ANR Update

Events at the Capitol; budget update

Dear Colleagues,

It's been an emotional week for all of us witnessing the insurrection in our nation's capital. Such violence and vitriol adds to the ongoing stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic distress that so many are feeling. I want to remind you the Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) services are available to you and urge you to utilize them as needed.

Watching this recent attack on our democracy, combined with the decreasing support for science and public institutions that we have experienced for several years now, I am reminded just how critically important ANR's work is to support our democratic society. In addition to development of new knowledge through our research and getting it into local hands through Cooperative Extension and our programs, we often bring together people who disagree to discuss the facts respectfully and to find ways everyone can benefit. The work that each and every one of you does contributes to making California more prosperous, keeping our ecosystems healthy and our communities more equitable.

Although we continue to struggle with tight budgets, we received some very positive news today in Governor Newsom's proposed budget for FY 2021-22. The Governor proposed a 3% increase in UC's base General Fund budget, which is a partial restoration of last year's reduction. Additionally, the proposal includes $2 million in one-time General Fund support to fund UC ANR fire advisors as well as opportunities for UC Cooperative Extension to contract with CDFA to help small-scale and underserved farmers with business planning, navigating regulatory compliance, and accessing and leveraging state and federal funds. Other funding identified as best utilized by UCCE is work on Integrated Pest Management. It is very encouraging that the governor recognizes ANR can help address issues such as wildfire, climate change and economic sustainability; more details on the budget and other funding opportunities within it will be forthcoming soon.

As we head into the weekend, I'm proud of the work we do and hope you remember that together we can make things better. Please take care of yourselves and those around you. We have a new year and many opportunities to make a positive difference for California!

 

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

 

Employee comment: Research data and tangible research materials policy proposed

UC Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy on University of California Research Data and Tangible Research Materials. The policy is a new policy that describes the responsibilities of the campus leadership and its researchers concerning the access to, and retention and maintenance of research data and tangible research materials produced during the course of University research. The policy addresses the following key issues:

• The policy affirms that the Regents of the University of California own all research data and tangible research materials.
• Research data and tangible research materials must be retained as long as required by funders, publishers, campus policy, compliance or regulatory bodies, applicable law, relevant agreements, and in accordance with the standards of the principal investigators' scholarly disciplines. 
• When principal investigators leave the University, research data and tangible research materials remain the property of the Regents of the University of California, however, principal investigators may generally take copies of research data generated under their research projects.

The proposed policy is posted at 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 7, 2021. Please indicate “Research Data and Tangible Research Materials” in the subject line.

UC ANR COVID-19 Update: Remote work extension

Dear colleagues,                                                        

I hope you are doing well and are safe and healthy. Please continue to prioritize your health and well-being and that of your family and friends, and let those of us in the Emergency Response Team know if there is additional support that you may need.

As we continue to navigate the complexity of working in the COVID-19 environment, your well-being is our highest priority. We have developed some important resources and tools available on our website for COVID-19: Telecommuting Resources and a variety of wellness classes and workshops. The Academic and Staff Assistance Program (ASAP) is available if you need confidential resources during these difficult times. If you have questions regarding your individual or unit circumstances, please discuss with your supervisor for further assistance.

In light of the worsening condition of the infection rate, the decreasing ICU availability statewide, and our commitment to keeping you safe, we have decided that UC ANR will extend its current remote work and limited on-site operation status through June 30, 2021.

This will allow us to get through the winter and spring when we expect flu and COVID-19 cases to be at their highest, and to once again do our part in the effort to flatten the curve. As I am sure you are aware, other campuses and UC organizations are taking similar measures. The Emergency Response Team will continue to evaluate and update you on the situation as it evolves.

I realize that this decision will have different impacts on our complex and widely dispersed operations, and in some cases will require that we make adjustments to adapt and comply with local conditions and ordinances, but this decision will be in place and applicable division wide.

Thank you again for your continued dedication, good work and partnership.

