Academic Affairs News

Dear Colleagues,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to convey my appreciation and congratulations to each of you.

In the midst of the daily rush of activities, it can be easy to lose sight of the impact our individual actions have at the institutional level. So when we receive recognition for UC San Diego’s accomplishments, it’s a great moment to pause, celebrate, and rekindle our resolve.

Earlier this week I had the privilege of representing UC San Diego as a speaker at the annual conference of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), where we were recognized as one of four national finalists for the one of four national finalists for the 2023 APLU Degree Completion Award. This encompassed both our improving UC San Diego’s four-year graduation rates by 17 percentage points over the last decade and our narrowing the equity gap in graduation rates between all students and underrepresented students by nearly 7 percentage points in the same time period.

The APLU recognition celebrates all of the tremendous work of the schools and colleges to streamline degree requirements, the mentoring and coaching programs launched by our Student Retention and Success professionals, and the inclusive pedagogy workshops and supplemental instruction programs offered by the Teaching + Learning Commons. And it calls out the importance of the sustained collaboration among faculty, Senate, departments, schools, colleges, staff, and administration. The student-centered vision at the heart of UC San Diego’s Strategic Plan has guided this work and our Collective Impact approach has helped our efforts have maximum impact on students’ success and timely graduation.

It was truly an honor to represent all of you and your outstanding contributions as we were recognized for our joint efforts to help all students earn the degrees to which they aspire. Thank you so much for the work you do on this, and countless other fronts every day.

With Best Regards and Warm Wishes for the Holiday,

Elizabeth H. Simmons

Accepting our recognition at the APLU Annual Conference in Seattle.

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Academic Personnel Initiatives to Improve Transparency, Efficiency and User Experience

With a focus on improving the efficiency of operations within Academic Personnel Services, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor Bob Continetti and Cindy Palmer, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel Services, have shared a number of initiatives designed to improve the efficiency of the system and provide transparency to faculty and staff regarding the status of the academic review process.

I recently spoke about these initiatives at a Representative Assembly meeting for the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate and wanted to share with everyone the memo detailing these efforts.

November is Native American Heritage Month

Every November, UC San Diego celebrates the rich cultures, traditions and histories of Native people, and recognizes the important contributions they continue to make on our campus and in our community. All faculty, staff and students are invited to take part in Native American Heritage Month, which includes film screenings, a craft workshop, student-initiated programs, and more. More events and details are available on the Native American Heritage Month webpage.

Summer 2024 Course Proposal and Program Inventory Deadlines This Week

The deadline to submit summer programs and course proposals was Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, however those wanting to offer a summer course or program are still encouraged to submit information ASAP. Instructions on how to submit courses can be found within the 2024 Summer Session Guidebook. For assistance or questions, please email summer@ucsd.edu. The 2024 Summer Programs Inventory form should take no more than five minutes to complete. For questions about the inventory, please email summerplanning@ucsd.edu.

Attend the Office for Students with Disabilities Open House

The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) has been holding a series of open houses for faculty members to learn more about the office and for faculty to connect with OSD. The last open house will be held Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 2 to 3 p.m. To attend, please use this Zoom link: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/92574966905

Recruitment Open for Director of Engaged Teaching

The Teaching and Learning Commons is recruiting for the next Director of Engaged Teaching. The job announcement is posted online and will be open through Nov. 17, 2023. The Commons would appreciate assistance in helping it find a collaborative, equity-minded leader who is committed to student and faculty success by academics and staff sharing the announcement with your professional networks through emails, listservs, LinkedIn groups, etc. We encourage interested individuals to apply. Please contact Dr. David Ruiter (druiter@ucsd.edu) or Dr. Carolyn Sandoval (c2sandoval@ucsd.edu) with any questions about the position.

UC San Diego Speech & Debate Team Wins Sunset Cliffs Classic for Third Straight Year

UC San Diego’s Speech & Debate Team set a school record for the most awards earned at a single tournament when it brought home 22 awards from the Sunset Cliffs Classic, an intercollegiate speech and debate tournament held at Point Loma Nazarene University. The team, sponsored by the Department of Communication, presented this year’s championship trophy to EVC Simmons earlier this month to recognize her continued support of the team. The team’s two previous trophies are housed in the Deans’ offices in the Rady School of Management and in the School of Social Sciences, also in recognition of their support of the speech & debate team.

Have a New Business Idea? Consider Essentials of Entrepreneurship & Innovation

UC San Diego Extended Studies is excited to offer the upcoming winter session of Essentials of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, starting January 9, 2024. This exciting course introduces you to critical knowledge and skills to create new business and product ideas, while driving initiatives and innovation in any environment! In this course, you will gain an understanding of:

Design thinking and ideation
Customer discovery
Different business models
How to drive innovative initiatives
Pitching to stakeholders

UC San Diego Affiliates can register for $50 if they enroll before the Jan. 4, 2024 deadline. The course will be on Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m., running until March 12, 2024.

UC President, 10 Campus Chancellors Issue Statement on Intolerance of Campus Bigotry

We write to condemn the alarming, profoundly disappointing acts of bigotry, intolerance and intimidation we have seen on our campuses over these past several weeks. It is our shared responsibility to maintain a sense of community where everyone feels safe and welcome.

This Wireless, Handheld, Non-invasive Device Detects Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Biomarkers

An international team of researchers has developed a handheld, non-invasive device that can detect biomarkers for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. The biosensor can also transmit the results wirelessly to a laptop or smartphone.