ANR Update

Travel to China restricted as novel coronavirus precaution

As follow-up to the ANR Update post on Novel coronavirus precautions, I am providing some additional guidance concerning travel to China.

In response to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory for all areas of mainland China. Additionally, UC President Napolitano has directed the UC community to temporarily avoid all non-essential travel to China. For ANR personnel and affiliates, this means that all business-related travel to destinations in China must be suspended until further notice or approval. In collaboration with ANR leadership and UC systemwide colleagues, we are developing a process to review any requests for essential travel and will provide more information soon.

President Napolitano also stressed the importance that all international travel on behalf of UC business be registered with UCAway. This trip registration provides travelers with access to features such as travel insurance, briefings on health, safety, and security, and real-time alerts. To make use of these services, be sure to register your trip and provide itineraries and contact details. Visit http://safety.ucanr.edu/Programs/Business_Travel/ to register your trip and find additional travel safety information for ANR travelers.

You can also stay up-to-date with US State Department advisories and CDC's travel health notices related to this outbreak. 

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at baoatman@ucanr.edu.

Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services

Novel coronavirus precautions

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus named “2019-nCoV” that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Some infections with 2019-nCoV have been reported in the United States, in patients that had traveled from Wuhan, China. US health officials have established monitoring measures to identify travelers who have symptoms compatible with this infection and have a travel connection with China. Similarly, UC medical centers and health clinics have established screening protocols to identify people with symptoms and a recent travel history to affected areas. For up to date information from CDC, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html.

The outbreak of 2019-nCoV reminds us of the standard precautions recommended by the CDC that we all should take to prevent the spread of various respiratory viruses, including colds, flu or coronavirus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick; if you must be out and about, consider wearing a paper (“surgical”) mask and avoid close contact with others.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then immediately throw the tissue in the trash. If you do not have a tissue, cough into your sleeve (not your hands).
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

See UC ANR Risk & Safety Services Safety Note 151 for more information about preventing the spread of communicable diseases.

At this time, there are no special actions that you need to take regarding UC ANR operations or programs in response to this coronavirus outbreak. Staff at UCCE County offices or Research & Extension Centers should monitor and follow any guidance from your local public health officer. UC ANR Risk & Safety Services is coordinating with health & safety and emergency management professionals across the UC system and will provide additional updates as conditions warrant. Additional information and links will be posted on the Risk & Safety Services website here: http://safety.ucanr.edu/Programs/emergency/Current_Health_Alerts/

Since this outbreak is affecting international travel, it also serves as a reminder that it is important to register your international business travel with UCAway, in order to access features such as travel insurance, briefings on health, safety, and security, and real-time alerts. To make use of these services, be sure to register your trip and provide itineraries and contact details. Visit http://safety.ucanr.edu/Programs/Business_Travel/ to register your trip and find additional travel safety information.

End of academic review period sparks conversations about streamlining paperwork

We are now just one week from of the end of the current review period for UC ANR academics. I know many of you have confirmed your intended salary advancement action for the review period. Whether you intend to seek a salary advancement action or prepare an annual evaluation, you have likely noticed that a few of our trainings on those topics have been postponed.

The postponement is due to efforts underway to make document preparation for all actions less time consuming, regardless of your planned action. At the request of AVP Powers, the Academic Assembly Council Personnel Committee and the 2019 Peer Review Committee are working together to develop recommendations to greatly streamline and improve those processes. Following AVP Powers' review and decision, training dates will be established. All trainings will to take place this fall.

Many of our UC ANR academics say report that they spend over a month preparing their merit and promotion documents and that the current process can be quite stressful. Annual evaluation documents take almost as much time to compile. While the merit and promotion process is important, what's most important is that one's document provide the opportunity for an academic to share their accomplishments and contributions to UC ANR as well as their community, and their profession. The review process does is supposed to help evaluate one's work; it's not supposed to get in the way of an academic actually conducting their work. Similarly, the purpose of the annual evaluation is to guide activities towards achievement of an academic's stated goals without taking so much time that the process itself impedes success.

As we finalize enhancements to the document preparation guidelines that reflect the needed improvements recommended by many of you, I want to share the results of the 2019 merit and promotion review process. Case numbers vary from year to year, as do success rates; however, what we strive to ensure does not change is the rigor and high expectations we ask of our UC ANR academics. Because of this, our UC ANR academics not only progress well throughout their career but they are highly respected throughout the nation and in many sectors.

The message I want to leave you with is that we are committed to ensuring that paperwork and evaluations do not get in the way of the important work research and extension you do. The mission we serve and the work you contribute toward that is where we need to focus our energy. As always, many thanks for all the great work you do!

The following table provides a comparison of Program Review Outcomes over the past 5 years.

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

 

Dave Krause to leave UC ANR in October

It is with mixed emotions that I announce Dave Krause's departure from the Division October 11.  After nearly 14 years with UCANR, Dave has accepted a new role with Driscoll's Berries to help improve the technology in their research environment. This opportunity will take Dave to some of Driscoll's global locations, yet allow him to stay connected to many of us at ANR and at UC.

Dave started his UC career as a programmer with ANR Communication Services in 2006. Initially hired to build a new version of Site Builder and Collaborative Tools, Dave has since architected and implemented dozens of applications to support the work of our staff and academics. In recent years, Dave went on to become the IT Manager and Interim Chief Information Officer for the Division.

Please join me in thanking Dave for his many contributions to the arduous work of the Division in supporting the communities and the people of this state. I am proud of Dave's accomplishments and I know he is also.

Please join me in wishing him the best in his future endeavors, and I look forward to continuing the friendship.

We will work immediately on selecting Dave's successor and will keep you informed.

Best regards,

Tu Tran
Associate Vice President, Business Operations

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

UC President Napolitano stepping down

Earlier today (Sept. 18), UC President Janet Napolitano announced that she will be stepping down as president of the University in August 2020. President Napolitano joined UC as the first woman to lead the university in 2013. 

We are thankful for President Napolitano's leadership and vision to address critical issues that affect California, the rest of the country and the world.

Recognizing the challenge of feeding a growing worldwide population, Napolitano launched the Global Food Initiative to inspire more collaboration and draw from the collective resources of all 10 UC campuses, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to develop solutions for food security, health and sustainability.

To address the threat of climate change, she created the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, which marshals resources from across the UC system to research and develop ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

To attract and retain top-flight academics, she created the Presidential Match for Endowed Chairs to help UC campuses and UC ANR encourage donors to establish endowed chairs to fund research. The Presidential Match has enabled UC ANR to fill five endowed positions in UC Cooperative Extension, ensuring the scientists will have a dedicated source of funding for their ongoing agricultural research.

Finally, she emphasized the university's commitment to diversity by taking actions to let immigrant and LGBTQ members of the UC community know they are welcome and supported.

The UC Board of Regents will soon appoint a search committee to start a national search for the next president of the University. Per policy, the search committee will include student, academic and alumni representatives who will seek input from the UC community and the public.

More information, including highlights of President Napolitano's tenure at the University, can be found at https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/university-california-president-janet-napolitano-announces-decision-step-down-next-year. 

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

 

View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.

This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.

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