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,
Congratulations on bringing a challenging Fall Quarter to a successful conclusion! Through all the difficulties, uncertainties, and changes we have encountered day by day, you have persisted and helped others to stay the course.
Your solidarity as a community and your frequently expressed compassion for colleagues and students have been truly remarkable. Your creativity has enabled us to keep acting as a university, a place where knowledge is created, taught, analyzed, shared, and deployed for the benefit of society.
Through your nationally-recognized efforts as part of Return-to-Learn, you have enabled our students to live safely on campus, when that was their best option for continuing their studies. And through equally important, though less visible efforts, you have enabled them to learn from wherever they were living, to have co-curricular experiences that pulled them into community with their peers, and to engage in research and career exploration as pathways to their futures.
During this period, I’ve been especially impressed by the array of new collaborations that have sprung up in all parts of the university. At the very time when public health concerns have kept us physically separated, you have found fresh ways to share ideas and build on one another’s experiences, so that UC San Diego can continue to evolve and excel.
Thank you for all of the inspiring work you have done this fall. I hope you will take time for some well-earned rest and renewal during the winter break.
Warm wishes for the holidays,
Elizabeth H. Simmons
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Winter quarter instruction
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Current public health orders restricting indoor teaching are likely to remain in effect at least through mid-January. Instructors originally planning to teach in-person during Winter 2021, should make contingency plans for the first few weeks of the quarter, either offering the course remotely or working with their department chair to request an outdoor classroom. Please inform your students of your chosen teaching modality. Please review the Dec. 11 campus notice for additional details about winter quarter operations.
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P/NP grading option for Fall '20
The Senate’s Educational Policy Committee approved a one-time exception that allows undergraduate students to submit petitions during the first four weeks of Winter '21 (January 4-29) to retroactively change grading options for Fall 2020 courses to pass/not pass (P/NP).
- Departments, programs, and colleges must determine whether a course taken P/NP can be counted toward major, minor, and/or general education requirements.
- Fall ‘20 P/NP courses will be counted towards the 25% maximum
- Students must earn at least a C- grade to earn a P; a change from a D grade to NP will result in loss of units
- Financial aid packages will be affected by NP grades
Additional details about this option will be provided before the winter quarter. Students are strongly encouraged to contact their advisors if considering the change.
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Addressing basic needs: Helping students focus on academics
2018 surveys indicated that over 40% of our undergraduate students and nearly 30% of our graduate students ate less because there wasn’t enough money for food, and the pandemic has presented students with additional challenges. The Hub Basic Needs Center and Triton Food Pantry provide access to food, housing and financial resources. We encourage instructors to include the Basic Needs Infographic Slide and/or Syllabus Language in their course materials. Questions? Email basicneeds@ucsd.edu
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Holiday library services and course reserves
All UC San Diego Library buildings will be closed from Sunday, December 20, 2020, through Sunday, January 3, 2021. Information about Library services available during the campus holiday closure can be found at lib.ucsd.edu/library-holiday-closure.
Instructors who plan to offer Library-supported course reserves during Winter 2021 should submit requests by logging in to the course reserve system (reserves.ucsd.edu). Requests submitted after December 18 will be processed in the order received beginning January 3.
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Faculty Mentor Program
Through the Faculty Mentor Program (FMP), undergraduate students can develop valuable relationships with UC San Diego faculty mentors while participating in an independent study course designed to build their research skills. The application period for Winter 2021 is open now through December 27. Interested in becoming a mentor? Visit the program website to learn more (https://aep.ucsd.edu/research-programs/fmp/index.html)
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COVID on campus: How do we Return to Learn?
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Review the December 2 webinar presented by Associate Professor Natasha Martin about the development of the Return to Learn program, including information about wastewater surveillance and data-driven monitoring on campus. Watch now.
Join the School of Medicine’s next Grand Rounds on Wednesday, January 6 for a discussion about the COVID vaccine presented by Dr. Susan Little. Visit the event website for details.
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Upcoming town halls
The next Return to Learn Town Halls are Monday, January, 11 for faculty and Tuesday, January, 12 for staff. Register and submit your questions online. Information about previous and upcoming town halls is available here on the Return to Learn website.
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Weekly testing requirement - Effective immediately
Required testing for employees is an important component of our work to identify COVID-19 cases with mild or no symptoms in our community and prevent transmission of the virus. If you are an employee who works on campus, you are required to be tested for COVID-19 at least once a week, unless you had COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Tests will be provided for free during normal working hours. Employees should consult their supervisors about when they will be tested to help minimize disruptions to operations during business hours. Review the Dec. 17 campus notice and the Required Testing Blink page (https://blink.ucsd.edu/HR/services/covid-19/required-testing.html) for details.
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Guide for difficult holiday conversations
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The Free Expression Committee has put together a guide to help Tritons prepare for potentially uncomfortable conversations with friends and family. Check out their tips for talking with people on opposite sides of the political spectrum and combating fatigue during the holiday break. Read the guide here.
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Addressing Anti-Blackness
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Year-end tax information
UC begins processing W2s in January. To ensure your statements are complete, accurate, and reaches you, please verify your personal information and delivery option in UCPath online by Friday, January 15.
International employees must confirm UCPath and the GLACIER tax database have identical personal email and home address information.
Any employee who is working remotely outside of California must also complete an electronic Foreign Source Income Statement and/or an Out-of-State Income Tax Withholding form.
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No in-person events through May 2021
To reduce opportunities for the spread of COVID-19, any in-person gathering through May 31, 2021 must be presented in a virtual format, postponed or cancelled. Event organizers are encouraged to continue offering virtual events as a way to help members of the Triton community stay engaged and connected. Learn more.
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The Flexible Work IdeaWave campaign has been extended, and faculty, staff, and students are strongly encouraged to share their ideas, feedback, and best practices on the transition to remote work and the return to in-person operations. Feedback collected as part of the campaign will inform efforts to address issues and expand opportunities for flexible work options at UC San Diego. Visit the Flexible Work at UC San Diego Idea Wave campaign website.
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Honoring Our 'Library of Dreams'
Music students release album featuring a floor-by-floor look at Geisel Library Photo by Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Communications As response to the pandemic moved a majority of courses online, two undergraduates found themselves missing their...
Read more
ucsdnews.ucsd.edu
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