FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
University of California Office of the President

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT STAFF:

I want to thank all of you for your work and dedication to the University in this time of national tragedy. Tuesday's events were horrifying, and I know that many of us are still coming to grips with the dimensions of what has occurred.

I encourage everyone in the University community to reflect on what has happened and, if you feel the need, to discuss this week's events with colleagues and share personal reactions. I also want to urge supervisors to be sensitive to the individual needs and circumstances of staff at this difficult time.

The campuses of the University have undertaken an impressive range of efforts to ensure the physical safety of our campuses, attend to the needs of members of the University community, and foster a dialogue about the events that have occurred this week. Because I know that many of you are interested in the University's response on a systemwide basis, the Office of the President has created a web site providing links to campus news, events and other developments. The web site is accessible from our home page at http://www.ucop.edu/.

Additionally, the Human Resources staff in the Office of the President has compiled a variety of information that may be useful to you and your families in the coming days. Suggestions for coping with crisis, information about local blood drives, and reports on the effects of the stock market closure are among the information now available. Further details are provided below.

We will provide more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, let me thank you again for your efforts and share my hope for the nation's healing following this week's tragedies.

Richard C. Atkinson
President

* * * * *

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT STAFF:

As we all struggle to cope with the events of the past two days, communication and supportive services become particularly important. In our continued effort to provide information and supportive services to University employees, several web sites have been identified as being potentially helpful to the UCOP community.

The Employee Assistance Program web site on coping strategies for the current crisis is available at http://www.ucop.edu/humres/takingcare.html.

A web site with information for helping children in the aftermath of disaster can be found at http://www.connectforkids.org/usr_doc/CopingWithGrief.htm.

Information about the closure of the financial markets is available on the Bencom web site at http://www.ucop.edu/bencom/.

Finally, the following are resources available to all employees of UCOP:

Jude Sharp, Employee Assistance Program Counselor, 987-0839
Marilynn Schuyler, Affirmative Action Officer, 987-0820

We will continue to keep UCOP employees apprised of additional resources and continue to coordinate responses with the inter-campus community.

Kay Miller
Acting Director, UCOP Human Resources

# # #
 

Send comments or questions about this web site to one of the webmasters