On June 16, Dr. Amy Block Joy settled a claim that she was subjected to retaliation following her whistleblower complaint against a fellow employee in August 2006 with a payment of approximately $785,000, including paid administrative leave and placement in a new position.

Joy, a nutrition specialist, made allegations of fraudulent activities against Beverly Benford, a former employee of Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program for which Joy was formerly director.

After a three-year process involving an investigation and negotiation for the monetary settlement, Joy’s attorney, Michael Hirst, expressed satisfaction with the case’s conclusion.

“Dr. Block Joy did what she knew was right and stood up to those who wanted her to fail,” Hirst said. “She showed strength and determination throughout this case.”

According to Joy, she discovered what appeared to be embezzlement in March 2006. After a failed attempt to resolve the issue through university channels, Joy filed an official whistleblower complaint. Immediately afterward, she experienced her first case of retaliation, she said.

The vengeance intensified following each stage of the process, including times when a warrant was served to Benford in October 2006, a Sacramento Bee article was published in early 2007, and again after Joy’s complaint alleging retaliation in September 2007.

According to her complaint, Joy was subject to lies, mail theft, vandalism and a lack of cooperation from subordinates.

“I discovered rather quickly that the best way to handle the retaliation was to hold my head up high, answer all the investigative questions truthfully and focus on doing the best job I could do,” Joy said.

Benford was eventually indicted on charges of theft of government property and, in 2008, plead guilty resulting in a sentence of one year and one day in prison in addition to being ordered to pay $128,681 in government restitution.

Joy theorized that Benford had been shielded by “higher-ups” because she had helped others acquire equipment for campus operations while circumventing restrictions for such actions. Joy also felt that she was made into a scapegoat following her complaint for those that retaliated against her.

In a press release following the settlement, Hirst shared his view on dealing with retaliation.

“Any effective policy encouraging employees to come forward must ensure their protection,” Hirst said. “Too often, those who blow the whistle regret doing so because of on-going retaliation they experience.”

Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law SB 650, authored by State Senator Leland Yee, which offers protections for UC employees that report illegal or improper actions from retaliation in the workplace.

Although Joy believes that her case was handled professionally and fairly by the university, she also sees SB 650 as a positive step in encouraging employees to report illegal activity and to protect them once they do.

However, Robert Loessberg-Zahl, assistant executive vice chancellor and locally designated official to receive whistleblower complaints, believes that the guidelines the university already has in place are sufficiently effective.

“The university has long been committed by its policies and procedures to ensure that allegations of whistleblower retaliation are thoroughly investigated,” Loessberg-Zahl said. “[Senate Bill 650] does not change the policy or procedures that the University has in place for internally handling whistleblower allegations.”

Regardless of the debate over the usefulness of the changes SB 650 will implement, both parties agree that reporting of illicit or illegal actions of employees by employees is often the only way such occurrences are brought to light.

Joe Kiskis, professor of physics and vice president of external relations for the council of UC faculty associations, which supports SB 650, argues that UC employees are the most likely to possess pertinent information for such investigations but are least likely to share it due to the fear of retaliation.

“To protect the mission of the University and the interests of California citizens, it is important to bring problematic behavior to light and correct it,” Kiskis said. “Employees who provide that beneficial service to the public need to be protected from retaliation.”

KYLE SPORLEDER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

On July 23, Chancellor Katehi unveiled “UC Davis: A Vision of Excellence,” a project 10 months in development that seeks to provide a framework for reaching long-term goals of the campus.

The document points to six primary objectives that include: to foster a vibrant community of learning and scholarship, to drive innovation at the frontiers of knowledge, to embrace global issues, to nurture a sustainable future and propel economic vitality, to champion health, education, access and opportunity, as well as to cultivate a culture of organizational excellence, effectiveness and stewardship.

Enrique Lavernia, provost and executive vice chancellor, explains what, in his eyes, is the vision’s main purpose.

“The Vision of Excellence reaffirms our campus’s commitment to providing students access to an excellent education and to equip them to become creative leaders, fully engaged on a variety of levels in addressing the most pressing issues that face our state, our nation and our international community,” Lavernia said.

The project was spearheaded by since-retired Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Janet Gong. On Sept. 14, 2009, Chancellor Katehi met with her deans and vice chancellors to discuss the development of the vision. Prior to the meeting, Gong had compiled enough information to serve as a blueprint to the first draft.

Fred Wood, vice chancellor of student affairs, welcomed the opportunity to provide feedback as he attempted to bring a student interest perspective to the document’s development. Wood explained the important opportunity the vision presents to student and administrative interaction.

“Fee increases have created a divide and we’re now trying to bridge that divide,” Wood said. “The vision provides a cohesive force and common direction for us and it helps students know that they have a role in the future of this institution.”

George Mangun, dean of the division of social sciences in the college of letters and science, agreed with Wood adding that students have much invested in the implementation of the vision. He believes that students should not only become familiar with the vision’s goals, but to help in the development of specific actions to meet those goals by working with the administration of their colleges.

“The campus is here for the students, to provide them with an exceptional education and experiences that will prepare them to serve society,” Mangun said. “The Vision Statement describes how we reach for this goal.”

Winston Ko, dean of the division of mathematics and physical sciences in the college of letters and science, spoke to another important goal of the vision that he believes would also directly benefit students.

“UC Davis strives to be one of the great American universities and with the vision’s help, we will ensure that,” Ko said. “The vision will maintain UC Davis’ excellence. That of the education it provides and that of its students.”

Wood pointed to the effect of the vision that he argues is as important as the other more concrete plans. With the help of the students, he is confident that the vision and the action plans formulated by the administration will create an even better campus identity.

“The vision is a framework that gets everyone around the table and heading in the same direction,” Wood said. “In some respects, it draws us together and creates a community. Together, we’ll be able to offer an even higher quality education to the next generation.”

KYLE SPORLEDER can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

UC Davis’ Chief Information Officer (CIO) has issued a campus directive urging students, faculty and staff to update their university passphrases to comply with new federal standards.

In April, Peter M. Siegel, the university’s CIO and vice provost of information and educational technology signed Directive 10-021 which states that new Kerberos passphrases must be at least 12 characters or twice as long.

The directive stated that the current password standard is outdated and the campus community should adopt the new change.

“These requirements must be met in order for campus constituents to continue to use campus accounts to access federal agency resources such as grant applications and documentation,” the directive states.

The new passphrases also differ from existing passwords by allowing the use of spaces, a series of dictionary words and additional characters. The university hopes to move all campus account holders to the new minimum security standard by Dec. 6.

While the university has set up a website to allow individuals to create their new passwords, it has also divided the drive into two phases.

From May to October, the directive states, campus technology support staff will help faculty and staff with the transition.

And from October onward, IET will notify account holders who have not made the switch with warnings announcing the expiration of their passwords. Those who do not comply with the new federal standard by the deadline will be denied access to their accounts until their passphrase is changed.

For more information on the passphrase upgrade, visit security.ucdavis.edu/passphrase.cfm. To change your password or to test a new passphrase, visit computingaccounts.ucdavis.edu.

LESLIE TSAN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

In an attempt to alleviate the financial effects of the ongoing budget crisis, the UC Board of Regents informally endorsed a proposal at their July 14 meeting, which would potentially grant students their undergraduate degree by taking a course load fully available online.

The program would offer courses with the heaviest enrollment on UC campuses and those that are most demanded by students enrolled in community colleges and who are planning to transfer.

Some students and professors have expressed support for the program because of what they believe is the remarkable accessibility it would offer – an advantage that they argue the formal classroom setting simply cannot compete with.

“The obvious benefits of online courses is that if you don’t have time or the means to go to class, you can still get an education,” said Ursula Barghouth, a recent graduate of UCLA who used online course offerings to fulfill some major requirements.

Michael Maher, a UC Davis professor in the Graduate School of Management, shares Barghouth’s sentiment.

He explains what he sees as the notable accessibility and convenience that online education offers and its ability to respond to each student’s pace of learning as key benefits of the proposal.

Maher also contends that online education would aid students struggling with an obligation to work long hours while also dealing with a heavy course load. The difficulty of finding transportation to school or the threat of being rejected from certain classes all make an online option seem favorable, he stresses.

“Online education enables students to learn at their own paces,” Maher said. “In a conventional class, some students are bored and want to move faster, [while] others can’t keep up. [This program] reaches out to students who have difficulty or simply cannot go to campuses to take classes at a particular time.”

However, some opponents to the pilot argue that the plan is not viable. In a piece done by the Sacramento Bee, Chancellor Katehi expressed reluctance to award degrees to students “without [them] ever placing a foot on campus.”

Fred Wood, vice chancellor of student affairs, questions the quality of a fully online degree and does not believe that it equates with a degree received by taking on-campus courses. He does, however, support a hybrid program, in which students would take a few online courses in addition to courses taken in the formal classroom setting.

