- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
To create a culture of health and wellness at UC ANR, the Staff Assembly Wellness Committee crafted an infographic to make it easy for staff and academics to adopt healthful practices at meetings. A pdf version of the "Healthy Meeting Best Practices" may be downloaded from the Staff Assembly website and printed on demand.
The best practices, reviewed and approved by Lorrene Ritchie, director of UCANR's Nutrition Policy Institute, are based on the comprehensive UC Living Well Healthy Meeting and Event Guide, which is also available for download on the Staff Assembly website.
In short, the wellness committee is encouraging all meeting planners to
o incorporate movement in the meeting agenda
o serve water – preferably from the tap in reusable pitchers
o focus on fruits, veggies and whole grains if meals or refreshments are provided
o cut back on the use of disposable items (like plastic cups and cutlery)
To get the guidelines into everybody's hands, the committee has printed the best practices on cleaning cloths – the kind you can use for eyeglasses, your cell phone or computer monitor. Your staff assembly ambassador distributed the cloths at each UC ANR location. If you don't know who your ambassador is, check the list on the Staff Assembly website.
The Wellness Committee promoted the implementation of Healthy Meeting Best Practices with a competition April 1 - 18. Pictures of healthy meeting best practices were shared on social media with the hashtag #UCANRhealthymeeting. The San Bernardino County Master Gardener program tweeted the winning picture, a mini video which showed six staff members exercising with hula hoops and tension bands. The office won a pitcher for serving infused water.
If you have questions or comments about the Healthy Meeting Best Practices or the April competition, please fill out the form on the SA Council Healthy Meeting Best Practices page.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Are you looking for leadership development opportunities within UC ANR? Would you like to add new skills and meet new people? Are you interested in promoting the welfare of staff? The UC ANR Staff Assembly Council is for you.
The UC ANR Staff Assembly works to cultivate satisfied, dedicated and professional staff and promotes the interests of all staff employees. While providing a valuable service in this capacity, many members of the Council have used the exposure and experiences they gained from participation in Staff Assembly Council to advance their own careers.
Each spring, the UC ANR Staff Assembly holds elections to fill positions on the Council. Nominations are now being sought for the following positions (self nominations are accepted and encouraged):
- Vice chair/treasurer (two-year position)
- Program chair
- Vice program chair
- Jr. CUCSA Delegate
Read more about these positions and their roles in the UC ANR Staff Assembly bylaws.
The Council meets monthly via Zoom during lunchtime. There are also annual in-person meetings for the Council and with the Staff Assembly Ambassadors. (Travel costs are covered by the SA budget.)
If you're not ready to commit to a Council post, positions are also available on three ad-hoc committees:
- Scholarship review committee
- Wellness committee
- Learning and development committee
Committees meet monthly via Zoom.
The nomination deadline is April 26.
For more information about Staff Assembly Council and the upcoming elections, contact Jeannette Warnert at (559) 240-9850, Lori Renstrom at (858) 822-7717, or Allie Stefanchich at 530-639-8807.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC ANR participated for the first time in the UC systemwide Maintain Don't Gain Challenge, closing 2018 mindful of their holiday eating habits and positioning themselves for a healthful beginning of the New Year.
In all, 144 UC academics and staff signed up for the challenge. The first 100 received an insulated grocery tote, donated by Kaiser Permanente, as an incentive. The challenge began just before Thanksgiving and ended a week into 2019. Each participant tracked his or her own weight and received support and tips from weekly emails penned by the UC ANR Staff Assembly Wellness Committee.
At the end of the program, participants were invited to complete a survey about the experience, which made them eligible to win a FitBit Alta from Kaiser and a mixer bottle, donated by HealthNet.
Most of the 62 respondents said the challenge entered their minds when faced with an array of holiday goodies. Fifty-two respondents reported that they maintained their weight or lost weight during the holiday season.
