Hello Carolyn,
Welcome to the Academic Affairs newsletter. Browse updates and announcements, connect to tips and resources, and check out stories from around campus.
| |
Dear Colleagues,
At a time of year when many of us celebrate what we are thankful for, I want to take this moment to acknowledge and express gratitude for the incredible work you all have been doing to continue our progress toward “a new equilibrium” in our classrooms, as well in our other learning, research and community-building environments. Enjoying the recent opening of the Epstein Family Amphitheater, which included inspiring performances by our own faculty and alumni, I was reminded of how meaningful it is for us to gather, once again, in person for shared moments of reflection.
Every day, I have the opportunity to speak with some of you about your experiences and aspirations – in meetings or listening sessions, at receptions or celebrations, in my office hours or during visits to your labs and studios. Though you come from many different disciplines and units, common themes are evident when you talk about your hopes for the future. These conversations highlight how important it is for us to keep joining our dreams in a spirit of Collective Impact, so that our separate efforts can benefit all of our students, all of our colleagues, and the greater San Diego community.
Thank you, again. I appreciate your many important contributions to UC San Diego – including those that lie ahead.
With best regards,
Elizabeth H. Simmons
| | | |
November is Native American Heritage Month
UC San Diego will celebrate the 16th Annual Native American Heritage Month in November. Several speakers, performances and workshops have been scheduled in order to promote awareness of issues in Indian Country. Every November, the Intertribal Resource Center leads a campus committee in recognizing the achievements and contributions of Native American people and tribes. The committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff, all committed to increasing the Native American presence on campus, supporting Native American students and honoring our local tribal communities. On November 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. a kickoff event will be held in the Price Center. For more information, or to purchase a table or tickets to the event, email nhrm@ucsd.edu or itrc@ucsd.edu.
| |
Veterans Recognition Event Scheduled for November 8
Join your colleagues as UC San Diego celebrates the contributions of the outstanding veterans, active military, retired military, reservists, and military affiliates who enhance our campus community. The 23rd Annual UC San Diego Veterans Staff Association Veteran Recognition Ceremony to honor UC San Diego veterans and members of the Armed Forces will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in UC San Diego’s Supercomputer Center Auditorium. The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served immediately following the celebration. The theme of this year’s ceremony is “Quiet Heroes: Veterans Who Make a Difference in Our Community.” UC San Diego Veteran of the Year, Carlos Martinez, and Student Veteran of the Year, Hillary Gnirk, will be honored and thanked for their service, and each veteran and military service member in attendance will be recognized. If you plan to attend, please RSVP by Friday, Nov. 4. To request reasonable accommodations, such as American Sign Language interpretation, to facilitate your participation at the event, please contact Joanna Boval at jboval@ucsd.edu by Friday, Nov. 4.
| |
Upcoming Town Hall
Staff Town Hall
Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Register Online
| |
Complete the Summer Planning and Program Inventory
In the spirit of Collective Impact, planning is starting now for summer 2023 programs. By collecting information and looking at programming holistically, the highest number of students can be served most effectively by coordinating campus resources and support. Those thinking of facilitating a summer program or who have already committed to leading a program in summer 2023 are strongly encouraged to complete the Summer Program Inventory Form online. Completion of the form does not lock you in to any commitment for summer 2023. Programs in need of Housing, Dining and Hospitality support for their programs should fill out the form ASAP, and all program organizers should complete the form if they have not already done so by November 15. For more information on the form, or summer planning, schedule a drop-in meeting, or email Rocco Fragomeni.
| |
Create a Culture of Care by Attending a Supporting Students in Distress Training
Student Affairs Case Management Services will be leading two more interactive training sessions in 2022 to assist faculty and staff in supporting students in distress. Students in distress are defined as individuals whose academic progress or functioning in the university environment is adversely affected due to a number of factors. Upcoming sessions will be offered Nov. 10 and Dec. 8. To register, go to UCLearning and search the keywords “students in distress.”
