ANR Update

Nov. 5 is Election Day

Dear UC ANR Colleagues,

Do you have a plan for casting your vote tomorrow? We encourage all eligible members of our community to exercise this right!

To check your registration and how to vote tomorrow (if you have not already mailed in or dropped off your ballot), you can check out the resources at UC Votes. Even if you missed the Oct. 21 online registration deadline or go to the wrong polling place, you have the right to ask for a provisional ballot.

Show your enthusiasm for voting by downloading a  UC Votes Zoom background (png)!

Cast your vote tomorrow!

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

Elizabeth Moon
Director, Workplace Inclusion & Belonging

UC ANR identifies priority areas in Strategic Vision 2040

Dear UC ANR community:

I am pleased to announce the release of our Strategic Vision 2040, which will guide UC ANR's work, structure and resource allocation to optimize and align its research, programs and partnerships over the next 15 years.

The document is the result of a 15-month process, during which the Strategic Visioning Committee synthesized thousands of comments and feedback from hundreds of UC ANR employees and community members, including agency staff, elected officials, nonprofit groups, California Tribes, industry partners, farmers and producers.

The Strategic Vision 2040 represents a reaffirmation of UC ANR's commitment to serve as a catalyst for positive change – cultivating, co-creating and sharing science-based solutions on a wide range of issues.

I want to personally thank the committee and everyone who contributed to creating this truly grassroots document that shows where we can make a real difference for our state, nation and world.

The visioning process produced a refreshed vision and mission for UC ANR:

Our Vision: UC ANR will be valued in every California community for meaningful engagement and making a positive impact in people's lives.

Our Mission: UC ANR cultivates thriving communities, sustainable agriculture, resilient ecosystems, and economic prosperity in California through development and sharing of equitable and collaborative science-based solutions that have national and global impact.

In addition, the extensive community input helped the committee identify seven distinct California challenges as priority areas in which UC ANR can make a significant impact.

On top of our core areas of Agriculture and Food Systems, Natural Ecosystems and Working Landscapes, and Thriving People and Communities, the Strategic Vision 2040 document lists four issues that overarch all our research and extension work: Climate Change; Innovation; Regulations, Policy and Compliance; and Systemic Inequities.

The Strategic Vision 2040 document is not intended to be a full strategic plan. This week, a new committee kicked off a series of meetings to develop UC ANR's 2025-2030 Strategic Framework with specific goals, objectives, metrics and deliverables designed to operationalize the vision.

Thank you again for your collaboration during this important process,

Glenda Humiston
UC Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Winter curtailment scheduled for Dec. 24-Jan. 1

Similar to previous years, UC ANR units – including research and extension centers, UC Cooperative Extension county offices, the Second Street Building in Davis and Franklin Building – will be closed from Dec. 24, 2024, through Jan. 1, 2025, except for essential services. UC ANR offices will reopen on Jan. 2, 2025.

Winter Schedule:
Holiday                            12/24 – Tuesday 

Holiday                            12/25 – Wednesday 

Curtailment                      12/26 – Thursday 

Curtailment                      12/27 – Friday 

Curtailment                      12/30 – Monday 

Holiday                            12/31 – Tuesday 

Holiday                            1/1 – Wednesday

Employees have the option of using accrued vacation, compensatory time off (CTO) or leave without pay for the curtailment days. In the event an employee has not accumulated a sufficient amount of vacation time before December to cover the three days, arrangements can be made with the direct supervisors to allow those individuals to borrow against future vacation time. 

Some UCCE county offices and research and extension centers may need to adjust the closure schedule to accommodate local needs; this is at the discretion of the director and approval by UC ANR leadership. If you have a question about your local office schedule, please contact your unit director.  

Additional information

Time reporting – The Time Reporting System (TRS) does not currently have the curtailment dates identified/shaded.  UC ANR employees are still able to enter leave or time worked per day as appropriate based on local need. If borrowing against future vacation, usage should be entered on the timesheet as it will allow the balance to go into the negative and will be caught up with future accruals. Feel free to contact ANRPayroll@ucanr.edu for more details.

Systems access - Some systems access may be impacted during the curtailment dates. If you are approved to work, please contact UCANRIT@ucanr.edu to confirm you'll be able to access UC ANR systems during the closure.

Please contact humanresources@ucanr.edu for additional information or clarification.

