Council of University of California Staff Assemblies (CUCSA)
Press Release
http//www.ucop.edu/cucsa

University of California, Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, June 3-5, 2009

The Council of University of California Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) held its fourth quarterly meeting of the 2008-09 academic year at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on June 3-5, 2009. The Council is an advisory body composed of two delegates from each of the ten campuses, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the Office of the President (UCOP). Officers are Lin King, Chair (UC Davis); Nancy Horton, Vice Chair (UC Berkeley); and Beverly Skinner, Secretary (UC Berkeley). CUCSA meets on a quarterly basis rotating between the campuses, the national lab, and the Office of the President to promote communication and to solicit feedback on interests of primary concern to staff.

Associate Vice Chancellor Steve Lustig
Associate Vice Chancellor Lustig welcomed officers and delegates to UC Berkeley and talked about staff organizations. He briefly discussed three of the thirteen staff organizations explaining how they formed, their functions, and relationship: Business Process Analysis Working Group (BPAWG), Cal Assessment Network (CAN), and Berkeley Research Administration Group (BRAG). He also talked about the Center for Organizational & Workforce Effectiveness (COrWE) and its purpose, such as Career Compass which was launched about one and one-half years ago and includes job families and functions for deans, department chairs, and staff. He also gave talked about the emergency backup program for child and elder care, the Child Care Work Group that is being piloted by UC Berkeley and UC Santa Barbara.

Bill Johansen, Staff Advisor to the Regents and Ed Abeyta, Staff Advisor Designate
The Staff Advisor and Staff Advisor Designate talked about budget issues; campus visits in 2008-2009, they still have to visit UCOP and LBNL; and said that the Staff Advisor to The Regents Designate for 2009-2010 has not yet been appointed. They also said that Faculty and Staff Advisers were invited to Sacramento this year to meet with legislators for the first time.

Interim Director of LBNL Paul Alivisatos
Interim Director of LBNL Alivisatos welcomed officers and delegates to LBNL and talked about the lab, research that is being conducted there and recognized its long and distinguished history.

President Mark G Yudof
President Yudof first acknowledged Bill Johansen and the service he has provided as the Staff Advisor to UC Regents by presenting him with a certificate. President Yudof then went on to discuss the budget situation and some of the solutions being considered systemwide to meet the $3.25 billion shortfall. He is working with Chancellors and other senior administrators at all campuses and waiting to hear if the $600 million stimulus package will be approved prior to making the decisions about how to cover the 19 to 20% budget cut. He is also concerned with the possible discontinuance of Cal Grants and what that will mean to lower income students.

Vera Potapenko, Director, Human Resources, LBNL
Director Potapenko gave a presentation on the lab’s HR plans and strategic plan for the next three years.

Susan Brady, Department Head, Center for Science & Engineering Education, LBNL
Manager Brady distributed materials and talked about the Education and Outreach Opportunities for the Berkeley Lab Staff program that is used for recruiting purposes. She also talked about their Cal Teach program which is predominantly for fifth graders.

Kathy Mendonca, UC Berkeley and Sue Anderson, UC Riverside
Kathy and Sue gave a Leadership Training Exercise for officers and delegates.

Stefano DeSantis, Staff Scientist, LBNL and Senior CUCSA Delegate for LBNL
DeSantis gave a tour of the Advanced Light Source at LBNL.

Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor, UC Berkeley
Chancellor Birgeneau talked about the budget and what it means to be the best public university in the world and the education UC Berkeley provides to students. He talked about campus staff awards including the Excellence in Management which was recently held and said he was inspired by the dedicated people at UC Berkeley. He is concerned with Cal Grants and how to manage the budget and is distressed with the cuts that will have to be made.

Gibor Basri, Vice Chancellor, Equity and Inclusion, UC Berkeley
Vice Chancellor Basri talked about his role and how it affects faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students. He shared his strategic plan and Director Reels’s role in the newly created position of Director for Staff Diversity Initiatives.

Sidalia Reel, Director, Staff Diversity Initiatives, UC Berkeley
Director Reel gave a presentation on the Climate Survey recently conducted at UC Berkeley.

Leslie Tang Schilling, UC Regent
Regent Schilling talked about her role as a Regent and the budget cuts to UC compared to cuts to prisons. She suggested that CUCSA delegates convey to the Staff Advisers to the Regents that they should take an even larger role in promoting staff issues. Regent Schilling felt everyone should contact their local legislators to let them know about the state of affairs in California and that higher education is a priority.

Randolph Scott, Executive Director, Strategic Planning and Workforce Development, Human Resources and Benefits, UC Office of the President
Executive Director Scott thanked officers and senior delegates for their contributions to the University of California. He talked about what the budget cuts may mean but could not specifically answer some delegates’ questions about the current budget crisis, retirement, benefits, staff reductions, equity, or the decisions that will be made to meet budget cuts. He also thought we should contact our legislators about making the University of California a priority.

Delegates delivered campus updates from their local staff assemblies. Some key activities at UC campuses, LBNL, and UCOP during this past quarter included:
Staff Advisors to the UC Regents visits
Lunch with Chancellors and Staff scholarships
Annual staff appreciation activities
First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at UC Merced’s graduation
Fundraising for local assemblies
Activities for staff who work non-traditional hours
Emerging Research Series to foster relationship between faculty and staff
Staff awards
Cookie taste off
Ice cream social
Meeting with local Academic Senate
Town Hall/Gown Meetings
Pancake breakfast and Staff Breakfast
Noon time presentations