Our newly renovated Campus Store wants you to come see how cool and colorful it is! So, check out these events:

• Tours for faculty and staff — Every Tuesday, Aug. 2 through Sept. 13, at noon and 12:30 p.m. Every participant receives a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $30 or more (some exclusions apply).

• National Coloring Book Day — Join in a coloring contest Aug. 2! Get 20 percent off coloring books and markers. Check the UC Davis Stores Facebook page for details.

The store reopened June 6 after a 15-month remodel. The upper level features a new layout, colorful UC Davis graphics on the walls, fitting rooms and a section called Aggie Snacks (beverages and ready-made fresh-food items). The textbooks are back downstairs, along with art supplies.

Stay tuned for information on the Campus Store's ribbon-cutting and a faculty-staff one-day sale (Friday, Sept. 16), and grand reopening (Tuesday, Oct. 4).

Add your events to the Fall Welcome calendar

This summer, as you go about organizing your events for Fall Welcome, please remember to submit those events for inclusion on the Fall Welcome calendar. Look for the link “Add a Fall Welcome Calendar Event,” in the index on the left side of the page.

Something new this year: The Fall Welcome schedule will be posted on Guidebook, a mobile app. Events can be added to the Fall Welcome Calendar at any time, but only those events added before Aug. 15 will appear on Guidebook.

Caregiver resources and support group

Two items of interest to caregivers:

• Caregiver Resources Workshop — The campus has arranged for a repeat of this brown bag workshop first presented by WorkLife and Wellness in May. The Retiree Center has organized the repeat presentation, for retirees, faculty and staff, from noon to 1 p.m. this Thursday (July 28) in the Allewelt Room at the Buehler Alumni Center. Bring your lunch if you like; water, lemonade and cookies will be provided. The presenter is Dorene Fanning, a licensed clinical social worker, trainer and family consultant with Del Oro Caregiver Resource Center. She will share her expertise and knowledge with participants, while also focusing on caregiver respite and support programs. People who plan to attend are asked to register by email.

• Support group — Newly established and hosted by WorkLife and Wellness and the Women’s Resources and Research Center. This facilitated monthly support group is for staff, retirees and students who are caring for adults who are sick, disabled or fragile with age. Clinical psychologist Louise Bettner leads the group the second Friday of each month (the next meeting is Aug. 12), from noon to 1 p.m. in the WRRC Conference Room, North Hall. No reservations necessary. Send an email to worklife@ucdavis.edu to be added to a mailing list.

Workshops on dialogue, daunting discussions

The Office of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation announced half-day workshops on the topics of “Bridging Divides with Dialogue” (to be held once, on the Davis campus) and “Daunting Discussions” (to be held twice, once on the Davis campus and once on the Sacramento campus).

The free workshops are open to staff, students, faculty and other academics. Registration is free, but space is limited and participants are expected to register with a commitment to engage fully for the entire workshop.

“Join us in August for these three-hour workshops focused on how to stay engaged with one another across differences or when topics are charged,” the organizers said.

Carolyn Penny, director of Campus Dialogue and Deliberation, and who has 30 years of experience in mediation, will lead the workshops.

“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? Workshop covers deep listening skills and includes an opportunity for practice dialogue with other members of the UC Davis community.

• Tuesday, Aug. 16 — 9 a.m.-noon, 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.

• Wednesday, Aug. 17 — 9 a.m.-noon, Meeting Room D, Student Community Center
• Thursday, Aug. 18 — 1-4 p.m. Thursday, 3204 Education Building, 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.

TechNews: Canvas update, EdTech Commons

UC DAVIS CANVAS: Information and Educational Technology has posted its summer update on the campus’s move from SmartSite to UC Davis Canvas, and will continue to post updates and key facts every quarter during the 2016-17 transition. The July 25 update states: “Most interest this summer falls into two categories: Instructors who are teaching with the basic version of UC Davis Canvas now, and instructors who are preparing to start using it this fall or winter when its fuller set of features and integrations is available, and when most of the migration will occur.” The update includes information on workshops, webinars and one-on-one assistance, and answers the question, “When should I move?”  

