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Staff Awards Nominations Open; TWOW on the Horizon; SACL Socials, and more

August 20, 2024

Dear Student Affairs and Campus Life Colleagues and Friends,

UC San Diego has been vibrant and bustling throughout the summer, from Recreation’s Knock Around Campers and campus tours to colleagues savoring fro-yo and visitors enjoying summer programming at the EFA.

Earlier this month, we welcomed the 47th class of over 850 Summer Bridge Tritons during their move-in activities, while our student-centered construction projects progressed at full speed.

Our Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) team, along with our campus partners, is eagerly gearing up for Triton Weeks of Welcome (TWOW) 2024. In addition, I’m excited to announce that, under the leadership of AVC Bose and AVC Mahaffey, we have transitioned from the SAMS program to the newly launched SAFE (Supporting Advocacy and Free Expression) Team. As you continue reading, you'll find more information about the SAFE Team and details on two upcoming training sessions. I encourage you to consider joining the SAFE Team for the 2024-25 academic year.

We've also taken this time for reflection and strategic planning as we conclude our 2019-24 SACL strategic plan and prepare for what lies ahead through the goals outlined in our 2024-29 plan.

Additionally, we're excited to welcome our new CASP Director, Shanelle Watkins!

As the new academic year approaches, I’d like to share some important dates, celebrations, and updates.

In recognition of the creativity and student-centered innovation that consistently emanates from our division, please consider nominating a team, yourself, a colleague or campus partner for the fourth annual Student Affairs and Campus Life Staff Awards!

Visit the Student Affairs and Campus Life Staff Awards website to learn more, complete a nomination, and view photos and past winners from previous years.

This year’s awardees will be announced at the Hybrid Student Affairs and Campus Life Fall All-Staff Celebration on Tuesday, October 29, 2024.

Last Spring, we announced the launch of the inaugural Student Centeredness Awards, a campuswide recognition initiative designed to celebrate individuals who exemplify unwavering dedication to our students – honoring those who go above and beyond to put students first, innovate in their approaches, and champion diversity, equity and inclusion across our campus.

Winners of the annual SACL Staff Awards AND the inaugural Student Centeredness Awards will be announced during an exciting, joint celebration at the Hybrid Student Affairs and Campus Life Fall All-Staff meeting on October 29.

Triton Weeks of Welcome (TWOW) is our campus-wide series of introductory activities, special programs, and signature events at the start of UC San Diego’s academic year – designed to engage, inform, and welcome all students to the Triton community.

The first event takes place on September 9, followed by multiple weeks of collaborative, community building activities. Visit TWOW.ucsd.edu for more information and a current listing of confirmed dates and times.

As a modest ‘thank you’ for all that you do in support of our students, you’re invited to join the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life for two opportunities to connect with colleagues and kick off the new academic year.

Coffee Social
Monday, September 16, 2024 | 8 – 10 a.m. | Copa Vida UC San Diego
Start your day with coffee, tea, and breakfast while catching up with colleagues.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/SACLSummerCoffee24

Ice Cream Social
Friday, September 20, 2024 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Chancellor's Complex Courtyard
Treat yourself to ice cream (non-dairy options available) and take a break before the academic year begins.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/SACLSummerSocial24

We appreciate all of your hard work and look forward to seeing you at one (or both!) of these events.

Our beautiful campus is undergoing a period of record expansion, with student-, staff-, and community-facing projects underway.

As we ease into the upcoming academic year, here are some updates on these major projects:

Ridge Walk North Living and Learning Neighborhood
The forthcoming Living and Learning Neighborhood in Thurgood Marshall College is nearly halfway to completion, with housing on track to open in Fall Quarter 2025. This September, impacts around the site will ease as Fall Quarter approaches, including the reopening of Ridge Walk.

Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood
The Pepper Canyon West Living and Learning Neighborhood will open this Fall Quarter 2024, meeting student demand on multiple fronts, including full-year contracts, single-occupancy rooms, upper-division housing, and transfer housing.

Triton Center
Triton Center began erecting steel structures earlier this month and is targeting a Spring 2026 opening. As more steel is added vertically, the scope of this revolutionary campus hub is already starting to take shape.

RIMAC Expansion and Renovation
The RIMAC project is still in the early stages of design development, with construction slated to begin in Spring 2025. The expansion will add approximately 17,000 square feet of usable space, including top rope climbing, bouldering, weight and fitness areas, improved entry and circulation, a multi-purpose studio, a training lab, and rejuvenation spaces. Additionally, existing outdoor areas will be transformed into purposeful fitness and social spaces.

As the summer sun begins to set, ArtPower and the Epstein Family Amphitheater are wrapping up their sizzling summer series with a few more unforgettable events. Be sure to check out the remaining August and September schedules to catch the last performances of the season.

And Look Ahead to an Unforgettable Fall Season...
ArtPower celebrates its 21st season this Fall, continuing its legacy of bringing world-class performances to campus.