Sincerely,

Glenda Humiston 
Vice President

 

 

State implements regional stay at home order

Because of your due diligence in maintaining safe practices, UC ANR COVID-19 infection rates remain below community rates. Many are weary from the additional effort required to keep loved ones and colleagues safe, and our work is not done. By working together, we can continue to protect those around us, and ourselves. Let's focus on getting through this last push before everyone has had the opportunity for vaccination.

Last week, the Governor and State Public Health Director issued a new Regional Stay At Home Order, requiring additional restrictions and limitations on public activity for portions of the state that are experiencing an impact to hospital ICU capacity. The order mandates that certain businesses may no longer serve customers, restricts the capacity of all retail establishments, and prohibits gatherings with people outside of your household. Over the weekend, two regions – Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley – passed the threshold of reduced ICU capacity that activated the Regional Order. Additionally, five Bay Area Counties issued local health orders that essentially adopted the requirements of the Regional Order immediately. Other counties have issued similar orders or increased stay-at-home restrictions, in advance of being required to do so by the state order.

What does this new order mean for UC ANR? First, stay informed about what is happening in your region and in your county concerning COVID-19 and public health orders. When your location is subject to the Regional Order, or similar local orders, the following adjustments must be made:

1. Research activities and agricultural operations may continue (with existing protective safety protocols), as these are considered critical infrastructure. If you are exploring engaging in new research projects, adopt strict safety standards and be prepared to scale back or cease if further orders may require. If you have questions about what work activities are critical, consult your director or manager.

2. Work remotely as much as possible. Reassess any in-office work; employees should only be coming to the office in the following limited cases:

• Essential business functions needed to support remote work.
• Situations where an employee cannot perform their duties or work effectively remotely.
• Short duration visits to pick up or drop off materials needed for work.

3. Any non-mandatory or non-critical in-person gatherings, meetings, or activities that bring together members of different households must be suspended. This means that 4-H meetings, Master Gardener activities, Master Food Preservers events, or other volunteer programs or workshops may only continue remotely/online.

This is a critical time in the fight against COVID-19. These additional restrictions are needed to “bend the curve” yet again, to bring down the rate of infection in the community and reduce the strain on our healthcare system.

Throughout the summer and early fall, UC ANR has had a very low rate of COVID-19 infections among our employees. However, as the rate of COVID-19 cases is currently surging statewide, UC ANR is also seeing an increase in cases among our employees, similar to the communities where we are located. Please continue your diligence to stay safe at home and at work to keep UC ANR working to serve our clientele.

Brian Oatman 
Director, Risk & Safety Services

2020 GivingTuesday donations break records

Dear Colleagues,

I am thrilled to report that we raised over $196,000 for UC ANR programs on GivingTuesday this year – a 49% increase over the $130K raised during GivingTuesday last year!  Given the widespread opinion that giving was likely to be down this year, this result is both inspiring and an affirmation of the support that our programs enjoy.  

The 2020 GivingTuesday total breaks records for our previous giving-day campaigns. UC ANR received 854 gifts from 736 donors this year; in 2019, 494 donors gave 580 gifts. Many thanks to all of you who worked to get the word out and gave your time and money to make the campaign so successful. My goal for next year is to see a much larger percentage of our UC ANR colleagues participating in this, and other funds development activities. It is increasingly clear that our constituents want to support our work, we simply need to ask for their support and make it easy for them to do so.

Talk about making it easier: The Development Team did an exceptionally awesome job this past few months. The donation platform we used last year for GivingTuesday expired on Nov. 30 so the team had to find a new platform and quickly rebuild the site so it would be ready to accept donations on Dec. 1. They pulled off this Herculean task with flying colors!

I want to thank Emily Delk, director of annual giving and donor stewardship, for organizing the campaign and creating the materials to publicize it. She designed the #PushPlayCA theme to demonstrate how UC ANR programs have had to pivot and find new ways to move forward while many activities are paused to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

More details and stats for individual counties and programs will be available in the days ahead.

The resounding success of GivingTuesday shows that more and more people are beginning to recognize and appreciate the amazing work you do to make life better for Californians.

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

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