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Mental Health Resources, 2024–25 Impact Report and Commitments, Longest Table, All-Staff + Partners Meeting, and more

May 16, 2025

Dear Student Affairs and Campus Life Colleagues and Friends,

As the academic year draws to a close, and excitement builds towards commencement, I want to take a moment to reflect on and appreciate your resiliency in supporting our students and each other.

I also want to recognize the incredible efforts of the Sun God Festival team who worked tirelessly to navigate potentially derailing challenges, and still managed to host one of the safest and most successful events of the year.

Additional kudos to the folks who coordinated the All-Staff + Partners Breakfast, which saw hundreds of our colleagues gather in community, bond through Craft Center activities, and reconnect in-person. And we get to do it again on June 18, for the All-Staff + Partners Meeting!

This month’s newsletter is packed with great information on upcoming events and opportunities to stay engaged through the end of the term, practices for self-care, and resources for student well-being. 

Deadline: May 23

Nominate a colleague for an Exemplary Staff Employee of the Year Award before the May 23 deadline. This program recognizes employees who make exceptional contributions in support of the UC San Diego vision to be a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. For more information review this April 21 Campus Notice.

Deadline: June 6

The 2nd Annual Student Centeredness Awards nomination form is now open and closes on June 6. Visit the VC-SACL website for details on award criteria, eligibility, and the timeline. If you have any questions, please contact sa-assessment@ucsd.edu. 

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, a federally-recognized observance honoring the profound contributions of Jewish Americans to the nation’s culture, history, science, arts, civil rights, labor movements, government, education and more. For more information, visit the 2025 Jewish American Heritage Month Calendar of Events.

The 19th Annual APIAHC - A Legacy of Leadership and Resistance, is well underway, and there are still a number of great events happening over the next few weeks to get engaged. View the APIAHC Calendar of Events for more information. 

UC San Diego has comprehensive programs, counseling and support resources designed to help our students, faculty and staff flourish year round. This month, the Tritons Flourish Initiative has partnered with departments across campus to create a series of enriching events for Mental Health Awareness Month. Review the recent Campus Notice for more information. 

Student Health and Well-Being has launched a quarterly newsletter covering area updates, well-being resources, Mental Health Awareness Month, updates on student-related services, and upcoming SHW events. Follow this link to join their mailing list. 

Below are brief descriptions of valuable app-based, online, and self-care resources to support the mental and physical health of undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Please follow the links below to learn more.

Staff and faculty are invited to participate in the ASSURe Training Program, a new professional development opportunity designed to strengthen your skills in responding to students in distress through a lens of compassionate engagement, intersectional awareness, and equity-driven care. Learn more about the program, workshops, the schedule and how to register at the ASSURe Training Program website. 

The UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement is now accepting applications for the 2025–26 Valuing Open and Inclusive Conversation and Engagement (VOICE) Initiative. 

The VOICE Initiative provides up to $5,000 in funding to current UC students, staff, administrators and faculty who want to conduct research or coordinate programs and activities that explore the intersection of expression, engagement and democratic learning, as well as what can be done to restore trust in the value of free speech on college campuses and within society at large.

VOICE applications are open until Monday, June 2, at 11:59 PM PDT. For inspiration, here are the 2024–25 VOICE Initiative Awardees.

The 2024-25 Impact Report and Commitments submission form is officially OPEN! 

The Impact Report is a collection of accolades, achievements and recognitions that highlight the excellent work of our division between the fall 2024 term through the deadline for submissions on Friday, June 20, at 5 p.m.

This will be the first Impact Report focusing solely on our 2024-29 Strategic Plan, so be sure to submit the form below as many times as needed for each of the categories.

Submissions can include:

Impact Report questions: Contact sa-assessment@ucsd.edu
Commitments questions: Contact Josh Borjas at jborjas@ucsd.edu

*Inclusion of summer accolades (July - August) may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Campus Activation has a new Blink website that streamlines information about how your work contributes to this university-wide, comprehensive effort to position UC San Diego as a regional and global destination. The website also includes important information related to the seven workstreams, including the new enterprise event management system (EMES) and forthcoming new campus calendar. 

May 18 | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Conrad Prebys Music Center

The Arcades is a student-led music festival to showcase the diverse collage of undergraduate talent at UC San Diego. The event will feature an exciting synthesis of genres ranging from opera to hardcore metal and everything in between. In addition to performances, all programming, administrative duties, live audio, sound and marketing will feature undergraduates at the forefront. This is a first of its kind show, and should be seen live, but can also be live-streamed for free. 

May 22 | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Career Center

Assessment in Action: Advancing Collaborations in the Spirit of Collective Impact 

You are invited to engage in a  day full of meaningful discussions among staff and graduate students on a variety of topics, from innovative assessment techniques to best practices in data analysis. Join us at the Career Services Center for an inspiring day of professional development and collaboration!

