- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
All early-career academics are invited to register for the upcoming UC ANR Programmatic Orientations.
Early career UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists, academic coordinators, academic administrators and AES faculty who have been hired within last three years or who have not attended in the past are strongly encouraged to register for both Zoom sessions.
ANR Leadership will discuss the mission of UC ANR and our varied roles in California and the University, as well as show examples of successful research and outreach programs.
You can engage in discussions with colleagues about the resources and opportunities available through UC ANR. The two sessions are not the same so participants are highly encouraged to attend both orientations.
Virtual meeting via Zoom
Part 1: Feb. 21, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Part 2: March 2, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
To see the agenda and to register, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/orientations/Programmatic_Orientation_819.
If you have questions about the orientations, contact UC ANR Program Support at ANRProgramSupport@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1361.
- Author: Wendy Powers
I'm ahead of schedule! Don't get too excited; it's just in a very small part of my scope of responsibilities. Nonetheless, if we want to get into the habit of celebrating tiny victories, we can break out the champagne. My goal was that by tonight only 25 dossiers would remain for a first review; I am ending the night with only 21 remaining! But here's where everything falls apart. For some reason, I planned to review 14 dossiers the week of May 6. That is not possible; it is Program Council week followed by a couple of county visits (I haven't made those in a while). And, while May 10 looks promising to get a few done, the reality is that not only will the calendar fill, but 4 is about my limit during work hours, plus 1 more in the evening. I need to readjust my plans to make the deadlines. The reality is that by tomorrow I will be, at best, on schedule. Regardless, for now we celebrate.
Reggie Rivers talked about celebrating the small wins. As part of his keynote address, he described that in the NFL you celebrate every 5-yard gain. He was surprised then when he went into the business sector to find that celebrations we rare events. I wonder why it is that we don't celebrate our progress along the way to our goals.
This week we celebrate our new UC ANR members at the Programmatic Orientation meeting down at the Kearney REC. Mark Bell and Mark Lagrimini have been busy working with the planning team to develop a fun program that is full of useful information for newer academics. Wednesday is a tour that will provide a good overview of the breadth of UC ANR programs and provide networking opportunities. There's a nice mix of CE Advisors, CE Specialists, and Academic Coordinators registered for the event.
Take some time to celebrate Earth Day by enjoying our great weather this week!
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Save the dates for Program Team meetings, a fire summit and UCANR's programmatic orientation.
Vision 20/20: A fire-resilient California: April 16-17, ANR-only follow-up meeting, April 18, Redding CA
The fire summit will bring together community leaders, policymakers, and movers and shakers—people like you!—from a wide range of disciplines on April 16-17. Vision 20/20: A Fire-resilient California will expand our understanding of California's fire problem and provide an opportunity to build connectivity, interaction and integration across disciplines and better understand the complexity of and find solutions to California's wildfire challenge.
On April 18, we'll have an internal ANR meeting where we can share our own work in fire and strategize how together we can better respond to California's fire challenges at local and regional levels. We hope ANR academics and staff from a wide range of disciplines will attend. Travel funds will be available for ANR-affiliated academics and programmatic staff.
Open to ANR academics and programmatic staff – registration now open.
UC ANR Programmatic Orientation: April 23-25, Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Parlier, CA
Plan to join ANR leadership for the Programmatic Orientation to discuss the mission of UC ANR and our varied roles in California and the University, as well as see examples of successful research and outreach programs. Take this opportunity to engage in discussions with colleagues about the resources and opportunities available through ANR as a UC division.
All early career UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists, academic coordinators and administrators are invited to attend – registration now open.
Upcoming Program Team meetings
Water Resources PT – March 5-7 – Registration
Positive Youth Development Meeting – March 18-20 – Registration
Pomology (PECC) PT – March 27-28 – Registration opening soon
Dairy Production and Food Safety PT – April 9-10 – Registration opening soon
Research to Policy PT – April 10-11 – Registration opening soon
- Author: Jodi Azulai
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018
9 a.m.–10 a.m.
Presenters: Rose Hayden-Smith and Cynthia Kintigh
Join via Zoom: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/564553833
(669) 900-6833 or (646) 558-8656
Webinar ID: 564 553 833
In this fast-paced webinar, we'll cover the basics of communicating your story through blogging, including:
- Why you should blog
- Techniques and best practices to get started…or get better
- Crafting catchy headlines and smart ledes
- Using images and video to enhance your posts
- Using your blog on the ANR website and on other publishing platforms, including LinkedIn
- Quick tips for effectively using Sitebuilder
Participants will also be provided access to a range of resources and tools to support their blogging efforts, including samples, tip and FAQ sheets, guidelines and more. Join us at https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/564553833. This webinar will be recorded and archived on the WebANR page.
If you or your people managers are ready for a leap in professional development, we encourage applying for the Management Skills Assessment Program (MSAP). The next program will be held April 8-11, 2019, at the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center
Applications are due Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018. Apply at http://msap.ucr.edu.
How does this program work?
