I hope your summer is off to a great start! I was honored to assume the role of Staff Assembly Chair on July 1 and I'm thrilled to introduce you to the incoming Staff Assembly Executive Committee—a rock star group of volunteers! It is our goal to represent your interests to administration while advancing initiatives that improve the staff experience on campus.
Staff Assembly Executive Committee for 2017-18:
Chair Elect, Brian Wadell, Director of Reprographics Secretary, Lyndon Huling, Student Activities Coordinator, Center for Student Involvement Membership Chair, Stacey Brezing, Director, Staff and Faculty Health & Well-being in Occupational Health Communications Chair, Ahna Heller, Communication Analyst, Information & Educational Technology Finance Chair, Gwen Caramanica, Financial Analyst, Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Engineering Events Chair, Jamie Dehn, Events Coordinator, College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
I am especially thankful for our Past Chair, Darolyn Striley, for her constant support and steady leadership this past year—not to mention her creative talent and mastery of the culinary arts.
There are many exciting things to come in the year ahead, starting with welcoming our new Chancellor, Dr. Gary S. May on Tuesday, August 1. UC Davis Health Staff Assembly is hosting a morning welcome event at the Education Building in Sacramento, and the Davis Staff Assembly will welcome Dr. May with an event from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on the Mrak Mall. We hope you can join us for refreshments and an informal gathering.
Going forward, in 2017/18, we will further our partnership with the UC Davis Health Staff Assembly in Sacramento, and continue our partnership with the UC Davis representatives on the UC Council of Staff Assemblies (CUCSA)—whose Chair and Chair Elect are UC Davis Staff Assembly legends.
A few items to note: The Staff Voice will be on hiatus until September as we will be without a Staff Assembly coordinator beginning next week. Our coordinator, Karen Kinser, has accepted another job on campus and while we're happy for her, we're also sad to see her go. Thank you, Karen, for your awesome work and total dedication to all things Staff Assembly! You will be missed! We will open a recruitment for this position soon.
If you have been thinking of getting involved in Staff Assembly—and I know you have, because really, we are a fun bunch and we do great things together—I encourage you to attend the upcoming Staff Assembly monthly meeting on July 25 from noon to 1 p.m. The meeting is held in the Plant and Environmental Science, room 2005. This is a great chance for you to meet the Executive Committee and learn more about Staff Assembly. We will share our goals for 2017-18—and we want to hear what you think! I look forward to seeing my friends (you know who you are!) and making new ones, at Staff Assembly events this year.
If you want to communicate with Staff Assembly, please send your thoughts and ideas to staffvoice@ucdavis.edu.
Warmly,
Kate Shasky
A note from the Past Chair:
“Where’s the chair?" contest winners!
Thank you to everyone who entered the "Where's the chair?" contest which ran throughout 2016 and 2017. We had a whopping 19 entries! It may not sound like a lot but that’s a much better turn out than we expected.
It was fun hearing stories of teams of friends going out during lunch to scour the campus for the chair of the moment. I even had someone tell me that he created a database of chairs he could find in a year’s worth of lunchtime walks...so impressive!
All in all, there were five staff who correctly identified all 21 chairs! Congratulations to Katie Anderson, Lauren Worrell, Lisa Anderson, Sarah Hodge, and Jenny Hodge. We held a raffle on July 10 and Lauren Worrell won the grand prize of a Southern California vacation, from Get Away Today! Congratulations Lauren!
We surprised the runners up, Lisa, Katie, Jenny, and Sarah, with prizes donated by some of our TGFS sponsors like AAA, Family Fitness Centers, American Pacific Mortgage, US Bank, Western Human Nutrition Research Centers, Davis Smiles, Aggie Surplus, and UCD Athletics.
Stay tuned! We might have another contest up our sleeves in the coming year!
Cheers! Darolyn
Last call for the July 22 Six Flags Picnic tickets!
