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Senate Snapshot // October 31, 2025

In This Snapshot

Academic Council Statement: 
Regarding Disclosures of Personally 
Identifiable Information (PII)

2025 Research Data & Metadata 
Standardization Survey Results
Task Force Partnership with 
Committee on Library & Scholarly Communication

Award Overview & Background
Distinction in Teaching and Mentoring Awards 
Application Deadline (Dec 12)

Community Building Awards Winners
Thirteen Events Supporting 
Faculty and Others Across Campus

Reducing Clinical Waste at UCSF:
Learning & Networking (Nov 19)

Systemwide Academic Council Communication to UC President Milliken

On Disclosing Faculty, Student, & Staff 
Names to the Federal Government

STATEMENT FROM THE UC ACADEMIC COUNCIL TO UC PRESIDENT MILLIKEN REGARDING DISCLOSURES OF PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII)

With unanimous resolve, the Academic Council addresses University of California President Milliken concerning the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) of faculty, students, and staff to the federal government amid an ongoing investigation of UC Berkeley by the Office of Civil Rights within the U.S. Department of Education into alleged violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

President Milliken's message to the UC community on October 3 describes the University's actions as undertaken to comply with federal law, as written and interpreted, and refers to several months of anonymization efforts. The attendant FAQ further states that there have been prior federal investigations, demands for records, and PII disclosures by UC and many other institutions.

Nevertheless, in this volatile climate--amid systematic and unprecedented federal actions designed to usurp control over U.S. higher education--universities must recognize that they can no longer rely on the ethos of collaboration and goodwill that has historically defined their relationships with the federal government. Consequently, we assert that the disclosure of PII can no longer be regarded as a standard procedural matter, irrespective of pre-existing agreements or interpretations of federal compliance requirements.

These disclosures have already chilled academic speech and instilled fear in our community of punitive measures and targeted threats. Critically, named persons may not yet have had the opportunity to contest allegations, correct University records, or mitigate risks. These concerns are now amplified by press reports of expanded and unrestricted access to federal databases, raising the specter of misuse of sensitive information. While notifying affected individuals only after disclosure is preferable to silence, the post-facto timing has further eroded institutional trust.

To read the rest of the Statement, please click here

Adopted by the Academic Council on October 27, 2025



Grandjean, Martin (2014) CC BY-SA 3.0

Research Data and Metadata Standardization Task Force

Survey Results

In September 2025, the UC San Francisco Research Data and Metadata Standardization (RDMS) Task Force, chaired by Michael Oldham, PhD, Associate Professor In Residence, Neurosurgery, and established by the UCSF Academic Senate's Committee on Library & Scholarly Communication (COLASC), released the findings of the 2025 UCSF Research and Metadata Survey Report.

The survey gathered critical insights from UCSF investigators across disciplines to better understand current practices and research data production, metadata annotation, storage, sharing, and reproducibility. With 181 respondents representing all UCSF schools, departments, and centers, this report underscores the need for transformative action to align UCSF's data practices with modern standards for open and reproducible science.

Why This Matters

UCSF investigators produce vast amounts of research data annually, representing an enormous yet underutilized resource. Inconsistent data organization and incomplete metadata annotation hinder effective search, reuse, and aggregation of dataset--critical components of scientific progress.

These gaps also contribute to challenges in reproducing published analyses, a growing concern in the research community. As funders, journals, and the public increasingly demand open access to well-structured datasets, UCSF has the opportunity to lead the way in developing robust standards for research data and metadata management.

To review Survey Highlights: Key Findings and Challenges, please click the below link.

Academic Senate's 2025 Distinction in Teaching and Distinction in Mentoring Award Winners. From right clockwise: Jaya Mallidi, MD, Distinction in Teaching (less than 5 years), Laurence Huang, MD, Distinction in Mentoring (Professor rank), Marissa Raymond-Flesch, MD, MPH, Distinction in Mentoring (Associate rank), and Elizabeth Joyce, PhD, Distinction in Teaching (more than 5 years)

Distinction in Teaching/Mentoring 
Award Overviews
Deadline: December 12, 2025

Distinction in Teaching Award

Since 1958, the San Francisco Academic Senate has annually recognized Senate faculty members who have show distinction in teaching. Beginning in 2002, eligibility for this award was expanded to include faculty in the Health Sciences Clinical and Adjunct series. The Distinction in Teaching Award is the oldest award given at University of California San Francisco. Some faculty have received it in one category and then, in later years, gone on to win it in the other.

