The University of California is committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct in the fulfillment of its education, research, public service and patient care mission. The University's Whistleblower Policy provides multiple avenues for employees to bring forward concerns of potential employee misconduct. All University employees are encouraged to bring forward concerns about possible improper governmental activity directly to their supervisor, department head, Locally Designated Official (LDO) or other appropriate university offices or officials.
The University established a systemwide independently operated whistleblower hotline to allow for calls or web-based reporting from faculty, academics, staff and students with a provision for anonymous reporting. The hotline relays the reported concerns to appropriate university officials for processing. This hotline is staffed seven days a week, 24 hours per day and is capable of receiving reports in a number of different languages.
The universitywide toll-free number is 1-800-403-4744. Web-based reports can be made by accessing http://universityofcalifornia.edu/hotline. More information about the whistleblower process can be found on the UC Whistleblower website and on posters displayed in various employee areas. The university's whistleblower poster identifies other channels for reporting improper governmental activity, including the California State Auditor, the California Attorney General and locations for reporting fraud and abuse involving federal programs.
The California Government Code requires every state agency, including the University of California, to annually distribute to its employees a message from the California State Auditor that provides an explanation of the California Whistleblower Protection Act. Please find the 2016 message attached.
Sincerely,
Jake McGuire
Controller & Locally Designated Official
Through the development and implementation of ANR's Strategic Vision 2025, the division has identified these five initiatives as the best opportunities for ANR's considerable infrastructure and talent to seek new resources and new ways of partnering within and outside UC to find solutions for California.
In 2014, ANR conducted an assessment of the Competitive Grants Program to evaluate whether it was effectively addressing priority issues within the initiatives outlined in their respective plans. The report concluded that the grants program is reaching the goals of supporting short-term, high-impact projects and contributing policy-relevant outcomes that address significant agricultural, economic, and environmental and social issues in California. The strategic initiatives are also fostering collaboration and leveraging resources through the grants program and other activities. To read the summary of the Competitive Grants Program report, visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/204951.pdf.
A recent study of policy impacts of the ANR Competitive Grants program by UC Cooperative Extension specialists Clare Gupta and David Campbell found that funded projects are influencing various stages of the policy process: http://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/files/241970.pdf.
ANR's Strategic Initiatives leaders include the following:
- David Doll, Sustainable Food Systems
- John Harper, Sustainable Natural Ecosystems
- Keith Nathaniel, Healthy Families and Communities
- Doug Parker, Water Quality, Quantity, and Security
- Cheryl Wilen, Endemic and Invasive Pests and Diseases
For more information about ANR's Strategic Initiatives, visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/StrategicInitiatives.
The 4th California Apps for Ag will be held July 15-17. The competitive hackathon to solve real problems in agriculture and food is being hosted by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and the California State Fair.
Software developers, designers, entrepreneurs, farmers, farm consultants and others in the agricultural industry are encouraged to participate in the hackathon, which will be held at the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources building at 2801 Second Street in Davis, from 8 a.m. Friday, July 15 to 11 a.m. Sunday, July 17.
“We would really like to see participants come from all corners of the state,” said Gabe Youtsey, UC ANR's chief information officer, “Let's see what happens when we mix developers from Silicon Valley and Southern California with agricultural experts from the Central Valley, coast and desert regions.”
People who work in agriculture should bring ideas for problems that technology may help solve.
“Apps for Ag Hackathons have already resulted in multiple startups and we want to see this momentum continue to grow,” said Robert Tse, USDA California Rural Development chief strategy officer for agriculture technology and innovation. “There is no better place than the State Fair in the Capitol to showcase the ingenuity of Caifornia's ag tech community.”
One startup that has resulted from a previous ag hackathon is Ag for Hire, which connects farm workers who need jobs with farmers who need workers.
“Hackathons are a great way to spur innovation in industry verticals where technology has not been fully adopted,” said Rob Trice, one of the judges and the founder of the Mixing Bowl and Better Food Ventures.
“All roads already point to the State Fair's competitions for other agricultural commodities,” said Jay Carlson, ag programs manager at the State Fair, “This makes the fair a showcase for agricultural innovations as well.”
