What a gorgeous weekend, at least where I was. I wasn't sure it was going to ever start given that it took me 4 hours to get home from Oakland on Friday due to extra security on BART followed by a car accident. Who knew it would be quicker to get from San Jose to Davis, departing at 4 pm (3 hours).
While we were visiting Santa Clara UCCE the results of an employee survey were shared with us. The survey showed that those who live in the Southwest Bay had an average commute time of 27 min, by car, and 60 min by public transport. Those in the East Bay area spent 90 min in the car (no data provided for public transport). Finally, those in South Bay spent 38 min in the car. Presuming those numbers are one-way travel times, I suspect there are many other offices throughout the state, including the Davis and Oakland offices, where similar travel times are experienced. Depending on office destination, my own commute is either 1 hr or 2 hrs. I do my best to make good use of the commute time.
Over the weekend I happened to come across an article that indicated the average U.S. commute time is 26 min, each way. This compares to Stockton, CA which boasts the longest average commute time of just over 2 hours. The article featured 10 individuals that shares how they make the most out of their long commute times. Sam Shank, CEO of HotelTonight shared that he uses Uber for his commute in the Bay area. This allows him to fire up his laptop or make calls – not exactly applicable to the BART. Soledad O'Brien makes lists while she rides Amtrak. I can relate to that but it's not possible for the drive time. Bryn Mooser, CEO of the virtual reality studio RYOT, admits he just daydreams during his Venice, CA commute as it relaxes and prepares him for the office bustle.
Hopefully we all make good use of our commute times, no matter how long it is. Weather like this weekend certainly makes living in CA worth the traffic. Not to mention the chance to be part of UC.
MONEY magazine just ranked the top 50 colleges based on offering a superior education at an affordable price that enables graduates to avoid heavy debt and succeed in the workplace. Seven of the 10 UC campuses made the list with 4 (UCSC, UCI, UCLA, and UCB) in the top 10! UC Davis just missed the top 10, coming in at #11. Congratulations UC!
I managed to get a couple of projects done over the weekend and am close to caught up on emails. This week a group will be talking about the position description for a communications director. VP Council meets on Thursday and will be talking about developing business plans for the statewide programs. Executive Council (4 deans plus Glenda, Tu and myself) will meet with VP Council for lunch, followed by an afternoon meeting on Thursday. Time to get ready for the week.