Teaching is defined for the purpose of this award as faculty-to-student or faculty-to-resident. Both students and residents in addition to faculty can nominate faculty for consideration through writing letters of support. Winners are selected based on their excellence in teaching in two categories: 


• DIT Category One: Faculty at UCSF for 5 years or fewer
• DIT Category Two: Faculty at UCSF for more than 5 years

Distinction in Mentoring Award

In 2009 the Academic Senate with the Committee on Academic Personnel (CAP) began conferring the Distinction in Mentoring Award. Excellence in faculty mentoring is an essential component to faculty success and institutional excellence.

The Distinction in Mentoring Award recognizes exceptional mentoring by faculty-to-faculty--and faculty-to-clinical and/or postdoctoral fellows. UCSF faculty and fellows may nominate and write letters of support for UCSF faculty for this award. Winners are selected based on their excellence in mentoring in two categories:

• DIM Category One: Faculty at the rank of Associate Professor (in any of the five series listed below)
• DIM Category Two: Faculty at the rank of Full Professor.

Eligibility Criteria

UCSF faculty in the Ladder Rank, In Residence, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical and Adjunct series who have appointments at 50% or greater time (at UCSF or its affiliates such as Fresno, the VA, or ZSFG) are eligible for both awards in all categories. UCSF does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process for either award or category.

Nominations for both awards are due by December 12, 2025. If you have questions, please contact Liz.Greenwood@ucsf.edu.

Community Building Grant Winners

Thirteen Events Across Campus That Will Celebrate UCSF Community

The Academic Senate's Committee on Faculty Welfare awarded 13 Community Building Grants this October 2025. This program was possible because of the generous support from the Chancellor. The Senate looks forward to the following events in the coming year.

1. A "Connect 4" five-event series to connect faculty across four clinical teams in three departments.
2. A networking and social event for ~50 people who will pair up, get to know each other, and then prepare humorous PowerPoint presentations about their partners.
3. A four-event series hosted at a faculty member's home for junior faculty
4. Six interfaith community circles.
5. Half-day retreat for faculty from multiple schools on innovations in teaching.
6. Improv workshops for 20-30 faculty to mix two departments.
7. Party for a department with five locations that has not had a department-wide in-person event since 2019.
8. Addiction Medicine Book Club for faculty across several departments.
9. Clay mug and plate making events for faculty across departments.
10. Candle making, ring making, knitting, and origami event series.
11. Escape room event series.
12. Orientation program for new faculty in a division.
13. Breakfast meetings and a networking symposium for faculty involved in complex care coordination.

Reducing Clinical Waste at UCSF: Learning & Networking

On Wednesday, November 19, 2pm - 5pm, the Academic Senate Committee on Sustainability with financial support from the UCSF Office of Sustainability will host an event to share about innovative strategies for reducing clinical waste at UCSF.

Held in the Parnassus Campus Kalmanovitz Library - Lange Room, the event will be launched with a keynote presentation from Dr. Seema Gandhi, Professor of Anesthesiology, and Medical Director of Sustainability at UCSF.

Dr. Gandhi, a pioneer in sustainability action, has conducted ground-breaking work to engage colleagues to eliminate deslurane, an anesthetic gas with the highest global warming potential. She is also spearheading a multidisciplinary team to decrease direct emissions of greenhouse gases from the operating room.

Following the keynote speech will be a poster/networking session with representatives from the UCSF Sustainability Office; the UC Center for Climate, Health, and Equity; and UCSF Health, as well as UCSF practitioners working to reduce waste in emergency rooms, operating rooms dental clinics, medication transfer processes, and the Birthing Center.

Refreshments will be provided. Because capacity is limited, please RSVP on the Eventbrite page to secure your space.

Want More Senate News?

For more on how your Senate committee members and leaders are advancing the academic mission and supporting faculty life at UCSF and systemwide, check out the Senate Check Up Newsletter.