Updated 7 a.m. June 19: The Sacramento Bee issues an alert stating: "Fix 50 is finally over. All lanes on Hwy. 50 reopened at 5 a.m. before this morning's commute."

•••

The California Department of Transportation isn’t confirming the date, but the “Fix 50” contractor has said he will finish the project this Thursday (June 19). Caltrans is sticking with the previously scheduled end date of June 25.

Either way, we’re in the final days of repair work that has put the squeeze on U.S. Highway 50 in central Sacramento since April 22 — cutting off half the lanes going east (April 22-May 16) and half the lanes going west (since May 27).

The project between the Davis and Sacramento campuses has meant delays for people commuting to and from either campus; for staff, faculty and students traveling between campuses during the day; and for visitors.

For a good part of the project, UC Davis beefed up its intercampus shuttle and waived the fare. This accomplished two things: It cut down the number of cars on the road, and gave passengers a break from driving, so they could work on their mobile devices while en route to work.

However, with the end of the spring quarter and as Fix 50 winds down, the shuttle returned to its regular schedule on Monday (June 16). The fare waiver is still in effect, through Monday, June 30.

UC Davis and Fix 50.

Workshop: Making Collaboration Work

The Office of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation is taking sign-ups for a workshop titled Making Collaboration Work, to be held Wednesday, July 9, on the Sacramento campus, and Thursday, July 10, on the Davis campus.

“We work with partners, in groups and on teams with students from other disciplines, colleagues in other offices and professionals across the causeway,” the workshop flier states. “These collaborations can be richly rewarding — and also frustrating and time-consuming.”

The workshop is open to faculty and other academics, staff, and graduate students and undergraduate students.

Experienced mediator and teacher Carolyn Penny will lead the workshop, which she described as a highly interactive exploration of collaboration: what it is, ways to build trust and accountability, considerations when deciding whether to collaborate, and options to address common collaboration pitfalls.

“Learn from a mediator with over 25 years of experience, get to know university colleagues, and practice new skills as you enhance tools to collaborate effectively,” the flier states.

The workshop is free. Space is limited, however, and interested people are expected to register with a commitment to engage fully for the entire workshop.

• Wednesday, July 9 — 9 a.m.-noon, 3207 Education Building, Sacramento
• Thursday, July 10 — 1-4 p.m. , Meeting Room D, Student Community Center

Registration can be arranged online. Questions? Contact Peter Hendricks by phone, (530) 754-7741, or email.

Top rankings for children’s hospital

UC Davis Children’s Hospital has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s top hospitals in four pediatric subspecialties.

In the magazine’s “Best Children’s Hospitals,” UC Davis and its next-door neighbor Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California, long-standing partners in caring for children with burns, spinal cord injuries, urological issues and orthopaedic disorders, received a 22nd-place ranking in orthopaedics and a 47th-place ranking in urology.

UC Davis ranked 23rd in nephrology and 28th in neonatology.

“These rankings speak volumes about the excellence of UC Davis Children’s Hospital staff — the doctors, nurses, technicians and our teams who deliver the very best care for children in the Sacramento region and beyond,” said Ann Madden Rice, chief executive officer of the UC Davis Medical Center and its children’s hospital.

Read the complete news release.

In case you missed it: UCRP contributions to rise

Contribution rates for most UC Retirement Plan-eligible employees are going up July 1 — the extra deduction will start with your first check for July earnings, July 16 or Aug. 1, depending on your pay schedule.

Faculty and staff in the 1976 Tier — generally those hired prior to July 1, 2013 — will pay 8 percent of pay, up from 6.5 percent. Employees in the 2013 Tier — those hired or rehired on or after July 1, 2013 — will continue to pay 7 percent.

The university will pay more, too: 14 percent of pay, up from 12 percent, for all employees.

The Board of Regents approved the 2014 increase in contributions in July 2013. This followed its adoption in 2010 of a series of measures to ensure the long-term viability of UC’s post-employment benefits. As of today, no additional increases in contributions are being considered.

Provisions for union-represented employees are subject to collective bargaining where applicable; members should check their collective bargaining agreements for contribution rates.

Follow Dateline UC Davis on Twitter.