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Inaugural Student Centeredness Award, Staff Appreciation Week, Career Center Welcome, and more

April 11, 2024

Dear Student Affairs and Campus Life Friends,

Can you believe that we’re almost through the second week of Spring Quarter?

The 2024-25 academic year will similarly be here before we know it, and on that note, Triton Days are upon us! We’ll be welcoming our admitted first-year and transfer students this Saturday, and again in May. My thanks in advance to the departments and programs that will be on campus this weekend to warmly welcome our newly admitted students and their loved ones.

In this month’s message, you’ll find information about the inaugural campus-wide Student Centeredness Award; details about Student Affairs and Campus Life’s upcoming annual Staff Appreciation Week; as well as an important reminder regarding the expectation that each of us and our team members – including our critically important student paraprofessionals – complete the UC Mandatory Training requirements.

As departments begin recruiting Student Employees for the coming year, don’t forget the great benefits of hiring students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study. As a former Work-Study student, I can attest to its positive impact on both my professional development and the sense of belonging I felt when serving in my on-campus role.

Below, please continue reading to join me in: welcoming the Career Center to the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life; perusing a slideshow of Tritons enjoying Spring Break 2024 activities; learning how to provide important feedback that may contribute to more paid research opportunities for undergraduate students; and more.

As a modest “thank you” for your diligence, resilience, and unwavering commitment to student centeredness throughout the year, the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life is pleased to invite you to our third annual Staff Appreciation Week from Monday, April 29 through Friday, May 3, 2024.

I hope you'll join us for a week full of opportunities to take in a ballgame, gather on campus to enjoy some treats, and connect and engage with your teammates and fellow Student Affairs and Campus Life colleagues.

Please join me in welcoming UC San Diego’s Career Center to the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life. Reporting to AVC-SRS Maruth Figueroa, the Career Center will join a team focused on student success.

Along with Director Hassan Akmal, the Career Center team includes: Lisa Ganem, Somer Gates, Helen Han, Megan Martinez-Montano, Marcy Morrison, Jade Pearson, Cam Pham, Josue Pinal, Bianca Portal, Lorena Quiroz, Ron Reyes, Kathy Simmons, Michael Stromayer, Madigan Turnquist, Jessica Wilson, and Mike Zucker.

Visit career.ucsd.edu to learn more about the Career Center’s services, networking events, resources, and more!

Tamika Balderamos has recently joined OASIS as the Hope Scholars Program Manager. 

With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, Tamika brings a rich background in both student affairs and academic affairs. Now, as the Hope Scholars Program Manager, she will continue to support and advocate for underrepresented students, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities needed to thrive both academically and personally.

Dereck Garcia has recently joined the Center for Student Accountability, Growth, and Engagement (SAGE) as a Student Conduct and Compliance Coordinator.

In this new role, Dereck will coordinate and manage the Restorative Justice program, handle Administrative Resolution meetings, intakes, and investigations, and provide triage and support to Friends of SAGE, students, faculty, and staff. Prior to his role at SAGE, Dereck supported daily operations of the Seventh College Residence Life office. Dereck is a proud alumnus of UC San Diego and Revelle College, and is a first-generation college student.

After an ambitious, collaborative journey that began in Summer 2023, the Student Affairs and Campus Life Strategic Plan Ambassadors are just weeks away from debuting the plan that will shape our Division’s work for the next five years and beyond, as well as advance the Chancellor’s Strategic Plan Refresh.

The 2024-29 Strategic Plan will be formally presented at the Student Affairs and Campus Life Spring All-Staff Meeting, taking place during Staff Appreciation Week on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. We hope you’ll join us to learn more about the plan, and catch up with colleagues while showing your Triton spirit in blue and gold.

I am delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural Student Centeredness Award, a campus-wide recognition initiative designed to celebrate individuals who exemplify unwavering dedication to our students.

The new Student Centeredness Award will honor those who go above and beyond to put students first, innovate in their approaches, and champion diversity, equity and inclusion across our campus.

In partnership with Associated Students and the Graduate and Professional Student Association, the award seeks to highlight the transformative actions that advance student success and inclusivity in all aspects of university life, in alignment with UC San Diego's vision to be a destination public university that is student centered, research driven, patient dedicated and service oriented.

Nominations to open May 1
All currently affiliated members of the UC San Diego community are encouraged to nominate individuals who embody student centeredness and contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all Tritons.

To do so, visit the Student Centeredness Award website when the nomination period opens beginning May 1, 2024.

Our Spring Break 2024 programming from March 23-31 offered students more than a week’s worth of opportunities to engage, explore and create. Tritons took to the water, cheered on sports teams, filled arenas, stretched body and mind, and leaned into their artsy side.

Check out this UC San Diego Today Slideshow for a glimpse of the festivities, and please join me in offering a special shoutout to Dwayne Mosbey in the office of our AVC for Student Affairs, who coordinated the majority of these events with our campus partners.

On January 30, The Design Lab – in partnership with Student Affairs and Campus Life and the Office of Research and Innovation – hosted an event to review projects from teams who participated in SPUR: Scaling Paid Undergraduate Research to share what was learned during the inaugural year of this campus-wide initiative, and to present new opportunities for feedback and evaluation.

"SPUR brought together students, faculty and staff to generate new ideas. Now, we need your help in identifying which solutions will work best for our community."

