On Feb. 19, 2025, the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) hosted a town hall with UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. More than 15,000 staff from throughout the university tuned in for the conversation — our largest systemwide event ever. CUCSA was represented by Chair Jen Bowser, sustainable procurement program manager and small business officer at UC Santa Barbara, and Past Chair Dennis McIver, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging program manager at the UC Office of the President.
As a CUCSA-sponsored event, the focus was on matters of interest to staff employees. All questions were submitted by UC staff in January.
Event highlights
President Drake on UC’s response to federal policy changes:
“Our values as a university remain the same. The things that we’ve been doing for more than 150 years that have led us to the place that we are in — a place where we get a quarter of a million applicants for undergraduate attendance every year, where we have well over 200,000 employees working every day — all of those things that make us the outstanding university system that we are, those things remain the same. The changes in policy that come are things that we need to understand, process and adjust to. And that’s the the work that we’re doing.”
President Drake on the California budget:
“We all see the state budget constraints, the difficulties that the state is having with this budget year, and some difficulties, perhaps, even into the future. I will say that the legislature and the governor are very supportive of the University of California and what we do… We’re in close partnership with our colleagues there to do the best we can to support the university.”
President Drake on his appreciation for staff and the need for fair compensation:
“The staff are the backbone of the university. I’ve said that for decades. The people who are here every day — I’ve worked in this university for half a century, and it is the people who are here every day doing the work that make this place the place that it is, that make this university the great place that it is for our students and our faculty… It’s incumbent upon us to treat staff members fairly, to have the very best people come to work with us and do everything we can to enhance and support you and your colleagues in being successful in your jobs. In doing that, part of that is always to do everything we can to be fair and to pay fair salaries.”
President Drake on what makes UC successful:
“I hope that the university feels like a place where one can come, and by being engaged, make a difference… We’re so much stronger by having people with different backgrounds and different points of view and different aspirations and bringing that group of people together… it allows us to contribute in ways that are meaningful and better than any of us could do on our own.”
Jen on how being a staff leader has impacted her career:
“I’ve been fortunate to have had opportunities for growth. I have made great friendships, had opportunities to network, and been in positions like this to lead. I’m now at UC Santa Barbara, but when I was at UC San Diego, I started getting involved in an employee resource group —which Dennis is very familiar with in his work here at the Office of the President — and it helped me become more familiar with the campus I was working at, understanding the UC system better, and really getting a better sense of community and being able to connect with our mission and our values. I wouldn’t change any of it.”
Dennis on the value of staff leadership:
“Jen and I and countless others across the University of California have benefited from having the chance to take on [staff] leadership roles, whether through a staff assembly, a staff organization or employee resource groups. We strongly encourage you to look for those opportunities locally in ways that will help develop your leadership experience as well.”
President Drake on navigating difficult times together:
“What we have is the power to remember who we are, to remember why we’re here doing what we’re doing, to remember those people around us who are supporting us — family is so important, colleagues at work are so important, friends are so important — and just stay connected and do what we can as a community, to move forward, supporting each other.”
Resources
President Drake, Jen, and Dennis mentioned several resources during the event. Use the links below to access more information:
- CUCSA staff involvement page: Learn how to get more involved with CUCSA and find links to your local staff assembly.
- Employee wellness resources: An overview of the many resources available to UC staff
- UC Advocacy Network: UC’s digital grassroots community makes it easy for UC supporters to advocate on behalf of the university
- UC federal updates website: The latest updates on federal policies that affect the university and UC’s response
- UCnetwork: UC’s systemwide staff newsletter
- Staff advisors to the UC regents and staff advisor application process: Consider applying to represent colleagues on a statewide level.
- UC Principles of Community: UC is committed to offering all its members a safe, supportive, responsive and equitable environment.
- UC Systemwide Office of Civil Rights: Provides systemwide guidance and support on issues related to protecting civil rights at all UC locations
- UC undocumented student resources
The event recording is available online here.