The ticket price is $42 for admission with a meal, and $20 for season pass holders for a meal ticket only. Purchase tickets here and use promo code UCD. This event is brought to you by Staff Assembly to encourage staff to get out and have fun!
2016 Staff Award Recipients
The annual staff awards ceremony, hosted by the Staff Assembly, was held on June 26 at the Walter Buehler Alumni Center Moss Patio. Darolyn Striley, past chair of the Staff Assembly, opened the award ceremony and noted that the attendance was the largest ever. Interim Provost, Ken Burtis, spoke to the attendees as well and congratulated the recipients for their achievements.
Staff and staff dependents were awarded $29,000 in scholarships. These included the Larry N. Vanderhoef Endowment, Kathleen Moore Endowment, Margene E. Orzalli Endowment, Latino Staff and Faculty Association Scholarship, the Retiree Scholarship, and the Staff Assembly Scholarships funded by the TGFS Vendor Showcase.
Staff Assembly’s annual Citations for Excellence awards program provides recognition for individual staff and staff teams. Thanks to generous support from the Office of the Chancellor, Staff Assembly awarded $15,000 to twelve individual staff members and four staff teams.
On August 24 from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., theStaff Diversity Administrative Advisory Committee(SDAAC) andStaff Assemblywill host a workshop for staff to learn how to work with and interpret data related to staff diversity. Our goal is to empower staff to feel more comfortable working with real university data to inform decision-making and policy. Using this data, we endeavor to develop a white paper with recommendations to campus leadership related to staff diversity trends.
This workshop was designed with all staff in mind, regardless of comfort level with data, title code or position type. If you’re interested in learning more about working with university data and passionate about staff diversitysign-upand join us! Space is limited and the planning committee will be making final decisions on participants in July. The form will be open until July 21, so don’t delay!
Career Development Corner
by Carina Celesia Moore
LinkedIn, the Professional Power Tool (beyond the job search)
Are you well-connected, branded, engaging – virtually, of course? Perhaps you are already one of the over 500 million members of the social network for professionals, LinkedIn, and are realizing the benefits of this massive database. Although having a LinkedIn profile may have been optional in the past, career development specialists now consider it a requirement for professionals in all industries including staff in higher education. The benefits of having a LinkedIn profile go far beyond job search, as this social media phenomenon is an excellent tool for professional networking, continuous learning, promoting one’s organization, benchmarking one’s field, connecting with colleagues past and present, and posting and retrieving current information in all fields.
I asked our UC Davis career counselor Andrea Weiss what she advises clients when it comes to LinkedIn profiles and she emphasized, “A well-built LinkedIn profile is as important as a great resume.” In her UC Davis career counseling sessions, Andrea offers her clients support in updating their LinkedIn profiles, or getting one started. “Recruiters everywhere are using LinkedIn as a recruitment tool and want to see a smiling face and impressive profile. But LinkedIn goes far beyond job search – it promotes professional development in all career stages.” Andrea recently presented “LinkedIn 101” and covered tips, tools and examples. She shared with me that LinkedIn offers several helpful webinars on setting up a profile and getting the most out of LinkedIn (take a look). If you have been looking for a great time to create a LinkedIn profile, or take yours to the next level, you found it. LinkedIn is a power tool that should be in all of our toolkits!
Supervisory Effectiveness Task Force Update
Supervisory effectiveness shapes staff working experiences, workplace climate, and the performance and engagement of employees at every level. How to best support supervisory effectiveness is the focus of a task force that recently submitted recommendations around supervisor accountability, supervisory development, and communications and other resources that could help supervisors succeed in their roles. Specifically, the task force focused on academics and staff who directly supervise staff; including student, TES, contract, and limited term.
The task force is comprised of staff and faculty from across UC Davis, and chaired by representatives from Human Resources and Staff Assembly. They first convened in late October 2016 and kicked off by reviewing past surveys and reports (2015 CUCSA Staff Engagement Survey, Ombuds’ reports, UC Davis Health 2015 Engagement Survey), which all highlighted concerns related to supervisory effectiveness. The task force then conducted its own survey of all UC Davis supervisors, with over 40% (n= 781) providing feedback on learning opportunities and resources that could improve their effectiveness. This included identifying barriers they face to developing as a supervisor.