Wrote another respondent, "It was fun. Part of what helped me keep my goals was imagining that other people were also taking part in the challenge. I lost about 6 pounds during this event adding more steps to my daily activities and eating smaller portions and healthier choices. I look forward to continue losing weight now. :)"
UC Walks coming on May 1
The UC ANR Wellness Committee is now making plans for UC Walks 2019, which takes place on May 1. Contact your local Staff Assembly Ambassador to sign up to participate and get a free t-shirt. Find your ambassador at this link: http://staffassembly.ucanr.edu/Ambassadors/Find_your_UC_ANR_Staff_Assembly_Ambassador/. If your location doesn't have an ambassador, you can volunteer to coordinate UC Walks at your site. Just email jewarnert@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
For the first time, all UC ANR staff are invited to take the UC Maintain Don't Gain Challenge during the holiday season. The challenge, brought to you by the UC ANR Staff Assembly wellness committee, runs from Nov. 19 to Jan. 7.
The average American gains 1 to 5 pounds over the holidays and over time, the weight can add up. Don't wait for New Year's resolutions. Give yourself the gift of maintaining your pre-holiday weight. Join your UC ANR colleagues to take the Maintain Don't Gain Challenge.
Incentives and prizes make participation fun. And don't worry, there are no weigh-ins!
The first 100 UC ANR staff to sign up for the Maintain Don't Gain Challenge will receive an insulated grocery tote. Those who complete a brief survey (with no 'results' info) after the challenge will be entered to win a FitBit Alta.
You will receive weekly emails with hints and strategies for adopting healthy behaviors throughout the holidays. The program will provide tips and support for improving nutrition, physical activity and mental/emotional well-being.
To register, click here and complete the survey.
- Author: Angela L Asch
One of UC ANR Staff Assembly's goals is to foster an understanding of ANR's mission by providing learning and other opportunities to increase the exchange of knowledge in all aspects of the ANR community. With the volunteer help of ANR staff members, Staff Assembly has created two new committees: “Wellness” and “Learning and Development.” To date, ANR has not had a systemwide, employees wellness program to foster employee well-being and health awareness.
UCANR Staff Assembly Wellness subcommittee members:
- Austin Cantrell, Nutrition Program Coordinator
- Shawnice Sellers, Admin. Asst. II
- Christopher Wong, CES II
- Alyssa Rodriguez, Human Resources Generalist
- Anne Schellman, Urban IPM Educator
- Kaela Plank, Nutrition Policy Institute, SNAP-Ed specialist
- Wylie Skillman, UC-CalFresh Nutrition Educator
- Leah Sourbeer, Community Nutrition Program Supervisor
- Jeannette Warnert, Communications Specialist, Wellness Chair
These volunteer ANR staff members represent a crucial and essential component of ANR Staff Assembly. The committee's purpose is “to support and improve the health, well-being, and quality of life of ANR employees by promoting initiatives and programs that foster healthy workplace environments, empower employees to adopt healthy habits, and strengthen our sense of community.” The quote was taken out of their mission draft statement. The committee members will meet, discuss and execute ANR's Wellness mission statement, program priorities, collaborate with the Academic Assembly, and promote through Staff Assembly's network of Staff Ambassadors all wellness events and activities.
UCANR Staff Assembly Learning and Development subcommittee members:
- Christina Becker, Nutrition Policy Institute, Berkeley
- Phoebe Harpainter, researcher with Nutrition Policy Institute, Berkeley
- Dustin Flavell, Sierra Foothill REC Superintendent
- Skyler Peterson, Intermountain REC, SRA
- Namita Kansal, CSIT Project/Portfolio Manager, Davis
- Alexxis Rudich, Office Asst. III, Merced
- Elena Lopez, CES II, Imperial County
- Nikolai Schweitzer, Sierra Foothill REC, SRA
The mission of the Staff Assembly Learning and Development Committee is to significantly increase awareness of available learning and development resources to staff members, facilitate learning and development collaboration and connection across UC ANR staff at all levels, and directly work with leadership to facilitate opportunities for impactful mentorship and sustained staff member career success. The committee will be working with ANR learning and development coordinator Jodi Azulai concerning program development and supporting staff-proposed ideas and solutions.
ANR Staff Assembly Council would like to sincerely thank the volunteers for their time and effort as they participate on these two committees. All ANR staff members are encouraged to participate in Staff Assembly functions and/or activities, please contact us through our website: staffassembly.ucanr.edu.