Black History Month

Throughout February, UC San Diego invites you to join in a campuswide celebration of Black History Month! This year's theme is "Black Contributions to Labor: Honoring Our Legacy, Inspiring the Future." See the full calendar of events at blackhistorymonth.ucsd.edu. 



17th Annual Presidents’ Day Forum 

Our Strength, Our Story: Resilience in Every Chapter 

Thursday, Feb. 20, 12 - 1:30 p.m. | Online 

Hosted by the UC San Diego Black Staff Association (BSA) 

The Presidents’ Day Forum is a signature event held during Black History Month as an opportunity to engage in critical dialogue with insightful panelists on the U.S. Presidency and current political climate. These robust conversations are opportunities to deepen our understanding of the political landscape and its impact on the Black community. The session includes an open Q&A segment. 

Facilitated by: Dr. LaWana Richmond 

Register and learn more 



23rd Annual Black History Month Scholarship Brunch 

Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Price Center West Ballrooms 

Join UC San Diego’s 23rd Annual Black History Month Celebration and Scholarships Awards Ceremony. Dive into a lively daytime celebration featuring a delicious brunch, live entertainment and a special keynote from labor scholar Dr. TJ Stewart.  

To reserve a table or purchase tickets to the brunch, please contact BlackHistoryMonth@ucsd.edu



Triton Days Participation Form is Now Open 

Registration is now open for both Triton Days main events: 

• Triton Days Open House on Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Transfer Celebration on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The goal for the Triton Days Open House is to create an immersive experience showcasing the rich and diverse life at UC San Diego. Students can engage with your unit through a variety of activities, including information sessions, resource fair tabling, and department open houses. 

Campus will also host a Transfer Celebration event, exclusively for admitted transfer students at the Epstein Family Amphitheater. This smaller-scale event will provide an opportunity for academic departments, programs, and student support services and programs to connect with admitted transfer students who may have missed the Triton Days Open House in April. 

Visit the Triton Days webpage for additional event details, including how your unit can get involved, accessing the registration form, and the program overview video. 

Registration is now open until Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. and early registration is highly encouraged! If you have any questions before submitting your participation form, please contact tritondays@ucsd.edu. 

You can also sign up to be a general volunteer! Volunteer tasks could be helping with setup, assisting attendees, or supporting the Triton Days team, depending on your interests and availability.  



Call for Entries: 2025 Art of Science Contest

Celebrate the beauty that can emerge during scientific research by entering the Library's Art of Science contest. UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, faculty, researchers and scientists are invited to submit visually compelling images derived from their scientific work. These submissions are more than just images; they showcase the beauty of scientific exploration, inspiring curiosity and engagement with some of society's most pressing challenges and cutting-edge research. 

The submission period is open now through April 25, 2025. Winning images will receive $75 and be featured in an exhibition at Geisel Library in Fall 2025. Learn more and submit your entries at lib.ucsd.edu/artofscience. 

For questions, please email Abigail Pennington at apennington@ucsd.edu



Division of Undergraduate Education Strategic Plan and Survey 

The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) plays a vital role in supporting the academic success and well-being of UC San Diego’s undergraduate students. The DUE oversees the eight Undergraduate Colleges and the Undergraduate Colleges Business Office (UCBO), the Academic Integrity Office (AIO), the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD), and the Triton Testing Center (TTC), and works with schools, departments, and other campus partners to create a supportive and enriching academic environment. 

The Division of Undergraduate Education has developed its first Strategic Plan and is seeking broad feedback on its proposed goals.  

You can review the DUE Strategic Plan and then provide feedback in their survey. 



Spring 2025 Faculty Writing Retreat 

Mar. 25-26, 2025, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

15th Floor at Seventh College Tower West, Building 1, UC San Diego Main Campus 

At the C-FDI Faculty Writing Retreat, faculty will have the opportunity to join a supportive writing space in a beautiful setting and make progress on scholarly writing projects. Participants will have plenty of time to write without distraction while building a diverse community of UC San Diego scholars. The retreat will be facilitated by Chrissy Sharp, Director of Writing and Communication Learning Services at the Commons, in collaboration with the Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion and incorporates many of the strategies for writing success taught by NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program. 

What's Included: Facilitation, writing consults, meals, and support for dependent care 

Learn more and apply. Deadline to apply: Feb. 24, 2025 

For any questions, please email writinghub@ucsd.edu 



Chancellor's NIH Institutional Training Grant: GSR Cap Gap Program (TCGP)

Chancellor Khosla has committed up to $4.3 million in funding for fiscal year 2024-2025 to provide relief for PIs who are successful in securing training grants, specifically for the NIH T-series, for their graduate students. Funding will be provided to cover stipend gaps, with PIs continuing to fund tuition and fees. 

