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   May 1, 2025

   Vol. 6, No. 4       

A publication from the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor

Dear Colleagues, 

Amidst our current budgetary situation and the continued upheaval and uncertainty that surrounds us, I have been reflecting on the pervasive sense of urgency.   

While urgency can be useful in emergencies, it can also hijack our cognitive processes, pushing us toward reactive thinking rather than thoughtful decision-making. Deliberate, slower consideration allows us to engage System 2 thinking, a term popularized by Nobel Laureate and psychologist Daniel Kahneman in his book “Thinking, Fast and Slow”.  

This more analytical, logical, and reflective thinking can help us avoid impulsive decisions and foster deeper creativity. It can also help us maintain trust in each other, keep an open mind, and ask questions when someone shares an idea we may reflexively respond negatively to.   

I have been talking with so many of you in recent months about shifting how we approach and execute our daily work in order to conserve resources while reaffirming our shared values. Education and research remain vital for our nation’s intellectual and economic future, as does maintaining broad access to our public research university; yet the current moment demands that we identify more affordable ways to pursue our core academic mission. Time and again, our conversations on these weighty matters have circled back to the need for collaboration throughout all the administrative and disciplinary layers of the university. And that type of deep collaboration requires unity. 

In our present situation, choosing to slow down, show each other grace, and stick together are radical acts of wisdom. A pause can be the most powerful tool in our mental toolkit: a breath before sending a message, a moment to reflect before reacting, a short walk before making a big decision.  

Together with you all as we traverse the road ahead… 

 Elizabeth H. Simmons 

UC San Diego celebrates the 19th Annual Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) Heritage Month, a vibrant, tribute to APIA identities, cultures, and contributions. Through dynamic events, lectures, and seminars, we honor the profound impact of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans on U.S. history, culture, and innovation. 

See the full calendar of events 

Join Student Health and Well-Being (Counseling and Psychological Services, Health Promotion Services, and the Tritons Flourish Initiative) and campus partners for programs supporting mental health and well-being throughout May! 

See the complete list of programming at: studentwellbeing.ucsd.edu/may 

Faculty Registration Now Open 
Faculty registration for commencement ceremonies, including All Campus Commencement, is open now through Thursday, May 30, 2025. To receive alma mater and degree-specific regalia rentals you must register no later than Tuesday, May 6, 2025.  

All Campus Commencement will take place on Saturday, June 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. at RIMAC Field. Commencement ceremonies for the undergraduate colleges, the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, Rady School of Management, and the School of Global Policy and Strategy ceremonies will also take place during the same weekend as All Campus Commencement. 

As faculty members and campus leaders, your participation is a key element in the pomp and circumstance of All Campus Commencement and the related college, graduate division, and professional school celebrations. The students and their families deeply appreciate your presence as a symbol of the faculty’s central role in the university and their student’s collegiate experience. You are encouraged to participate in as many ceremonies as possible. 

Note, if you submit your registration and request regalia rental after May 6, the order will be filled with UC San Diego regalia and hood.  

To register and to order regalia, please visit the Faculty Commencement website.  

Volunteer during Commencement Weekend 2025 
Volunteers are needed for Commencement weekend events taking place on Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15. Volunteers support the success of this event and help ensure a fulfilling experience for every attendee. Please assist the volunteer effort by sharing the need with your friends and family. 

Submit a volunteer registration form by May 18, 2025. 

Student Registration 
Student registration for All Campus Commencement 2025 is now open through Friday, May 30, 2025. 

Learn more and see the Commencement 2025 Schedule at commencement.ucsd.edu 

The third annual two-day event is an opportunity to showcase and learn about pedagogical innovation happening here at UC San Diego and throughout higher education. The aim is to inspire creativity, celebrate ingenuity, and build a strong community of practice where we share challenges, successes, and reflect on the impact of technology in education. 

Learn more about the Call for Presentations and Submission Instructions.

RSVP to attend by May 9.

For any questions, contact: ei@ucsd.edu

May 8, 2025, from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. 
Reception to follow 

Location: Qualcomm Institute’s Atkinson Hall Auditorium 

RSVP to attend the endowed annual lecture sponsored by the Law and Society Program, Earl Warren College and the Higgs family.  

This year’s lecture features alum DJ Patil ‘96, the first U.S. Chief Data Scientist (co-founder of the term "data science"), public policy leader, entrepreneur, and investor.

UC San Diego has launched the Behind Every Breakthrough (BEB) campaign to communicate the value of research to key audiences. Every breakthrough begins with a bold idea. But research requires investment to move from the lab to real-life. Today, research funding is at risk. Learn how federal grants work, what they support, and what’s at risk if they’re cut. 

Visit the Behind Every Breakthrough website for more news and videos showcasing what fuels research and breakthroughs at UC San Diego.

University faculty and researchers are supporting the Behind Every Breakthrough (BEB) campaign by creating short videos and other presentations that highlight the vital importance of scientific funding. 

