Dear Colleagues,



I hope that this message finds you well amidst this busy mid-Winter Quarter season. Even as we are engaged in the academic endeavors of the current year, this is the time when we begin discussing the strategy and budget planning that will guide the future.

As you have seen in a recent update from the Chancellor, UC San Diego is conducting a refresh of its strategic plan and everyone is invited to contribute to that conversation through an IdeaWave. I hope you will share your ideas so the refreshed strategic plan can reflect your perspective and contributions to the university.

On a more sober note, due to the concerning news about the state budget, we are currently engaged in planning for a 3% cut to the FY25 recurring core budget of the university [excluding financial aid]. While the more extreme measures used back in 2008 are not being contemplated, and while we do currently expect that salary increases will go forward, this is still a serious matter.

Back in 2020, when Academic Affairs had to undertake a 4% budget cut, a Summer General Campus Task Force of Budget Planning Guidance developed a set of principles to guide the process. Over the past few weeks, I’ve consulted with Senate Leadership, deans, chairs, and financial administrators in order to reflect on and update the principles so they can continue to guide us in the present circumstances.

The task force’s full report can be found here, but in summary these principles include a continued emphasis on shared governance when moving forward in the budget process; avoidance of long-term damage to our university’s ability to deliver quality education, original research and graduate training; maintaining a stable employee base and emphasizing strategic faculty hires; allowing academic units to make changes reflecting local realities and minimizing impacts on their core functions; giving flexibility in formulating budget cuts that best allow units to preserve their research and educational missions, and using shared governance to inform any cuts to overall campus operations. 

Since the state’s budget for FY25 will not be finalized for several months, we are going to continue investigating budget options during that period and will not make final decisions until the state context becomes clearer. We’ll continue to communicate as the situation evolves and will welcome your thoughts.

Planning together for the future during times of uncertainty can certainly be stressful - but it can also be a source of optimism and community. I hope that if we stay in touch with each other and keep active conversations going, we can find the most positive and productive ways forward for UC San Diego.

Elizabeth H. Simmons



Fulbright Day Scheduled for March 14

Global Initiatives invites all faculty, staff, lecturers, postdocs, researchers and students to UC San Diego’s seventh annual Fulbright Day on Thursday, March 14! 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. The Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program session at 10 a.m. will provide an overview of the Catalog of Awards for academics, administrators, and higher education professionals. A Q&A session with former Fulbright scholar awardees will follow the presentation. All attendees are invited to attend the complimentary lunch and networking happy hour following the sessions. Fulbright Day is free and open to anyone who is interested in learning more about Fulbright. With hundreds of awards open to all disciplines and placements in more than 100 countries, there is a Fulbright for everyone! Visit fulbright.ucsd.edu to learn more and register today for Fulbright Day!  

March 6: Professor David Danks on "The Ethical and Policy Implications of Artificial Intelligence"

Artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere today, both in public perception and in our everyday lives. This growth has led to many stories about the widespread harms that can result from AI done poorly. As a result, there are now numerous demands for ‘ethical AI,’ but relatively little understanding of what that might involve. In an Institute for Practical Ethics keynote on Wednesday, March 6, David Danks will explore the nature of responsible AI, arguing that it involves much more than code or data. He will critically assess current approaches to producing more responsible AI, then suggest key policy and practical approaches that would likely be more effective. It is critical we create more responsible AI, but that will require rethinking many of our current practices in academia, government and industry. Danks, a UC San Diego professor in the Department of Philosophy and Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, is an expert researcher at the intersection of philosophy, cognitive science and machine learning. He serves on multiple boards, including the United States National AI Advisory Committee. To learn more about and register for this free event, which will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6 at the Sanford Consortium’s Roth Auditorium, visit this link.