The deadline for the ProShare networking program has been extended a week to Friday, Dec. 21, the same deadline that applies for the Group Mentoring Program.

• ProShare — For managers, aspiring managers and staff at all levels, on the Davis and Sacramento campuses, to develop and build connections with their colleagues across campus and across the causeway, for mutual guidance and support. Sponsored by the Administrative Management Group, or ADMAN, and Staff Assembly introduced the program in 2016 and continue to sponsor it.

Starting in January and running through July, participants will be assigned to small cohorts that will meet monthly for about 90 minutes. Within each cohort, each member will take a turn as the monthly host for programs that could include department tours, presentations to the group and discussions of key management issues.

The program also includes three plenary meetings, with the kickoff event on Jan. 22 in Davis.

Registration can be arranged online. The deadline to register is Dec. 21.

Additional questions? Contact Ellen Jordan by email.

• Group Mentoring Program — This six-month program, held on the Davis and Sacramento campuses, is for mentors with classifications up to PSS Grade 5 and mentors with classifications of PSS Grade 5 or higher; all participants must have career status and at least one year of service at UC Davis.

The program, designed to promote a culture of leading by example and supporting professional development, comprises approximately 32 hours, inclusive of professional development activities and estimated travel time. The schedule comprises orientation for mentors, March 27; six monthly meetings in small groups, starting in April (dates, times and locations to be set by the groups); and large group meetings April 25, July 9 and Oct. 3.

Links to each application — mentee and mentor — are on the program website (near the bottom of the page). The deadline is Dec. 21 and applicants will be notified of their status Feb. 28.

More information is available from Judy Isaman of UC Davis Health Training and Development; contact her by email or phone, 916-734-2542.

Volunteer opportunity: IT security symposium

The most recent Information Security Symposium at UC Davis, in 2017, earned great reviews thanks partly to the talented volunteers who helped to plan and support the event.

The planning committee now wants to assemble a similarly capable crew as it starts preparing for the next symposium, scheduled for June 18-19. Among other perks, committee members don’t have to pay the symposium’s registration fee and can attend its sessions for free.

This every-other-year symposium, which usually sells out in advance, presents two days of lectures, labs and discussions on topics involving privacy, information, computer and network security. The 2017 event attracted about 525 people from throughout the University of California and elsewhere in higher education. That was a record, and about 50 percent larger than the attendance in 2015.

Volunteer duties include communications, curriculum planning, registration, logistics, menu, and venue planning. To volunteer, or to learn more about the commitment required, contact the organizers by email by end of day Wednesday, Dec. 19.

“A lot of people who have volunteered for different events will tell you this one is among their favorites,” said Joyce Johnstone of the campus Information Security Office, who is co-managing the 2019 symposium. “It can be a lot of work, but it’s fun and rewarding.”

The planning committee will meet regularly starting Jan. 10.

— TechNews

Faculty: Thinking about retirement?

The UC Davis Retiree Center issued a reminder about registration for the center’s four-part “Transitioning to Retirement” series for 2019, inviting faculty to sign up for the faculty-specific sessions and noting that the staff sessions nearly full.

The sessions are scheduled to begin Jan. 11 on the Davis campus and Feb. 8 on the Sacramento campus.

The series is meant for staff, faculty, physicians and other academics who are considering retirement within five years.

Each track — staff and faculty/physicians/academics — will meet for three hours in the morning or afternoon, on four consecutive Fridays. In each series — Davis campus and Sacramento campus — both tracks will meet the same days in the same locations. The staff meetings will be from 9 a.m. to noon, while the faculty/physicians/academics will meet from 1 to 4 p.m.

Each track is divided as follows: Part 1 — Introduction and UC Retirement Plan, Part 2 — Retiree Health Benefits and Social Security, Part 3 — Financial Planning in Retirement and Part 4 — Work-Life Transitions.

Here are the dates and locations:

• Davis campus — Jan. 11, 18 and 25, and Feb. 1, in the Conference Center Ballroom
• Sacramento campus — Feb. 8, 15 and 22, and March 1, Cancer Center Auditorium, 2279 45th St.

When registering, you can enroll in one, two, three or four parts, although the organizers recommend you complete the entire series. Look for the links (and more information) on the following pages:

• Information and registration links for staff
• Information and registration links for faculty/physicians/academics

Be sure to select the correct desired location. For assistance with registration, contact Staff Development and Professional Services, 530-752-1766. Note: Your supervisor will not be automatically notified when you register for this series.

If you cannot attend the series, or if you are more than five years from retirement, online presentations and other resources are available on the Retiree Center’s retirement planning webpage.

Questions? Contact the Retiree Center by email or phone, 530-752-5182.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.