Executive sponsors, Kelly Ratliff, Interim Lead for Finance, Operations and Administration, and Brenda Rebman, Chief Human Resources Officer, are now reviewing the report and its recommendations. Their feedback will inform the task force’s action plan, which will be shared along with the full report in a future edition of the Staff Voice.
Please direct any questions about the task force to HR executive analyst Mi-Chelle Thomas at mdunn@ucdavis.edu
Employee-Initiated Reduction in Time Program Renewed
ERIT is a voluntary program that allows employees who have received departmental approval, to reduce their working hours, effective July 1 (monthly paid employees*) or July 30 (biweekly paid employees). Eligible employees who work for participating departments may reduce their working hours between 5 and 50 percent, while continuing to accrue vacation and sick leave at pre-ERIT rates.
Employees may choose to use ERIT to further their work-life integration, while allowing departments to achieve temporary salary savings from the employee’s reduction in working time. Read more about ERIT on the HR site.
UC Learning Center Unavailable 7/28 – 8/7
A system-wide update of UC’s learning management system (LMS) requires the Office of the President to take it offline for one workweek, starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 28. The LMS is an online resource where staff and faculty can complete required trainings as well as access professional development courses. The LMS is scheduled to return to service on Monday, Aug. 7, with all the data and trainings that existed prior to the upgrade, but also a more contemporary interface and compatibility with all browsers. At UC Davis, the LMS is administered by Human Resources’ Staff Development and Professional Services. Read more about the LMS downtime and the plan for helping ensure employees complete required trainings before the scheduled downtime.
Summer Brown Bag
Come to the Student Community Center for summer brown bags. No need to register, just show up! Hope to see you there!
Cutting the Cable: Thursday, August 17, 12 -1 p.m., Steve McMahon, Davis Community Network
Bender Balls: Thursday, September 7, 12 -1 p.m., Rose Zhann, Healthy Habits Studio
UC Davis Football Faculty and Staff Season Ticket Discount
New this year, UC Davis faculty and staff will have the opportunity to purchase discounted season tickets for the 2017 UC Davis football season! By creating an account linked to your ucdavis.edu email, faculty and staff can receive up to a 20% discount on the following season ticket options:
Reserved seating at Aggie Stadium will be available at $80 per ticket, a 20% discount off of the normal $100 price. In addition, faculty and staff will have the ability to purchase premium reserved seating for $100, a saving of $20. These seats will be available to faculty and staff members without the prerequisite Team Aggie donation of $300 that is normally accompanied with the purchase of premium reserved seating.
Beyond the faculty and staff discount, Athletics is offering a Family Plan for season tickets this year which include two general admission (berm) season tickets along with one Jr. Aggie pass for only $100 (A $130 value). The season consists of five home games: Sept. 9 and 30, Oct. 7 and 28, and Nov. 11.
Tickets can be purchased on the Aggie website, by downloading the flyer, or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 530- 754-2471.
Well-being Corner
Tai Chi –Twice weekly classes (Wed. and Fri.) with David Moore will start on Friday July 7, 12 - 1 p.m. in 130 Hoagland Hall. “Tai Chi Chuan” is a gentle meditation in motion. It is both an exercise and martial art. No sign up necessary! Staff, faculty, students and retirees are welcome.
Seeds of Happiness–Grow your Well-Being Series with Neesha Patel, Wednesdays, July 9 - August 2, 12- 1 p.m., Hoagland Hall, Room 130. Please note: This class is currently at capacity. If this offering interests you and your schedule allows for attendance at all three classes, please email wellbeing@ucdavis.edu to add yourself to the wait-list. We will be tracking interest to offer the series again!