EDTECH COMMONS: Developed by Academic Technology Services and the Center for Educational Effectiveness, working with faculty to create a resource that is clear, direct, easy to navigate and UC Davis-specific. EdTech Commons has four sections: Getting Started, Teaching, Community and Resources. EdTech Commons helps UC Davis instructors “learn about new methods and best practices for teaching with technology from one another, and explore options for making classroom work outcomes-oriented, engaging and accessible for our increasingly diverse student population,” said a letter to faculty from Carolyn Thomas, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Education; and Viji Murali, chief information officer and vice provost of Information and Educational Technology.

Bodega lab is looking for you!

The Bodega Marine Laboratory has put out a call to all former students, faculty, staff and researchers to attend a reunion in celebration of the lab’s 50th anniversary.

“From its early days as a UC Berkeley lab to its thriving role within the UC Davis Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute today, the people have made BML a world-class institution,” a lab spokesman said. “We are seeking to reconnect with those who have been part of that community over the decades of research and learning, to come and celebrate this exciting milestone.”

The invitation-only reunion is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 17. People with a lab connection can leave their contact information on this 50th anniversary website, so that the lab can respond with reunion details.

From the Office of the President and the campuses

WE LEAD IN PATENTS, AGAIN: The University of California ranked first in the world among universities granted U.S. utility patents in 2015, according to a report released July 12 by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. UC has been No. 1 on the list since the academy started publishing its rankings of university patent holders in 2013. Read the UCOP news release.

UC MERCED EXPANSION: The UC Board of Regents voted unanimously July 21 to give final approval for a plan that will nearly double the physical capacity of the Merced campus by 2020, enabling enrollment growth to 10,000 students. Read UC Merced news release.

RETIREMENT CHOICE PROGRAM: Eligible employees hired on or after July 1, and other employees who become eligible on or after that date, now have two retirement benefit options: Pension Choice or Savings Choice. This does not apply to UC employees hired before July 1 or those who already are retired. Retirement benefits for future union-represented employees will be determined through the collective bargaining process. Read the UCNet story.

UC Davis Extension information sessions

UC Davis Extension announced a series of information sessions about its professional education programs in such fields as accounting, fundraising and development, construction management, health informatics, paralegal studies and web development.

The free sessions, some of them in person and some online, are scheduled from Aug. 2 through Oct. 6. Instructors and other representatives will explain their programs and how they can help people advance their careers in particular fields, and discuss the job prospects in each of those fields.

Just for attending, you’ll receive a $100 discount on your first UC Davis Extension course. Here is the schedule of information sessions, by topic:

• Accounting — 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11 (in person)
• Autism Education — 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 (webinar)
• Business Analysis — 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 (in person)
• Construction Management — 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Aug. 17 (webinar), and 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 (in person)
• Fundraising and Development — 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2 (in person), and noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 (webinar)
• Health Informatics and Health Care Analytics — 9-10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 (webinar)
• Human Resources Development and Labor-Management Relations — 4-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18 (webinar)
• Land Use and Natural Resources — 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 7 (in person)
• Paralegal Studies — 6:15-7:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 (in person)
• Personal Financial Planning — 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9 (in person)
• Professional Coaching for Life and Work — 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29 (in person), and 12:30-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 (webinar)
• Project Management — 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24 (in person)
• Supervisory Skills and Management Development — 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11 (webinar)
• Web Development — 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 (in person)
• Workplace Health and Safety — noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 (webinar)

More information on each program is available online. Click on any of the programs, and you’ll find an enrollment button. Space is limited.

The in-person sessions will be held at UC Davis Extension offices in the Sutter Square Galleria, 2901 K St., Sacramento (parking provided).

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