Individual training: As schools/units across campus identify faculty/researchers to speak about their research and impacts from funding cuts, RCP offers flexible, individual coaching sessions (zoom or in-person) ahead of BEB video recording sessions or other presentations. Coaching sessions are offered for those who need to present themselves authentically and connect with audiences on the importance of their research with funding and public benefit. 
Sign up for training 

Studio training/recording: The Research Communication Program is offering hybrid training/recording sessions at University Communications’ Studio East facility. These one-hour sessions with faculty members will include 30-minutes of practice followed by video recording at the studio. The recording, along with b-roll, can be used to make a Behind Every Breakthrough video with video team support. Contact Mario Aguilera (maguilera@ucsd.edu) to reserve one-hour sessions during these times: 

Wednesday, May 7, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
Thursday, May 8, from 1 – 4 p.m. 

Research Communication Program/Behind Every Breakthrough Workshop: Honing Your Presentation Skills to Reach Critical Audiences 
Wednesday, June 11, 12 – 2 p.m.  (Two-hour Zoom workshop; open to all) 

Register for this workshop to learn how to clearly and convincingly describe your research and communicate the value of science support in an authentic voice. 

Sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Hub  (URH)

Tuesday, May 7, 3 p.m. on Zoom 

Attend the Conference for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), sponsored by URH. Four outstanding undergraduate students will present their original research, showcasing the creativity and interdisciplinary scholarship in the arts, humanities, and social sciences on the theme Creating Community.

This quarterly event provides students a valuable opportunity to engage in scholarly conversations, while also encouraging others to pursue research in these fields. 

2025 Spring CRASSH Registration

To help ensure that students have ample opportunities to make appointments and receive the peer-to-peer support they need, this adjustment in service hours for the Commons is strategically aligned with historical usage rates and patterns. 

New Service Hours:  

Monday and Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. 

Tuesday and Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. 

Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

See detailed schedules and book appointments for Supplemental Instruction (SI), Content Tutoring, Writing and Communication, and Experiential Learning at commons.ucsd.edu 

Get more information on services for Graduate Students, Instructional Assistants, and Faculty at the Commons.

Nominations are now open for the Revelle Medal, the highest honor given by the Chancellor to a retired or emeriti UC San Diego faculty member. The Revelle Medal recognizes sustained, distinguished and extraordinary service to the campus, and honors a record of accomplishment that advances UC San Diego in fulfillment of the campus mission of exceptional teaching, research, service and patient care. 

Nominations, due by Friday, June 6, 2025, are open to all retired or emeriti UC San Diego faculty members who have made significant contributions to the campus.  

Visit the Revelle Medal website for more information. 

Friday, May 30, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego 

The Teaching and Learning Commons, in partnership with the Mulvaney Center for Community, Awareness and Social Action at University of San Diego, invites you to join a full-day, in-person working session focused on the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)’s Global Research Agenda. 

Requested Participants: Colleagues who participate in community engagement scholarship, pedagogy, or program facilitation. 

Register by Friday, May 23. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.

For 2025-26, UC San Diego requests proposals for funding course development projects that:  

• Promote digital inclusion and access to high-impact courses. The high-impact course list is generated on an annual basis using DFW, waitlist, and Curricular Analytics data.  
• Research and assessment on effective online teaching and learning.  

Separately a pool of funding is set aside for faculty to pilot the use of AI, through the ASPIRE program, in their classes. The pilot will focus on evaluating the value to students and faculty, and how to improve the workflow for faculty. Faculty may request a stipend of up to $1,500 to be part of this study.  

Please submit a proposal form and accompanying budget for an online/hybrid course development project. The maximum award per course project will be $45K.   

Note: Each PI may submit one proposal for each funding opportunity (UC Online and AI Innovation Pilot). If applying to both opportunities, submit this form twice.  

Timeline:  
Friday, May 2, 2025 is the deadline for submitting proposals.  

Please contact Jen Schwedler, Executive Director for Online Learning, at jschwedler@ucsd.edu with any questions. 

May 14, 2025, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Zoom. Registration

May 21 and June 4, 2025, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. 

The 40th annual UC San Diego Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year award program nominations are now open through May 23, 2025, at 5 p.m. 

These awards will recognize 15 employees in Professional and Support Staff (PSS) positions who demonstrated distinguished service and contributions to UC San Diego and our greater community in 2024 in one or more of these categories: 

• Support university practices, procedures and policies 
• Innovation and proactive leadership 
• Extraordinary service to community 
• Substantial cost-effectiveness 
• Build relationships/partnerships 
• Inclusive excellence 

The review panel will consist of representatives from all Vice Chancellor areas and UC San Diego Health, and award recipients will be honored at a ceremony via Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, from 3 to 4 p.m. 

To learn more about nomination criteria and to submit nominations, visit the Exemplary Employee of the Year Blink page. For questions, contact hr@ucsd.edu. 

As part of the Secure Connect program, all faculty, staff, and student employees must complete the required Cybersecurity Awareness Training to maintain system access using campus Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication. The training takes approximately 35 minutes and is available on-demand online. 