| |
What Now? What's Next? The 2022 Midterms and the Future of Democracy Panel
Which way are America's political winds blowing in the November 8 election and beyond? This panel discussion on Monday, Nov. 7, from 5 to 6 p.m., will bring faculty experts from across the UC system together with student voices to discuss how political, economic, and legal dynamics have set the stage for this year's national election, putting it into the historical context of past midterm elections to help predict what might happen when this year's votes are counted. And as votes are counted, will Americans trust in the integrity of the election system or are we likely to see continued claims of fraud? Bringing in data from surveys in the United States since the 2020 election as well as the experiences of "democratic backsliding" across the globe, this panel will provide evidence and perspective to help make sense of this year's election and what may come next.
Members of the UC community can register online for this free, virtual event that will be moderated by Alfredo Barcenas, UC San Diego Director of Student Governments and will feature panelists:
- Prof. Pamela Ban, UC San Diego
- Prof. Cesi Cruz, UCLA and The Future of Democracy Initiative
- Chloe Vitali, AVP Civic Engagement at UC San Diego
- Prof. Thad Kousser, The Yankelovich Center at UC San Diego
- Prof. Cheryl Boudreau, UC Davis
| |
Upcoming Staff Learning and Development Opportunity
Today's professionals are bombarded by information, constantly dealing with competing and changing priorities, and handling an increasingly complex set of technologies. As a result, time management has become more challenging than ever before. The "Overcoming the Overload: Managing Email, Competing Priorities, and More" workshop will share breakthrough insights and techniques covering a wide range of time management issues. The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. Among the topics covered are managing email overload and competing priorities, organizing information in both the digital and paper formats, cultivating strategic thinking, how to better manage interruptions, and improving focus. Those interested in the course can register online.
| |
Open Enrollment for Benefits is Happening Now | |
The open enrollment period for health and other benefits began on October 27 and ends on Friday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. This is the once-a-year opportunity to review benefit offerings at UC San Diego, determine which plans will be most beneficial for you and your family for 2023, and make any appropriate changes. If there are no planned changes to your benefit selections and there is no desire to re-enroll for a Flexible Spending Account (FSA); this is still an opportunity to review your Benefits Summary page on the UCPath portal for accuracy. Those interested in learning more about open enrollment can visit the UC website, UCnet. | |
Transformative Business Services Pilot Program Awardee Chosen
Earlier this year, Academic Affairs announced an inaugural call for proposals for a new Academic Affairs Resource Administration Transformative Business Services pilot program. Eight innovative proposals were submitted and the Jacobs School of Engineering (JSOE) was awarded the Transformative Business Services pilot for their proposal for a Best Practices & Training Resources initiative. The JSOE proposal distinguished itself as being both aligned with the ongoing administrative needs to be creative, transformative and lean, and in the spirit of Collective Impact in collaboration and inclusiveness. The initiative will build a holistic training environment that creates role-based training and an online Best Practice & Training Resource Portal that collates all of the available learning materials for the business processes that occur within Academic Affairs. The goal will be to create and offer hands-on, role-based training opportunities that allow users to rehearse skills that can be immediately applied to their business workflows. It will also create role-based training roadmaps. The Center for Operational Excellence (COE) will work with JSOE to help with defining and implementing clear Key Performance Indicators for the project and providing a project manager to lead this initiative.
| |
UC San Diego Named Among World's Top 20 Universities by U.S. News and World Report | The University of California San Diego has been ranked among the top 20 universities in the world, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2022-2023 Best Global Universities. | | | |
Achyuta Adhvaryu to Lead the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy India Center | "Achyuta Adhvaryu's extensive leadership and management experience, his strong commitment to education related to India, and his world-class research on firms and productivity in India make him the ideal candidate to lead the India Center," said Caroline Freund, dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy. | | | |
Have an idea for our newsletter? We'd love to hear from you!
| | | | | |