Sept. 23 - Chancellor’s welcome, vacation accrual extension
Section 1
During Monday’s Anteater Involvement Fair, Chancellor Howard Gillman visits the UCI Circle K International club. It is “proud to be the largest Circle K club in the world with over 400 paying members.” Photo by Steve Zylius
Each day, a UCI expert will answer one of your questions about COVID-19, vaccinations, variants or the future of work. Submit questions via email.
Today’s question is answered by the University of California:
Can you help me? Next month I will hit my maximum accrual for vacation, but it’s not an ideal time to leave because the academic year just began.
In light of continued challenges from the pandemic, UC President Michael V. Drake has temporarily extended the date that policy-covered staff can use their accrued vacation leave to June 30. This change applies to policy-covered staff employees, including those who earn paid time off, but not represented employees. The extension is applied automatically through UCPath. If you are eligible, you will continue accruing vacation leave through June 30, even if you are over your usual maximum accrual. To find your maximum accrual, log in to your UCPath Online account at ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu, then select Employee Actions > Leave Balances. Your maximum vacation accrual is displayed at the bottom of the chart. If you have questions about your accrued vacation leave, contact Human Resources.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
Chancellor Gillman’s welcome
Chancellor Howard Gillman “has seen firsthand our beautiful campus come back to life in a way that is deeply moving.” On this first day of in-person classes, read the chancellor’s welcome to students, employees and retirees.
Anteater Welcome reminders
Rameen Talesh, assistant vice chancellor, Student Life & Leadership, and dean of students, shares ways the Anteater Family can enjoy a robust academic year while preventing the spread of COVID-19.
UCI receives $5 million award for training of diverse researchers
The five-year award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will support a comprehensive doctoral, postdoctoral and clinical researcher training program to prepare the current and next generation of leaders in stem cell biology, gene therapy and regenerative medicine. With an emphasis on basic and translational research, the award will support 12 fellows and be administered through the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. This funding will expand and extend the successful track record of the center's previous CIRM grants, which enabled the training of 73 scientists in 40 labs at UCI between 2005 and 2015.
COVID-19 antibodies are lower among O.C. firefighters than general population
UCI public health researchers found that the prevalence of COVID-19 antibodies among Orange County firefighters was notably lower than the estimated prevalence in the general county population. Varying antibody test methods, duration of antibody response or the protective effect of safety measures put in place by fire departments may explain the sizable difference, according to the large-scale surveillance study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. UCI’s Verónica Vieira, interim chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, led the collection of blood samples from 923 Orange County Fire Authority members.
Disinfectant wipes must go in trash, not toilets, please
UCI has been experiencing an increasing number of plumbing blockages in campus restrooms because of wipes being flushed down toilets. Cleaning wipes do not break down or dissolve, and campus plumbing systems aren’t designed to handle this kind of material. Flushed wipes can lead to floods and require closure of buildings and interruption of operations. This type of material should be discarded in the trash only.
Would you like to relive the 2021 New Student Convocation...
...or experience it for the first time? Click here to watch a recording.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
The answer to how vaccines work is inside Peter Griffin
Watch the new “Family Guy” short, and if you still have questions about COVID-19 vaccines, visit GetVaccineAnswers.org.
Q&A: America’s new COVID-19 rules for international travel
The Biden administration is rolling out new international travel policies affecting Americans and noncitizens alike who want to fly into the U.S. The goal is to restore more normal air travel after 18 months of disruption caused by COVID-19. Some details of the plan are being worked out, but the Associated Press does have some answers about what to expect.
EVENTS
Asymptomatic COVID testing for students, faculty and staff who are unvaccinated (including those with approved exemptions, exceptions or deferrals)
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
FASB wants more disclosure on companies' supply-chain finance programs
Wall Street Journal, Sept. 22
Cited: Ben Lourie, associate professor of business
FDA authorizes boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for older adults and others at high risk from COVID-19
Business Insider, Sept. 22
Cited: Bernadette Boden-Albala, director and founding dean of the Program in Public Health
Solar 'superstorm' could prompt 'internet apocalypse,' global outages
New York Post, Sept. 22
Cited: Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, assistant professor of computer science
#UCICONNECTED
Chancellor Howard Gillman (back right) and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Willie Banks (far right) visit the Anteater Involvement Fair booth of Kababayan at UCI, which has promoted the awareness and enrichment of Pilipinx culture, tradition and heritage since 1974. Photo by Steve Zylius
COVID-19 NOTIFICATION AND RESOURCES
Two new campus cases
One on-campus employee and one on-campus student tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.
Remember to upload your vaccine record
Potential workplace exposure
UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.
For COVID-19 questions
UCI Forward - information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health
UCI Coronavirus Response Center - available at covid19@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-9918
Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services - assistance with vaccines and vaccine uploads; available at contacttracing@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-2300
Program in Public Health chatline - answers to questions about COVID-19
For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.