Instead of opening fire hydrants and letting water gush out, the flushing crew has been doing its work — 600,000 gallons in the first week alone — with almost zero water loss. At each location, water flows from a fire hydrant, through a hose to a set of filters, then through another hose into a different hydrant — thus going back into the water system. The filters capture sediment and corrosion debris that might be present in the pipelines.

Flushing may result in reddish or cloudy water coming from taps for short periods. If at any point you have concerns with the water (e.g., odors, red hue, poor taste), contact the Facilities Management Customer Support Center by phone, 530-752-1655, or email.

More information is available at surfacewater.ucdavis.edu.

Register now for dialogue workshops

Registration is still open for free, half-day workshops presented by the Office of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation:

• “Bridging Divides with Dialogue” — How do we connect as a community in light of the issues on which we disagree strongly, such as income inequality, immigration, affirmative action, freedom of expression or same-sex marriage? 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Aug. 16, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center, Davis campus.
• “Daunting Discussions” — Learn why these discussions may veer into unproductive conflict. Workshop covers how to prepare for difficult conversations and offers information on tools that may help you in having these talks. 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Aug. 17, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center. (This workshop will be repeated from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, on the Sacramento campus.)

Staff and faculty can arrange registration online. Student registration is by email: Include your name and session or sessions that you wish to attend. Questions? Contact Campus Dialogue and Deliberation by phone, 530-754-7741, or email. 

Med Center ranked among top hospitals

The UC Davis Medical Center is among the 50 best hospitals in the nation for 10 specialties including cancer treatment, geriatrics, pulmonology and more, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The rankings will be published in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2017” guidebook, and take into account patient survival, the number of times a given procedure is performed, infection rates, adequacy of nurse staffing and more.

In regional rankings, UC Davis Medical Center was recognized as No. 1 in the Sacramento metropolitan area and fifth in California.

More information is available on the medical center’s website. 

Mark this on your calendar: Order new campus poster calendars!

The calendars will sell for $1.99 apiece, folded or unfolded; the 10 percent departmental purchase discount will apply when payment is made by recharge account. The preorder form has been sent by email to past customers; if you’d like a form, send an email to UC Davis Stores’ School and Office Supplies Department.

Sarah Brodberg of UC Davis Stores said the calendars are expected to arrive around Aug. 18 from the printer. Many will be delivered, per customer requests; others will be available for pickup at the Campus Store (the new name for the main store in the Memorial Union). Brodberg advised: "Please be aware that delivery orders may take several days to reach you due to high volume and limited courier van space. For customers near the Memorial Union, we encourage you to consider picking up or purchasing in-store."

Calendars will be available for sale in all store locations: Memorial Union, ARC Pro Shop, Welcome Center and Downtown (Second and F streets).

Printers used for hate messages

Several unsecured, internet-connected printers produced a message of hate speech last week, sent by an unknown source.

A similar incident hit numerous campus printers in March, and Information and Educational Technology is reemphasizing the need to secure printers. IET has been scanning the campus for unsecured printers and deactivating them, and has so far cut off 300 with potentially unsafe connections.

Printer administrators should take steps immediately to ensure that their printers are secure. If they have questions or concerns, they should contact the Information Security Office at cybersecurity@ucdavis.edu. More information is available at TechNews.

Annual payroll disclosure

The UC Office of the President recently made its annual public disclosure of employee compensation for the previous calendar year. The 2015 payroll data, along with a summary analysis, is online and will be made available to news media upon request.

Officials said the release of such data is part of the university’s commitment to being transparent and publicly accountable, and is consistent with similar practices at many other public institutions.

UC officials pointed out that employee compensation at public institutions like the university is considered a public record under the California Public Records Act. UC’s Personnel Policies for Staff Members, Section 80, and Academic Personnel Manual, Section 160, specify the information (such as name, position title and salary) that, in general, the university shall release upon request.

At UC Davis, questions about access to payroll data may be directed to Lynette Temple, information practices coordinator, by phone, 530-752-3949; or by email to the Public Records Office.

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