UCR Community Week to Celebrate Staff, Faculty and Students

Five days of lunch-hour events to recognize and thank the employees of UC Riverside

By Ross French on May 8, 2012

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — University of California, Riverside staff, students and faculty will have the opportunity to give each other a much-deserved “pat on the back” as part of the inaugural Community Week from May 21-25. The celebration is sponsored by the UC Riverside Staff Assembly.

“We believe that it is important to celebrate the work that is accomplished on this campus by staff, faculty, and students. This is why Staff Assembly has created the inaugural UCR Community Week,” said Steven Lerer, UCR Staff Assembly president and resident director of Aberdeen/Inverness Hall. “I am extremely excited about our five events throughout the week and think that they will allow for our community members to have some fun before we all settle in for the end of the year.”

“It is our hope that we have widespread involvement in the community week and that we can grow the program in years to come,” he added.

Community Week will feature a variety of midday events designed to promote and celebrate the variety of people who make up UCR. According to Staff Assembly Director of Events Tamra Johnson, the events are scheduled from 12 noon to 1 p.m. each day in hopes of enabling participation for as many people as possible.

The week-long celebration will begin with a barbecue picnic lunch at the Bell Tower on Monday, May 21. The first 300 people to register will receive a free lunch, but individuals who bring their lunch from home or prefer to purchase lunch are also welcome to attend. Attendees are encouraged to “bring their own blanket,” sit on the grass and enjoy a casual lunch and the events going on at the tower. RSVP for the barbecue through this link.

Tuesday features the regular Staff Assembly meeting, where the new board will be recognized and Chancellor Timothy White will hand out service awards. There will also be a raffle. The meeting will be held in HUB 302.

On Wednesday, Dr. Karen White and Tim Willette will lead the third annual UCR Wellness Walk, part of the system-wide UC Walks Campaign and co-sponsored by the UCR Faculty and Staff Wellness Program and several collaborative partners from the Campus Wellness Oversight Committee (CWOC). Starting from the Student Services lawn, the 20-minute, 1.6 mile walk will take participants throughout the campus before returning to the lawn. The first 230 people to arrive at the walk will receive a free T-shirt. Afterwards, participants may choose to attend the Chancellor’s Town Hall meeting in HUB 302.

On Thursday, volunteers will have the opportunity to work with Chancellor White to make-over a garden area near the Science Laboratory 1 building during the lunch hour. The UCR Physical Plant grounds staff will provide shovels and supplies, but volunteers are encouraged to bring gloves and wear clothes they don’t mind getting a little dirty. RSVP to participate in the beautification project through this link.

“We wanted to do something that would make a lasting impression on UCR as a whole,” Johnson said. “Volunteers can take pride in knowing they had a hand in changing the look of our campus.”

Lerer said that he was “especially excited” about the beautification project. “It was an idea brought to us by Chancellor White and one he will be participating in enthusiastically,” Lerer said.

On Friday, Chancellor White will lead a walk around the new UCR Track. “We have the track for one hour, and individuals may choose to take a leisurely stroll or log some miles on their pedometers,” Johnson said, adding that some UCR student-athletes are expected to attend. “We think it will be a wonderful chance to interact with some of our students.”

In addition to the events, guests will be able to show their appreciation for their fellow Highlanders with a “Thank You BEAR-y Much” Card. The cards, which will be available throughout the week at the Bell Tower, feature a picture of Scotty and give the sender a chance to say thanks to co-workers, mentors and friends.

Archived under: Inside UCR, Karen White, press release, staff assembly, steven Lerer, Tamra Johnson, Tim Willette, townhall, ucr walks, wellness

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