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Annual Anti-Racism Commitments Report, Upcoming Staff Awards, and more

October 25, 2023

As some of you will recall, three years ago – after the murder of George Floyd and the global protests that emerged in response – the Division of Student Affairs began to evaluate the degree to which our work could more immediately address our own anti-Black, racist practices and policies from a place of humility and action. As a result, each unit outlined a series of initial Commitments to Address anti-Blackness in our work at UC San Diego.

As part of that process, we pledged to report back annually to the Division on our collective progress each August. Due to an iterative series of structure improvements that better reflect the on-going nature of our commitments, the 2023 report was recently finalized – and is included in this month’s message, below.

As I look back and reflect on another year in support of the university’s strategic goals to ensure we are a truly inclusive community, I remain steadfast in collectively elevating anti-racism at UC San Diego. With cultural humility, let’s challenge ourselves and each other to create more brave spaces, ask better questions centered in anti-racism, and continue to work toward a more just learning, living, and working community.

The October 2023 Progress Report on our Commitments to Address Anti-Blackness was compiled by members of the Assessment and Evaluation Leadership Workgroup, chaired by Josh Borjas from the Student Affairs Assessment, Evaluation, and Organizational Development team.

In order to produce this report, the Commitments Assessment subgroup did an incredible job collaborating for the past year with direct-report units in the Division to create an assessment and accountability plan – meeting with departments to evaluate progress, and developing processes to measure and report on our efforts.

I invite you to review the report via the link above, and encourage you to share your feedback at VCSA@ucsd.edu.

I hope to see you at the annual Student Affairs Staff Awards next week, where we will showcase the work of our student-centered colleagues, celebrate each other, and recognize the creativity and innovation that consistently emanates from our division!

This year’s ceremony will take place during the DSA All-Staff Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 31 in the Price Center West Ballroom. This meeting will be hybrid to ensure accessibility, with those in-person enjoying a hot breakfast.

I am looking forward to once again honoring our colleagues and partners for their contributions to advancing student centeredness at UC San Diego. For a list of our 2021 and 2022 awardees, please visit the Past Recipients section of the Staff Awards website.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of participating in the official unveiling of UC San Diego’s new National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Plaza – the first in the University of California system and, as we understand it, on the West Coast.

The NPHC Plaza – located next to the original Student Center – is a student-conceived space that honors history and fosters unity, collaboration, and cultural appreciation of the contributions made by the NPHC – admirably known as the “Divine 9” historically Black fraternities and sororities.

As a reminder, the Student Affairs Professional Development Committee offers weekly Triton Time programming on Thursdays from 10 - 11 a.m.

Triton Time is designed to support staff in both their personal and professional growth, with upcoming topics including: Supporting Transfer Students through Data and Best Practices; Creating an Undocu-serving and Undoc-friendly Environment; Fulbright Opportunities for Faculty and Staff; and more. View the schedule and check out previous session recordings at TritonTime.ucsd.edu.

As of Oct. 9, 2023, the International Faculty & Scholars Office (IFSO) and the International Students & Programs Office (ISPO) have joined together to serve our international and campus communities as one office: the International Services and Engagement Office.

This strategic merger allows UC San Diego to leverage expertise and efforts in support of our international community by increasing practitioners in the student and scholar advising arena, and by combining programming operations to better integrate student, scholar, and family populations.

As campus becomes familiar with the new name, we ask that our community use it in full: International Services and Engagement Office. Should you use the acronym, we invite you to use ISEO (pronounced “I-S-E-O").

While the office settles into their new identity, please rest assured that there will be no disruption of services for our students, scholars, and broader campus community.

The Mentoring for All team is excited to invite departments and/or programs to participate in January 2024’s National Mentoring Month, aimed at increasing awareness about the importance of mentoring while showcasing the abundance of mentoring opportunities available to undergraduate and graduate students at UC San Diego.

Event funding available
Visit the National Mentoring Month webpage to submit an event for inclusion on the official calendar, and learn more about applying for mini-grant funding to support your event. For questions or further information, please reach out to Angie Garcia Nevarez, Mentoring for All Program Coordinator at angarcianevarez@ucsd.edu.

As a reminder, there are still quite a few events and programs remaining as part of UC San Diego's commemoration of Latinx Heritage Month, including a film screening, student org fair, Diá de los Muertos celebration, and more. Todos Somos, Somos Uno.

The 2022-23 Student Affairs Impact Report showcases the creative, equity-driven work of the talented and dedicated Student Affairs professionals and paraprofessionals at UC San Diego.

If you haven’t yet had a chance, please take a moment to peruse this report, and join me in celebrating the collective student-centered efforts and accomplishments of our colleagues and close campus partners.

Nov. 9, 2023

The Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) will celebrate its ten-year anniversary next month by hosting an event to culminate their campus-wide Veterans’ Week.

You’re invited to stop by the Student Center Courtyard from 3 - 6 p.m. on Nov. 9 to wish the Center a happy birthday, while recognizing the achievements of UC San Diego’s student veterans.

Nov. 13-17, 2023

International Education Week (IEW) is returning to UC San Diego for the 19th consecutive year. IEW, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, is an international campaign celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange.

From Nov. 13-17, Global Initiatives will join units and departments throughout the university in hosting a wide array of programs, activities and events open to the entire UC San Diego community, showcasing our diverse and internationalized university.

Finally, I wanted to re-share a great idea from our Chief Human Resources Officer, Terri Winbush: “Five-Minute Dance Breaks.”

At her recent People Leader Town Hall meeting, CHRO Winbush built a five-minute dance break into the meeting – providing a welcome respite from the screen, a little cardio, and an infusion of joy into the moment. With this in mind, I hope you’ll consider adding some five-minute (or longer!) dance breaks to your day.

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 vcsa@ucsd.edu.

Be Well,

Alysson
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Alysson M. Satterlund
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs