Campus & community, Campus news, Events at Berkeley

Staff appreciation 2013: A full week of events, plus Summerfest

By Public Affairs

Traditionally, Summerfest has been the day set aside to recognize contributions that UC Berkeley staff have made throughout the year. But this year, Summerfest will be part of an entire week of staff appreciation.

Staff Appreciation Week will begin on Monday, June 10, and end on Friday, June 14, with events spread throughout the week. Summerfest, the annual Berkeley staff celebration with entertainment and food, will take place on Thursday, June 13, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the road on the east side of Doe Library.

Summerfest 2012

A scene from Summerfest 2012: Staffers celebrate.

The expansion of staff appreciation to a full week aims to acknowledge the hard work staff have accomplished — particularly over the last year, according to campus administrators, who say these efforts are helping Berkeley to achieve success in the many initiatives underway.

Organizers, comprised of department representatives and volunteers, say this special week is a way for the university to thank staff and to begin to build a culture of gratitude throughout the campus community.

Supervisors are encouraged to approve requests from staff for up to 3 hours to be used attending a combination of events of their choice next week.

Each day of the week will have a theme: “The Value of Saying Thank You,” “Faculty Sharing with Staff,” “Developing and Celebrating our Staff,” “Acknowledging Our Top Talent” and, of course, “Summerfest.” There will also be free and discounted offers and activities throughout the week.

Full details on events, activities and offers can be found on the Staff Appreciation Week website .

On Monday, June 10, staff can look for tools and ideas to thank colleagues, according to the organizers. Additionally, there are lectures offered next week, both live and online. Professor Dacher Keltner will speak about “Survival of the Kindest: A Darwinian Tale of How We Are Born to Be Good” on Monday, June 10. Another lecture features Professor Alex Filippenko on “The Accelerating Expansion of the Universe” on Tuesday, June 11.

Staff Appreciation Week logo

Tweet your Staff Appreciation Week photos, using the hashtag #shareSAW.

Staffers who want to develop their careers at Berkeley or learn how others have done so can check out the “Developing and Celebrating Ourselves” events on Wednesday, June 12, available live or through streaming.

And of course, Thursday, June 13 will be our traditional Summerfest with food, booths and entertainment. Volunteers are still needed for this annual event and can sign up by visiting the Summerfest website and clicking on the volunteer link.

On Friday June 14, a Cal Message will be sent out featuring various award recipients who have been recognized over the past year. Also on the calendar for Friday, is a stroll through campus guided by student ambassadors who will share fun facts about UC Berkeley along the way.

As part of building a culture of gratitude and thanks on campus, the organizers wish to express thanks to “the small but mighty team” who are making special offers available to staff during the week, including:

•    Free use of the RSF (Recreational Sports Facility) for the week.
•    Free coffee from Cal Dining.
•    Discounted dining at Crossroads.
•    Discounts of 20 percent at the CAL Student Bookstore.

Full information, including dates, times and locations for Staff Appreciation Week can be found on the event website . A flyer with a reminder and list of quick links for the week can also be downloaded as a PDF .