Hello Carolyn,

Welcome to the Academic Affairs newsletter. Browse updates and announcements, connect to tips and resources, and check out stories from around campus.

Message from EVC Simmons

Dear Colleagues,


As the campus starts to warm and we will welcome back additional hours of daylight this weekend, I felt it was a good time to share some updates and information that should also brighten up our campus community. 


First, I’m so pleased that the Academic Plan for Eighth College was approved at the Feb. 21, 2023, Representative Assembly meeting. Provost Angela Booker is moving forward with plans to welcome our first cohort of students this fall and the college’s academic theme of “Engagement & Community” with an emphasis on crucial community service learning and anti-racism aligns well with our campus’ goals to enrich the local community and expand diversity and access. 


Speaking of the intersection of community engagement and reducing equity gaps, there are exciting new conversations happening in our Collective Impact Working Groups. Many of the student-focused working groups have been meeting for several months and some exciting updates related to the academics- and staff-focused Working Groups were shared during the Future of Academic Affairs forum in January. 


And finally, a new Senate-Administration workgroup is being established to look at the Future of Graduate Education. This workgroup will work to craft a new vision for the future of graduate education at UC San Diego in light of the evolving context for higher education in California  – notably the mandate for the UC to continue growing enrollments and the increases in costs to fund graduate students when state investment in graduate education is not commensurate with rising costs.


Looking toward our collaborative future, we can be optimistic that we are making plans and collectively working together to approach the coming years with thoughtful strategies for success.



Best regards,



Elizabeth H. Simmons

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March is Women's Herstory Month


Throughout the month of March, UC San Diego will be celebrating Women’s Herstory Month in honor of the many contributions of women in history, culture and society. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” A calendar of all of this year’s events can be found online. The celebration is organized by the UC San Diego Women’s Center, where people work collaboratively to foster the educational, professional and personal development of diverse groups of women. The Center provides education and support to all members of UC San Diego regarding gender issues with the goal of promoting an inclusive and equitable campus community.



Join Global Initiatives for Fulbright Day


Global Initiatives invites faculty, staff, lecturers, postdocs, researchers and students to UC San Diego’s sixth annual Fulbright Day, today, March 9! Fulbright Day is an opportunity for the campus community to learn about the many awards available to teach, study, work or conduct research abroad through the prestigious Fulbright Program. Faculty, academics and administrators are encouraged to attend the morning’s session that details the awards available through the U.S. Scholar Program. All participants are invited to attend a community-building lunch with a keynote address by EVC Simmons and a closing networking happy hour at Underbelly! Fulbright Day is free of charge and is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about Fulbright. With hundreds of awards open to all disciplines and placements in more than 140 countries, there is a Fulbright for everyone! To learn more about the Fulbright Program, visit fulbright.ucsd.edu.

Process Palooza Returns

March 28 and 29



Process Palooza is a high-energy collaborative experience showcasing and celebrating the power of continuous improvement through competitions, hands-on learning, and interactive exhibits in the community pavilion. Register now for this year's event, scheduled for March 28 - 29, which will include for professional exchange, sessions, workshops, games, competitions and Community Pavilion exhibits to inspire organizations and individuals to share, learn, begin or advance their continuous improvement journey. Registration is free.

Upcoming Town Halls


Staff Town Hall

Wednesday, March 15, 10:30-11:45 a.m. 

Register Online

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Deadline for Non-Senate Faculty Professional Development Fund Application is April 7


In accordance with the current UC-AFT/UC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a Professional Development Fund provides Unit 18 Non-Senate Faculty (NSF) with financial support for professional development activities. Any Unit 18 NSF member who has or had an appointment during the grant period during which the professional development activity takes place is eligible. Please visit the APS website for more details. 

Library Received $250k Mellon Foundation Grant


Audiovisual items within the UC San Diego Library’s Archive for New Poetry (ANP) collection will be digitized and preserved thanks to a $250,000 grant awarded to the organization by the Mellon Foundation. Through this project, the team plans to digitize approximately 2,500 sound recordings and 200 films and videos in the ANP. Digitized materials will be added to the Library’s Digital Asset Management System for discovery and long-term preservation via its Digital Collections website and online catalog, UC Library Search.

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"Gearing Up for Fiscal Close" Topic of Next L3 Workshop


The Center for Operational Excellence’s next Lean, Lunch & Learn (L3) Workshop will be on Tuesday, March 21, at 11 a.m. The collaborative workshop will share insights into what guides the requirements leading up to close, tips and tricks to successfully plan for close, and an interactive session to help identify areas where staff may still need help prior to close. Interested participants can register for the workshop online. 

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UC Women's Initiative for Professional Development Application Period Open


Applications are now being accepted for the UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development. This initiative is a professional development program designed to help woman-identified professionals advance in their UC careers. Participants represent faculty, academic personnel and staff, those who manage people and those who do not. The program is committed to enabling the full participation, success, and advancement of woman-identified professionals at UC San Diego and across the system. The application period for this year closes on Friday, March 24 at Noon.  

Participate in the Supervising at UC San Diego Training Program


All supervisors of campus staff at UC San Diego are welcome to participate in the Supervising at UC San Diego training program. This program provides an overview of many of the dos and don’ts when working as a supervisor, and an approach to the role that is rooted in best practices, acknowledges areas that may implicate laws and regulations, and shares resources that can help navigate supervisory challenges. The program includes two virtual sessions from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 9 and Thursday, March 16, 2023, facilitated by Human Resources. Both sessions are required to receive credit and there is no fee to register. This training will be offered four times per year. Register for Supervising at UC San Diego on the UC Learning Center.

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Four Early Career Professors at UC San Diego Awarded Sloan Research Fellowships

Four UC San Diego faculty have been selected as 2023 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellows, a prestigious award for early-career scientists of outstanding promise. The fellowships are awarded in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions.

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