Fall Diversity Awareness Workshops

The Office of Campus Community Relations is taking nominations for Fall Diversity Awareness Workshops for staff and faculty — those who are committed to building an inclusive campus community.

“As our campus continues to grow, these types of dialogues become even more meaningful to ensure that we are creating a campus environment that fosters diversity and inclusiveness,” said Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor.

More than 650 people have participated since the workshops began in 1993.

The program’s goal is to foster greater understanding of diversity among faculty, staff and students, by providing a safe atmosphere for campus members to discuss important issues related to diversity, equity and community.

Two workshops are scheduled: Monday-Tuesday, Aug. 29-30, and Monday-Tuesday, Sept. 12-13. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Outside consultants run the workshops.

People are welcome to nominate themselves or their colleagues. For more information, contact Mikael Villalobos, administrator of Diversity Education, (530) 752-2071 or mbvillalobos@ucdavis.edu.

Online driver training, safety gear for vehicles

Fleet Services has converted its Safe Driver Awareness Training from a classroom course to an online format — and all employees are welcome to take it, regardless of whether you drive as part of your job.

In addition, Fleet Services and Safety Services have teamed to outfit university vehicles with back-up beepers, distance sensors and special mirrors — all intended to reduce the number of accidents that happen when driving in reverse.

Safe Driver Awareness Training is required if you typically drive on official university business, in personal or university vehicles, at least one hour a day, five days a week, or, if your driving on official university business takes up at least 10 percent of your work time (excluding sworn police officers).

Read more.

California Avenue off Old Davis Road: It's closed!

The monthlong closure of California Avenue off Old Davis Road began July 14, to accommodate the roundabout construction project at that intersection.

The closure — between Old Davis Road and Arboretum Drive, just south of the arboretum waterway — is in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until about Aug. 14. During this time, drivers are prohibited from turning from Old Davis Road onto California Avenue, leading to the core campus.

A detour is in place, going around the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts via Arboretum Drive (the “Old” Old Davis Road) and looping back to California Avenue where it crosses the waterway. You can avoid the detour by taking Highway 113 to Hutchison Drive.

Campus officials had previously announced that the California Avenue closure would begin July 5, and later adjusted that to July 12. The construction crew started the project as scheduled last week, doing work around the edges, so to speak, and holding off on the full closure of California Avenue until absolutely necessary.

Project managers said Old Davis Road will be open at all times during construction, through Sept. 13, but drivers should expect delays, including one-way traffic control at off-peak travel times.

The campus is building the roundabout to ease traffic congestion and improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

Officials said the roadwork should be completed and the roundabout fully operation by the start of the fall quarter, while the landscaping and electrical work may take a bit longer.

Earlier coverage, including maps.

'Gotta love our groundskeepers!'

UC Davis groundskeepers go the distance in keeping the campus clean of litter, making sure it goes in the trash. But what happens when the “litter” turns out to be a paycheck?

They return it to its owner, that’s what.

Chip Swenson tracked down Brenda Dawson by e-mail last Friday (July 8). He said he found her check just after 5 a.m. that day, on the ground below the automated teller machines at the Memorial Union.

Dawson, who works in communications for the UC Small Farm Program, sent an e-mail of her own — to notify Swenson’s boss, Cary Avery, grounds superintendent, about what Swenson had done.

“Chip Swenson e-mailed me early this morning, and then called my office to say he’d be dropping by a paycheck of mine that he found on campus.

“Phew! Somehow I had no idea I had lost it, but I’m so thankful it was found and delivered back to me! It’s great to know we have such reliable and caring staff taking care of our campus. My heartfelt thanks go out to you and your team!”

She even tweeted about it: “Gotta love #UCDavis staff! A groundskeeper found a check I had lost, hunted me down and came by my office to drop it off.”

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