Make Your Meetings More Active

  • Include items on your meeting agenda that require participants to get out of their seats (breakout groups, stand and write ideas on an easel).
  • Choose movement friendly meeting locations (walkable neighborhoods, on-site gym, nearby park).
  • Hire a professional instructor (pilates, yoga, tai chi, stretching, Zumba) to lead a class before or during the meeting.
  • Point out the stairs and encourage attendees to use them. Consider including the location of stairs in meeting directions or putting arrows to the stairs in front of elevators.
  • Organize a group walk early in the morning, during a break or before/after dinner.
  • Consider incorporating standing ovations after each speaker to encourage participants to stand and stretch.

Standing Breaks

  • At least once an hour, participants should be encouraged to stand up to improve blood circulation, boost metabolism, and relieve physical discomfort from sitting for prolonged periods of time.
  • Announce that it is fine to stand up and move around, as needed. If possible, provide raised tables for those electing to stand during the meeting.

Stretch Breaks

  • Stretch breaks help participants wake up their bodies and minds.
  • Encourage people to stand up and stretch in place.
  • Try playing a Healthy UC Davis WakeBreak video! These instructor-led stretch videos range from 4 to 15 minutes. 

Breathing Exercise

  • Focused breathing is an energizing activity that can help relax and clear your mind. Simply inhale for four seconds, hold it for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds.

Suggested Activity Agendas

LENGTH OF MEETINGSTANDING BREAKSTRETCH BREAKSBREATHING BREAKSMOVEMENT BREAKSWALKING BREAKS
50 - 60 minx x  
2 - 4 hoursxxxx 
All Dayxxxxx

New Campus Newsletter Directory

  • by Hayley S Morris

UC Davis is excited to announce the launch of a campus newsletter directory as part of our commitment to help employees receive the news and information they need to connect at work. 

This online directory is intended to help employees easily connect with campus news, research, events, groups and resources that are relevant to their workplace needs and interests.  

The webpage features an extensive list of UC Davis newsletters distributed by many different departments. With a simplified, user-friendly subscription process, employees can easily stay informed and enhance their work experience at UC Davis. 

The newsletters featured cover a wide range of topics including: 

  • Academia and research 
  • Community engagement and campus events 
  • Facilities and departmental updates 
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion 
  • Employee news such as work life and benefits 
  • Health and wellness and relevant training 
  • Safety 
  • Sustainability

To make browsing and subscribing efficient, each listed newsletter features: 

  • A summary of the newsletters content 
  • Publication frequency 
  • Intended audience 
  • Target campus 
  • A subscribe button 
  • A link to the newsletters archive (if applicable) 

We’ve Heard You 

We are committed to taking actions to make UC Davis an even better place to work. Based on the 2022 Staff Experience Survey, UC Davis prioritized communication flow as one of four areas of focus to improve staff engagement.  

The newsletter directory streamlines the various communication vehicles available by offering a dedicated webpage to explore these resources. Employees can easily discover and subscribe to information from different leadership, departments and teams, facilitating greater accessibility and distribution of campus news. The webpage will also be updated regularly to ensure continued communication flow. 

A New Resource for Employee Onboarding 

As part of our ongoing commitment to improve employee onboarding, the newsletter directory will also be shared with new hires so they can effortlessly connect to university resources. By providing this directory during the onboarding process, we aim to ensure new employees feel supported and are equipped with the connections needed for success. 

Subscribe Today 

Explore the directory and find topics related to your communication needs and interests by clicking the button below. 

Newsletter Directory

 

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staff experience