Major construction is underway in the Arboretum Waterway, as you may have noticed. The arboretum is happy to tell you all about the project, during a pair of programs, one next week and the other later in the month.

In Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project, the contractor is dredging the waterway, creating a 15-inch elevation drop and building five weirs between the waterway’s east end and Wyatt Deck at Lake Spafford. Water will cascade from east to west in a recirculating system. Phase 1 also includes path improvements and landscaping.

In announcing the upcoming programs, titled “What’s up With the Arboretum Waterway,” officials said: “The Arboretum Waterway has a complex past and exciting future. Come learn about its history, how it came to be the centerpiece of the arboretum, and the plans for renovating and transforming it over the next few years.”

The programs are scheduled as follows:

• Monday, April 17 — Presented by Andrew Fulks, assistant director, Arboretum and Public Garden. Noon-1 p.m., Wyatt Deck.
• Sunday, April 30 — Presented by Ellen Zagory, director of public horticulture, Arboretum and Public Garden. 1:30-2:30 p.m., Wyatt Deck.

See construction detours map.

SiteFarm becomes available campuswide on April 17

SiteFarm, UC Davis’ modern web publishing platform, will be available campuswide starting Monday (April 17).

Campus website developers and communicators can use SiteFarm to build and manage websites. SiteFarms is a central service available at no cost to campus units, and includes cloud hosting; you can take it for a spin on the demo site.

Cascade, a content management system adopted by the campus in 2009, continues to be available for existing users. A migration tool to move content from Cascade websites to SiteFarm will be introduced this summer. Read more about SiteFarm.

To get your site on launch day, study the training materials, then complete the site request form before 2 p.m. this Friday (April 14).

— TechNews

Theatre option for sexual violence prevention training

By now we should all know UC requires all faculty and staff  — supervisors and nonsupervisors alike — to undergo sexual violence and sexual harassment prevention training. UC Davis offers online training as well as in-person training options — including a Life Theatre program scheduled for next week.

This is a return trip for Life Theatre Services — “back by popular demand,” said the organizers. They said the Emmy Award-winning theatre company “presents an exhilarating, educational and fun alternative to online sexual harassment training,” complete with spirited discussion. 

Under California law (AB 1825), all new and continuing supervisors, including faculty members, must undergo at least two hours of training every two years. UC has extended this requirement to all employees. The Life Theatre program satisfies state law and UC policy.

Next week’s Life Theatre program will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 19, in Ballroom B at the Activities and Recreation Center. Space is limited; sign-ups are on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration can be arranged online, via the UC Learning Management System (search for “Life Theatre”), or by contacting Staff Development and Professional Services by email or phone, 530-752-1766

Campus unit offers workshops on change management

Organizational Excellence is presenting a series of change management workshops from now through summer.

• “Fundamentals of Change Management” — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. (An earlier session, April 25, has a waiting list.)
• “Change Management for Project Teams” — Especially for people who are project managers or part of project teams. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, July 18.
• “Change Management for Managers and Supervisors” — Presenting tools and skills to help managers and supervisors understand and process change for themselves, and to successfully  lead their teams through change.9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.

Learn more about each workshop when you register via the UC Learning Management System (search for “change management”).

TGFS: Thank goodness for sports, logos and good guesses

Here are this week’s Thank Goodness for Staff reminders:

• Registration is underway for TGFS volleyball, golf, tennis and the Fun Run/Walk.
• Get creative! Enter the TGFS Logo Contest (in which Staff Assembly is seeking designs for the 2018 logo). Deadline: 5 p.m. Monday, April 24.
• Guess the Weight of Miss Bee Haven and friends! See last week’s Staff Voice for more information.

More information about TGFS.

UC begins benefits-related family member recertification

UC has launched its benefits-related Family Member Eligibility Recertification project, but some people will be contacted later than first announced.

UCOP announced that Secova Inc., working with UC Human Resources, is contacting employees and retirees who, prior to Dec. 31, 2014, enrolled spouses, domestic partners, grandchildren or legal wards in UC health coverage, and previously provided the appropriate documentation to verify the eligibility of such family members. The purpose is to verify that they are still eligible for UC coverage.

UCOP had announced that Secova’s outreach to all categories — staff, faculty and retirees — would begin in April. In fact, only staff and faculty are included in the first wave; outreach to retirees will be in early June.

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