– EVC Elizabeth Simmons

How you can help
As part of SPUR, teams comprising students, faculty, and staff collaborated to identify and address the most pressing issues that impede the ability to “scale” paid research positions for undergraduates. Each team’s work is presented as a series of stories succinctly presenting the problem they addressed, as well as their work toward identifying a potential solution.

By learning more about these projects and providing your candid feedback about their merits, you’ll help The Design Lab make informed decisions moving forward toward the ultimate goal of scaling paid undergraduate research at UC San Diego.

Each year, April is designated as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The initial goal of SAAM was to raise awareness about the prevalence of sexual violence, but it has since expanded to focus on community education and violence prevention. SAAM has been recognized at UC San Diego since 2007 and serves as an opportunity for all Tritons to get involved and learn more about our role in creating an anti-violent community.

CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center (CARE at SARC) orchestrates campus-wide activities for SAAM, including development of the annual theme. This year’s theme, Building a Community of CARE, aims to empower our entire UC San Diego community to find meaningful ways to build a safe, equitable and respectful campus.

Please visit saam.ucsd.edu for the full SAAM calendar, detailed event descriptions, and registration information.

The UC San Diego LGBT Resource Center is excited to announce their 2024 Out and Proud series, taking place April 12-26, 2024. This two-week series will feature programming that focuses on the theme Out of the Closet into the Future;  bringing awareness to LGBTQIA+ issues, providing an opportunity for visibility and reflections, and celebrating the many different intersecting identities that make up our community.

The Out and Proud Series is the largest opportunity for community visibility on the UC San Diego campus, and is a time for reflection on the achievements of LGBTQIA+-identified students, staff, faculty, and allies.

Additional Pride celebrations
The LGBT Resource Center also encourages participation and celebration during the nationally recognized Pride Month in June, as well as San Diego's Pride celebration in July. If you would like to register with the UC San Diego contingent for San Diego Pride, please visit the LGBT Resource Center website.

Want to know what’s new at CAPS?

The following preventative outreach programs are available during Spring Quarter, some of which now offer students CCR credit for attending.

Below, please find four of CAPS’ most popular preventative programs:

Case Management Services will again facilitate training sessions for “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress” this Spring – on May 9 and June 6, 2024.

These free, interactive trainings are designed to assist staff in recognizing and supporting students in distress – defined as: a student whose academic progress or functioning in the university environment is adversely affected due to a number of indicators that are impacting their well-being and/or the well-being of others.

To complete the training, individuals only need to attend one of the scheduled dates. To register for any of these sessions, visit this link on UC Learning (login required).

All UC San Diego employees are required to take online trainings via the UC Learning Center within 30 days of hire and renew them regularly, including the Cyber Security Awareness, Sexual Violence Prevention, Ethical Values and Conduct, and Abusive Conduct in the Workplace courses.

Based on individual requirements, you’ll receive automated assignment emails and reminders from the UC Learning Center with information about required courses and relevant due dates for training. If you supervise student employees, please ensure that they have also completed their mandatory trainings.

Your proactive completion of these trainings is critical in fostering a healthy, positive, and supportive workplace. To check your status on compliance courses, please login to UCLearning.ucsd.edu. If you have questions about these essential trainings or have difficulty accessing them, please email VCSACL@ucsd.edu, and we’ll get you connected to colleagues leading this important effort.

April 13, 2024
May 3 and 17, 2024

Don't miss the chance to be part of the excitement at Triton Days on April 13 – tailored for admitted first-year students and transfer applicants – and at the Transfer Celebration events on May 3 and 17, exclusively for admitted transfer students.

These events provide an immersive experience with academic insights, interaction with student support services, campus tours, and more.

April 20 – 28, 2024

UC San Diego will join communities around the world in celebrating Earth Week with events designed to educate and engage the community. Earth Week will take place Saturday, April 20 through Sunday, April 28.

If your department or organization is hosting any Earth Week events, please submit them for promotion on the Sustainability Events Calendar.

Throughout May

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and an opportunity to remind everyone in the Triton community of UC San Diego’s comprehensive programs, counseling, and support resources designed to help our students, faculty, and staff flourish.

As part of the Tritons Flourish Initiative, departments across campus have partnered together to create in-person and remote well-being programs and events for undergraduate, graduate and professional students as well as staff and faculty throughout the month of May.

May 4, 2024

2024 marks the 40th annual Sun God Festival – UC San Diego’s student-curated, daytime music and arts festival. Named as one of Live Nation's Top 5 College Concerts That Should Be Actual Festivals, the Sun God Festival is continuously reimagined to provide students with thrilling moments and life-long memories from live performances by national touring artists, diverse food vendors, vibrant art and décor, and interactive brand activations.

May 22, 2024

Assessment Day is a full-day professional development program on May 22, 2024, curated by the Assessment, Evaluation, and Organizational Development team for the UC San Diego community.

Full-time UC San Diego staff, graduate student staff, and faculty members will have opportunities to attend a variety of sessions covering assessment, evaluation, and research topics for all practitioners – regardless of their level of experience.

Thank you for all you do to advance student centeredness at UC San Diego, and please let me know if you would like to take a walk on campus, grab a cup of coffee together, or hop on a Zoom to connect – just send me an email at VCSACL@ucsd.edu.

Be Well,

Alysson
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Alysson M. Satterlund
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life