Dear CUCSA Friends and Affiliates,
A series of violent, hateful and utterly unprovoked attacks against Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders has occurred throughout the state and the nation. Black, Native, Latinx, and other People of Color have been victimized and traumatized as well. This violence is not random or isolated. Bias and prejudice have a long and troubled history, and the pandemic has fueled xenophobia and hatred. CUCSA expresses solidarity with and sympathy for all in our community and beyond who have been hurt, frightened and traumatized by these vile, racist incidents.
The Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) Leadership and Delegation denounce racism and xenophobia in all its forms!
We will stand together in support of our friends, neighbors, and colleagues. In doing so, we contribute to a long history of solidarity work across racial and ethnic lines to fight systemic racism, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and colonialism. We want to promote making an effort to understand and support anti-racism practices on and off campus. You can be an agent of social change!
For those who may be in need, here are a couple of resources:
- If you’d like to talk to a counselor, please contact your local Faculty and Staff Assistance Program.
- Stop AAPI Hate tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning, and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders nationwide.
UC Staff Assemblies
CUCSA 2020-2021
The CUCSA delegation meets quarterly for 2 1/2 days to share organizational best practices, communicate and collaborate on issues of concern for UC Staff. This year’s meetings are:
- September 2-4, 2020 CUCSA Meeting – UC Irvine (Remote)
- December 2-4, 2020 CUCSA Meeting – UC Riverside (Remote)
- March 3-5, 2021 CUCSA Meeting – UC ANR (Remote)
- June 2-4, 2021 CUCSA Meeting – UC San Francisco
Each year, the delegation organizes into specific work groups that focus on staff needs and concerns. This year, the delegation will be examining the following topics:
Fostering a Flexible Work Culture
As the UC looks for ways to be an employer of choice and reduce our carbon footprint, one suggestion is there could be more leadership support for workplace flexibility. […] Flexible work arrangements include telecommuting, alternative work schedules and compressed workweeks. […] For the staff member, research shows that workplace flexibility helps employees feel empowered, increases engagement, improves employee health, and improves work/life balance.
CUCSA has been looking at financial wellness the last few years. In 2016-17 and 2017-18, CUCSA focused on financial literacy and made recommendations to UC Systemwide Human Resources. In 2018-19, the conversation changed to focusing on basic needs. For the purpose of this group, basic needs is defined as: the most essential resources required to live; including access to potable water, nutritious food, stable housing, clean clothing, and/or financial wellness resources to assist in acquiring those items. From this definition, the focus of this group is nutritious food and stable housing. […] The work group will look into how the University can help address staff basics needs through CUCSA, the staff assemblies and the Healthy Campus Network.
Issues of staff compensation is one of the most pressing concerns on most staff members’ minds. This work group focuses on the overall compensation package at the University of California, future impacts that may affect the retention of staff over the long term as well as recruiting the most competitive candidates that come to UC.
Regular updates and the results of the delegates’ work will be posted on the website so visit often!
