The UC Central Travel Office will host a series of brief webinars to inform UC travelers on a variety of travel-related topics. The first set of webinars will be 30 minutes long and specific to Southwest Airlines and Connexxus.

Objective of Webinar: Understand various booking options for Southwest airfare available to UC travelers

Description: Explore how to choose the right, affordable method to book tickets on this popular airline and learn how airfare inventory works.

To register, click on the webinar below that you would like to attend:

• Wednesday, March 16, at 2 p.m.: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/y8phuq4ebdof&eom

• Thursday, March 17, at noon: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/lswy9q1itaqh&eom

Please note that space is limited so pre-registration is required and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants who register with a UC email address and attend this webinar will be entered in a quarterly raffle hosted by the Central Travel Office. Full terms and conditions for the raffle are below.

 

Terms & Conditions for Educational Sessions Raffle

UC Central Travel Office will hold a quarterly raffle for all attendants at one of their educational sessions or events during the 2015/2016 Fiscal Year. Grand prize is ONE (1) free domestic airfare ticket. Other prizes include either ONE “A” status upgrade on Southwest Airlines or ONE “Silver Status” upgrade on Virgin America (winner's choice). Full Terms & Conditions for the raffle are as follows: (1)Entry to the raffle is open only to UC employees who have attended a Central Travel Office session or event during FY15/16. A valid UC email address will be requested at the time of the session or event. All entrants will be added to the program distribution list; (2) Winners will be randomly selected at the end of each quarter (September, December, March, June) through end of FY15/16; (3) Winners must claim the winnings as soon as possible after announcement or they may forfeit the prize. In the event the first winner does not claim their prize within the allotted time period, another winner may be drawn; (4)Prizes are subject to the restrictions and rules imposed by the airline including expiration dates, security fees, security requirements and reservations. Blackout dates may apply for the free airfare tickets; (5)Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash or credit, and may be subject to change without notice; (6)Prizes do not include any additional expenses, including, but not limited to, incidentals, meals, telephone charges, travel insurance, souvenirs, and transportation (except airfare for the Grand Prize); (7) All taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. The fair market value (FMV) of the grand prize ticket will be reported on the employee W-2 in the year that the prize is awarded; (8)Participation in this raffle and acceptance of a prize constitutes winner's permission for the UC Central Travel Office to use his/her name, campus and/or any statements made by winner regarding the raffle or travel program for promotional purposes without notice or additional compensation; (9)Winners will be informed individually and then announced through the Connexxus distribution list and newsletter; (10)To enter the raffle without attending an educational session, send an email to uctravel@ucop.edu from your UC email address, with EDUCATIONAL SESSION RAFFLE in the subject line.  Emails received by September 30 will be eligible for the September drawing. Emails received between October 1 and December 31 will be eligible for the December drawing. Emails received between January 1 and March 31 will be eligible for the March drawing. Emails received between April 1 and June 30 will be eligible for the June drawing. By participating, UC employee agrees to these official rules and agrees to accept all decisions of the UC Central Travel Office in regards to this raffle. UC Central Travel Office decision is final with respect to all matters relating to awarding of the prizes and shall not be subject to review or appeal by any entrant or by any third party.

As a UC ANR employee, you automatically have membership in a top-notch professional development resource. To take your career to the next level of performance, check out CEB Learning & Development. It takes seconds to register or reset a password and participate in webinars, download job aids and participate in discussion forums.

Here is a quick list of a few CEB resources:

Resources for All Employees ­­– Develop yourself as a high-performing employee, not only effective at your tasks, but also as someone who contributes to others' performance and uses others' contributions to improve your own performance.

On-the-Job Activity Builder – Use this interactive tool to build employee development plans with recommended on-the-job learning activities based on the competencies you select.

Manager Guide: Holding Effective Career Discussions – Guide your direct reports through identifying and progressing toward their career aspirations.

Manager Excellence Resource Center – Search the online portal (separate from the Learning & Development member website) to find manager development and employee development resources.

Visit https://www.cebglobal.com/public/learning-development to get the most out of your CEB Learning & Development membership for yourself and your program.

 

 

The California 4-H Association invites you to participate in their next informational webinar on Thursday, March 3, at 10 a.m. Charlie Pfeiffer, UC ANR IT project manager, will present a webinar titled “Agile Project Management,” which will include a discussion of how project management can improve teamwork, communications and speed.

To join the webinar, visit this link: https://uc-d.adobeconnect.com/_a841422360/ca4-ha.

To access the call-in line, dial 1 (866) 740-1260 and then enter the passcode 7524783#.

To view and listen to previous webinar presentations, visit http://ucanr.edu/sites/CA4-HA/PD/Webinar_Series.

 

Jona Pressman, UC Cooperative Extension nutrition program manager in Butte County, and Jing Yu, UC ANR financial services manager at UCOP, both attended the 2015 Management Skills Assessment Program (MSAP) at the UCLA Conference Center at Lake Arrowhead in October. The goal of MSAP is to address skill gaps and grow competencies that will prepare internal employees for future leadership roles in their UC workplaces.

During the four-day program, Pressman and Yu participated in simulated UC management scenarios, received behavioral feedback, attended a career development workshop and connected with colleagues from throughout the UC system. Before arriving at Lake Arrowhead, they participated in pre-assessment components and will be involved post-program activities to continue their professional development.

“I appreciate the opportunity I had to spend time focused on my own professional development through MSAP,” Pressman said of the experience. “Having time away from the office and dedicated to training participation was rewarding. MSAP helped me identify professional development areas that are essential for me to work toward as I continue to design my individual development plan.

“The MSAP activities were engaging, challenging and intense at times,” she said. “I think this kept me ‘hooked' into utilizing my time to participate fully in the training. I was able to set work tasks aside and concentrate on authentic professional development.”

“I met colleagues throughout UC who are all leaders in some capacity for an array of programs and campuses,” Pressman added. “I made new friends and have a greater appreciation for the diversity of programs, projects and people. MSAP is one such program with excellent facilitators and coaches. I feel fortunate to have received the individualized coaching and analysis of my work.”

Yu's sentiments were similar. “MSAP focused on assessing my skills and providing me feedback, which I will translate into my individual skill development plans,” Yu said. “It was a wonderful program, I think it's the best development opportunity I've had with UC.”

The next MSAP will be held April 18-21, 2016.  Department heads, unit leaders and directors are urged to discuss the program with supervisors and managers who exhibit potential for management development and to encourage them to apply for the MSAP. The call for staff applications is at http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=19609.

Completed applications must be submitted online at http://msap.ucr.edu by Wednesday, Jan. 20. For more information, contact Jodi Azulai, ANR Training and Development coordinator, at jlazulai@ucanr.edu.