The Open Houses give Division colleagues an opportunity to check in with each other and receive updates from the DFA leadership transition team. Please make sure you have the latest version of Zoom so you can participate in the meetings’ breakout rooms. Download the latest Zoom software here.

DFA Suggestion Box: If you have questions or ideas you'd like to be addressed at the DFA Open Houses, please share them here. All posts are anonymous. 

UC Merced leaders, in coordination with the UC Office of the President, are developing cost savings necessitated by economic stresses from the coronavirus pandemic. On Dec. 4, Interim CFO Kurt Schnier and Chief of Staff to the Chancellor Luanna Putney outlined the university's budget and presented options for an employee salary/time reduction program as a cost-saving measure.

A page has been posted on the DFA site where you can watch a video of the town hall and see the Kurt's slide presentation. Most important, answers to the many questions posed at the meeting are being posted there.

Please take the survey: There are three options for the salary/time reduction plan; employees are asked to complete a brief survey in which they can indicate their preference. Please complete the survey by EOB Thursday, Dec. 10.

UC Merced has started the process of developing the university’s first campus-wide strategic plan. The initiative, called Imagine 2030, will guide UC Merced for the next decade.

If you are unable to attend a meeting, or if you come up with an idea after one, you can contribute directly at the strategic planning website. The site includes a place where staff can post their thoughts. All contributions are anonymous. 

Here is a taste of more than two years of work, by the numbers: 

SERVICENOW? HOW ABOUT SERVICEWOW

Conflict Resolution Coach Luke Wiesner’s thoughtful pieces about effective communication, which have appeared weekly in Monday Memo, are now collected in a new home – a blog on the Human Resources site. The format gives Luke’s advice more room to breathe, and allows you to browse earlier posts, such as this one on encouraging non-verbal communication during a Zoom call. Alerts about his latest posts will continue to appear in Monday Memo. 

Each month, we turn a spotlight on a Division colleague to learn about their lives with UC Merced and beyond. Is there someone you would like to nominate for the monthly profile? Let us know. 

What is your job title? Auxiliaries Training and Employment Manager 

What does your job entail? I work with Auxiliaries departments to extend training opportunities to staff and assist with employment initiatives such as proactive planning and strategic recruitment. I also facilitate onboarding and offboarding, and act as a liaison to Human Resources. 

What do you enjoy the most about it? The best part of my job is collaborating with people in the organization to ensure resources are accessible so they are able to reach their goals and potential. I enjoy keeping up relationships with employees and, best of all, meeting and watching new UC Merced students grow from working on campus. You build lifelong relationships and really get to see the impact staff have on students, especially staff who are doing essential work. 

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about AFI? AFI might seem new and unfamiliar, but its people, many of them designated staff, are familiar to many of us. AFI’s departments have been servicing the campus since its inauguration. Dining, Housing, Campus Store and Transportation & Parking Services, as well as our partners at ECEC and in Residence Education, have a shared goal of student success – making resources equitable for current and future students. We appreciate and thank all who have been the boots on the ground, continuing to provide essential services through this pandemic, and making sure our students are fed and our working areas are safe and clean.

What do you do to relax? I want to say I take long hikes and read honorary literary pieces, but I actually enjoy watching sitcoms to unwind. Although I am an avid binge-watcher, you have to have a back-pocket comedy that allows you to sit back, relax and not worry about plot holes or require you to watch an explanation video. My latest sitcom, which I highly recommend, is “Parks and Recreation.” I was amazed by how some of the content mirrored what we are going through. We all need a bit of Leslie Knope in our lives right now.

What’s your comfort food? Potatoes. Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew! 

What’s your favorite magical or mythological creature? I thought a lot about this one. I was stuck on elves and gremlins. I chose gremlins (furry gremlins, not ones who turn scary when they get wet). Elves are cool and mystical, but furry gremlins are so cute and I dreamed of having one as a friend/pet. 

If you could live anyplace in the world for a year, where would it be and why? To experience any new place for a year would be an adventure. I think I would choose to live in Paris. I was there for one and a half days. We were steeped in culture and there was so much more to explore. I could learn so much in a year and it would be a wonderful experience, I think. 

Thanks to everyone who responded to last month's question: iPhone or Android? There were 31 responses: 

But enough about technology (for now). Let's get into the holiday spirit with the next question.

Do you have questions? Feedback you want to share? Something you want to put into the next newsletter? Reach out via our Comment Box or by emailing us at [email protected]

DFA Update, a newsletter for the Division of Finance and Administration, is published monthly. Follow these links to catch up on news in earlier issues: