Posts Tagged: Budget

Interim leadership structure

As you know, our current Associate Vice President Wendy Powers will be leaving UC ANR on August 12, 2022, and Vice Provost Mark Bell departed at the end of June. After careful consideration of multiple options, we have arrived at an interim leadership structure to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of all UC ANR programs, research and extension efforts while we recruit for a permanent Associate Vice President. Key changes are outlined below and are illustrated in the attached Interim Org Chart.

I am pleased to announce that Deanne Meyer has agreed to serve as Interim AVP while the search process is underway. Many of you have worked with Deanne over her many years at UC Davis; her academic and leadership experience as a CE Specialist and Sustainable Food Systems Strategic Initiative Leader will serve the organization well during this transition period. She understands the work and value of Cooperative Extension and will be a strong champion for all UC ANR programs, research, and outreach.

David Bunn will now focus entirely on County Cooperative Extension. He will also partner with Anne Megaro, UC ANR's Government and Community Relations Director, to assist county directors with local and state government relations. All County Directors will continue to report to David.

Darren Haver has agreed to take on a new 50% assignment as the statewide Associate Director of the RECs. He will also continue to serve as the South Coast REC Director. Darren has served as the Assistant Vice Provost for the REC System for the past few years; these same duties will be transferred into his new position in addition to championing the implementation of the REC Strategic Framework. All REC Directors will now report to Darren.   

With Mark's departure, we have temporarily divided his areas of responsibility across two separate individuals. Greg Ira has agreed to serve as the Statewide Programs and Institutes Lead. He will coordinate and convene the SWP/I leaders. SWP/I leaders will report directly to the Interim AVP. Jim Farrar has agreed to serve as the Strategic InitiativesLead. Jim will regularly convene the SI leaders and ensure that critical conversations and coordination across these groups continues to be strong.  

A permanent AVP will have the opportunity to consider programmatic leadership structure to best position UC ANR for future success. In the meantime, I hope that you will work with these interim leaders and support them in any way you can.

I will overview this new structure at the July 21^st Town Hall. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Wendy Powers, Tu Tran or Kathy Eftekhari.

Best Wishes, 
Glenda

 

State budget provides 5% COLA for UC ANR and more

Governor Newsom signed the first budget bill (SB 154) on Monday, June 27, and the second budget bill (AB 178) last night, June 30. Together, these bills fund the core of the state budget. Provisions include:

• 5% COLA (cost of living adjustment) for UC ANR 
• $2.4 million in one-time funds for Nutrition Policy Institute to research “School Meals for All” 
• $125 million in one-time funds for UC deferred maintenance, seismic mitigation and energy efficiency projects. 
• $185 million in one-time funds to support UC climate change research

The state budget process is not finished and we expect several Budget Trailer Bills to be taken up in August after the Legislature returns from Summer Recess. Stay tuned!

See President Drake's comments about the state budget at https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-statement-2022-23-california-budget-0.

Best,

Anne Megaro
Director of Government Relations

Gov. Newsom proposes 5-year funding compact with UC

UC Office of the President released a statement on Gov. Newsom's budget proposal today. UC ANR is also grateful for the plan, which includes a 5% increase in UC funding, allocations for deferred maintenance and climate research and outreach. Please read the UC statement below.

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

Gov. Newsom proposes 5-year funding compact with UC

California Gov. Gavin Newsom today (Jan. 10) proposed a state spending plan that includes a five-year funding compact with the University of California. If enacted, it would bring budget stability to UC and support critical long-term investments in educational access and excellence.

Under the plan, UC would see a 5 percent budget increase over each of the next five fiscal years, allowing the University to increase enrollment, boost resources to help underrepresented groups achieve academic success, and expand college access and affordability for struggling students and families across the state.

Newsom's spending plan for the 2022-23 fiscal year also allocates $185M in one-time funds for climate change-related work, expanding the University's innovation ecosystem to accelerate new technological solutions.

“The University of California is grateful to Gov. Newsom for his continued leadership and steadfast support of the University,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. “The priorities he outlined today reflect our shared commitment to expanding the positive impact the University has on the lives of all Californians.”

Newsom's budget proposal marks the beginning of a negotiation process with the state Legislature that runs through June 15. Highlights of Newsom's spending plan include:

A 5 percent funding increase for UC in 2022-23, with additional 5 percent increases over each of the following four years.

$185M in one-time funding for research and innovation to combat climate change, including the creation of new climate-focused innovation hubs, workforce development for climate-focused careers, and seed grants that will attract matching funds to accelerate projects that foster resilience and mitigate the environmental impacts of climate change.

Significant one-time funding for energy-efficiency projects across UC campuses and critical deferred maintenance.

“We appreciate the governor's continued investment in UC as an engine of economic mobility. The steady, reliable levels he has proposed give us the foundation we need to grow enrollment at UC without compromising the excellence of our research, teaching and public service mission,” said Cecilia Estolano, chair of the UC Board of Regents. “It allows us to do our part to educate the next generation of California's leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators.”

The funding to expand climate-related innovation builds on UC's ongoing partnership with the state to foster entrepreneurial efforts across California. In 2016, state lawmakers introduced legislation that allocated $22M to expand innovation efforts at all 10 UC campuses. That effort returned a 14-fold increase and launched more than 530 startups.