Learn more



UC Washington Center (UCDC)

Encourage your students to apply to the UCDC program, offering all UC San Diego students an incredible opportunity to gain professional experience, build networks, and explore career paths in Washington D.C.

This quarter-long program allows students to live, take courses, and intern for academic credit in D.C., immersing them in national policymaking, advocacy, and cultural exchange. Internships in prestigious organizations like government agencies, nonprofits, and think tanks provide firsthand exposure to careers in public service and policy. Scholarships are available to ensure accessibility for students from diverse financial backgrounds.  

Learn more and check for availability.

There are also several UC Washington Center faculty opportunities, including teaching and research. 

MOP Update Information

The Mortgage Origination Program has been unpaused. 

In an incredibly positive development, UCOP has just given UC San Diego a new one-time supplemental allocation to use for MOP loans, in addition to the campus’ regular, annual allocation. A dedicated task force of individuals from Academic Affairs - Finance and Administration, Academic Senate, and various representatives from across campus have created a plan that will allow the program to move forward. 

Additional information is available on the UC San Diego MOP webpage. Details of the next steps following the unpause will be shared with impacted faculty and academic leadership in the coming weeks. This information will be distributed via email, as well as posted on the UC San Diego MOP webpage.



UC Mandated Training- Single Sign-On Alerts 

All Academic Affairs faculty and staff (except student staff) will now receive alerts when they log into Single Sign-On (SSO) if they have any outstanding training to complete in UC Learning.  

With this alert launch, faculty and staff will receive the following messages:  

UC Mandated training is due in 14 days:  

A reminder will appear in Single Sign On, with the due date and training identified. There will be an option to either go to the UC Learning Center to complete the training or bypass the message and login through SSO. The message will continue to appear at each login until training is complete.  

UC Mandated Training is overdue by 30 days or more:  

If an employee is within one of the two annual lockout periods —designed to minimize disruptions to instructional operations—and is more than 30 days overdue in completing required training, they will encounter an intercept screen. This screen will restrict access to all systems except UC Learning, where they can complete their overdue training. 

You are encouraged to complete any overdue training to prepare for this important change.

If you have any questions, please contact Leo Munduruca at lmunduruca@ucsd.edu. 



Undocumented Student Services (USS)  

USS has created an interactive guidebook with a variety of on-campus and off-campus resources to equip you with tools and information in support of members of our undocumented and mixed-status community.  

Triton Time on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 10–11 a.m.  

This session is designed for staff to better understand the resources and support available to undocumented students. Learn about key services, including flagship programs, financial aid assistance, legal resources, and community-building initiatives. This training will equip you with the knowledge to support undocumented students effectively and create a more inclusive campus environment.  

RSVP to receive the Zoom link. 

USS has also provided the document, Questions & Concerns from our Students, that includes FAQs and other resources designed to support students impacted by ongoing changes in policy. 

USS will continue to share additional information, advice, and resources to help faculty and staff navigate changing conditions for our undocumented students. 

Additional Triton Time sessions for Winter Quarter are also available on the website. Facilitated by the Student Affairs and Campus Life Professional Development Committee, Triton Time takes place on Thursdays from 10–11 a.m. online during the academic year. If you'd like to suggest ideas or have questions, please contact Kirby Knipp at (kknipp@ucsd.edu). 

Symposium on Enhancing the Experiences of Students of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern Descent 

Feb 11-13, 2025 | 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

Pre-register 

This in-person Symposium is a multi-day, learning opportunity whose goal is to increase awareness of the experiences of students of Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Asian descent at UC San Diego. 

The topic of focus this year is to explore UC San Diego's Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) designation. 

Participants are encouraged to attend all days and participate across the workshops and lectures. 

For any questions, please email kquenga@ucsd.edu



Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scholarly Communication Resource 

The Office of Scholarly Communication (OSC) at the University of California announces the launch of its new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Scholarly Communication resource. This site supports the UC community in gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges of achieving and maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion in scholarly publishing, including concrete actions for authors, peer reviewers, journal editors, and librarians.  



Black History Month: Rising Through Adversity 

Join an enlightening exploration of culture, healing, and empowerment with coordination and meditations by Helen Davis, PhD, LMFT, and Adhana McCarthy, MPAS, PA-C. Mark your calendars for these free online sessions, open to everyone 

Offered online every Monday in February: 

Feb. 3, 10, 17, and 24 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. 

Registration 



Faculty & Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) Support Groups 

• Tritons Flourish 
• Mindful Pause (Mindfulness Meditation Group) 
• BIPOC Support Group 
• Black Community Support Group 
• Neurodivergent Support Groups 
• Parent and Caregiver Support Groups 

See the full list of FSAP support groups and workshops for more information.