UC vaccination policy: COVID-19 and flu vaccines available

To support the health and well-being of our colleagues and community, an updated revision of the University of California Vaccine Program Policy was issued recommending that all members of the UC community follow vaccine recommendations adopted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) applicable to their age, medical condition and other relevant indications.

The 2024-25 COVID-19 and flu vaccines are now readily available. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine is safe and can restore protection against infections and severe disease. The flu vaccination not only reduces the incidence of flu infections, but also lessens the severity of illness in those who do contract the virus. This year, with the potential threat posed by H5N1 avian influenza, the benefits of vaccination are even more critical.

While the flu vaccine does not specifically target H5N1, having a robust immune response from the flu shot may provide some level of protection against severe complications from co-infections. In cases where individuals are infected with both influenza and H5N1, vaccination can help reduce the severity of flu symptoms, potentially improving outcomes.

By getting vaccinated, you not only protect yourself but also help safeguard those around you, especially vulnerable populations who may be at greater risk for severe disease. Contact your healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns about the flu vaccine. Together, we can help make this season healthier for everyone.

To comply with the Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Policy by December 1, 2024, all students, faculty and staff need to take one of these actions:  

• Vaccinate: Get the 2024-25 Flu and COVID-19 vaccines and keep your records. A person is up to date with required vaccines when they have received all doses in a primary series and the most recent booster recommended by the CDC or by CDPH. 

• Opt-Out: A person may formally decline vaccination by completing an opt-out form provided by coordinating with the Location Vaccine Authority, Pia Wright, pwright@ucanr.edu, on or before December 1, 2024.

Zoom AI to be enabled Nov. 1

Dear Colleagues:

UC's systemwide contract with Zoom has the necessary contractual obligations to allow use of its AI features. On November 1, 2024, ANR IT will enable the Zoom AI for ANR users.

Zoom AI Usage Guidelines

* P4 data and sensitive P3 data may not be discussed while AI features are enabled. Please see the Data Classification section below for more information.

* The following Zoom AI features may be used for communications up to and including limited P3 data:
      --Meeting Summary
      --Smart Recording for Meetings
      --Thread Summary for Team Chat

* Other Zoom AI features may be used for discussions involving only P1 and P2. These features may not be used for P3 or P4.

* When using Zoom AI in meetings, the meeting host must inform all meeting attendees of its use. If any attendee prefers not to have Zoom AI active during the meeting, they may request its deactivation. In such cases, the AI will be turned off for the remainder of the meeting. Alternatively, individuals who do not wish to participate under these conditions may choose to leave the meeting.

* A user's refusal to participate in a meeting with Zoom AI features enabled should not, by itself, be the subject of an adverse employment action.

* Review and correct transcripts or summaries promptly to ensure accuracy. Keep in mind that these records may need to be kept for legal or UC policy reasons.

Data Classification Guidelines

UC Institutional Information and IT Resources are classified into one of four Protection Levels based on the level of concern related to confidentiality and integrity. The table below provides some examples of data at each protection level. For additional examples of data classifications, please see https://security.ucop.edu/files/documents/uc-protection-level-classification-guide.pdf.

Protection Level	Risk Level	Examples
P4	High	Social Security numbers (SSN) Driver's license, passport or other government ID numbers Financial, accounting and payroll information Protected health information Credit card data Human subject research data with individual identifiers Controlled Unclassified Information Passwords, PINs and passphrases
P3 (Sensitive)	High	Privileged communications, including discussions about ongoing investigations or legal risk Gender-affirming care, including internal policies and procedures Abortion services, including internal policies and procedures.
P3	Moderate	IT security-related information Individually identifiable human subject research data not containing P4 data elements and that the IRB or Campus Privacy Office have not determined is high risk Staff and academic Personnel Records not containing P4 information Building entry records
P2	Low	Public Directory Information Routine emails and calendar information not containing P3 or P4 information De-identified human subject research Research using publicly available data
P1	Minimal	Public-facing informational websites Public event calendars Hours of operation Parking regulations Press releases

All records related to UC ANR business, including video, audio, and written, are subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act and through a subpoena.

Best regards,
Jaki Hsieh Wojan, Deputy CIO and CISO
Bethanie Brown, Interim Executive Director, Human Resources
Robin Sanchez, Director, Policies, Compliance & Programmatic Agreements

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