Greetings!
Welcome to the Academic Affairs newsletter. Browse updates and announcements, connect to tips and resources, and check out stories from around campus.
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Dear Colleagues,
As we pass the one-year anniversary of UC San Diego's shift to primarily remote operations, we are all painfully aware of what the pandemic has cost us: the ability to spend unbounded time with friends and loved ones, the opportunity to work full-tilt on our scholarship or teaching in our accustomed schedules, perhaps even the lives of some people who were close to us. As vaccination enables us to move back toward safer in-person interactions over the coming months, I think we will more deliberately appreciate each bit of freedom, autonomy, or community we gain back.
We’ll also be able to look back with pride at some of the things we’ve accomplished as a community this year. Yesterday’s HSI Summit reflects our resolve to redouble our efforts to become a Hispanic Serving Institution, through the Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative. And last week’s Educational Innovation Expo celebrated our colleagues’ and students’ many achievements in adapting to and thriving in the remote learning environment.
As Winter Quarter 2021 winds down, I hope that you will all be able to take some time for relaxation during spring break.
Wishing you all the best,
Elizabeth H. Simmons
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Encouraging community with lecture viewing sessions
Rather than watching instructional videos alone, students can host group viewing sessions on Zoom to connect with their classmates and watch lectures together. This helps transform the learning experience from passively watching a video to actively working through the material as a group. Instructors can encourage student collaboration by helping get the word out about viewing sessions. View tips for hosting a viewing session on the Keep Learning website.
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What did you learn in 2020? |
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The Library wants to hear from you!
As part of this planning process, we welcome your input on your current research needs and/or ideas for how and when we open library spaces to our faculty and students. Please send your ideas to Library Chief Administrative Officer Heather Hernandez at [email protected].
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Open educational resources for faculty and students
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UC San Diego has an official record called the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) that highlights a student’s involvement in activities beyond the classroom that help develop their skills and competencies. Over 800 opportunities are CCR approved, and suggestions for additional opportunities are encouraged.
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New data curation service for dynamic datasets
Do you or your data manager spend a lot of time responding to requests for your research data? The UC San Diego Library has a solution: a new service to support the publication of frequently updated data files. The Library’s software development team developed a set scripts that collect the files uploaded by researchers to RDL-share (the Library’s file transfer service) and update the data files that can be downloaded from the corresponding repository pages.
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Bouncing back from academic disappointment
Listen to this two-part Triton Tools and Tidbits podcast as current UC San Diego students discuss their academic journeys and strategies to cope with and successfully rebound from setbacks.
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Season 4, Ep. 7
Bounce Back
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Season 4, Ep. 8
Bounce Back Part 2
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Upcoming Return to Learn town halls |
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Join GISOI
UC San Diego Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Issues is seeking new student, faculty, and staff members for 2021-2023. Please apply by March 31, 2021 by completing the application. Review the recent campus notice or check out the GISOI website (gisoi.ucsd.edu/) for more information.
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New graduate housing rental rates |
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HDH is a self-supporting auxiliary enterprise, meaning it cannot receive any federal, state, or tuition funding. Rents collected from students must cover housing costs, which are largely driven by mortgages on residential buildings and front-line staff salaries. Historically, low graduate housing rates have not adequately covered these fixed expenses.
To address this issue, a new pricing strategy was created to improve the affordability, predictability, access, choice, and sustainability of graduate and family housing. This new strategy does not generate a profit, but balances expenses and revenue to ensure the university is able to continue offering quality and affordable on-campus housing options to graduate students in an area with one of the country’s highest housing costs.
The changes will continue to provide on-campus housing at rates 20% below market value for comparable units, offer a new choice for room occupancy, increase the amount of housing available for less than $750/month, cap annual rent increases for the duration of a contract, and are expected to reduce housing waitlists. At the same time, the university has increased housing by 65% to accommodate a larger number of graduate students.
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Over the last decade, university funding for graduate students has increased 82% and we continue to pursue comprehensive graduate funding reforms to improve transparency and enhance our support for our diverse graduate scholars.
Students without access to adequate food, stable housing, or other basic needs are encouraged to reach out to The Hub Basic Needs Center for assistance.