This program assesses the management skills of high potential, early career supervisors and managers for future leadership opportunities at the University of California. This program is for supervisors and managers with 1 to 5 years of people management experience who exhibit potential for management development.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility requirements include:
- Full-time career status with a current, satisfactory (or better) performance evaluation
- Career Tracks job classification as a supervisor or manager with 1 to 5 years experience
Participants will be selected based on an evaluation of the applicant's 1) career goals in management, 2) level of skills essential for performing management functions, and 3) demonstrated career path and/or strong commitment to management skill development.
Who pays?
ANR Learning & Development pays your expenses – program cost $1,350 plus transportation and other related travel costs.
What to expect?
- A demanding program with assessees in activities from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.
- No time to check email or attend to work responsibilities.
- Eat with other assessees and share small condos.
Application instructions and further information about the program are at http://msap.ucr.edu/. Choose UC ANR (not UC Davis) in the application.
A UC ANR committee will review all applications and make the final selection. Completed applications must be submitted online at http://msap.ucr.edu by Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018.
As supervisor, you will also have a required portion in the submission for application consideration and commit to participate in the required post-program activities.
For more information, contact Jodi Azulai, ANR learning and development coordinator, at jlazulai@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1239.
For four days, ANR supervisors Shannon Klisch and Stephanie Monteroza shared an amazing experience at a systemwide program for UC People Managers at the gorgeous retreat grounds of the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Conference Center. The goal of the Management Assessment Skills Program (MSAP) is to address skill gaps and grow competencies that will prepare internal employees for future leadership roles in their workplaces and within the UC system.
During the April 2018 program, Klisch and Monterroza participated in simulated UC management scenarios, received behavioral feedback from trained assessors, attended career development workshops, 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.
Monterroza, a UCCE nutrition supervisor in Orange and Los Angeles counties, agreed with the importance of the MSAP experience, “Attending MSAP was one of the best decisions I have made for my professional development. It was an eye-opening experience that not only helped me network with other professionals within all of UC but helped solidify my strengths and the confidence to work on my developmental areas. I encourage all managers and supervisors of all levels to take this step in learning more about yourself with the support of the MSAP program and its amazing coordinators. Thank you, UC, for providing this incredible experience!”
A big THANK YOU is in order to John Borba.
John Borba, UCCE 4-H Youth Development advisor in Kern County, served as an MSAP Assessor at both the recent October program as well as in October 2016.
“The whole process is an eye opener for the assessee and the assessor,” Borba said of the experience.
The next MSAP will be held April 8-11, 2019. Contact Jodi Azulai at jlazulai@ucanr.edu if you have any questions about being an assessee or assessor.
Café WebANR Thursday
Video recordings that win
Join us to learn
- if video is right for your story
- what equipment you'll need
- shooting do's, don'ts, tips and tricks
- an introduction to editing concepts and software
Steve Elliott, Communication Coordinator, Western IPM Center
When: noon, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018
Where: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/963167636(646) 558-8656 or (669) 900-6833
Webinar ID: 963 167 636
Tuesday, April 23 - Thursday, April 25, 2019
Kearney Agricultural Research & Extension Center (KARE), Parlier
The UC ANR Programmatic Orientation will be taking place April 23 - 25, 2019. The orientation is designed to help academics jump start their programs by focusing on program design and showcasing successful projects of other ANR academics.
Who should attend: Open to all early-career UC Cooperative Extension advisors, UC Cooperative Extension specialists, academic coordinators, academic administrators and Agricultural Experiment Station faculty who were unable to attend in the past.
We are excited to announce that on Oct. 30 ANR commenced its first staff mentorship program — a pilot. The nine-month program is the result of the ANR Strategic Plan 2016-20 Career Development Goal.
ANR mentees represent staff from different locations, units and job titles. Mentors include administrative directors, county directors, REC superintendents, advisors, business officers, SRAs, academic coordinators and administrative managers.
The pilot will include three in-person meetings: An Orientation, StrengthFinders Workshop, and an Individual Development Plan Workshop to conclude the program. Both mentors and mentees will be asked to provide feedback during the program to help improve possible future staff mentorship programs at ANR.
Currently, an academic mentoring program is under review.
If you are interested in being part of the ANR Supervisor Networking Cohort for 2019, please fill out this survey.
Being an effective and professional people manager takes many skills and considerable development and the best people managers develop both their employees and themselves.
One of the ways ANR people managers have been developing themselves is by completing UC People Management Series Certificate modules and participating in monthly facilitated networking calls to review what they've learned, ask other supervisors for advice, and share successes. Participants enjoy scenario-based role-playing, excellent tools, a fun and challenging group assignment, and networking.
A new cohort will form in January 2019. If you are interested, please fill out this survey. Supervisors who complete the series will be eligible to apply for the 2019 systemwide UC People Conference and preference will be given to networking cohort participants. See what our current and past participants say about the networking cohort experience:
Ron Walker, Sr. Systems Administrator, ANR IT:
Being a member of the UC People Networking Cohort has been/continues to be an extreme honor and privilege. Each member is encouraged to enjoy sharing best practices and world-class management techniques, in addition to experiencing the diverse and unique nature of our organization. All discussions are raw/unfiltered and feature real world situations/solutions while maintaining privacy and confidentiality. I always learn something new, and my opinions/contributions are welcomed and invigorated. Special thanks to Jodi and team for fostering this exceptional collection; I look forward to our continued growth and synergy.
