View in browser

June 8, 2026

   Vol. 7, No. 4     

A publication from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor

Dear Colleagues, 

As we rapidly approach the end of this academic year, I would be remiss if I didn’t share a few quick reminders to keep in mind as you ease into summer and look toward the 2026-27 academic year.  

Triton One: Course Materials from Day One 

UC San Diego’s new Triton One program will ensure all students have access to their required textbooks and course materials starting on the first day of the quarter. Students pay a flat rate of $199 per quarter, regardless of their major or the number of courses they are taking in the quarter, and materials are delivered digitally through Canvas or available for student pick-up on or before the first day of classes. Faculty retain full freedom to choose materials for their courses, but adoption submissions are due by June 30. Faculty should have received emails from VitalSource with access to the selection portal. For any questions, please visit the Triton One webpage for faculty.  

Digital Accessibility: A Good Summer Project 

Summer is a good opportunity to review any websites or course materials you’re responsible for to ensure they meet current accessibility standards. New federal guidelines require that websites and course materials comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. The Digital Accessibility website offers checklists for presentations and PDFs, as well as links to SiteImprove trainings to help you make digital content updates. Taking a few steps now will ensure all materials are compliant when fall quarter begins. 

CalFresh: Help Address Food Insecurity Through Your Class Materials  

More than half of UC San Diego students experience food insecurity, and many qualify for CalFresh, California's SNAP program. Thanks in large part to faculty sharing enrollment information in syllabi and on classroom slides, student CalFresh enrollment increased by 18% last year — putting an additional $5.1 million in grocery money directly into students' hands. If you have not already, please consider adding a short message about CalFresh to your syllabus, add the CalFresh course in Canvas to your class requirements, and display an informational slide on your classroom screens. Resources and materials are available at the Collective Impact Resources webpage. 

Thank you for all you do to support equity and student learning on our campus.  

Sincerely, 

Elizabeth H. Simmons 

UC San Diego will experience increased traffic, parking demand and roadway impacts as students move out and the campus hosts commencement ceremonies. Move-out begins on June 5, with commencement ceremonies taking place June 12–14. 

Community members should expect temporary road closures, traffic delays, increased pedestrian activity and limited parking near commencement venues and residential areas. Traffic control and parking operations may be adjusted throughout the weekend as needed. 

For detailed move-out, commencement, parking, roadway and shuttle impacts, visit Transportation Services’ traffic impacts page. 

The 2026 UC San Diego Common Read has been selected. “Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry,” by Ada Limón, the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, 2024 Time magazine Woman of the Year, and a 2023 MacArthur fellow will be the book for the next academic year.  

“Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry” is an impactful book that demonstrates poetry as a powerful force for healing, a call to action, and a vibrant celebration of humanity’s many voices. Limón delivers a powerful message that poetry has the ability to restore, connect, and remind us of our shared existence. 

Several campuswide events and activities are being planned for the 2026-27 academic year to celebrate the Common Read Year of Poetry at UC San Diego, including a campus visit from the author. 

For more information, including an evening with the poet, can be found on the Common Read website.  

The campus community is invited to the 6th Annual Juneteenth Celebration, "A Family Affair: Embrace Our Progress,” taking place on June 16, from 2 to 4 p.m.  

This year's gathering will be a moment for remembrance and jubilation. The community will gather to honor the ingenuity, innovation, and creativity of Black people in America and celebrate the Black Excellence Awards, honoring those who enrich our campus community. The event’s featured speaker will be Dennis Childs, director of UC San Diego's Black Diaspora and African American Studies (BDAAS) Program. 

For more information, or to register for the Juneteenth celebration, visit the UC San Diego calendar page for the event.  

The UC San Diego Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Compliance Training on UC Learning is now available. The training was developed through the efforts of the Vice Chancellor Offices for Organizational Transformation and Operations Management and Capital Programs in collaboration with the Human Resources Learning Technologies team.  

The first of its kind in the UC system, the training reflects UC San Diego’s prioritization of compliance with federal and state repatriation laws and UC policy. The content focuses on creating shared understanding of NAGPRA basic requirements for reporting Native American and Native Hawaiian cultural resources. This module is intended to strengthen campus consistency and provide accessible guidance for those within the campus community who may encounter cultural material during their course of work. 

All faculty and staff, particularly those who may have a higher likelihood of encountering cultural items or remains in their work, are strongly encouraged to complete the training.   

Faculty Mentor Program 

Faculty-mentored research programs for undergraduates are always in need of faculty mentors - if you are looking for undergraduates to help with your research, please contact ugresearch@ucsd.edu and encourage students to apply to the programs. 

Mentor Database 

Please register for URH's faculty mentor database if you would like to support undergraduates interested in research. 

UC San Diego encourages all student, scholar and employee travelers to prioritize safety and well-being, make informed decisions about travel, and utilize University of California System Office and UC San Diego travel resources prior to departure. 

At least six months prior to departure, travelers should review the University of California System Travel Risk and Insurance and Global Initiatives International Travel Guidance webpages, which includes information about:   

International scholars on a non-immigrant visa should also consult ISEO’s travel pages for information on traveling internationally. 

If you are concerned that delay or disruption of travel may interrupt a research project, award or grant, please reach out to your department, school leadership or OCGA for consultation or assistance. 

