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Debut of SACL’s 2024-29 Strategic Plan, Summer at the EFA, Recognizing Juneteenth, Celebrating Pride, and more

June 13, 2024

Dear Student Affairs and Campus Life Colleagues and Friends,

With commencement just a couple of days away, I want to offer my most sincere gratitude to each of you and our student-centered partners across UC San Diego for advising, guiding, coaching, mentoring, teaching, engaging, challenging, healing, and supporting our newest Triton alumni during an exceptionally challenging period. For those of you working one, some, or all of the remaining commencement events this weekend: thank you for supporting this transformative milestone. We know that many of those celebrating at commencement missed out on a similar in-person opportunity four years ago, and marking this moment is particularly sweet for their families and for one another.

UC San Diego’s all-campus commencement is going to be different this year. Rather than just one, eight student speakers will offer words of gratitude and inspiration to their fellow 2024 graduates via video at the June 15 ceremony. Together, the speakers represent the heart of UC San Diego: a vibrant community of dreamers, innovators and changemakers determined to uplift others as they climb and better serve our world.

To learn more about each speaker, visit today.ucsd.edu.

…

UC San Diego will continue exploring what the Juneteenth holiday means for Americans, celebrate Black excellence, and center ways in which all communities can observe, reflect, and educate in commemoration. I encourage you to visit the Juneteenth website on Blink to learn about some special events in celebration of our rich Black culture and history.

I would also like to wish everyone a joyous pride month! Our colleagues in the LGBT Resource Center have opened up registration to walk with UC San Diego in the July 20, 2024 San Diego Pride Parade.

Summer respite reminder: By making it this far into the academic year, you’ve more than earned some time to rejuvenate, rest, relax, or – if that’s not your cup of tea – re-discover some dedicated ‘you’ time if you’re able to do so. However you choose to ‘fill your bucket,’ please be mindful of the pace of our work as we welcome traditionally quieter months ahead.

Our next monthly division update will hit your inboxes in August 2024, at which point we will provide a status update on reporting our division’s progress toward anti-racism commitments, and in the meantime, I invite you to begin thinking about submitting nominations for the fourth annual Student Affairs Staff Awards taking place on October 29, 2024.

Below, please continue reading to learn more about our Student Affairs and Campus Life 2024-29 Strategic Plan; an upcoming annual Impact Report submission deadline on June 21; Summer Sessions at the Epstein Family Amphitheater; photos from last week’s Longest Table gathering; and more.

In case you weren’t able to join us for the Spring All-Staff Meeting this past April 30 – or if you might benefit from, understandably, a quick refresher since shifting focus in recent weeks – please allow me to (re)share the formal debut of our 2024-29 Student Affairs and Campus Life Strategic Plan.

This dynamic plan envisions immediate initiatives while laying the foundation for sustained impact, embracing new technology, fostering a sense of community, data-informed decision making, and continued collaboration with university partners – providing a comprehensive support system tailored to meet the diverse needs of our students.

After an ambitious, collaborative journey that began back in Summer 2023, our dedicated Strategic Plan Ambassadors – chaired by Kirby Knipp from the AEOD team – encourage you to spend some time looking through 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 for the university.

The 2024-29 Strategic Plan presents a student-centered vision of excellence for the future of Student Affairs and Campus Life at UC San Diego. For more, please visit saclplan.ucsd.edu.

As one five-year plan transitions into the next, it is imperative that we recognize the importance of recent student-centered efforts with as much vigor as we devote to charting the course for current and future work to support our students.

Submissions Due June 21
To close out the 2023-24 academic year – the fifth and final segment of our 2019-24 Strategic Plan – please consider submitting personal and/or team accomplishments in order to showcase the creative, equity-driven work of our Student Affairs and Campus Life colleagues and partners.

Visit impactreport.ucsd.edu to view the AY22-23 edition, submit content to be included in September 2024’s forthcoming 23-24 report, and learn more about the Impact Report's planning process, partners, and publication timeline.

If you have any questions about the Impact Report publication or submission process, please visit the Student Affairs Assessment, Evaluation, and Organizational Development website at aeod.ucsd.edu.

Get ready for concerts, festivals, movies, and special events as UC San Diego's summer concert and events series returns this July with "Summer Sessions" at the Epstein Family Amphitheater (EFA).

Featuring a diverse lineup from The Cream of Clapton Band and Chile's Ana Tijoux, to soul sensation Joss Stone and The Little Mermen performing Disney hits, there's something for everyone to enjoy with unforgettable entertainment for all ages.

Experience the Science of Story
As part of a new initiative to commemorate Comic-Con at UC San Diego, ArtPower will host Star Trek actors and writers George Takei and John Cho, as well as open the renowned and exclusive Clarion Science Fiction Writing Workshop to the public via a one-day masterclass.

“The Science of Story Experience” is a unique, six-day event designed to inspire and educate, while blending the worlds of storytelling, science fiction, and fantasy.

Visit the website above to learn more about available event packages – some of which even include housing on campus – that include the afore-mentioned Takei/Cho evening gathering, screenings accompanied by a live symphony score, and more.

“As we gather around The Longest Table at UC San Diego, we're not just sharing a meal; we're cultivating a vibrant tapestry of cultures, perspectives and stories.”

- Becky R. Petitt, Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

When hundreds of Tritons gathered around an expansive, 300-foot-long communal table that spanned the length of Library Walk on June 6, there was a palpable sense of belonging and a feeling reminiscent of home.

As part of the Tritons Belong initiative, The Longest Table welcomed members of the campus community to share a meal, converse with one another and bond over activities and games.

The SIS Project is an effort aimed at overhauling our student information systems and enhancing the overall user experience for students, faculty, and staff.

Key initiatives include replacing ISIS with the Triton Student System (TSS), implementing CourseLeaf for curriculum management, recreating new versions of existing student data-related reports to ensure they will continue to function after the implementation of the new student information system, and replacing the current Financial Support Request Tool for graduate student funding with the redesigned new Financial Support Payments Tool, among others.

If you have not yet heard from the SIS Project Team to meet with you/your team, please reach out to esr-student@ucsd.edu.

Case Management Services will again facilitate training sessions for “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress” this Summer – on July 11 (virtual), August 8 (in-person) and September 12, 2024 (virtual).

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.

Oct. 29, 2024

The annual Student Affairs and Campus Life Staff Awards are designed to encourage Student Affairs and Campus Life team members to showcase their work, celebrate each other, and recognize the creativity and student-centered innovation that consistently emanates from our division.

Separate from our divisional awards, the inaugural UC San Diego Student Centeredness Award is a campus-wide recognition initiative designed to celebrate individuals who exemplify unwavering dedication to our students, go above and beyond in their efforts, and embody inclusivity and innovation while furthering student centeredness at the university.

Same-Day Ceremonies
For the first time, winners of BOTH awards will be announced during an exciting, joint celebration at the Student Affairs and Campus Life Fall All-Staff meeting on October 29, 2024.

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