Per the UC Master Gardener Program Administrative Handbook reappointment runs from June 1, 2021 through July 31, 2021
“All UCCE Master Gardener volunteers must be reappointed by their County Director annually to remain active in the program and to continue acting as agents of the university. Volunteers are independently and personally responsible for meeting all administrative requirements necessary to secure reappointment by correctly submitting the following: Annual Agreement, Code of Conduct, and Driver's License and Insurance Information.”
Reappointment can be a time-consuming process for coordinators. We recommend blocking out a few hours each week through August 2021 to ensure that your reappointment is complete and that insurance fees are properly submitted to the UC Master Gardener Program statewide office. Counties will receive insurance billing information beginning the first week of August (at a rate of $6.00 per volunteer). Insurance payments will be processes to recharge account numbers provided by coordinators. Alternately, checks can be made payable to UC Regents.
My volunteer did not complete their minimum required volunteer and continuing education hours during the 2020-2021 program year. Are they still eligible for reappointment?
Volunteers always have the option of reappointing even if they have not completed the mandatory minimum volunteer and continuing education hours. Read through the options below to determine which course of action is most appropriate for your volunteer:
- Volunteers may select the “Not Completed Hours, Seeking Reappointment” option when completing their reappointment process. These volunteers work with their coordinators to makeup hours, as appropriate during the subsequent program year. If a volunteer is still carrying a balance of incomplete hours from the 2020-2021 program year, this balance should be addressed at the discretion of the coordinator and County Director. (The ‘Hours Balance Decision Matrix Tool' may be useful here).
- Covid-19 continues to have an impact on planned activities across the state. As a result, the UC Master Gardener Program in counties throughout the state has introduced some hours flexibility for the 2020-2021 program year. Activities that have not have previously qualified for may be temporarily eligible for volunteer or continuing education hours. County personnel should refer to the 2020/21 Volunteer Hours statewide policy guidance and communicate which kinds of flexibility, if any, are appropriate in their county or counties.
- Finally, some volunteers may be experiencing barriers to participation that will not immediately resolve. These volunteers will simply select the “Seeking Limited Active status” option when completing their reappointment process. Limited Active volunteers must complete reappointment (including submission of their Insurance fee), but are not required to complete hours during their Limited Active year. Per statewide guidance, reappointment to limited active status may exceed one year with no expectation of 'making up' hours once back on active status.
Help and Training Resources
Help documentation and training resources can found on the UC Master Gardener Coordinator website's Reappointment page. Please feel free to use, copy and share any of the available resources, particularly the 2021 Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Reappointment (For Volunteers). Statewide Director, Missy Gable's 2020/21 Volunteer Hours document (including COVID-19 Exception Hours information) has been added to the page for ease of reference.
- 2021 Step-by-Step Guide to Managing Reappointment (for Coordinators) (PDF)
- 2021 Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Reappointment (For Volunteers) (PDF)
- 2021 How-To Complete Reappointment for UC Master Gardeners Volunteers (Video)
- 2021 Reappointment Hour Balance Decision Matrix (PDF)
- 2021 Create a Credit Card Survey for Insurance (PDF)
- 2021 Letter to Inactive-Resigning Volunteers (Word)
- 2020/21 Volunteer Hours (PDF)
Questions? Contact
Marisa Coyne
Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
macoyne@ucanr.edu