For more information, visit the University of California System Travel Risk and Insurance Webpage and Global Initiatives International Travel Guidance Webpage. 

Triton Student System (TSS) moving toward Summer 2026 launch 

Chancellor Khosla has approved the university’s plan to proceed with the TSS launch this summer for Fall 2026 enrollment (booking). As preparation activities continue, current efforts are focused on accelerating testing, increasing staffing support, prioritizing critical student functionality, and preparing the campus community for transition and hypercare activities. Recent milestones include completion of Fall 2026 Schedule of Classes configuration, phased staff access to TSS, loading of undergraduate and graduate student and admissions data, incoming student account claiming (SSO), and DES Scheduling now live in TSS. As the university moves through this significant transition, we recognize the extraordinary efforts of faculty, staff, advisors, trainers, testing teams, and operational units supporting launch readiness while continuing to maintain day-to-day university operations. We encourage the campus community to continue approaching this transition period with patience, flexibility, and grace for colleagues supporting this complex institutional change.   

View the Major Milestones for updates.  

How to support students 

New guidance has been shared to help faculty and staff support students ahead of the Triton Student System (TSS) launch. This includes key changes such as the shift of Fall 2026 enrollment (booking) to mid-July, new terminology, and what students will experience during the transition. Faculty are encouraged to share a short student-facing slide in classes and course materials. Read the full update (Main Campus) (DES) and access the slide to support your students, as well as the Impacted Applications List for Students.   

Office Hours 

These informal drop-in sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions, share feedback and learn more about upcoming changes. 

Schedule 

Mondays: 3-4 p.m. 

Wednesdays: 9-10 a.m. 

Thursdays: 10-11 a.m. 

Access the Zoom link on the TSS Project website. 

Subject Matter Experts: You Said, We Did 

Between October and December 2025, the TSS Project team hosted listening sessions with subject matter experts (SMEs) to understand workload pressures, timeline concerns and future-state questions. Feedback from these sessions informed improvements to risk management, communications, training support and project governance. Read the “You Said, We Did” article to see how SME feedback is shaping the path to launch. 

Major/Minor Tool update 

Due to the transition to the Triton Student System (TSS) and the revised Fall 2026 booking/enrollment timeline, there will be a temporary access gap for the Major/Minor Tool between June 5 and at least mid-July 2026. Guidance for students and advising teams has been shared through campus communications and system messaging - TSS Project: Temporary Access Gap for the Major/Minor Tool (MMT).  

DES Training Resources 

The DES Scheduling training for TSS is nearing completion for DES colleagues, with Office Hours continuing throughout June to support staff using the new scheduling processes and tools.  

Training materials, guides, and additional support information are available on the DES Hub TSS Resources page and the Triton Student System Staff Training Blink. A DES Scheduling eLearning course is also currently under development and planned for release in June to provide ongoing, on-demand support resources. 

Additional Training and Resources 

Faculty & Staff Training for TSS 

Student Training for TSS 

The training team is releasing resources in phases throughout the remainder of the project to support the transition. Training on the following topics will be released in the coming months: 

The new REAL Portal is live: a one-stop platform for all Commons experiential learning (EL) opportunities. The REAL Portal includes all research, experiential and applied learning opportunities from across campus, both paid and unpaid positions.

UC San Diego affiliated organizations can post opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to apply to directly in the portal. Students, faculty, and staff can search by EL opportunity type or EL program (academic internships, CCR, and campus opportunities). 

For any questions, contact the Experiential Learning team. 

UC San Diego employees are eligible for six free 1-on-1 sessions with a trained health coach between the months of June and September. The coach can help clients create long-lasting behavior changes or reach a health-related goal. To learn more about health coaching, visit the Recreation webpage on Health Coaching.  

The Hub Basic Needs Center, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2026, provides Food Security Resources, Housing Resources, and Financial Wellness services to undergraduate and graduate students.

Food insecurity remains a critical issue for college students nationwide and 2024 UCUES data showed that 51% of UC San Diego undergraduate students report facing food insecurity - threatening their wellbeing and academic success! But CalFresh, a state program that awards up to $298 a month for groceries, can help! More than 50% of UC San Diego students are CalFresh eligible, and ~60% of students enrolled receive more than $200 monthly. 

You can help by joining the many instructors who are including food support information in their student-facing communications, such as class syllabi, Canvas pages and slides. Use the resource downloads on the Collective Impact website. 

The annual Dean of Undergraduate Education’s (DUE) Undergraduate Academic Advising Awards at UC San Diego are designed to encourage academic advisors to showcase their work, celebrate each other, and recognize the creativity and student-centered innovation that emanates from our academic advising community. Awardees for the third annual awards are:   

Community Partnership Award: Antoinette (Toni) Moore, Physics 

Innovation in Advising Award: Katie McGann, Eighth College 

Advising Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Champion Award: Sheriyan Bradford, Black Diaspora & African American Studies 

Keystone of Advising Award: Alia Welch Partida, Human Developmental Sciences and Carrie Humberstone, Warren College 

Staff Leadership and Mentorship Award: Lauren Brunson, Data Science and Kristian Austin, Thurgood Marshall College 

All of those nominated demonstrate the best of the professional academic advising community at UC San Diego. Submissions detailed advisors’ commitment to students and colleagues, the advocacy and innovation of staff, and their dedication to helping the UC San Diego community.  Congratulations to all of the winners and the nominees!