“If you believe the degree reflects the benefits from experiences inside and outside of campus, you call into question whether it is the same degree or not,” Wood said.

Wood discusses the importance of interactions between students and faculty and what he sees as the invaluable experience of being in the environment of the campus. These avenues of human interaction and experience add enormously to the quality and excellence of the students’ education, he contends. However, Wood believes these advantages are forfeited when a student is learning through purely electronic media.

He also adds that students are not the only ones who could potentially be at a loss if the online program is implemented. Wood, who is also a professor of chemistry, explains that as a faculty member, he benefits greatly from interacting with students.

“It’s valuable [and] you lose so much,” Wood said. “[When talking with students], we are articulating carefully, we’re listening and we’re concerned. How will you have this online?”

Despite the contentions on both sides of the debate, Katehi points to the main concern as maintaining the quality and excellence of the university and its students. It is now a question of whether the model for an online undergraduate degree can not only educate the students, but also guarantee the quality of the education it provides.

NOURA KHOURY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.

Starting fall quarter, UC Davis will use AggieCard, a new campus identification card, to replace the current ID card used by students, faculty and staff. The university intends for the updated card to be multi-functional and have added features to the one currently in use.

In all, an estimated 30,000 students will re-card according to Kris Scivoletto, the customer service manager at the office of the registrar tasked with the implementation. Despite the scale of such an operation, he expects it to go smoothly.

“I don’t think there will be any trouble,” Scivoletto said. “As always there will be people on campus who don’t read their e-mail who will be surprised when they come back. It will become clear to anyone who doesn’t have a card to get one.”

The AggieCard contains the same exact functions as the current ID but will also allow holders to link it with their US Bank account for use as an ATM/debit card. According to Justin Ling, assistant director of marketing at Campus Unions, the feature is part of a partnership between UC Davis and US Bank signed in August 2009.

US Bank currently has similar agreements with over 50 universities across the nation.

Incoming freshmen and transfer students will receive their AggieCards throughout summer orientation. Continuing students can obtain theirs at scheduled re-carding events from Sept. 13 to Oct. 8 on the second floor of the Memorial Union.

New AggieCards can be activated at the Bookstore & Cowell Health Center, in the Dining Commons, Residence Halls and at Shields Library.

The current UC Davis ID card will still be usable throughout the summer sessions but campus services will shift to the AggieCard before the start of fall quarter. Starting Oct. 11, AggieCards will be available in an AggieCard Office on the first floor of the Memorial Union for those who fail to attend any of the re-carding events.

Although the card might be news to its holders, the campus has long looked at adding to the uses and benefits of the ID card. The AggieCard project began in 2004, said Ling in an e-mail interview, and the new ATM/debit feature is a product of negotiations between the campus and financial institutions dating back to 2005.

Although the process of replacing thousands of ID cards may raise concerns regarding the cost, the university expects to generate revenue from the effort. As part of the deal, US Bank will provide average investments of $280,000 to the university.

“The actual amount will be dependent on the number of checking or savings accounts that are activated with US Bank,” Ling said. “There is, however, a minimum payment of $176,000 that U.S. Bank must pay to the campus each year.”

The vice chancellor will allocate most of the funds to student service departments that have less flexible operating budgets, focus on campus climate or community development issues, or those assisting in academic retention.

The remainder will be given to Campus Recreation, MU Auxiliary Services, Intercollegiate Athletics and the Fountain and Vending fund for maintenance of lounges and vending machines.

For its part, US Bank will open six new ATMs on campus and replace an existing machine within the MU. In addition, US Bank will build a full service branch in the MU, which is scheduled to open Aug. 9 and gain access to sponsorship and marketing opportunities in Student Affairs.

Ling said Campus Unions is currently in discussions with the Games Area and the Coffee House to accept purchases with the AggieCard via student accounts, as is currently the case with Bookstore purchases. But he noted that nothing has been finalized.

Students who do not currently have debit cards are likely to be swayed by the terms of US Bank’s “Free Student Checking.” But those with existing accounts seem less interested in creating another.

“I’d get the student plan if it wasn’t my last year here and if I didn’t already have two accounts,” said Sean Dennehy, a senior physics major.

The convenience of having a debit card bundled with your ID is also likely to depend on the user.

“It is going to be very convenient for students to have both their debit and student ID cards all in one,” said Cydney Jones, a senior history major. “I carry my ID card with me every day; although, since I already have a separate debit card, I’m not sure I will use the new feature.”

LESLIE TSAN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.