The season kicks off with an exciting new speaker series featuring culinary icon Yotam Ottolenghi and acclaimed poet Ocean Vuong in October, followed by musical collaborations, including Aoife O'Donovan performing with the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus and the San Diego Children’s Choir. Finally, celebrate the holidays with engaging performances, from Lucy Kalantari’s Haunting Days of Halloween to the vibrant Un-Silent Night with Choir! Choir! Choir! For more information, visit artpower.ucsd.edu.

As we approach a potentially intense election season, we invite you to be a part of our Tritons Vote Initiative. We're seeking passionate members of our campus community to join our subcommittees, where you can play a pivotal role in shaping the coalition's mission and impact on voter registration and education.

Tritons Vote Subcommittees
If you're interested in contributing to one of the following subcommittees, please email us at tritonsvote@ucsd.edu. Subcommittees will meet on a rotating bi-weekly basis alongside our larger Tritons Vote Coalition meetings throughout Fall Quarter 2024.

Marketing and Design
Spearhead marketing and design efforts for all voter engagement activities, including sharing promotional materials, crafting social media content, and establishing a strong online presence for Tritons Vote.

Events
Focus on organizing and scheduling voter engagement events, tracking campus activities for voter registration, and coordinating volunteers and tabling schedules (excluding residential locations).

Free Speech and Engagement
Educate and engage students on the principles of free speech, and create opportunities for meaningful dialogue between students, faculty, and staff with diverse viewpoints on challenging topics.

Residence Hall Outreach
Collaborate with residence life offices and HDH to develop and implement a voter engagement MOU for housing, recruit and train volunteers, establish tabling strategies for move-in dates and residential events, and coordinate door-to-door campaigns leading up to the voter registration deadline.

For any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out at tritonsvote@ucsd.edu. We look forward to your participation in making a difference this election season!

Are you interested in helping to ensure that free expressive activity may continue safely on campus? 

You’re invited to join AVC Piya Bose, AVC Patty Mahaffey, and UCPD Lt. John Smart for one of our comprehensive and revamped SAFE (Supporting Advocacy and Free Expression) Team Training (formerly SAMS Monitor) sessions.

Key Takeaways

Two Hybrid Training Sessions

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 | 8 – 9:30 a.m. | Price Center Red Shoe Room

Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | SSC Conference Room 400

Registration
To secure your spot, please register at tinyurl.com/UCSDSAMSF24. Food will be provided for in-person attendees.

Note: This training is required for all staff members who wish to serve on the SAFE Team during expressive campus activities. We look forward to your participation!

After helping guide the U.S. men’s water polo team to Olympic bronze, UC San Diego men’s water polo coach Matt Ustaszewski returned from the electrifying atmosphere of Paris and sat down with UC San Diego Today to reflect on the journey that led the team to the podium.

Visit today.ucsd.edu to read more.

UCPath now has updated system options to capture gender identity, sexual orientation, and pronoun information in alignment with the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy.

All employees, except for contingent workers, can now choose to display pronouns in the UCPath system if desired. For more information, along with a list of frequently asked questions, refer to the Gender Identity and Pronouns Blink page.

Surplus Sales is excited to announce walk-in shopping along with extended in-person shopping hours to five days a week. Appointments are still required to coordinate pick-up times for auction winners and online purchase orders.

Surplus Sales manages end of life for all excess and decommissioned UC San Diego property, with a mission to repurpose, refurbish, reutilize, recycle, and resell. Learn more at the surplus warehouse website.

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

This free, interactive training is 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 register, please visit this link on UC Learning (login required).

Please join me in welcoming Shanelle Watkins to the Student Retention and Success (SRS) team as Director of the Chancellor's Associates Scholars Program (CASP).

Shanelle is a student-centered, equity-minded educator with more than 14 years of experience in the educational field at the high school, community college, and four-year university levels. Previously, she served as the Assistant Director of the Black Student Center at California State University, San Marcos.

Aug. 29, 2024

Members of the UC San Diego community are invited to attend the virtual Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year Awards ceremony on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 3 p.m.

The Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year Award Program recognizes professional and support staff career employees who make exceptional contributions to the UC San Diego and San Diego communities in support of the university’s vision “to be a destination public university that is student centered, research driven, patient dedicated and service oriented." Learn more in this recent campus notice, and register through Zoom.

Sept. 18, 2024

Join UC San Diego’s Division of Extended Studies for Showcase 2024, taking place just across the bridge from campus at the new 8980 Villa La Jolla Drive building.

Explore the resources and expertise that Extended Studies can offer, from events, meetings, and classroom spaces to custom training, research and evaluation services, and more. Register at bit.ly/4dKRNsC. 

Sept. 26, 2024

The first day of instruction for Fall Quarter 2024 will be Thursday, September 26, 2024. Mark your calendars; it’ll be here before we know it!

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