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Enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in employee recruitment |
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New resources are available to help hiring managers and search committee members embed best practices throughout the application, interview, and selection stages for employees. In addition to these resources, enhancements to application and hiring processes have been implemented in line with our commitment to inclusive recruiting practices. Anyone participating in hiring is required to complete training about managing implicit bias. Review the recent campus notice or visit blink.ucsd.edu/go/hiring for details.
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All UC San Diego employees are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Check your email or login to your MyUCSDChart to check for an invitation to schedule your appointment. If you have received an invitation, but have not received a scheduling ticket in MyUCSDChart, please complete the Vaccination Notification Inquiry form to report the issue.
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Visit the Return to Learn COVID-19 Vaccination Information for details about the vaccination locations and how to make an appointment, volunteer opportunities, and more.
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This year, stay safer by staying put — and spend Spring Break 2021 with UC San Diego March 21-28.
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Remote team building activities
Looking for fun, engaging activities to do with your team in a virtual environment? Through a campus-wide partnership with UC San Diego, Airbnb is offering Online Experiences as an option for event planners looking for unique ways to host their next team-building, celebration or recognition event.
Experiences are live, interactive activities hosted virtually by experts in their field. From classes and workshops to shows and entertainment, enjoy unique and meaningful online gatherings to connect, learn and have fun while working remotely. Visit this Blink page to learn more.
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Outback Adventures virtual programming
Delivering virtual content in a way that is engaging, interactive, and doesn’t make people feel like they are watching a pre-recorded lecture can be challenging. But team building doesn’t need to be in-person. As workplaces continue to evolve, we need to be creative and intentional in how we engage and support one another. Here are some tools that Outback Adventures offers to help teams feel connected and have fun:
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Virtual scavenger hunts are an exciting way to encourage engagement during onboarding, orientation, or training experiences. These are customized with content specific to the group or can be themed
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Virtual escape rooms encourage collaboration, teamwork and team-building, and can be customized with content specific to the group or themed.
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Flippity offers a collection of online templates that allow you to create, customize and download flashcards or other activities, such as crosswords, bingo, and more.
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Climer Cards are themed metaphor cards that provide a great launching point for deeper conversations and connections among team members.
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Skill development training exposes participants to collaboration and communication applications (e.g. Slack, Teams) web tools, and other virtual resources, to help them feel more comfortable adapting to the remote work environment.
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Facilitated retreats enable groups to cover content (like recapping the quarter or brainstorming solutions to challenges) and work on team building through various exercises. Some curriculum examples include focused sessions on more effective communication or understanding different leadership styles.
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Benefits of backing up websites
With web archiving, you can take a snapshot of a website’s look, feel and content, allowing your team to review the digital asset at any time, even after it has been taken down or changed. Archiving web content can also be used to analyze site metadata and more. Since 2007, the Library has used “Archive-It” service to assist units with preserving their web content. Visit UC San Diego’s Archive-it public portal to view a listing of all collections captured to date and learn more about web archive services.
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De-stress with the Library
In addition to its usual services, the Library offers downloadable activities and amenities to help you unwind during the pandemic. Explore their website for details library.ucsd.edu/visit/de-stress.html
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Feminist Transformations
This year's theme is an invitation to reflect on the possibilities to create change that exist after an unprecedented year, from systemic racism and injustices to the public health crisis and the gendered impacts of school and childcare closures.
Read more
ucsdnews.ucsd.edu
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Woman of the Year: Dr. Margaret Leinen
Each year, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus commemorates outstanding women from every district. When it comes to choosing a remarkable woman to be “Woman of the Year,” in Senate District 39, we need only look to the ocean for guidance.
Read more
sd39.senate.ca.gov
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King Britt's Blacktronika celebrates Black innovators in ...
Producer, DJ, engineer and educator King Britt has been at the heart of electronic music culture for over 30 years. His first DJ gigs were in his father's barbershop in 1970's Philadelphia at five year's old. At the heart of the community, he...
Read more
djmag.com
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Have an idea for our newsletter? We'd love to hear from you! |
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