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 March 25, 2026

   Vol. 7, No. 3     

A publication from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor

Dear Colleagues, 

As the days lengthen into spring, it feels apt to find bright spots we can celebrate as a community dedicated to learning, discovery and advancing knowledge.  

Across every campus discipline, UC San Diego scholars are turning curiosity into breakthroughs that touch the lives of people today and will continue to better our world for years to come. From life‑saving medical advances such as miniaturized wearable skin sensors to monitor biomarkers  and climate‑resilient technologies to smarter AI systems that improve education, health and public safety. From the production of new works on stage to what animal communication reveals,UC San Diego is extending the frontiers of knowledge. And this work is being done collaboratively, in the true spirit of discovery.  

Likewise, broad-based partnerships among staff and leaders across many parts of campus are yielding new ways to help our students thrive. A new flat-rate program providing undergraduate students access to their textbooks for $199 per quarter, Triton One, will be launching this fall thanks to leadership and collaboration from members of the Affordable Learning and Financial Support Working Group – part of the Collective Impact initiative. And employers from across campus are helping students articulate their experiences and competencies learned from their jobs through validating job experience in the Co-Curricular Record.  

Our impact is broad. I invite you to visit and share some of the impacts highlighted on impact.ucsd.edu. I am excited to see what future discoveries the researchers of our great university can Together, let’s celebrate the research that shapes a healthier, more equitable future for everyone. 

Sincerely, 

Elizabeth H. Simmons 

Just a reminder that the easiest way for us to talk is to schedule time during my office hours. Click the button below to find out about ways we can chat! 

April is designated as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Sexual assault is an issue that affects the entire UC San Diego community. The goal of SAAM is to raise awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals about their role in prevention. SAAM has been recognized at UC San Diego since 2007 with efforts led by CARE at the Sexual Assault Resource Center and campus partners. This year’s theme is Power in Prevention: A Love Letter to the Future. It is inspired by Josef Canaria’s keynote speech at last year’s National Sexual Assault Conference, where he reminded people that the seeds of prevention we plant today help us grow into the community we want to be.  

The 2026 UC Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES) is now open for responses and will remain open through May 14. UCUES is a systemwide survey administered every two years to all undergraduate students (age 18 and over). The survey measures several aspects of student life, such as basic needs, health and wellness, campus climate, co-curricular activities, and obstacles to academic success. The findings of the survey are used to inform campus improvements. In fact, data from the 2014 UCUES led to the development of the Triton Food Pantry. Students can take the survey through the UC San Diego online UCUES access page. 

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. 

A new, one-year pilot fund sponsored by the UC Libraries has been established to cover the cost of open access (OA) publishing for early-career authors in arts and humanities journals not included in UC’s existing open access publishing agreements. This new OA publishing fund supports early-career (pre-tenure) faculty, postdoctoral researchers, non-academic staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, and other non-tenured early-career authors in the arts and humanities disciplines. 

Choose from a variety of interactive workshops focusing on unique Library resources and services, from research tools to digital collections. All instructional workshops are open to UC San Diego students, staff, and faculty. 

Have a workshop idea? Email ucsdlibrary@ucsd.edu. Instructors can also request library instruction for their classes. 

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. 

The annual Dean of Undergraduate Education’s Undergraduate Academic Advising Awards at UC San Diego encourages Academic Advisors to showcase their work, celebrate each other, and recognize the dedication and student-centered innovation in our academic advising community.  

 All campus faculty, staff, and students are invited to nominate an academic advisor using the Advising Awards nomination form.  

 Advising Award Categories:  

 Nominations will be accepted March 2-27, 2026. Honorees of this year’s awards will be announced at the Undergraduate Academic Advising Council (UAAC) meeting on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.  

Visit the Awards website to learn more. For questions, please contact advisingawards@ucsd.edu.  

Many UC San Diego students receive federally funded Work-Study awards as part of their financial aid package. Work-Study is a federal student aid program that funds part-time job opportunities for undergraduate students. All Work-Study jobs are intended to be part-time opportunities that pay at least minimum wage. The program provides funding to colleges and universities, which then use the funds to pay a portion of the wages earned by Work-Study students. 

The funding model is a 50/50 split where 50% of the wages are funded through Federal funds, and 50% are funded through a department’s operational funds for student employment. By utilizing Work-Study students, departments can stretch their operational budget by leveraging Work-Study to fund 50% of the student wages. Per financial aid awarding policy, Work-Study is available during the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Work-Study funding is generally not available for the Summer. 

For any questions, email the Student Employment Office. 