Kari Arnold, Advisor, UCCE Stanislaus:
This management course is great! I'm happy these programs are being developed. Being relatively fresh out of graduate school, I think this course would be a great benefit for graduate students and professors as well. I encourage the participation in this training by anyone managing people, whether it be colleagues, graduate students, staff, technicians, project scientists or other. If we can build ourselves into compassionate leaders and communicators, our efforts are extended far beyond the office, lab or classroom.
Discover with Arianna Huffington and Joey Hubbard how to go from coping and surviving to thriving here.
Wanted: YOUR Lynda.com user feedback
Do you use Lynda.com? Would you like to share with colleagues what courses or modules you have reviewed and how they have helped you on the job? Please fill out this short survey and your feedback will be shared in an upcoming ANR Report.
Books 24x7 provides on-demand access to a goldmine of intelligence
In partnership with industry's foremost publishers, industry vendors, analyst firms, business thought leaders and senior executives of Fortune 500 companies, the Books24x7 On Demand Platform offers on-demand, instant access to the complete text of thousands of best-in-class books, book summaries, research reports and best practices. New titles are added every week.
To Access Books 24x7:
- Launch: http://lms.ucdavis.edu (UCD Login required)
- Search for “books”
- Select “U-Learn Books 24x7” in search results
- Click Start button to launch the Books 24x7 website
Check out UC Davis' Career Catalyst Lunchtime Series for wonderful lunchtime workshops. Many are available through Zoom! The following workshops are coming up this winter and spring:
- Transferable Talent: Thinking Outside the Box
- Star Interview Techniques
- Introverts at the Office
- Informational Interviewing to Explore Careers
Goals are to provide opportunities to:
- Learn about the ANR's Vision and Mission.
- Learn about ANR structure and individual programs and units.
- Interact with ANR leadership and directors.
- Meet and network with new colleagues from around the state.
- Get answers to burning questions about health benefits, AggieTravel and more.
Who should attend: All UC ANR employees (academics, staff and affiliated staff on campuses, counties and RECs) who have not participated in an administrative orientation in the past. Priority will be given to those hired by ANR within the past year.
Register here https://ucanr.edu/sites/orientations/Administrative_Orientations/Registration_-_New_Employee_Orientation_Administrative.
- Author: Wendy Powers
This is a strange week – I'm looking forward to Saturday while simultaneously finding the week to be flying by. I've spent the bulk of the last 3 days with a group of new academics at the Programmatic Orientation. I don't know about the group of participants but it appeared to me as a whole lot of information to absorb. I suspect one could attend a couple of times and get something different out of the event each time. I suspect the most valued part of the time was the networking with others. And the tour was great – despite having such short time to line things up and prepare due to a change in venue at the last minute. Kudos to the Program Support Unit for their efforts!
One of the tour stops was a visit with Susie Kocher #UCSierraforest. She talked to us about a 2014 fire and the current reforestation effort in the area. The big excitement was the helicopter that was onsite in case a fire broke out. The chopper carried 5 to 7 persons to deploy them to the fire area and 260 gallons of water to put out small grass fires. It was a beautiful view. Our new fire Advisor Kate Wilkins and new forestry Specialist Jodi Axelson had quite a bit to contribute to the conversation as well.
Next we visited Apple Hill in El Dorado County. Lynn Wunderlich talked about how she started her program 17 years ago and the value of long-time collaborations with producers like the one she has with Ron from Gold Bud Mountain Fruit (seated next to her in the photo). One of the things that really impressed me was how many of the new Advisors, like Luke Milliron, and Specialists, including Houston Wilson, that Lyn already knew. I'm glad even those outside of orchard and vineyard expertise had a chance to learn a few things from Lyn.
Our lunch stop included a tour of Sherwood Demonstration Gardens in Placerville where Master Gardener Coordinator Tracy Celio showed us around, talked about the history of the garden and the breadth of programming that takes place. We had a chance to meet some of the hardworking volunteers.
After lunch we were at UC Davis where we met Katherine Pope at the UC Plant Pathology farm, Sam Sandoval and Jeff Mitchell at Russell Ranch, and Margaret Lloyd at the Center for Land Based Learning. It was a long and informative day.
I think the session most enjoyed by participants today was a panel of Advisors and Specialists that provided career tips. Leslie Roche #UCDRange, Dorina Espinoza, David Doll, Andrew Sutherland, David Lewis and Sam Sandoval did a great job sharing their experiences and wisdom with the group. David Lewis shared that Steven Covey's 7 Habits and David Allen's Getting Things Done have turned out to be important reads for him. I'm going to check out David Allen's ideas and see if I can pick up a few things to help me. Maybe he has a TED Talk so that I can save time from reading it.