- Author: Wendy Powers
It's that week of the UC ANR year when a number of our colleagues prepare for their next act. Some are retiring, some are just moving on. Hopefully all are excited about their post-ANR adventure.
While I was attending a LEAD21 Board meeting last week, the program manager shared graduate statistics. The findings from the fall 2018 alumni survey indicated that 68% of respondents (n = 399, or approximately 25% of all alumni) 3 years post-graduation remained in the position they were in at time of enrollment. However, for the 2017-2018 class it appears that the percentage will be much lower. At the 2018 graduation, 9 of the 83 class members had changed positions during the course of the 9-month program. This may be a trend that is consistent with general frequency that people change jobs these days. I don't have the data at hand but last I heard non-retirement turnover of UC ANR academics and program staff was not increasing. It may be time to look at those data again and see where we stand, particularly given the goals of our strategic plan to recruit and retain top talent. To really understand the data, we would want to compare with a peer organization so that we can separate UC ANR impacts from generational trends.
Speaking or retirees, guess who just returned from the world's northern most settlement with more than 1,000 residents? Bill Frost was fortunate to spend summer solstice under the midnight sun. Not many people have the chance to visit Longyearben, Norway but don't overlook it when making your Bucket List. For Bill, I don't think it was a planned part of retirement. This goes to show us that you never know what's around the corner.
Other findings from the LEAD21 alumni survey was that participants felt that, following the program, they still struggled with 1) recognizing the underlying cause of conflict and 2) identifying ways to incentivize creativity in the work place. This makes sense. A week ago I would have thought that perhaps I would have more time to think about these topics this week and next. That is proving to not be the case. Year-end is approaching fast and there's little time to look up, much less contemplate, despite wanting to connect with all of the retirees and personally thank them and wish them well.
I have heard from a few CE Advisors who are contemplating their time with UC ANR durint their final days before achieving emeritus status. One CE Advisor said “it's been an incredible experience and privilege to work for and with UC ANR / UCCE on so many levels, not least in my role of public service to the community.” Another CE Advisor reflected “I sincerely thank the University for support and guidance and for providing me with a platform to accomplish my work.”
To all who are moving to their next adventure, thanks for all of your contributions to UC ANR. We couldn't have done it without you!
- Author: Wendy Powers
15 left! I am in the homestretch! I should finish the merit and promotion reviews tomorrow and then just need to enter them into the system. I'm not sure how Justify felt about it, but I am glad to be wrapping things up so that I can move onto other items I have putting off. This means I have next weekend free to work on a Letter of Intent for a grant program and catch up on email that I am overdue on! Who ever thought I'd be eager to work on such things.
After a great weekend, weather-wise, it's shaping up to be a hot week. That's how it was last week for many. While we had fantastic weather in Butte and Sutter/Yuba Counties, others were on fire. Two of the RECs were conducting controlled burns. At the Hopland REC (@Hopland REC), Cal Fire performed prescribed burns last week as part of a wildfire prevention plan. Crews were onsite a couple of days in order to cover the amount of ground that was planned. On the other side of the state, Kate Wilkins (@WilkinKate) and a crew of UCCE Advisors held a workshop to teach principles of prescribed burning. It was unfortunate that Kate and Dan were unable to participate in our visit, but it looks like they were with a number of their peers. Can you identify all of the UCCE Advisors?
Out in the Pacific, last week brought fire to one of my other happy places, Vacationland Hawaii. The lava flows meant not only structural fires that resulted in complete destruction of the neighborhood but loss of the marine reserve and the old growth trees. Fire Goddess, Pele, must have had her reasons.
Back on the homefront, VP Council meets on Thursday this week. And with Tu's return from a much-needed break, we resume conversations about the FY18-19 budget. It's late to be still making budget decisions. Unfortunately final decisions remain on hold while we wait to learn our allocation for the upcoming year. The end of the week brings a Project Board update.
As emeritus requests come in, it's a reminder what that means in terms of loss of expertise. While the number of Advisors retiring in June is relatively low (5 or 6) it still creates a gap. Our visit last week included discussion about the need for mentoring of new Advisors. While the Vice Provost – Academic Personnel and Development hire is suspended for a bit, I'm confident we will fill that position in the near future. A key component of that position is a mentoring program.
In addition to academics, a number of staff are fortunate to have reached their retirement year. And with this group, too, goes a wealth of knowledge and expertise. But congratulations to all of the soon-to-be retirees for achieving this point! You, too, are in the homestretch!