The Student Employment Office and the Teaching and Learning Commons’ Experiential Learning team have partnered to ensure that all UC San Diego casual/restricted student employment positions are fully represented in the Co-Curricular Record (CCR) catalogue by the end of AY 2025-2026. 

Contact the project managers to check your department’s participation status: Helen Stapleton or Laszlo Folks

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. 

Scheduling in the TSS is now Live 

Scheduling for Fall 2026 is now live in the Triton Student System (TSS). Congratulations to the many teams across campus who worked to deploy this critical functionality. 

The Registrar’s Office has contacted departmental schedulers to begin the scheduling process. If you are involved in scheduling, please review that information carefully. Division of Extended Studies (DES) scheduling will go live in April. 

To support the transition, new Instructional Scheduling Assistant (ISA) training resources are  available: 

Scheduling Overview E-Learning Course (15-20 mins): is a self-paced introduction to TSS scheduling fundamentals  

Course Number and Enrollment Changes provides an overview of key structural changes 

Delivery Mode & Meeting Modality: gives guidance on how these are applied in ISA 

The TSS Implementation Team also continues to host live system demonstrations. This month’s session featured the Schedule Build and Submit functionality in ISA. Slides and recordings are available on the TSS Project Website. 

Suggest topics for future demonstrations via the TSS Demo Topic Suggestions Form. 

CourseLeaf Major/Minor Code Changes Supporting TSS Preparation 

As UC San Diego prepares for the initial release of the TSS in July 2026, updated major and minor codes are now visible in CourseLeaf course approval forms. These codes identify the department and award type and include a unique program number (e.g., COGS-BA-001), and the codes support system integration between CourseLeaf and TSS. 

Existing course approval submissions in CourseLeaf referencing ISIS codes will automatically convert to the new TSS codes, no action is required. Updated major/minor code lists are now available on Blink. 

Office Hours 

Members of the TSS Implementation Team are hosting weekly office hours to support the university. 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. 

Access the Zoom link on the TSS Project website. If you cannot attend, questions can be sent to esr-student@ucsd.edu. 

Training and Resources 

The training team is releasing resources in phases throughout the year to support the transition. 

Content Inventory: Supporting Training Preparation 

Departments are encouraged to contribute existing guides, job aids, videos and reference materials related to ISIS and connected systems (e.g., Degree Audit, eGrades, Schedule of Classes, Student Billing, Admissions systems, EASy and Major/Minor Tool) to the TSS Project Content Inventory. These materials help inform updated training resources for the transition to TSS. Please share this request with colleagues and teams, especially if you manage staff.  

For any questions, contact esr-student@ucsd.edu. 

Allison Riley, Senior Education Coordinator in the Academic Integrity Office, has been named Practitioner of the Year by the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI). This award, recognizing outstanding service to academic integrity at the institutional or community level, was presented at ICAI's annual conference in Denver on March 7, 2026. Allison's nomination was supported by Christina McGilvray Lane (AIO), Jenny Lalli (former AIO Education Coordinator), Jessa Kirk (UC Santa Cruz) and David Rettinger (University of Tulsa and ICAI President Emeritus). David wrote that "UCSD is the international standard for their work with students following integrity violations, and Allison is the person most responsible for executing that work," and Christina cast Allison's impact on a more personal note: "Because of Allison Riley, I can sit across from a student in crisis and offer accountability and hope." Congratulations to Allison on this well-deserved recognition.  

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. 

• USS Interactive Guidebook: On and off-campus resources

• USS Questions & Concerns from our Students

• What to Do What to Say (in English and Spanish): Quick guide on how campus employees can respond to a warrant, subpoena or request for confidential student or staff information. 

Have a student who seems distressed? For support, you can contact Triton CORE, a Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Program.  

HOW TO REACH THEM: 
Triton CORE is available Monday – Friday, from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Call UC San Diego Police Department’s (UCPD) non-emergency line at 858-534-HELP (4357) and ask to speak with Triton CORE. 

To schedule a TRITON CORE presentation for your team, email tritoncore@ucsd.edu 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) introduces Triton Lighthouse: Immersive Care Program, a new campus-based initiative providing comprehensive support for UC San Diego students navigating mental health challenges. 

This short-term program offers individualized treatment plans with a range of services: skill-based workshops, therapy, case management, community activities, psychiatric support, and digital resources. Referrals are welcome. 

• BIPOC Support Group 
• Black Community Support Group 
• First-Generation Professionals (FGPs) 
• Mindful Pause (Mindfulness Meditation Group) 
• Neurodivergent Support Groups 
• Parent and Caregiver Support Groups 
• Tritons Flourish
• Working Parents Support Groups