Berkeleyan

News briefs

03 June 2004

One-time bonus paid-leave program proposed for employees
As part of its ongoing effort to recognize the many contributions and continued dedication of its employees, the University of California is proposing a new one-year Bonus Leave Program that gives employees additional paid leave time.

The proposed 2004-05 Bonus Leave Program will provide two additional paid leave days (16 hours for full-time employees, less for part-time employees) to non-represented staff not receiving a general salary increase in 2004-05. While the one-time program will run Dec. 15, 2004, through June 30, 2005, it is intended primarily for use during the December 2004 holiday period for locations that plan to close or partially close during that period.

“Our employees do an incredible job helping the university to fulfill its mission, and they all deserve to be adequately compensated for their tremendous contributions,” said Judy Boyette, UC associate vice president, human resources and benefits. “Unfortunately, we haven’t received sufficient support from the state to raise salaries significantly the last couple of years, so we’ve had to be creative in finding ways to recognize employees while we wait for the state budget to improve.”

The Bonus Leave Program is one of several measures UC has taken recently to help offset disappointing state funding for salaries the last few years. Other measures have included several deferred retirement income (CAP) programs and restructuring health-benefits costs to mitigate the impact of skyrocketing health-insurance premiums, especially for lower-paid employees.

The proposed program does not apply to UC DOE laboratory employees. Equivalent approaches are being developed for medical center employees. Programs for academic personnel are being explored. Application of the program to represented employees is subject to collective bargaining.

Comments or questions on the proposal should be sent to newhr1@berkeley.edu by 5 p.m. on June 8. Campus comments will be compiled and forwarded to UC Office of the President.

Chancellor search continues ... slowly
The search for a new Berkeley chancellor, to succeed Robert M. Berdahl, is “running smoothly,” say officials at UC’s Office of the President — but the process is taking longer than expected. Though the initial hope had been to have a successor named by the spring, it now appears it will be early summer before that person is presented to the UC Regents for approval.

“About” eight finalists have been identified out of a pool of several hundred prospects, UCOP says. The hope now is to close the search over the next four to six weeks and to have a single recommendation for UC President Robert Dynes to bring to the Regents later this month or in July.

Chancellor Berdahl is scheduled to step down on June 30, but he has indicated a willingness to stay on until a replacement is chosen. Alternatively, an interim chancellor may be appointed; that person would be a senior administrator already familiar with the Berkeley campus.

LRDP comment period ends June 14
The campus is accepting written comments on the draft 2020 Long Range Development Plan and Tien Center environmental impact report until 5 p.m. on June 14. Comments can be e-mailed to 2020LRDP@cp.berkeley.edu or submitted to Jennifer Lawrence, Facilities Services, 1926 University Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94720-1380.

For further information about the plan and EIR, visit lrdp.berkeley.edu.

Passports now available on campus
The Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) recently opened a passport office where applicants can obtain a new passport or renew an existing one. Located next to the front desk in RSF’s membership area, the office accepts and processes passport applications on behalf of the U.S. State Department. Membership in RSF is not required of those using the passport office, which is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. RSF is located on Bancroft Way between Ellsworth and Dana Streets.

A standard passport for an adult costs $55 and is valid for 10 years; expedited passports are available for $115. The fee for passport photos is $10.

For information on required forms, photos, and fees, visit calbears.berkeley.edu or the U.S. State Department’s site, travel.state.gov/passport_obtain.html.

Financial systems going offline during data center move
The main campus data center, located in the basement of Evans Hall for more than 30 years, is scheduled to be moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility adjacent to campus between June 25 and 28.

During the move all campus financial systems, including BFS, will be unavailable to campus users. Although the financial systems should be available on June 29 and 30, in case of unexpected delays in the restoration of service IS&T strongly encourages departments to process all transactions possible (invoices, payments, cash deposits, etc.) prior to the shutdown at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 25.

The fiscal-close information and deadlines are available for review online at controller.vcbf.berkeley.edu/FiscalClose/CloseLetter04.htm.

An FAQ about the data center move is at dcmove.berkeley.edu/dcfaqs.html.

Join the UC Berkeley AIDS Walk team
The UC Berkeley team is now forming for the 18th Annual AIDS Walk San Francisco on Sunday, July 18. Last year, about 80 people walked for the campus team, raising almost $11,000. You can participate in this year’s event as a walker, by sponsoring a team member, or by making a donation in the team’s name, University of California, Berkeley #0087.

The 10-kilometer (6.2- mile) walk, which begins in Sharon Meadow in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park at 10:30 a.m., takes about two to three hours to complete. There is an opening ceremony at 9:45 a.m., and a post-walk concert at 12:30 p.m.

There are three ways to register: online at www.aidswalk.net/sanfran; by phone at (415) 615-9255; or by mail. For those choosing the third option, registration cards are available at one of many waiting rooms and lobbies across campus (look for the AIDS Walk display stands). When you register, organizers ask, be sure to enter the Berkeley team number (0087). Following registration, you automatically will be sent a sponsor form and additional information.

If you would like to make a donation in the team’s name, you may do so at the website above, marking the Berkeley team number in the appropriate box.

For more information on the walk, contact campus team leader Marybeth Darusmont at 643-5285 or mbd@uhs.berkeley.edu. For specific information about campus HIV/AIDS resources, contact University Health Services at 642-7202.

For the record . . .
Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences William Berry was honored recently with a Faculty Service-Learning Award, not with a Chancellor’s Community Service Award as stated in our May 6 issue.

In that same issue, we neglected to properly credit the photo of Ida Louise Jackson, the alumna for whom the College-Durant Apartments are being renamed. The photo was provided by the Ida Louise Jackson Estate, to which we extend our apologies.