Posts Tagged: personnel

Employee comment sought on academic family leave policy changes

The University invites comments on proposed revisions to Sections 715 and 760 of the Academic Personnel Manual: 

• APM - 715, Leaves of Absence/Family and Medical Leave
• APM - 760, Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing

Summarized below are the proposed key policy revisions that are being distributed for systemwide review:   

• Proposed revisions are being made to APM - 715, Leaves of Absence/Family and Medical Leave, and APM - 760, Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing in order to reflect the increase in the paid family leave benefit from 70% to 100% of eligible earnings, with a proposed effective date of January 1, 2023.  All other aspects of the policies will remain the same. 

The proposed policy may be viewed 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 July 18, 2022. Please indicate “APM-715/760 Employee Comment” in the subject line.

ANR staff mentorship program fosters personal, professional growth

UC ANR is unique in the UC system. Its advisors and staff work in 57 out of 58 counties in the state, supporting Californians with university-based research in the areas of healthy families and communities; sustainable food systems; sustainable natural ecosystems; water, including quality, quantity and security; and pests — endemic and invasive pests and diseases. Administrative staff support business operations, development services, resource planning and management and more.

Although there was a longstanding desire to create a staff mentorship program, ANR leadership realized that their organizational complexity would require a unique and focuses approach. They deemed creating a mentorship program a priority people goal in the 2016-2020 strategic plan, and after several years in the making, the first Mentor Orientation took place in December 2018.

“To develop the ANR Staff Mentorship Program, we adapted from UCOP, UC Davis and external organization mentorship program models,” explained Learning and Development Coordinator Jodi Azulai. These efforts led to a nine-month program, which consisted of three in-person workshops and monthly meetings between mentors and mentees — most of which took place via phone- or video-conferencing due to the geographic spread of their work locations.

July 23, 2019, marked the end of the successful pilot year. Since participating in the program, two participants have moved to advanced job classifications. A majority of mentors reported that their mentorship experience helped them to learn about themselves and would benefit their careers. 

“The mentorship program granted me the privilege and honor of having an exceptional mentor — a leader, role model and friend who helped me gain the confidence and guidance I needed to grow within UC ANR and beyond,” shared one participant.

“We each have so much to offer one another, whether we serve as a mentor or mentee. The hard part is finding the time to listen,” said another mentee. “When someone makes time to feel, understand and relate to another person, we all grow. It has a ripple effect.” 

Among the programs encouraging outcomes are the following:

• 100% of program participants found that the program benefits mentees
• 94% of participants found that one-on-one meetings were meaningful and that participating in the program enhanced their self-awareness
• 89% observed professional growth as a result of their participation
• 88% found that participating in the program grew their interpersonal communication, leadership, technical and other skills
• 84% have identified actions to enhance their development as a result of participating

“We understood the benefits of mentoring relationships before our program began, but we now have photos, data and personal feedback from attendees that reflects the significance for continuing this program,” Azulai said.

She and her team plan to send a six-month follow-up survey to 2019 participants in January to learn how mentees have come to regard their personal and career development and outlook since participating in the program. The second Staff Mentorship Program cohort will begin in January 2020.

This story was originally published as part of a series on staff mentorship programs in UCNet.

UCnetwork welcomes staff

UCnetwork — a monthly email newsletter  — is being sent directly to staff across the system to share benefits news, professional development opportunities and inspiring stories about colleagues who are making a difference. Launching this month, UCnetwork will serve as a common touchpoint for staff at all locations, helping to promote a sense of community, engagement and pride throughout UC.

Every issue of UCnetwork will include:

• Our values at work – Stories that highlight systemwide programs and initiatives that reflect UC's values
• Ask HR – Your HR questions answered, with tips for making the most of valuable UC benefits
• Grow with UC – Information about systemwide UC professional development opportunities and resources for career advancement
• Making a difference – Stories of staff who bring UC's mission to life
• Stay healthy with UC – Health and wellness news, including health research from UC experts
• Staff Snapshot – Short, fun profiles contributed by UC staff

Look for your first issue of UCnetwork in your email inbox on Wednesday, Aug. 14! Current and past issues of UCnetwork will be posted on UCnet. Subscribe at https://ucal.us/ucnetwork.

The editor welcomes your feedback as they work to make UCnetwork better with every issue. Please contact UCnetwork@ucop.edu with questions, comments or suggestions for future topics.

UC Staff Engagement Survey closes June 7

Dear UC ANR staff members,

Please complete UC's Staff Engagement Survey by June 7 if you haven't done it already. Your unique survey link is in an email from Willis Towers Watson. We are currently at 39% response rate, in third place for responses, trailing UC Merced staff at 42% and UC Santa Barbara staff at 40%.

UC is conducting the biennial Staff Engagement Survey to learn more about non-represented (policy-covered) staff impressions about working at the university.

During the week of May 13, UC ANR's policy-covered staff members were sent an email from Willis Towers Watson, a firm conducting the survey on UC's behalf, with an invitation to take the survey.

The survey was developed by the Council of University of California Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) in collaboration with Systemwide Human Resources and Willis Towers Watson.

This is not spam so please do not delete the email invitation.

The Staff Engagement Survey aims to help UC better understand the views, experiences and needs of policy-covered staff on topics related to working at UC ANR, including career development, performance management and workplace collaboration.

This is the fourth staff engagement survey; the last survey was in 2017.  ANR's past survey results led directly to ANR Staff Assembly's increased focus on wellness, including guidelines for health meetings and UC Walks. By comparing the results of the past surveys, ANR Staff Assembly and Human Resources will get insight into areas where progress has been made and areas that need further effort and focus.

You can find information about past survey results on the ANR Staff Assembly website:  http://staffassembly.ucanr.edu/Council_of_University_of_California_Staff_Assemblies/2017_UC_Staff_Engagement_Survey/

We encourage you to complete the survey, if you should receive it. It is an opportunity to provide direct feedback that will help shape how we work at UC ANR.

The survey is completely confidential. Individual responses to the survey and personally identifying information will not be shared with UC.

Note that union-represented employees will not participate in the survey because UC receives their feedback through their union representatives during the collective bargaining process.

More information on UCNet: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2019/05/ucs-fourth-systemwide-staff-engagement-survey-launches-may-13.html

If you have questions about the survey, please contact EmployeeSurveySupport@willistowerswatson.com.

Shane Feirer
Chair, UC ANR Staff Assembly

John Fox
Executive Director, UC ANR Human Resources

 

Employee comment sought on academic freedom, responsibilities of non-faculty academics

The University invites comments on a proposed new Academic Personnel Manual Section 011 (APM - 011), Academic Freedom, Protection of Professional Standards, and Responsibilities of Non-Faculty Academic Appointees. 

Currently, APM - 010 (Academic Freedom) defines academic freedom as it pertains to faculty and defines the freedom of scholarly inquiry for students, as it derives from the faculty's academic freedom. APM - 015 (The Faculty Code of Conduct) defines the corresponding responsibilities as it pertains to faculty only. Although APM - 010 states that it is not intended to “diminish the rights and responsibilities enjoyed by other academic appointees,” APM - 010 and APM - 015 do not address how these concepts apply or do not apply to non-faculty academic appointees. The proposed new policy is intended to address the academic privileges, rights, obligations, and responsibilities of non-faculty academic appointees.

The proposed new APM - 011, Academic Freedom, Protection of Professional Standards, and Responsibilities of Non-Faculty Academic Appointees, is posted at: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/academic-personnel-policy/policies-under-review/apm-011.html.

If you have any questions or if you wish to comment, please contact Robin Sanchez at rgsanchez@ucanr.edu, no later than July 1, 2019.

Read more