed policy is posted here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Administration/Business_Operations/Controller/Administrative_Policies_-_Business_Contracts/Policy_and_administrative_handbooks/ANR_Administrative_Handbook/Recent_Updates.

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than April 15, 2021. Please indicate “BFB-BUS-43” in the subject line.

Director of Sierra Foothills REC

An internal search to fill the director position at Sierra Foothills REC was conducted during November-December 2020. Unfortunately, no applications were received. UCANR leadership and UC Livestock & Natural Resources academics are exploring options to provide sustained leadership for SFREC. In the meantime, SFREC enjoys the competent management of Dustin Flavell.

L. Mark Lagrimini
Vice Provost for Research and Extension

Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program now serving UC ANR

I'm pleased to announce a new partnership between UC ANR and the UC Davis Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP).  HDAPP supports the University's commitment to a harassment-free and discrimination-free work and learning environment. With our new agreement, HDAPP will serve members of the UC ANR community by:

• assisting individuals and ANR units to resolve conflicts and complaints related to harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence and hate and bias; and
• serving as the central office for receiving reports and maintaining records of these types of complaints.

HDAPP is available to receive complaints of harassment or discrimination against anyone affiliated with UC ANR. If you believe you or someone you know may be experiencing any of the complaint types, or if you have questions and want to consult, contact HDAPP. Options are available to report by phone or online, as well as anonymous reporting.

They are happy to speak with you about their process, your concerns, and support resources. They strongly believe in helping people make informed decisions about reporting, including where and how to report situations of concern. 

How to learn more  

We will introduce our HDAPP partners during the ANR Town Hall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 21 (2 p.m. – 3 p.m.). All are invited to join a Zoom session on Thursday, Feb. 4, 1:30 p.m.–3 p.m. During the Feb. 4 information session, members of the HDAPP team will describe how they handle common situations and answer questions.

You can find more information about HDAPP at hdapp.ucdavis.edu/about-us.

HDAPP contact information and links to other reporting options are available at   ucanr.edu/sites/DiscriminationSexual_Violence. 

If you have any questions about the HDAPP partnership, contact me at jsafox@ucanr.edu.

John Fox
Executive Director, ANR Human Resources

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: COVID-19 vaccination information; Zoom phone licenses

COVID-19 vaccination information

As we begin 2021, I hope that you all had a safe and restful break over the holidays. With the new year, and increasing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, we wanted to share some information with you and let you know how we are working on this issue. This message is based on current information, but the guidance and actual distribution of the vaccine is changing rapidly and can vary by county or community.

First, it is important to understand that while the vaccine is a significant development to ending the pandemic, we still have a long road ahead and need to stay the course to maintain our current safety protocols for the next several months. For example, if you get a vaccine, you will still need to use a face covering when out in public or at work, you will still need to maintain distance from other people, still practice frequent handwashing and disinfection of surfaces, and you should continue to work at home if you can. We will continue to monitor public health and safety guidance and revise our safety protocols at the appropriate time.

According to the CDC there are several benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. If you receive the vaccination, it will reduce your likelihood of getting COVID-19. Based on what is known about other vaccines and from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, but it is not clear if some individuals who have been vaccinated could still transmit COVID-19.

The state is employing a phased approach to vaccine distribution, based on risk factors for individuals, such as age and health conditions, as well as occupational risk of exposure. As described on the state's vaccine website (https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/#When-can-I-get-vaccinated), the first group of people to be vaccinated, Phase 1A, are healthcare workers and long-term care residents. While that group is still receiving vaccinations now, the state is planning for subsequent groups of people who should receive the vaccination next, while also taking steps to speed up the process. Phase 1B includes individuals 75 and older and those at risk of exposure at work in certain business sectors, including education and food and agriculture, among others. Subsequent phases and tiers will include an increasing number of people, based on personal risk factors (age and health conditions) and risk of exposure.

For ANR, this means that some of our employees will have the opportunity to receive the vaccination earlier than others, based on their relative risks. Based on current information, ANR employees who are actively working in the field in support of agriculture (such as ag technicians, research associates, farm advisors, etc.) may be eligible to receive the vaccination during Phase 1B. Similarly, our employees who are engaged in education programs that put them in contact with other people could be eligible in Phase 1B. Later, Phase 1C will include “government operations / community-based essential functions” which may include additional ANR employees, as well as additional people based on age or health risk.

We are engaged with working groups at the UC systemwide level to keep informed about how vaccines may be coming directly to the UC community and how UC ANR employees can have access to those systemwide vaccination efforts through our local campuses or other UC programs. Our employees will be included in UC's requests to the state for vaccines. UC's vaccination planning places an emphasis on getting vaccinations to patients in the UC health systems and higher-risk employees. Additionally, we encourage everyone to stay informed about what is happening with vaccine availability in your community. You may have the opportunity to receive the vaccination through your county public health office or other local sources, if you meet the criteria due to personal risk factors, or your job classification. Some of our UCCE offices have already been told that they are part of their county's plans for vaccinating workers in the agriculture and education sectors. We have been encouraged to get the vaccine as soon we have the opportunity to do so.  

The information shared here is based on current guidance and discussions with various stakeholders and authorities who are planning and guiding the distribution of vaccines. We have also prepared Vaccine FAQs to provide additional information and updates as they become available.

This has been a challenging time for all of us, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Help us stay the course to get through this next phase.

Zoom phone licenses

Due to COVID restrictions, staff working remotely may have been required to make business-related phone calls using their personal cell phones. This may have presented a security risk to staff who wish to keep their personal phone numbers private to external parties. 

To help staff with security, ANR has purchased Zoom Phone licenses, allowing staff to make business-related phone calls using the Zoom app. 

Zoom Phones are an add-on license to an existing Zoom account. Zoom Phones provide staff a new business-related phone number, and staff can make calls using the desktop app and mobile app. Voicemail and voicemail transcription is also included with a Zoom Phone. More information about Zoom Phones can be found at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360028936531-Getting-started-with-Zoom-Phone-users-.

Please respond to this survey if you think you or your staff may need this feature added to your Zoom account.  

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

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