September 2023 Division Message: Welcome to Fall Quarter, 2022-23 Impact Report, and more

Monthly Student Affairs updates, info, events and shoutouts

Welcome to Fall Quarter, 22-23 Impact Report, and more

Dear Student Affairs Colleagues and Friends,

Welcome to Fall Quarter 2023! It seems like this fall is particularly special given that Eighth College has opened its doors to its inaugural class, and that preparations for Triton Center are well underway – which will provide new and expanded homes for Global Initiatives, the Triton Transfer Hub, and one-stop spaces for our student-centered partners and collaborators like the Teaching+Learning Commons and the Student Health and Well-Being cluster.

With many of our undergraduate residential students moved in as of this past weekend, our campus is once again activated with Triton energy, events, and traditions. TWOW 2023 is in full swing, with last night’s Fall y’All, tomorrow’s reimagined Convocation for new graduate and undergraduate students, our undergraduate Triton UnOlympics tradition scheduled for Wednesday, and this year’s Meet the Beach on Saturday.

The work our team and partners have done to create meaningful opportunities for students to connect with one another, learn about campus resources, and build a sense of community instills optimism for the year ahead and reinforces that all of our Tritons belong at UC San Diego.

As part of TWOW, we’re hosting new information sessions to encourage more campus departments and students to consider federal work study student employment positions. As a former undergraduate work study student in a financial aid office, I can share firsthand that work study is a fantastic resource that allows our departments to add talent to their teams and provides eligible students with an impactful, campus-based work experience. I encourage all DSA departments to join the inaugural Work Study Job Fair Orientation this afternoon at 3 p.m. via Zoom.

The DSA’s 2024-29 Strategic Planning Committee (DSA-SPC) officially came together for the first time last week to kick off our next strategic planning cycle. The DSA-SPC will be spending the next several months in both internal and external engagement, listening, and strategy sessions supported by the Institute for the Future. If you would like to be involved, we welcome your participation and I encourage you to send an email to VCSA@ucsd.edu.

Throughout October, UC San Diego will also be proudly commemorating Latinx Heritage Month with an exciting lineup of events, including film screenings, a special Padres baseball game, live performances, a book club and more. I hope to see you at these special events and programs.

Continue to read on for a few more updates and information, as well as a link to our 2022-23 Student Affairs Impact Report.

2022-23 Student Affairs Impact Report

I am proud to share the 2022-23 Student Affairs Impact Report, which showcases the creative, equity-driven work of the talented and dedicated Student Affairs professionals and paraprofessionals at UC San Diego.

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.

Shout Out to Summer Bridge and BLNA 2023 Partners

I’d like to recognize the Summer Bridge team and the Teaching+Learning Commons for supporting the nearly 700 students who recently participated in this year’s Summer Bridge program – ensuring a smooth and successful transition from high school to university life.

I also want to acknowledge our division’s partnership with the office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (VC-EDI), Housing · Dining · Hospitality (HDH), and Enrollment Management for hosting the third annual Black, Latinx and Native American Family Orientation (BLNA) from Sept. 16-17.

Upcoming Career Fairs

On behalf of the UC San Diego Career Center, I’d like to share that Fall Quarter 2023 career fairs (Oct. 5, Oct. 11, and Oct. 12) for students are right around the corner. In order to make this series a success, the Career Center seeks your support via:

Promoting Career Fairs to Students
Check out all of the Career Fair Prep Events and feel free to share with campus partners, alumni, employers, and/or students.
Signing Up to Volunteer
Staff and students alike may volunteer for a variety of events leading up to and including the career fair. Please consider signing up via this form.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Megan Martinez-Montano, Senior Associate Director; or Hassan Akmal, Executive Director.

Park & Market Office Space Available

As a reminder, Student Affairs employees have access to office space in the UC San Diego Park & Market building located in Downtown San Diego.

The location is easily accessible by the UC San Diego Blue Line Trolley, and is designed to offer flexibility to Student Affairs staff who are working remotely or are downtown for business reasons. The division has one private office which can be reserved online – as well as access to numerous open-concept workstations.

In addition to office and co-working spaces, UC San Diego Park & Market features large conference and meeting spaces, as well as a movie theater, outdoor amphitheater, classrooms, and gallery spaces.

Visit the Employee Resources page for reservation information, hours, and more.

Upcoming SAMS Training

Are you interested in helping to ensure that free expression activity can continue safely on campus?

AVCs Piya Bose and Patty Mahaffey will host an in-person Student Affairs Monitors (SAMS) training on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you're unable to attend this session, we've scheduled a back-up training on Oct. 4 from noon - 2 p.m – both of which will include lunch.

During the training, we'll cover SAMS responsibilities and logistics, take your feedback, and include information from Labor Relations, and provide de-escalation training.

Please RSVP by Friday, Sept. 29 using this 2023 SAMS Training Sign-up link.

2nd Season for UC San Diego's Epstein Family Amphitheater

Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please check out the Epstein Family Amphitheater’s calendar of upcoming events. Their second season’s impressive slate was announced in August, featuring artists and performers from around the world.

Homecoming and Family Weekend
Oct. 16-22, 2023

In just under a month, the entire UC San Diego community is invited to campus for the sixth annual Homecoming and Family Weekend (Oct. 16-22) – featuring all your favorites and a few new surprises, including Movie Night Under the Stars (Princess Bride anyone?) and a pop-filled concert at UC San Diego’s Epstein Family Amphitheater.

Traditional favorites including class reunions, campus tours, Take a Triton to Class, the Triton 5K and Division I sporting events will round out the week.

National Transfer Student Week Kickoff
Oct. 17, 2023

The Triton Transfer Hub is excited to celebrate National Transfer Student Week from October 16-20, kicking things off with their inaugural National Transfer Student Week Celebration and Resource Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 17 from 1 - 4 p.m. on Sun God Lawn.

The event will feature tabling, lawn games, and activities led by Recreation – with the intention of creating a “one-stop shop” for all transfers to get connected to important resources.

SIGN UP: Your sign-up confirms a table and chair for your department, club, or college for the length of the event. To join, please complete this form by Sept. 29.

Third Annual Student Affairs Staff Awards
Oct. 31, 2023

The annual Student Affairs Staff Awards are designed to encourage our team members to showcase their work, celebrate each other, and recognize the creativity and student-centered innovation that consistently emanates from our division in support of our 2019-24 Strategic Plan.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place during the Student Affairs All-Staff Meeting on Oct. 31. 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.

Thank you for making this time of year so very special to our new and returning Tritons.

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,