- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The Controller's office is pleased to announce the publication of the UC ANR Administrative Responsibilities Guide (ARG).
The ARG provides general guidance and support for all personnel with administrative and/or financial oversight responsibilities. It is a guidebook to the expertise and assistance available from central administrative support, and is designed to define and clarify areas of accountability.
The ARG is wide-ranging in nature, in contrast to UC ANR's Policy and Procedure Manual, which provides detailed information and instructions.
Questions regarding the ARG may be directed to Catherine Montano at cmontano@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
A new Presidential Policy which ensures that all University-issued identification documents display personal identification information that recognizes an individual's accurate gender identity and lived name.
In brief, the policy stipulates that the University must provide the minimum three equally recognized gender options in university information systems — woman, man, and nonbinary — and an efficient process for current students, employees, and UC alumni and affiliates to retroactively amend their gender designations and lived names in information systems, on university-issued documents, including eligible academic documents.
This policy is effective as of November 6, 2020, with full implementation of the policy and procedures to be completed no later than December 31, 2023. This policy has undergone the full systemwide review process and will be posted online at http://policy.ucop.edu/.
You can also view the Letter from the President, the new Presidential Policy and Appendix I here: https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Administration/Business_Operations/Controller/Administrative_Policies_-_Business_Contracts/Policy_and_administrative_handbooks/ANR_Administrative_Handbook/Recent_Updates/
UC ANR has been using a web-based daily “clearance to work survey” to ensure that employees who are working onsite or engaged in in-person field work, research, or extension activities are free of COVID-19 symptoms. An offline or paper version of the survey is also available for volunteers or employees who cannot access the online survey. Symptom screening is a statewide recommendation for all employers and is required by UC guidance for campuses and ANR locations that have personnel working onsite. The UC Symptom Screening Task Force guidance also states that arrangements must be made to require the same or equivalent screening not only of students, academics, and staff but also guests, contractors, vendors, and members of the public who are permitted access to UC facilities.
To comply with this UC systemwide guidance and to increase the protection of our employees, beginning August 3, all visitors to UC ANR facilities must also complete a Visitor Clearance Survey prior to entry. Only visitors who receive a “Cleared to Enter” result will be allowed access. Visitors who are denied entry should be provided information about other ways to interact with UC ANR remotely, such as information available on websites, scheduling a phone consultation, video meetings, etc.
When visitors from a UC campus or vendors whose employer has a symptom screening process can demonstrate that they have already passed their institution's screening, those results will be acceptable to enter the UC ANR facility. Additionally, for UCCE offices, a County's symptom screening process will be acceptable to enter the UC ANR spaces.
To maintain privacy, UC ANR personnel will not record or retain the responses of any person's Visitor Clearance Work Survey, but will only keep a record of the final survey result, i.e.: “Cleared to Enter,” or “Stay Home,” using a daily visitor log or sign-in sheet to record survey clearance status.
The UC ANR Visitor Clearance Survey and additional instructions and details about the survey are posted on the UC ANR COVID-19 webpage: http://ucanr.edu/covid19 under “Standards for Resuming In-Person Activities.”
/span>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. Faculty and staff 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 receive calls or web-based reporting from faculty, staff, students or members of the public. The hotline allows 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 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 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 2020 message and posters attached.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
The University of California Office of the President invites comments on a proposed Presidential Policy on Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation. The proposed policy substantively revises the existing Policy and Procedures on Curation and Repatriation of Human Remains and Cultural Items (“Current Policy”). The policy pertains to the treatment and repatriation of Native American and Native Hawaiian human remains and cultural items under the University's stewardship and the University's compliance with the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (“NAGPRA”), its accompanying regulations, and the California Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (“CalNAGPRA”).
California AB 2836 (enacted in 2018 and now incorporated into CalNAGPRA) requires the University to revise its Current Policy. In collaboration with the Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation Policy Advisory Workgroup (“Workgroup”)[1] established by Provost Michael Brown, UC developed Version 1 of this revised policy (“Policy Version 1”), which underwent systemwide review in August 2019. Policy Version 1 was also distributed to stakeholders across California for comment, including California Native American tribes on the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) contact list and the NAHC itself. With the Workgroup, UC drafted a second version of this revised policy (“Policy Version 2”) in response to the feedback from the Academic Senate, Native American tribes, and the NAHC. UC then engaged in further consultation with California Native American tribes by inviting them to attend four public work sessions on UC campuses (UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Davis) in January and February 2020. In addition, UC representatives met with tribes one-on-one as requested to hear individual concerns. UC deliberated with the Workgroup to discuss concerns raised during the public work sessions, the one-on-one meetings, and letters sent by tribes and the NAHC. In conjunction with the Workgroup, UC drafted “Policy Version 3,” which is now being considered for systemwide review. Please visit http://ucal.us/nagpra for more details.
Below is a list of the significant changes present in Policy Version 3 from the current policy.
- Creates a list of principles that emphasize the repatriation of Native American and Native Hawaiian human remains as a fundamental objective and value of the University.
- Reconstitutes the Systemwide Committee and Campus Committees, if necessary, to include equal Native American representation.
- Shifts final approvals of repatriation to the campus from UCOP to reduce delays in repatriation; the Systemwide Committee and UCOP will provide an oversight role and hear appeals of campus decisions.
- Provides a detailed description of the Repatriation process via a Flowchart and Flowchart Narrative.
- Provides a detailed description of the Consultation process all campuses must use when engaging with Native American tribes.
- Requires campuses with NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA-eligible Cultural Items to appoint a Repatriation Coordinator to work with and assist Native American tribes to facilitate Repatriation.
- Incorporates a process for disposition of Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains and Cultural Items to either federally recognized tribes or non-federally recognized tribes (including California Indian Tribes) via NAGPRA (43 C.F.R. §10.11) and/or CalNAGPRA (Ca H&SC §§8010-30).
- Requires campuses create repatriation implementation plans including the following elements: invitations for consultation and proactive reevaluations of all previous determinations of culturally unidentifiable human remains or associated funerary objects; outreach to culturally affiliated tribes; outreach to controlling agencies to prompt and encourage their repatriation efforts; budgets; and timelines.
- Prohibits research, instruction, destructive analysis, and other manipulation without tribal approval requirements.
- Provides a more robust mechanism for tribes to appeal campus determinations.
- Provides a means for tribes to submit complaints about the consultation process or access.
- Provides direction for whistleblowers that would like to report noncompliance with this Policy.
[1] The Workgroup is comprised of four members nominated by the Academic Senate and four members nominated by the Native American Advisory Council, a body established by President Janet Napolitano to advise on a broad range of issues pertaining to Native Americans and Native Hawaiians at the University.
The proposed policy is posted at https://ucanr.edu/sites/anrstaff/Administration/Business_Operations/Controller/Administrative_Policies_-_Business_Contracts/Policy_and_administrative_handbooks/ANR_Administrative_Handbook/Recent_Updates/
If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than June 24, 2020. Please indicate “Native American Cultural Affiliation and Repatriation” in the subject line.