the current

the monthly e-newsletter of UC ANR Staff Assembly | Sept. 12, 2023 | Vol. 2, No. 9

in conversation

Sept. 13: Director of workplace inclusion and belonging to discuss empowering growth

Join Elizabeth Moon, UC ANR director of workplace inclusion and belonging, for an open conversation on Wednesday, Sept. 13 (9-9:45 a.m.). The topic of conversation will be “Empowering Your Own Professional Growth.” She will discuss building a plan and engaging leadership.

Hosted by UC ANR Staff Assembly and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion councils, this online event is open to everyone at UC ANR.

Event details

hispanic heritage month

Latinos & Friends Affinity Group invites ANR community to three events in September

Three webinars will bring the UC ANR community together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in September.

Changing Lives in the Urban Setting

September 13 (1-2 p.m.)

Join 4-H youth development advisors Claudia Diaz and Matt Rodriguez as they share best practices, challenges and success stories.

Challenging Racism from the Field to Harvard Doctorate: A Life’s Journey

September 20 (2-3 p.m.)

In this intimate conversation with Dr. Hugo Morales, learn the life story of Morales, who founded Radio Bilingüe in 1976 and expanded it into the nation’s largest Latino radio station network. Like many of the estimated 350,000 indigenous Oaxacans who have migrated to California, Morales has felt the sting of double discrimination.

What Does Growing Agave Mean to California?

September 27 (1-2 p.m.)

Agave is a crop that can be financially viable, environmentally resilient and culturally appropriate. This conversation features Yessica Viridiana Fernandez, Ph.D. candidate from the University of Chapingo in Mexico, and Samuel Sandoval Solis, UC Cooperative Extension water resources specialist.

learning & development highlights

Sept. 14: Transferrable Skills: Applying to Jobs You Haven't Done Yet

In this UC Davis virtual offering (3-4 p.m.), learn to identify and communicate your transferrable skills in a new context. De tails.

Sept. 29: The Wisdom of Trauma

Watch the film "The Wisdom of Trauma" and join a discussion with Dr. Gabor Maté on integrating trauma-informed principles within organizations (2-4 p.m.). In-person and virtual. Register.

Oct. 12: How to Engage in Healthy Conflict

Learn the skill of healthy conflict so that you can effectively manage conflicts as they arise (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). Open to all UC ANR employees via NCFDD (get free account). Details.

important dates

Oct. 31 education reimbursement deadline draws near

UC ANR Staff Assembly provides financial assistance for career and professional training and development through the Educational Reimbursement Program.

If you participated or will participate in a training or career development activity between April 16, 2023 and Oct. 31, 2023, the next deadline to apply for reimbursement is Oct. 31, 2023.

All ANR career staff employees (represented and non-represented) who have completed the probationary period are eligible to apply, as well as all UCCE County paid staff employees in good standing.

Apply for reimbursement

did you know?

Online ergonomic

self-assessment tool now available

A new online self-assessment tool evaluates each employee's workstation ergonomics and provides virtual guidelines on improvements.

Using the information from the online assessment, ANR Environmental Health & Safety specialists then can provide an ergonomic evaluation as well, both in-person and remotely.

To access the module, visit https://app.riskandsafety.com and please use your UC ANR email/login credentials.

After you log in, you'll see the tool on the upper right corner of the main page. Once you complete the Ergonomic Assessment Training, it will lead you to the questionnaires about your workstation.

When employees complete the self-assessment, Duwon Choi, UC ANR Environmental Health and Safety specialist, will contact them to discuss their concerns and provide ergonomic adjustment and evaluation if needed.

Learn more

The Current is your monthly Staff Assembly e-newsletter, distributed on the second Tuesday of each month (read archived past issues). All staff members at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources are part of UC ANR Staff Assembly. We on the Staff Assembly Council help advise senior leadership and advocate on your behalf, and we also organize programs and events that promote your professional development and personal growth. (Note: Academics are members of our counterpart entity, Academic Assembly.)

Photo credits | Hispanic Heritage Month image courtesy of Ricardo Vela; Working at desk: Jan Baborák on Unsplash