Staff Assembly opens scholarship application period

Staff Assembly is now accepting applications for staff scholarships, including the new Larry N. Vanderhoef award, and staff dependent scholarships. The application deadline is March 31

Three of the award categories are for staff, and a single application puts you in the running for all of them.

The Margene Orzalli Memorial Fund provides the money for one category of staff scholarships, given by Staff Assembly to career employees who are enrolled in any college, university or professional school for the purpose of working toward a certificate, or an associate, bachelor’s or graduate degree.

In addition, Staff Assembly administers staff scholarships that are funded by the Retirees Association and the Larry N. Vanderhoef Scholarship Fund. The campus community established the latter as a way to honor Vanderhoef for his service as chancellor; he stepped down last June, and now serves as chancellor emeritus.

Staff Assembly also offers the Staff Dependent Scholarship Program, for dependents who are attending or will attend UC Davis the year following receipt of the award, in this case 2010-11.

Staff dependent scholarships are funded by donations and fundraising, including the sale of staff pins.

In all four categories, according to Staff Assembly, scholarship recipients will be chosen on the basis of financial need; their commitment to work, self-improvement and school; and other worthy merits.

Staff Assembly advises: In order to allow others an equitable opportunity to be awarded scholarship funds, awardees are not eligible to receive funds two years in a row. Also, contract employees are not eligible for these programs.

Applications and more information. Questions should be directed to staffawards@ucdavis.edu.

Systemwide survey on staff morale

The Council of UC Staff Assemblies, or CUCSA, is undertaking a systemwide survey to measure staff morale.

Representatives of the Davis campus’s Staff Assembly said CUCSA’s intent is to use the survey data, including suggestions, ideas and concerns, to inform the university’s leaders of what they can do “to help all of us do our jobs and be more productive employees.”

The Davis campus’s Staff Assembly, in the organization’s Feb. 17 Staff Voice newsletter, asks employees to complete the survey by Feb. 26. The survey is available online: www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22A7UZ3LRRK.

CUCSA’s Staff Morale work group plans to compile a survey report and present it to the Board of Regents in July, according to the Davis campus’s Staff Assembly. Representatives said the report also will be posted on the Davis campus Staff Assembly’s Web site (staff.ucdavis.edu).

“So, your voice really does count, “ Davis campus Staff Assembly representatives said in Staff Voice. “And our collective UC systemwide voices will be heard at the highest levels on this particular subject.”

UC Davis to host CUCSA meeting March 3-5

UC Davis is hosting the quarterly meeting of the Coalition of UC Staff Assemblies, or CUCSA, March 3-5.

CUCSA comprises two members each from Staff Assembly or similar organizations at each UC campus, the Office of the President and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Lin King, former chair of the Davis campus’s Staff Assembly, serves now as CUCSA chair. King is program manager of R4 Recycling at Davis.

CUCSA’s draft agenda lists a 1 p.m. start time March 3 at the Embassy Suites on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall, for an afternoon of work group business.

On March 4, CUCSA is scheduled to convene its meeting in the Founders Room at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on the Davis campus. The draft agenda includes comments by UC Davis Povost and Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia; UC Davis Associate Vice Chancellor Karen Hull, in charge of Human Resources; and Associate Vice Chancellor John Meyer of Administrative and Resource Management.

Also expected to address CUCSA are Russell Gould, chair of the Board of Regents; and Ed Abeyta and Juliann Martinez, staff advisers to the Board of Regents.

CUCSA’s March 5 session is set to take place at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, with a welcome by Claire Pomeroy, vice chancellor, Human Health Sciences, and dean, School of Medicine.

The March 5 program also includes two speakers from the UC Office of the President: Howard Pripas, director, Employee Relations, Human Resources; and Dwaine Duckett, vice president, Human Resources.