If you have any questions, please send an email to the Assessment Day Co-Chairs – Shannon Milligan (smilligan@ucsd.edu) and Ahliyah Chambers (achambers@ucsd.edu)

May 27 | 3:30–5 p.m. | Faculty Club - Atkinson Pavilion 

The Dialogue for Peace Summit, hosted by Tritons Belong, will feature a nationally recognized panel of speakers with expertise in peacemaking and restorative justice frameworks. Assistant Vice Chancellor Karen Biestman will moderate the conversation to highlight examples of these frameworks in action within higher education and beyond. Additionally, the inaugural cohort of Dialogue for Peace Student Fellows will present their final projects. 

Though this event is presented at no additional cost, space is limited and registration is required no later than Thursday, May 22. Beverages and light appetizers will be served. Doors open at 3 p.m. for check-in and an Acts of Kindness pop-up activity. 

June 2 | 3:30–6:30 p.m. | Town Square

The Longest Table returns to campus as a community building event where hundreds of Tritons gather for an intercultural meal and experience at a 300-foot-long table on Town Square.

This event will feature a variety of live entertainment, activities, and engaging conversation to strengthen an atmosphere of belonging.

Leading up to the event, the Craft Center is hosting a series of opportunities for community members to create or decorate tablecloths with messages of community, kindness, wellness and love.

The final product will be a 300-foot-long "Community Canvas" representing the tapestry of our diverse community and collective values.

5/17 | 12-2 p.m. | Craft Center
5/20 | 12-2 p.m. | EFA Farmer’s Market
5/21 | 6-8 p.m. | Craft Center
5/22 | 1-4 p.m. | Craft Center

5/27 | 12-2 p.m. | EFA Farmer’s Market
5/28 | 6-8 p.m. | Craft Center
5/29 | 1-4 p.m. | Craft Center

For questions about the event, contact Nic Alonzo, Assistant Director for the Office of Campus Events, at nicalonzo@ucsd.edu. 

For questions about the Community Canvas art workshops, please contact craftcenter@ucsd.edu. 

June 5 | 5–7 p.m. | Jeannie Auditorium

The inaugural Chancellor’s Dialogue for Peace Lecture Series features Fania E. Davis, Ph.D., a leading voice on the intersection of racial and restorative justice. Dr. Davis is a long-time social justice activist, civil rights trial attorney, author and educator with a Ph.D. in Indigenous Knowledge. She has received numerous honors including being recognized by the Los Angeles Times as a “New Civil Rights Leader of the 21st Century.”

Though this event is presented at no additional cost, space is limited and registration is required no later than Monday, May 26. Beverages and light appetizers will be served.

June 18 | 8-10 a.m. | Price Center West Ballroom - Hybrid

Please join us for the Student Affairs and Campus Life + Partners Spring All-Staff Meeting to highlight the work of our Student Health and Well-Being colleagues. Let's gather in community to reconnect, recharge and reflect. Please RSVP below so we can order food accordingly. 

The SACL Professional Development Committee hosts Triton Time every Thursday from 10-11 a.m. via online video platforms during the academic year. For more information on these informative sessions and how to register, visit the Triton Time website. 

If you'd like to suggest ideas or have questions, please contact Dwayne Mosbey. 

For general information and all events at the EFA, please visit amphitheater.ucsd.edu/events. Learn more about each event below. 

Please join me in celebrating these teams and individuals who earned awards and recognition for their achievements.

Annika Nelson has been named the Senior Director of the Craft and Glass Centers at UC San Diego. This new title reflects her continued leadership of the Craft Center and added responsibilities in launching the brand-new Glass Center facility. Her work will further position both centers to serve as an intersectional space for campus and the San Diego community, and a resource for university departments to explore constructive, creative and joyful solutions to the challenges of their work. Annika continues to dedicate her professional life to making the creative process accessible for all and we celebrate her new role. 

Vanessa Keodara, OASIS Summer Program Assistant, was accepted to the Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) Leadership Advocacy Training, taking place June 24-26 in Washington DC. SEARAC’s Leadership Advocacy Training is a three-day immersive training program that builds the advocacy and leadership skills of emerging Southeast Asian American (SEAA) advocates. Participants of the program will learn how to uplift their community's stories and build collective power as they learn how to become effective advocates for policy change.

Maricela Alvarado received the 2024 Inclusive Excellence Award for the Student Affairs and Campus Life division at a ceremony and reception on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. Maricela was honored for their leadership in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, and for their strong commitment to the UC San Diego Principles of Community.

Wednesday, June 18 | All-Staff + Partners Meeting | 8-10 a.m. 

As always, 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. 

With appreciation,

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