Compliance Enforcement Begins: Monday, April 14, 2025 
To remain compliant and maintain access to any system requiring Single Sign-On, please review the following: 

• If your training is over 30 days past due → Your access will be denied until you complete the training. A link to the training will be provided when attempting to login via SSO. 
• If your training is less than 30 days past due → You will receive messaging to complete the training before your access to the system is denied due to non-compliance. 
• Avoid access disruptions by completing your training before your due date each year. 

Important Note for Health Science Users: 
Access to clinical applications will not be impacted unless using campus Single Sign-On. 

Learn more about the Single Sign-On Intercept for Cybersecurity Training 

Case Management Services will facilitate trainings for “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress.” A free and interactive training to assist faculty and staff in recognizing and supporting students in distress.  

What is a Student in Distress? 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. Excellent training for any staff or faculty member who has high interactions with students. 

Upcoming classes: 
May 8, 2025 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. (Virtual) 
June 5, 2025 | 9 - 10:30 a.m. (IN-PERSON) 

Register on the UC Learning Center, search keyword “Students in Distress” 

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

A new structured educational initiative designed to equip participants with approaches to student in distress support. It emphasizes compassionate engagement, intersectional awareness, and systemic equity considerations to enhance the effectiveness of student services.

Whether you work directly with students or support them behind the scenes, the ASSURe program offers tools and practices to help you make a meaningful difference in the lives of those navigating personal, academic, and systemic challenges. 

Spring 2025 Core Workshops (Choose One): 
• Monday, May 19 | 9 – 10:30 a.m. (In-Person) 
• Thursday, May 22 | 9 – 10:30 a.m. (In-Person) 
• Monday, June 9 | 9 – 10:30 a.m. (In-Person) 

See the full list of workshops, learn more and register on the ASSURe Training Program website. For any questions, contact Chrystian Smith at cas014@ucsd.edu 

UC San Diego’s Mobile Compassionate Response Team

Have you ever had a student in your office who seemed visibly distressed? Or received an email from a student expressing emotional struggles? There’s a team you can turn to for support. 

Triton CORE, a Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Program, is a team of licensed mental health professionals who can meet with students experiencing a behavioral health crisis anywhere on campus. Whether students are dealing with thoughts of harming themselves or others, significant changes in behavior (like isolation, neglecting basic needs, or a sudden drop in grades/class attendance), or emotional distress, Triton CORE can provide support. 

The student also has the option of meeting with clinicians at CAPS Urgent Care (Galbraith Hall, RM 190) from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.  If the student is unable to utilize that as a resource, Triton CORE can provide immediate, on-campus support, including a comprehensive mental health evaluation, safety planning, and coordination of care. The team offers a person-centered, trauma-informed approach, focusing on understanding each student’s unique mental health, case management, and cultural needs. If necessary, Triton CORE can also transport students to a higher level of care, such as an emergency department or crisis stabilization unit.  

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

TO LEARN MORE: Visit the Triton CORE website 

You can schedule an outreach presentation from the TRITON CORE team to learn more about their services and how they can assist your students. Email tritoncore@ucsd.edu 

The Hub Basic Needs Center provides Food Security Resources, Housing Resources, and Financial Wellness services to undergraduate and graduate students. Food security resources include the Triton Food Pantry, CalFresh, Food Recovery Network, and Grocery Shuttle. 

Food insecurity is a critical issue among college students nationwide and 2024 UCUES data showed that 51% of UC San Diego undergrad students report facing food insecurity - which threatens their wellbeing and academic success! 

But CalFresh, a state program awarding up to $292 a month for groceries can help! Over 50% of UC San Diego students are CalFresh eligible and 60% of students enrolled in CalFresh receive more than $200 a month for food. 

You can help by including information on these resources in student-facing communications such as class syllabi and slides. See the resource downloads on the Collective Impact website.

The USS interactive guidebook has a variety of on-campus and off-campus resources, tools and information in support of members of UC San Diego’s undocumented and mixed-status community.   

The Questions & Concerns from our Students includes FAQs and other resources to support students impacted by ongoing policy changes. They will continue to share additional information and resources to help faculty and staff navigate changing conditions for our undocumented students. 

FGPs are individuals who: 
• Are the first in their families to graduate from college or university 
• Are the first to complete professional school or enter a professional career 
Come from low-income or working-class backgrounds 

UC San Diego Campus staff and faculty are invited to join a conversational group designed for FGPs to build a supportive community at work.

Thursdays, May 15 and June 12 at 12 p.m. (Online)

Registration required. For any questions, please contact FSAP staff member Valeria Moreno at v2moreno@ucsd.edu 

• Tritons Flourish 
• Mindful Pause (Mindfulness Meditation Group) 
• BIPOC Support Group 
• Black Community Support Group 
• Neurodivergent Support Groups 
• Parent and Caregiver Support Groups 

See the full list of FSAP support groups and workshops.