Today, UC has a strong network of incubators, accelerators and boot camps across the University. The governor's plan to leverage the strength of that innovation ecosystem to focus on climate change is a win for California, Chair Estolano said.

“We are heartened by the governor's confidence in UC's cutting-edge research on climate resiliency. These resources will enable our researchers to develop the technologies, practices and policies needed to address drought, wildfires, sea level rise, clean transportation, climate smart agriculture, building decarbonization, and climate justice. UC turns ideas into planet-saving and community-building action. This will help us elevate and accelerate our work in all sectors,” Estolano said.

University leaders said they looked forward to working with state lawmakers on a spending plan that will help UC improve the lives of people across the state.

“Gov. Newsom's budget proposal demonstrates his strong, continued dedication to furthering UC's excellence,” President Drake said. “We look forward to continuing to partner with his administration and with the state Legislature as they finalize the budget in the months ahead.”

 

State boosts ANR budget

Dear Colleagues,

I am beyond thrilled to share with you that Governor Newsom signed the state budget last night and it includes a historic increase for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Not only does it restore UC ANR's budget to pre-COVID levels of FY 2019-20, but we received a 5% increase plus an additional $32 million in ongoing funding, bringing our total state budget to $107.9 million. This budget increase is transformational and will allow us to rebuild our academic footprint across the state.

We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to Senator John Laird, chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee on Education, for his leadership and dedication to restoring UC ANR's budget, as well as UC ANR stakeholders who called for restored funding. Over the past 20 years, state funding for UC ANR decreased by almost 50% (adjusted for inflation), resulting in a significant reduction of UC ANR's Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists; from 427 positions in 2001 down to only 269 in 2021 – creating vacancies in many critical positions. UCCE personnel have been stretched thinner and thinner, most covering multiple counties to serve growing numbers of Californians. Senator Laird, former secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, recognized this critical need and fought adamantly to bring back Extension throughout California. Please join me in thanking Senator Laird and all of our stakeholders for their relentless support for UC ANR.

With this new funding, I am pleased to announce that we are releasing 20 UCCE academic positions for recruitment and look forward to releasing many more over the next several months. The new funding resulting from Senator Laird's support will rebuild our academic footprint. I wish to thank the Program Council for their work developing recommendations for the highest priority and most urgent 15 UCCE Advisor positions and five UCCE Specialist positions. Likewise, I thank the County Directors, Program Team Leaders, Statewide Program/Institute Directors, Research and Extension Center Directors, and Associate Deans for their efforts to identify the most pressing priority position needs, considering the 2018 and 2019 proposals and more recent departures. This input was critical to inform Program Council's recommendations and will prove critical for future releases.

I look forward to sending more information on the specific positions to be released soon! We will develop a timeline for prioritizing the next round of positions to release. While our priority is to fill current major gaps, we also must identifypositions to address California's emerging and future needs. This state budget increase will allow UC ANR to hire more people and achieve greater impact, but we will need to continue seeking funding from additional sources to attain the number of positions needed to significantly improve the lives of all Californians.

After a particularly challenging year, I hope you share my optimistic outlook as the FY 2021-22 budget brings relief with more resources to pursue the UC ANR mission of improving life for all Californians.

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

UCCE academic positions to be released soon

I am pleased to announce that we plan to release a handful of UCCE academic positions for recruitment as soon as we know the final state of our FY2021-22 state budget. The state has announced full restoration of UC's budget for this next fiscal year, offering significant relief to UC ANR's budget outlook. That announcement means that the 12.7% cut we experienced in FY 2020/21 will be reversed, bringing our FY 2021/22 budget back to the pre-COVID levels we had in FY 2019-20.

While this news is very good, challenges will remain to fill the many other UCCE positions identified as high priority. Over the past 20 years, state funding for UC ANR decreased by almost 50% (adjusted for inflation), resulting in a significant decrease of UC ANR's Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists; from 427 positions in 2001 down to only 269 in 2021 – creating many vacancies in critical positions.

Strengthening and rebuilding our Cooperative Extension academic footprint is our highest priority and we will continue to seek additional funding for an array of sources. To this end, we have been successful in finding partners to co-fund UCCE Advisor, UCCE Specialist and other program positions. These partnerships reflect how our stakeholders value our people and our work. Not all positions have the same opportunity for partnerships, nor is it a goal to have all positions funded through partnerships, making it important to be able to fund new positions through our state and federal funds.

I wish to thank the Program Council for their work developing recommendations for the highest priority and most urgent 15 UCCE Advisor positions and five UCCE Specialist positions. Likewise, I thank the County Directors, Program Team Leaders, Statewide Program/Institute Directors, REC Directors, and Associate Deans for their efforts to identify priority position needs, considering the 2018 and 2019 proposals and more recent departures. This input was critical to inform Program Council's recommendations.

Over the past couple of years, we continued recruitment for high-priority positions identified through earlier UCCE position processes. See Academic Recruitments for a full list of UCCE academic positions recently recruited.

I look forward to sending more information on the specific positions to be released soon!

Glenda Humiston
Vice President

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