SAVE THE DATES! Mindfulness Meditation Series – August 23, 30, September 6 and 13, 12 -1 p.m., Vanderhoef Studio, Mondavi. If you want to receive notice to sign up for this class, please email wellbeing@ucdavis.edu and let us know that you’d like to be added to our listserv.
Career Tracks Final Validation
Training and Information Sessions
The Career Tracks classification system for non-represented employees is moving into the Final Validation phase. HR will spend the next month working with managers to finalize the placement of non-represented staff positions into Career Tracks job standards. Training is being offered in person and by webinar to assist managers with assigning their employees a Career Tracks classification. Information sessions are also being offered for staff so they understand how this project affects them. You’re encouraged to review the information posted on the Career Tracks site (job families, FAQs, mapping partners, presentations) and then to attend one of the training/information sessions posted there. Questions are always welcome at careertracks@ucdavis.edu
ARC Expansion Project
In an effort to accommodate the growing need, campus is expanding the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) by 16,300 square feet with a target completion date of summer 2019. The ARC is already the largest recreation facility within the UC system and will provide Aggies with additional cardio and strength equipment, enhanced Wi-Fi, create energy efficiencies, updated locker rooms and more.
Important dates to keep in mind:
June 19 – the Pro Shop closed
July 25-27 – ARC temporarily closed to move equipment
July 28 – ARC reopens for business with new entrances
Late July – Peet’s Coffee (formerly Starbucks) is estimated to open
The ARC will remain open during construction with three temporary access points to the building. Student fees will not increase to fund the expansion. The expansion is already funded by dedicated student fees that can only be used for the ARC facility.
For additional information and updates, visit the ARC Expansion Project on the Campus Recreation website.
Paving project to close Old Davis Road
Traffic can be heavy coming on campus these next few weeks, plan accordingly!
Campus road work this summer will bring the complete closure of Old Davis Road between Interstate 80 and the south entry visitor kiosk for nearly three weeks in July. [More]
Calendar/Events
Band-uh! Jam-uh! - Mondays, July 24, and Aug. 7 and 21: On the lawn outside the Rec Pool.
New Employee Welcome - Thursday, July 27: Quarterly program for faculty, academic appointees, staff and postdocs.
I am especially thankful for our Past Chair, Darolyn Striley, for her constant support and steady leadership this past year—not to mention her creative talent and mastery of the culinary arts.
Thank you to everyone who entered the "Where's the chair?" contest which ran throughout 2016 and 2017. We had a whopping 19 entries! It may not sound like a lot but that’s a much better turn out than we expected.
ssion with a meal, and $20 for season pass holders for a meal ticket only. Purchase tickets 
The annual staff awards ceremony, hosted by the Staff Assembly, was held on June 26 at the Walter Buehler Alumni Center Moss Patio. Darolyn Striley, past chair of the Staff Assembly, opened the award ceremony and noted that the attendance was the largest ever. Interim Provost, Ken Burtis, spoke to the attendees as well and congratulated the recipients for their achievements.
st 24 from 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., the
LinkedIn, the Professional Power Tool (beyond the job search)
A system-wide update of UC’s 
Come to the Student Community Center for summer brown bags. No need to register, just show up! Hope to see you there!
UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden has a variety of events planned for summer! 
New this year, UC Davis faculty and staff will have the opportunity to purchase discounted season tickets for the 2017 UC Davis football season! By creating an account linked to your 
Tai Chi –Twice weekly classes (Wed. and Fri.) with David Moore will start on Friday July 7, 12 - 1 p.m. in 130 Hoagland Hall. “Tai Chi Chuan” is a gentle meditation in motion. It is both an exercise and martial art. No sign up necessary! Staff, faculty, students and retirees are welcome.
In an effort to accommodate the growing need, campus is expanding the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) by 16,300 square feet with a target completion date of summer 2019. The ARC is already the largest recreation facility within the UC system and will provide Aggies with additional cardio and strength equipment, enhanced Wi-Fi, create energy efficiencies, updated locker rooms and more. 
