CUCSA a Wellbeing Workgroup update

The Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) is a systemwide staff advisory group representing all 10 UC campuses, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Office of the President. Since its founding in 1974, CUCSA’s mission has been to maintain and enhance communication between staff and UC leadership, advocate for staff interests and provide a staff perspective on issues that shape the university community.

In the latest CUCSA Corner newsletter, members shared updates on their work on behalf of all UC staff, as follows.

Advancing a systemwide principle of holistic well-being

The 2024–25 CUCSA Wellbeing Workgroup recommended that the University of California adopt a systemwide Principle of Holistic Wellbeing, guided by the Okanagan Charter, an international framework that calls on colleges and universities to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health promotion locally and globally. While five UC campuses have already endorsed the Charter, the UC system as a whole has not yet signed it; doing so would make UC the first university system to formally adopt the Charter’s principles.

The 2024–25 workgroup’s proposal builds on previous years’ research, encourages the UC to issue a formal systemwide statement prioritizing wellbeing, expand the use of best-practice toolkits developed at Irvine and Santa Cruz and align with the insights of the 2025 Okanagan Charter Renewal. Although campuses continue to face resource constraints, leadership transitions and competing priorities, the Charter does not require new financial commitments and complements work already underway.

Momentum across the system is growing, and the 2025–26 CUCSA Wellbeing Workgroup is continuing this effort. Adopting this principle would signal a lasting dedication to wellbeing and foster a more connected, health-promoting UC community, ultimately supporting all students, staff, and faculty, and positioning UC as a national leader in health-promoting systems. For more information, you can read the full 2024-25 Wellbeing Workgroup Report or watch the workgroup’s final presentation.

Regents meeting: November 18-20

The UC Regents will meet November 18 – 20 at UCLA. Each day will begin with Public Comment. Anyone can sign up to speak during Public Comment via phone or in person by completing the online form. Tune in Wednesday afternoon for the proposed 2026-27 UC Budget Plan for Current Operations. The full agenda is available on the Regents’ website.

Visit the CUCSA website to learn more about CUCSA and how to get involved.

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