Academic Technology Services announced a half day of workshops this Thursday (June 16) to introduce instructors to the campus’s new learning management system, UC Davis Canvas.

The workshop program is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon in the Student Community Center’s Computer Lab, Room 2102. People interested in attending are asked to register here and to do so by the afternoon of June 15 so that the organizers can create Canvas course sites for all of the participants.

The agenda includes an overview and Canvas fundamentals in two parts, plus instructional design consultation (time permitting).

The complete agenda is here, in this post by Jones on “The Wheel: The Instructional Technology Blog of ATS at UC Davis.”

Fall Diversity Awareness Workshop

Nominations and applications are being accepted for the annual Fall Diversity Awareness Workshop, open to Davis campus and UC Davis Health System faculty and staff, as well as graduate students with teaching appointments. The workshop lasts two days and will be presented twice.

Part of the university’s Diversity Education Program, the workshop aims “to build awareness about the diversity of our campus community and engage in important conversations about ways of making our campus more inclusive and more welcoming,” said Rahim Reed, associate executive vice chancellor, who leads the Office of Campus Community Relations.

“As our campus continues to grow, these types of important dialogs are more imperative to ensure that we continue to aspire towards an environment that is inclusive of our diversity.”

The workshop’s website describes part of the program as a discussion of ways to operationalize the university’s Principles of Community, by exploring concepts related to social justice, equity and inclusion, and how to dismantle oppression, prejudice and discrimination. 

This year’s workshops are scheduled as follows: 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. Thursday-Friday, Aug. 25-26, and Sept. 8-9. The organizers invite nominations and applications via this participant interest sheet, to be submitted by July 22.

Those who are selected will receive confirmation letters in early August. People who are not selected will be placed on a waiting list. Questions? Contact Megan Macklin, program manager, by phone, 530-752-2071 or email.

City issues water violation notice

The campus is passing along a water notice from the city of Davis, to alert UC Davis employees who work in off-campus buildings that receive city water. The notice states that 10 of the city’s 19 active wells have running annual averages of hexavalent chromium in excess of the maximum allowed by California. “Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what you should do, what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation,” reads a notice that went out with the city's June utility bills.

Massage therapy for faculty and staff

Our summertime lull isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure, but perhaps you have a little bit of extra time to squeeze in a massage on your lunch hour — right on campus, at the Student Health and Wellness Center.

Faculty and staff are eligible to book massages all year long, and many do, but summertime is an opportune time, considering student bookings are down and your time may be more flexible.

Jill Nelson, a certified massage therapist, offers 30-minute massages for $30 and 45-minute massages for $40, in the Physical Therapy Department, third floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center. The summer schedule: 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (including lunchtime) Tuesday through Thursday.

To arrange a session, call the Physical Therapy Department, 530-752-2318, or the main appointment desk, 530-752-2349. Nelson also visits departments, to provide chair massages; call the Physical Therapy Department for more information.

Read more about the Student Health and Wellness Center’s massage therapy.

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