Strategic Plan – Goals – Goal 1

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CUCSA Strategic Plan Goal 1

Goal 1: Solidify and enhance CUCSA’s identity as the UC-wide partner for non-represented staff advocacy

Vision

It is CUCSA’s mission to maintain and enhance communication within and across the University Community on matters of interest and concern to those who are not exclusively represented. In order to posture itself to fulfill this mission, it is essential that CUCSA establish a well-defined identity. An internal understanding of identity by delegates focuses priorities and guides conduct. An external recognition of identity by partners enhances organizational positioning and bolsters legitimacy. Efforts should be put toward developing both internal and external conception of this identity.

There are two key components to emphasize as CUCSA’s identity becomes better defined:

  1. Partnership: CUCSA is distinct from unions in that it does not have collective bargaining power. To affect change it depends primarily upon partnership with others and the tools of communication, collaboration, and strategic alignment to achieve its aims.
  2. Duty to advocate for non-represented staff: While CUCSA endeavors to make UC a first-rate employer for all staff, it bears a unique responsibility as an advocate for those who are not represented by a union. Recognition must be given to this duty in order to ensure that CUCSA is regarded and positioned as an essential partner when it comes to issues of interest to non-represented staff.

Objectives

  1. Strengthen and align a focused sense of identity and purpose among CUCSA’s leadership and delegates
  2. Increase recognition of CUCSA among Regents and systemwide leadership
  3. Standardize staff inclusion in systemwide and local hiring committees, policy decisions, and other staff-affecting decision-making bodies
  4. Serve as a systemwide data sharing hub to empower staff advocates and boost legitimacy
  5. Increase awareness of CUCSA, its mission, and how to interface with it among non-represented staff

Measures

  • CUCSA newsletter analytics
  • Number of volunteers for public comment on CUCSA messaging
  • Number of interactions with stakeholders
  • Perception survey
  • Online presence analytics (website and social media)

Suggested Strategies

  • Establish a procedure for inventorying, tracking, and publicizing the status of CUCSA recommendations and programs
  • Create an “Advocacy Statistics” one-pager for distribution to local staff assemblies and other partners; establish a standing refresh cycle
  • Initiate an information campaign clarifying the mission of CUCSA, differentiating it from unions, and offering collaboration channels
  • Identify staff data that would be useful from an advocacy perspective: obtain, aggregate, and publish
    Have council-wide discussions about current issues of focus and strategy in the context of CUCSA’s purpose to foster alignment and buy in
  • Create a space that allows for timely and confidential communication within the delegation about politically sensitive happenings, such as informal monthly leadership updates to the delegation
  • Establish guidance for what sort of information should be shared from leadership to the delegation to create transparency consistency