Posts Tagged: advocacy
UC ANR Advocates in Sacramento
What a whirlwind of a week. Over two weekends while people were trying to get into the portal to...
UC ANR Advocates in Washington
It's only been a week since our CARET group met in DC. THANK YOU to our CARET representatives...
UC requests full restoration of state budget – call to action
Dear colleagues, friends and stakeholders,
Great news! Governor Newsom, in agreement with the state legislative leadership, has announced full restoration of UC's budget for the next fiscal year. This was part of the UC Regent's budget request this year, and we are thrilled to see it moving forward. For UC ANR, that means the 12.7% cut we sustained in FY 2020/21 will be restored, bringing our budget back to pre-COVID levels for FY 2021/22.
The ink has yet to dry on this agreement, so we still have work to do and we need your help. Will you thank the Legislature for their support and ask that they continue to support critical investments in UC ANR?
There are two upcoming budget subcommittee hearings where state lawmakers will specifically discuss UC's FY2021-22 budget. This is our chance to set the tone during budget negotiations, and providing public comment is one of the highest impact actions you can take. These hearings are on March 1 and March 9. If you're interested in participating, please email Anne Megaro at ammegaro@ucanr.edu.
Historically, public comment has only been available to those who could attend hearings in-person; however, due to the pandemic, the Legislature now allows anyone to dial-in and participate – which means even more UC advocates can make their voices heard!
Prefer advocating for UC via social media? Sending a tweet on Twitter is a quick and effective way to express your support for UC.
Did you know that UC has a digital advocacy network? Stay informed of important budget hearings and calls to action by signing up to for the UC Advocacy Network. By joining, you'll learn how you can advocate for UC and stay updated on the latest issues impacting higher education.
Sample tweets/posts:
Let's tell the Legislature what we are doing and why funding for UC is critical. Effective tweets and posts should include:
- Your relationship with UC ANR (legislators might not know that 4-H, Master Gardeners, or even Cooperative Extension are part of UC ANR, so make sure to mention UC ANR along with your programmatic connection!)
- Why you care about UC ANR/ the impact it has on you, your family, your business, or your community.
- An ask for “full budget restoration”
Example tweet/post:
4-H has been a bright light for my children and community while sheltering in place. We immediately went to work one year ago making masks to protect loved ones and healthcare workers. As a program within UC ANR, we rely on critical state funding. Please fully restore UC ANR's budget! @yourrepresentative (add a personal photo if you wish).
Please share this message with your community partners and friends who are eager to lend their voice to support UC ANR funding. Your advocacy truly helps!
Thank you!
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
It's a good news week!
What a week – and it is only Tuesday! I didn't make it to the beach this past weekend and I...
UC ANR must stabilize and increase funding to serve California
Dear Colleagues,
As part of my job, I have the pleasure of talking to many audiences about the marvelous work you do. People are always blown away by the breadth of issues ANR addresses and the impact it has for Californians. From the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture in Washington D.C. to Silicon Valley venture capitalists at the Forbes AgTech Summit, I have met people who were surprised and amazed to learn UC ANR is working with individuals in every county to find solutions specifically suited for their community.
Past budget cuts and rising costs, coupled with serious concerns that our traditional state and federal funding may shrink or – at best – remain flat for the foreseeable future, means that UC ANR must develop new sources of funding. To do that, we have got to start telling our story!
Studies have shown California gets a 20 to 1 return on the state's investment in UC ANR programs and we have multitudes of examples of our impact. Those examples, along with other tools from our communications shop, are available for your use. Utilize them to keep your local decision-makers and stakeholders apprised of the ways Californians benefit from UC ANR's work in their community.
Invite legislators and their staff members to speak at award ceremonies, to attend field days and workshops or send them news articles about the impact of your research. Do the same for current and potential funders of all types. In short, educate them about the valuable contributions we make to the nutrition and food security of families, the sustainability of farms and health of the environment.
In 1990, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources employed 528 UC Cooperative Extension advisors and specialists. As of July 1, after retirements, we have only 278 UCCE advisors and specialists – barely over half of our earlier academic footprint. Those of you who are covering more than one county can really feel how very stretched we are to provide quality service to Californians throughout the state. These reductions in ANR's workforce were made to accommodate cuts in state support; since 2002, ANR's state support has been cut by $30 million.
To preserve research and extension programs as much as possible, UC ANR has carefully managed its limited resources. We reduced ANR administration, closed facilities and the administrative offices of several statewide programs and offered less in internal grants. At the same time, we have unfunded obligations including increased health care costs, pension liability and academic merit and promotion.
Even though our funding has stabilized in the past two years, it has not grown to meet the needs of the expanding and diverse California population we serve. To achieve our vision of helping the people of California attain a high quality of life, a healthy environment, and economic success in a global economy, we will need more support.
Please look for opportunities to build stronger relationships with policymakers and stakeholders. Personal stories of how UC ANR efforts have improved people's lives are best at conveying a message. If you need help explaining in general what UC ANR does or where we are located, use the video and map at http://ucanr.edu/WeAreUCANR.
It's been said that UC ANR is UC's best kept secret. I, for one, am really tired of hearing that. If you aren't comfortable tooting your horn on your own behalf, please do it for the people and landscapes that we serve. For UC ANR to serve our mission, people need to know what we do – and you are doing some great work. Thanks for all the great work you do!
Sincerely,
Glenda Humiston
Vice President
View or leave comments for ANR Leadership at http://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRUpdate/Comments.
This announcement is also posted and archived on the ANR Update pages.