I have worked for UC for 23 years, and am very disappointed with the way UC has changed since I started, when UC was a very good employer and set the tone for the rest of CA. Now it seems that UC is more and more “corporate” and less and less a good employer. My last raise in October was fair, but then I lost 1/2 of it in Jan. when the health rates went up. I am fearful of the next loss to my salary, whether it is because of health insurance, or reductions because of retirement contributions.

I know what a challenging time this has been financially for many of our employees. All UC employees deserve to be fairly compensated, and we are working hard to ensure market-competitive salaries and benefits for everyone. Last year, we were able to offer raises that were slightly higher than we had expected under the budget compact with the governor, and the governor’s revised budget proposal for this coming fiscal year also includes funding for systemwide raises, which will help us continue to move toward market parity. Also, just recently, we offered special raises for lower-paid employees, in part to recognize the impact of California’s high cost of living on employees, particularly lower-paid staff. On the benefits side, we continue to use the salary-based approach to health insurance premiums we developed several years ago so lower-paid staff pay less and can maintain their access to good benefits. We are not yet where we want to be, but we are committed to getting there. I personally appreciate the continued hard work and dedication of our employees, who play an important role in keeping this university great.

Although you may be more accustomed to receiving notes containing ascerbic criticism or rather insistent suggestions, I hope you won't be too disappointed to receive a little thank you note. I am very grateful that you and the group of UC representatives visited Portland, and I thank you especially for your personal friendliness and conversation about Humanistic Psychology. I also enjoyed your remarks about the history of the UC system. My years at UC Santa Cruz really were the most formative of my life, although it sometimes feels very distant from here in time and space. Thank you again for your mission to bring a sense of reconnectedness to my distant outpost.

Thanks very much for your note. I welcome all viewpoints, including criticisms, since that’s what honest two-way communication is about, but it’s always nice to get positive feedback about the university. I enjoyed my recent visit to Portland -- to reconnect with UC alumni living in the Pacific Northwest -- very much. The number of Californians UC touches, no matter the geographic distance, and the depth of that impact truly is astonishing. I’m delighted the event was a “reconnection” to UC for you, and I hope you’ll stay connected.