- Author: Saoimanu Sope
Staff Assembly Council is calling all ANR staff to participate in a questionnaire created and supported by the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) and Staff Engagement Workgroup to understand the impact of new policies and procedures on your daily work. This initiative seeks to gather insights on the additional tasks and workload that recent changes may have introduced to staff locally and systemwide.
Here is the questionnaire: How Laws are Increasing the Administrative Load for UC Staff.
This approach stems from CUCSA's discussion with Government Relations, where we recognized the growing need for examples of government mandates that have added to the administrative workload. The objective is to encourage greater consideration while creating new policies, ensuring that they do not contribute to the expectation that employees can continue to take on more tasks without relief.
Your anonymous responses are of utmost importance. They will help identify areas where administrative strain has increased, contributing to ongoing discussions about how new policies affect our work. Your privacy and comfort in sharing your feedback are our top priorities.
Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire by Thursday, November 7, 2024. Your input is vital as CUCSA assesses the broader impact of these changes.
If you have questions, please contact ANR's CUCSA representatives: Christine Davidson at cdavidson@ucanr.edu or Shirley Salado at scsalado@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Make a difference for our UC ANR staff by joining Staff Assembly Council! Contribute to policies, programs and processes that can enhance the staff experience at ANR. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 29, at 5 p.m..
To learn more about Staff Assembly Council, visit: https://staffassembly.ucanr.edu/. Please feel free to contact any of the current Council members for more information about their roles.
To submit an application, visit https://shorturl.at/qsBHX.
- Author: Michael Hsu
Sessions include free lunch, brief presentation on Staff Assembly and a tour or hike
Your UC ANR Staff Assembly Council is hitting the road this spring!
All UC ANR staff are invited to meet Council members and learn about Staff Assembly and how we're working to elevate the employee experience through our Wellness Reimbursement Program, Educational Reimbursement Program, Ambassadors Program and more.
Plus, find out how you can join and support our team, and help your colleagues in those efforts!
The three in-person sessions, which each begin at noon and include a free lunch, brief presentation and an optional tour or hike, are:
March 28: South Coast Research and Extension Center (Irvine) - THANKS FOR COMING!
April 11: Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Parlier) - THANKS FOR COMING!
May 2: Hopland Research and Extension Center (Hopland) - REGISTRATION CLOSES APRIL 24
Lunch is provided, but staff will need approval from supervisors to attend and fund their own travel to and from the session.
Space is limited, so registration is required; please fill out this form to register.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
UC ANR's Staff Assembly invites staff members to serve as ambassadors for their colleagues at their locations.
Staff Assembly ambassadors represent all UC ANR and County paid staff in their local office at ambassador meetings. It is a great way to develop relationships and enjoy networking opportunities with other ANR staff members throughout the state.
ANR locations needing ambassadors:
- Hopland REC
- Intermountain REC
- Kearney Agricultural REC
- UCCE Butte/Glenn
- UCCE Central Sierra (Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado and Tuolumne)
- UCCE Colusa
- UCCE Humboldt/ Del Norte
- UCCE Kern
- UCCE Lake
- UCCE Lassen
- UCCE Mendocino
- UCCE Merced/Mariposa
- UCCE Modoc
- UCCE Napa
- UCCE Plumas/Sierra
- UCCCE San Benito/Santa Cruz
- UCCE San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara
- UCCE Solano/Yolo/Sacramento
- UCCE Sonoma
Each ambassador acts as a conduit for Staff Assembly, relaying messages (via email, flyers, verbal communication) to staff members at their location. They informally collect information, ideas and suggestions from local staff and share them with ANR Staff Assembly Council.
Ambassadors also encourage and promote participation in Staff Assembly activities and opportunities – such as ANR Grows, education reimbursements, wellness activities and council vacancies – and UC ANR activities.
When possible, ambassadors may attend monthly drop-in-meetings via Zoom and attend the annual UC ANR ambassador meeting via Zoom or in person during their two-year term.
If you would like to be a Staff Assembly ambassador, email co-chairs Suzanne Lake at slake@ucanr.edu and Rosalinda Ruiz at rlruiz@ucanr.edu.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Vice President Glenda Humiston spoke to the Council of UC Staff Assemblies delegation at their quarterly meeting on March 4. To give the CUCSA delegates an overview of UC ANR, she presented "Bringing the power of UC directly to all Californians."
Starting with UC's establishment as a land grant institution in 1868, Humiston described how ANR serves Californians through campuses, county offices, statewide programs and institutes, and research and extension centers. She also explained how ANR partners with all 10 UC campuses, the national labs and medical centers on projects.
Turning to external partnerships, Humiston provided several examples of ANR's collaborative projects, including the new AI Institute for Food Systems, bringing ultra-fast broadband capability to Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center and the surrounding area, and South Coast REC's new HUB for Urban Living.
“Her presentation was great, and it was well received,” said Dohee Kim, ANR's senior delegate. “She answered questions after her presentation regarding organization fiscal matters (budget stuff) and how ANR is getting through the pandemic.”
CUCSA delegates represent Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC Los Angeles, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, UC Office of the President and UC ANR. Each site sends a senior and junior delegate. LeChé McGill is currently ANR's junior delegate.
The delegates meet quarterly with the locations taking turns to host. The March meeting was hosted by UC ANR.