For more information and to register, visit http://www.apps-for-ag.com. If you have questions or suggestions, contact Gabe Youtsey at gdyoutsey@ucanr.edu.
Valdry will join Staff Advisor LaWana Richmond, a senior business analyst from UC San Diego, in bringing the voice and perspective of staff and non-Senate academic employees to Board of Regents deliberations. Staff Advisor Deidre Acker, a director of campus climate at UC Merced, completes her two-year appointment on June 30.
“Jason's longtime involvement in staff issues at Irvine, combined with his genuine passion for helping staff — and the university as a whole — be their best will be a great addition to our discussions,” President Janet Napolitano said. “I'm confident he'll be able to provide the staff perspective we need and I look forward to working with him.”
President Napolitano selected Valdry following a systemwide search. A selection committee, which included systemwide and campus leadership as well as current and former staff advisors, reviewed applications and selected finalists for the president's consideration.
Valdry earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from UC Irvine. His love of the campus's culture, sense of community and people prompted him to choose his alma mater as the place to build his career. After completing his undergraduate work 18 years ago, his first job on campus was a help desk administrator, before he became an assistant director of technology. Today, Valdry is director of technology services at UC Irvine's Claire Trevor School of the Arts.
Valdry volunteered on campus workgroups and committees, including a campus budget committee and a workgroup on strategic planning, to help tackle local challenges. He joined the UC Irvine Staff Assembly in 2011, serving as chair in 2013-14, and served on the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Staff and as a delegate to the Council of UC Staff Assemblies.
“I realized there were things about the university that weren't perfect, and I felt I should take action, that I should try to help change things,” Valdry said.
Through these experiences, he learned that some inefficiencies are not limited to UC Irvine; instead, they affect multiple campuses or are systemwide. He decided to apply for the staff advisor role to try to better address these challenges on a broader scale.
As staff advisor-designate, Valdry said he looks forward to connecting with staff across the system to better understand their issues, concerns and ideas for potential solutions. He also plans to reach out to the university's many affinity groups to learn what is top of mind for them.
“There are over 140,000 people and I can't possibly know what they know so I'm excited about talking to staff to learn what their issues and ideas are,” Valdry said. “I want to find a way to bridge the gap between employees and the regents in a way that makes communication more effective, and that informs (the regents') discussions.”
As a champion of lifelong learning, Valdry also plans to advocate for increased professional development for staff, including supervisor training both for current supervisors and employees who want to be on the management track.
“Good supervisors can make you want to stay. Bad supervisors make you want to leave,” Valdry said. “I hope we can make progress with helping all managers be great supervisors. Just because you're a supervisor, the training doesn't stop there. You have to continue your education so you're prepared to deal with new issues.”
You can learn more about the role of the staff advisors, including how to contact Richmond and Valdry, on the Staff Advisor to the Regents website.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Williamson started her career with UCCE in 1970 as a 4-H youth development advisor for the EFNEP youth program and 4-H youth program in Riverside County. Later, as UCCE nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor in Riverside County, she was responsible for all aspects of the program, including adult and youth EFNEP. In 1991, Williamson was appointed acting county director for UCCE in Riverside and in 1994 accepted the permanent position until 2002, when she became a UCCE nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor in Los Angeles County.
In the Riverside community, she was active with the NAACP for more than 30 years and was president for more than a decade, according to longtime friend and former colleague Constance L. Garrett Lexion, UCCE nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor emeritus in San Bernardino County.
“She established the Head Start Program and Youth ACTSO Program, where teens competed nationwide for scholarships based on academics and various talents,” Lexion said. “Eunice was active on all levels of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – state, regional and national – working at many conferences. She helped many branches of NAACP in Southern California get moving.”
Williamson, who earned a degree in institutional dietetics from University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and was active in Amos CME Church in Riverside.
Williamson is survived by her mother, Christine Williamson of Hope, Ark.; brother, Johndell (Narvell) Williamson of Washington, Ark.; and sisters Vercenia Collier, Wanda Bullock and Marilyn Trotter all of Hope, Ark., Sharon Sowell (Jerry) of LaRue, Texas, and Pamela (Hiram) Smith of Oklahoma City, Okla.
For more information, read her obituary at http://www.hopeprescott.com/eunice-e-williamson.