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Staff Centeredness Day, National Mentoring Month, Shoutouts, and more

December 11, 2024

As we approach the close of another dynamic year, I remain grateful for the creativity and dedication that each of you bring to the UC San Diego student experience. To celebrate your contributions and recognize the teamwork that makes our community both impactful and resilient, I’m looking forward to seeing you (in-person!) next week for Staff Centeredness Day on Tuesday, December 17.

We’ll use this time to recognize and celebrate contributions to student centeredness, to engage in meaningful professional development, to be in community, to have fun enjoying the festivities of the holiday season, and to affirm together that our shared mission remains steadfast. Everything we did yesterday, do today, tomorrow and in the new year is rooted in advancing student social mobility, equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, success and well-being.

I wish you all a peaceful winter break, good health and time with loved ones. Again, thank you for the compassion and care you show one another and for consistently striving to make UC San Diego a more student-centered community.

Student Affairs and Campus Life staff are invited to participate in a day-long slate of recognition and award ceremonies, professional development opportunities, and our division's annual holiday gathering as part of Staff Centeredness Day on December 17.

Staff Centeredness Day
Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | Price Center

RSVP:  Registration Form

You are welcome to join us for any and all of the day's programming:

Please complete the Staff Centeredness Day Registration Form to indicate which events you will be attending.

All events will take place in-person on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 in the Price Center.

Celebrate the 2025 National Mentoring Month (NMM) with us at UC San Diego!

As part of the annual nationwide celebration of the power of supportive and meaningful relationships, the Online Student Experience team has curated a series of engaging events and workshops throughout January 2025 in collaboration with campus partners and mentoring programs.

Among the planned activities is the 3rd Annual National Mentoring Month Luncheon on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

National Mentoring Month Luncheon
This year’s Luncheon theme is “The Mentoring Ripple Effect: Stories of Growth and Success” and we are thrilled to introduce the Inaugural Mentorship Awards Ceremony as part of the celebration luncheon. All students, alumni, campus programs/departments, faculty and staff participating in mentorship at UC San Diego are invited to attend.

We kindly ask that you submit an RSVP by no later than December 13, 2024. You may click this link to be redirected to the RSVP form.

For more information about National Mentoring Month and the full list of events, please visit our website. On behalf of Online Student Experience, we thank you for your participation and support.

There’s still time to share your valuable feedback about UC San Diego’s refreshed 10-Year Strategic Plan.

Visit plan.ucsd.edu for a sneak peek of the Plan, goals, strategies, research themes and priorities that will guide the next phase of UC San Diego's transformation and growth.

If you have any feedback on the plan preview, please share with 2024refresh@ucsd.edu by December 20.

Thanks to the excellent work done by Alfredo Barcenas, Director of Student Governments, Auxiliaries, and Services; and Dwayne Mosbey, Executive Assistant to the AVC-Student Affairs on behalf of the Tritons Vote initiative, UC San Diego has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting.

The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation. UC San Diego joins a group of 471 colleges and universities recognized by ALL IN.

I’m pleased to share an important initiative between the Student Employment Office and the Teaching and Learning Commons, aimed at ensuring that all student employment jobs at UC San Diego are recognized on students’ Co-Curricular Record (CCR). This effort will highlight the valuable skills students gain through employment and align with our commitment to holistic student development.

To achieve our goal by the end of Spring Quarter 2025, we ask for your support in encouraging your teams to engage with the Student Employment and Teaching and Learning Commons teams to complete this project. More information on the project and available resources can be found at: elt.ucsd.edu/ccr/student-employment-ccr.html.

If you would like any further information or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Rochelle Smarr directly at rsmarr@ucsd.edu.

Case Management Services will again facilitate training sessions for “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress” this Winter – on Jan. 9 (in-person), Feb. 13 (in-person) and March 13, 2025 (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).

For more information, please contact Chrystian Smith at cas014@ucsd.edu.

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.

With Winter Break on the horizon, our International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) has once again published their “Things to do Over Winter Break” Guide, full of fun activities to do while exploring San Diego. Visit the ISEO Instagram to check it out, along with additional resources to help international students and scholars succeed and thrive at UC San Diego.

Undocumented Student Services has compiled a comprehensive list of resources and tips to help our campus partners and friends successfully and confidently support students who identify as undocumented or who are from mixed-status families. By working together and supporting one another, we can help Tritons overcome obstacles and encourage personal and academic excellence at UC San Diego.

Tamara Cunningham, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Global Initiatives, was recently elected to serve on the NAFSA Board of Directors.

In this role, Tamara and her peers on the Board will advance the association’s strategic plan over the coming years, paving the way for a brighter, more connected future.

Please join me in welcoming two wonderful additions to the OASIS team:

The Triton Underground Scholars (TUS) program is pleased to announce that Shawn Khalifa has joined the team as Program Coordinator earlier this Fall.

With both lived and professional experience supporting formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students, Shawn is deeply committed to empowering others through education and restorative practices. Before joining OASIS, he built programs for justice-impacted students and worked as a teaching artist for the Playwrights Project, helping individuals explore their voices through creative writing.

The Hope Scholars program is pleased to welcome Marlene Saenz to the team as a Project Coordinator, bringing years of experience working with under-resourced and foster youth students at organizations such as San Diego Youth Services and Promises 2 Kids.

Marlene’s work has included collaboration with county social workers and housing managers to support students' stability in housing, education, employment, and health. She has also guided students pursuing two-year, four-year, and vocational/career tracks.

January 11, 2025

UC San Diego’s Center for Mindfulness (CFM) and the Craft Center community have partnered to offer a creative renewal retreat to kick off the new year.

The CFM will present a morning session of silent mindfulness and compassion practices, followed by the option to choose one of three craft-making sessions (Japanese journal binding, ceramics, or candle making).

Visit the Center for Mindfulness website for more info and to register.

February 11-13, 2025

You are invited to take part in the 2025 Symposium on Enhancing the Experiences of Students of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Middle Eastern Descent.

This in-person symposium is a multi-day learning opportunity, curated exclusively for staff and faculty to engage with UC San Diego's Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) designation.

The theme this year is: ‘AANAPISI: Transforming from simply serving students to creating an environment in which students can thrive,’ and attendees will leave with a plethora of resources, a network of committed practitioners, and a plan for continued action.

Pre-registration is available by way of this 2025 APIMED Symposium Google Form.

Thank you for all that you do to advance student centeredness at UC San Diego. 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.

Happy New Year,

Alysson
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Alysson M. Satterlund
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life