- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Two changes have occurred that require moving due dates for Project Board reporting, program review dossiers and academic annual evaluations from Feb. 1 to Dec. 8. This impacts all academic titles managed by UC ANR.
“We have more academics!” said Deanne Meyer, interim associate vice president, programs and strategic initiatives. “The current program review (PR) Dossier count for 2023 is 71. It is anticipated that by 2025 we will have over 100 dossiers for the Peer Review Committee (PRC) to review.”
This increased review load cannot be managed in the current compressed time frame while respecting the various levels of reviews (letters of evaluation, ad hoc committee, PRC and Associate Vice President review), Meyer said. She noted that most campuses begin their review process in fall at the start of the academic year and finalize decisions in late spring. With more academics, more time is needed to maintain the quality of the review process.
Our federal partner, USDA NIFA, has changed federal reporting deadlines. As a result, the Project Board due date for UCCE specialists with campus merit/promotion had to move to early December, which was previously March 1. Now, all Cooperative Extension academics will have the same Project Board reporting due date. This will also give Program Planning and Evaluation more time to analyze Project Board information, draft our federal reports, seek academic then leadership review, finalize and submit.
“We presented this information to the Academic Assembly Council Personnel Committee Chair, and received feedback on how this could impact academics,” Meyer said. “We have decided to move the PR Dossier and Annual Evaluation due dates to Dec. 8, 2023. Making this change now, before we have 30 more dossiers to handle, allows us to work through any unforeseen challenges.”
The change of due dates of PR Dossiers and Annual Evaluations to Dec. 8 allows supervisors to complete evaluations by mid-January and provides greater separation between academic and staff evaluations.
New timeline
Advancement actions are confirmed by supervisors July 17-Aug. 7
E-Book available and Project Board-WFA opens End of August/Early September
Submit packet to supervisor for input Nov. 1, or as arranged
Project Board, PR Dossiers and Annual Evaluation and Dec. 8
Project Board Reporting due
Required letters (supervisor, ad hoc, and external) Jan. 17
PRC committee analysis complete Feb. 22
Summary letters turned in March 11
Issue final AVP decisions May 31
One of the benefits with this modification is that it will allow Human Resources additional time to properly enter the projected increased number of transactions into UC Path for recommended merits and promotions.
There is precedent for earlier reporting due dates and changes in due dates. UC ANR internal program reporting due dates used to be late October/early November for DANRIS-X, the system that preceded Project Board.
Dates will be forthcoming for the Advancement Cycle Timeline, which includes trainings for PR dossiers, Annual Evaluations, Project Board reporting and preparing impact statements.
“We appreciate your understanding of the need to change these due dates,” said Meyer.
Given limited personnel and a short time since startup, IGIS has made significant contributions throughout ANR. There is a great need for the program within and beyond ANR, and IGIS personnel have shown impressive results in reaching out to the wider ANR community and external partners.
Here is a summary of the direction and next steps I provided to the IGIS Program Director:
- IGIS should focus on expanding capacity and reach with drones and prioritize investing in new technology.
- IGIS will work with the REC Directors to develop a call process to identify science leads who are interested in taking over full ownership of one or more of the flux towers.
- IGIS should discontinue its involvement with cataloguing dark data, but work with ANR Communication Services and Information Technology office (CSIT) to inform ANR academics that digitized documents are available in the ANR repository.
- Associate Vice President Powers and I will meet with Program Director Kelly to further discuss the proposal to re-characterize IGIS from a statewide program to a statewide academic service.
- IGIS will develop a business plan to continue to scale up services that are in demand by UC ANR academics and offer services in a way that decreases reliance on central funds.
- IGIS should update its website to clearly articulate to whom resources and services are available. When IGIS is not able to provide a service, to the degree possible, it should act as a clearing house and refer clients to other providers.
- IGIS should incorporate evaluation methods that focus on the effectiveness of workshops and services and the extent of IGIS' reach.
I look forward to working with IGIS as it pursues these and other opportunities that may arise.
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
