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 OFFICE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

September 26, 2024

ALL STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO (excluding UC San Diego Health and Health Sciences) 

People Leaders:  For staff without ready access to email, please print and post a copy of this email. 

In the words of Earth, Wind & Fire, do you remember dancin’ in September? I know I do - and I hope you do, too!! 

Between the musical musings of DJ Shammy Dee at our Staff Summer Celebration last month, and the melodious voice of our very own EVC Elizabeth Simmons gracing Celebrate the Night (cue angels singing), there was no shortage of reasons to rejoice and be in complete awe and admiration of our incredible Triton community. 

I know you may be thinking, “How can Terri be romancing dancing when I’ve got my head buried underneath a thousand emails?” That’s precisely why I’m calling it out -  because it’s especially important to find joy amidst the humdrum of our day-to-day obligations and the chaos seemingly taking over the world. I’m not undermining it, I'm underlining it. 

If we keep our head down we might lose sight of those we love and those who love us back. We might miss out on the incredible reasons we’re ranked the number three public university in the U.S., and on all the excitement and buzz taking place with our reason for the season (A.K.A. students) coming back to campus. I know that some of this invigorating energy might also cause anxiety or burnout, especially for those of you working directly in student-facing positions. If that’s you - you are not alone. I hear you, I feel you, and I am you.  

Yes, life can be stressful and there’s no denying that. I’m just here to remind you that sometimes the simplest things can transform your day. So play your favorite song, put a strut in your step, and take care of each other. Now tell me, what’s on your playlist?

Lead with grace and courage,

Terri S. Winbush  

Campus Chief Human Resources Officer 

The last day to complete the Staff@Work Survey is now Fri., Oct. 4. To those who have already completed it, thank you. For those who haven’t, the next Staff@Work Survey won’t take place again until 2026 to allow for time to address your feedback through action plans, so please take this opportunity to let your voice be heard! Search for an email from sawsurvey@ucsd.edu from August 28. This year, we are excited to announce a donation will be made to the Triton Food Pantry. Visit Blink for details on past results.

Open Enrollment – your annual opportunity to make or modify your benefit elections for 2025 – is taking place October 31, 2024 at 8 a.m. Pacific, and ends Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 at 5 p.m. Pacific. Details and specifics about premiums will be available closer to the Open Enrollment period. In the meantime, mark your calendars. 

A required system-wide training on preventing workplace violence will be launched in October in support of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program, and in accordance with the requirements of California Labor Code section 6401.9. This requirement is applicable to all UC San Diego employees, including staff, academics, and student employees. The 25-minute training will be assigned through the UC Learning Center the week of October 7, 2024, and must be completed within 60 days of assignment. More information will follow in the coming weeks via a campus notice.

UC San Diego’s Staff Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) Plan for the 2024-2025 fiscal year has been approved. The STAR awards program is a tool to recognize exceptional contributions among policy-covered and Clerical Unit (CX) staff employees. The 24-25 fiscal year information is available on the Employee Incentive Award Program Blink page. 

UC President Michael Drake issued a statement last month highlighting efforts made to improve campus safety, inclusivity, and the facilitation of free expression. Read that campus notice here, and visit our UC San Diego free expression website here.

On August 26, 2024, a court in Texas paused President Biden’s Keeping Families Together, which allows spouses and stepchildren of U.S. citizens to apply for Parole in Place. Undocumented Student Services (USS) provides free legal services to currently enrolled UC students, staff, and their immediate family members. Schedule an appointment with the USS legal team for a consultation, and stay up to date by visiting the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center website. 

Campus Human Resources is assessing timekeeping practices at UC San Diego, and we would love to hear from you. Please visit the link to our brief survey, and share your experience with timekeeping so we can improve our processes. Thank you to all of you who have already participated!

Join the Career Center team during the Career Fair on Oct. 2, 10, and 18. The team is requesting volunteers to ensure a successful event in support of UC San Diego students. Those interested in signing up or learning more can email

jpinal@ucsd.edu.

Interested in additional opportunities to explore resources, curate ideas and strategies, and connect with fellow people leaders? Consider attending one of our upcoming people leadership training sessions. View the 2024 People Leader Development Program calendar for descriptions and registration information. The fall offerings include the following: Supervisory Training Laboratory (October-November), Team Building: Setting Norms, Goals and Expectations (October), Supervising at UC San Diego (October-November), and Communication and Collaboration Tools for Teams (December).

Join Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) counselor William Youngblood, LMFT CEAP, on Fri., Oct. 25 from 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. for this in-person course designed to help people leaders learn about their role in identifying and referring troubled employees to areas of support and FSAP. Learn more and register through the UC Learning Center.

Join members of the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) and the Women’s Center on Thurs., Oct. 24 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. via Zoom  for a presentation and Q&A with guest speaker Dr. Sandra Rice, who will discuss menopause and women’s health. Register to attend through Zoom.

Employee Wellness is excited to announce the launch of Bright Breaks for career employees, now kicking off on Sept. 30. This voluntary program offers hundreds of live and on-demand 7-minute sessions to support you throughout your work week. Topics include movement, stress-reduction, mindfulness and meditation, yoga, nutrition, and more! Bright Breaks are free for all UC San Diego career employees through single sign-on. Sign up for the waitlist here.

UC San Diego employees can sign up for the monthly Employee Wellness newsletter highlighting wellness-related announcements, upcoming events and programs, wellness info and tips, free programs for employees, monthly raffles for subscribers, and more. Fill out this registration form to sign up.

All UC staff are invited to join the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) on Tues., Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. via Zoom for a presentation on the 2025 Open Enrollment process and changes to benefits offerings. Submit your questions in advance and register to attend through Zoom.

Join the Latinx Heritage Month Planning Committee for a series of events commemorating Latinx Heritage Month, celebrated nationally from Sept. 15 - Oct. 15. The fourth annual Latinx Heritage Month celebration event takes place Thurs., Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Price Center West Ballroom, with other events held throughout the month. Visit Blink for a complete calendar.

Join us for our next People Leader Summit on Tues., October 22 from 10 – 11:30 a.m., where the focus will be on student employees. Register to attend and submit your questions in advance through Zoom.

Hosted on Wed., Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. via Zoom by the Learning Community of Practice and OSI, this session will examine the opportunities and impacts when leveraging AI in the learning experience. The discussion will focus on how content is developed with a focus on delivering staff-centric content, such as training modules, Knowledge Based Articles, and job aids. Register on Zoom.

If you missed our last Staff Town Hall on August 27, where we busted myths around compensation and answered questions you submitted through qualtrics, you can view a recording of it on Blink here.