Greetings!
Welcome to the Academic Affairs newsletter. Browse updates and announcements, connect to tips and resources, and check out stories from around campus.
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The campus is working to finalize the intertwined details of a phased return to campus activities in the fall, consistent with the latest public health developments and policy changes. Information on everything from research and instruction to travel and testing is being made available on the
Return to Learn
website, which is being updated regularl
y. We will be watching closely as our peer institutions on semester schedules start their fall terms, to see what further lessons we can glean for our start of Fall Quarter instruction on Thursday, October 1.
As you are probably aware, while the federal guidance regarding continuing international students was rescinded, the White House issued new guidance regarding new incoming students on July 24:
new nonimmigrant students will not be able to enter the U.S. to enroll for fall in a purely online curriculum
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Once again, there has been an amazing outpouring of support from faculty, staff and students on our campus, with offers to help our new international students start their studies. The International Students & Programs Office is gathering
additional clarification
about the guidance; once the details are known, we will be reaching out to departments, colleges, and divisions so that we can provide our students with the support they need in a coordinated fashion.
My sincere thanks to our students, faculty, and staff colleagues for the enormous efforts that have allowed us to uphold the highest standards in teaching, learning, research, and public service during an unprecedented time of crisis. Your dedication, innovation, and commitment to academic excellence make me proud to be a Triton. Given all of the hard work you have put in over the last five months, I'd like to encourage each of you to take time to step away from screens, relax, and recuperate. While sheltering in place may make it a difficult time for a getaway, please utilize all the virtual wellbeing resources campus has to offer, have a staycation, or just take an afternoon off to nap or reconnect with your family.
Wishing you all the best,
-Elizabeth H. Simmons
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Flexible instruction planning & long-term educational strategies at UC San Diego
As a reminder, the
Academic Senate approved a temporary policy exception that permits the use of remote instruction as needed for the Winter 21, Spring 21, and Summer 21 terms. The waiver extends our ability to
develop flexible instructional plans for the duration of the 2020-21 academic year.
Beyond the upcoming year, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the
need to incorporate distance education into UC San Diego’s long-term academic strategic plans. Offering remote courses will allow us to meet the growing student demand and provide greater flexibility to adapt to local, national, and international developments.
Departments are strongly encouraged to identify courses that would advance strategic priorities if offered remotely on an ongoing basis, and to request Senate approval to designate them as “R” courses. Growing our capacity for online education will provide flexible learning opportunities for students, more instructional options for faculty, and continue to strengthen our overall resilience moving forward.
The Teaching + Learning Commons offers support for establishing online courses, including help developing “R” course proposals. Contact the
Digital Learning Hub (online@ucsd.edu) for more information or
complete this form to request a consultation.
Learn more.
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New general campus faculty starting 2020-21
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We continue to work closely with the EOC to develop comprehensive protocols for public safety measures, including social distancing, hygiene practices, and disinfecting shared spaces on campus.
Detailed campus safety guidelines, including information related to teaching in classrooms and laboratories, are expected to be available in mid-August.
As a reminder, individual instructors have the ability to choose whether to teach in-person in fall quarter. Furthermore,
any TA or instructor of record may request to change their selected method of instruction (in person, hybrid, remote) either before or during the quarter. Please make the request to the department chair, so they can consult with their dean and the EVC's Office as necessary to find appropriate accommodations; e.g., requests to start teaching in-person will require the identification of appropriate classroom space in coordination with other room assignments.
Requests to change instruction modality for a course will start being reviewed once the campus safety guidelines mentioned above are finalized, starting around mid-August. We want to use a uniform process to make sure all requests are handled consistently and appropriately -- and we appreciate your patience.
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Nominations open for postdoctoral scholar and mentor awards
The application period for the 2020 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Scholar Mentoring and the Chancellor's Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award is
now open through August 3, 2020
. Postdoctoral scholars are welcome to nominate faculty who have consistently promoted and actively engaged in many forms of mentorship. Mentors and scholars are welcome to submit nominations for postdoctoral students who exemplify UC San Diego’s research mission and standards of excellence. Visit
Research Affairs award opportunities
for more information about the awards and the application process.
Read more.
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Important changes to your benefit programs
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You're invited: Cabinet conversations
The UC San Diego Staff Association invites you to
Cabinet Conversations, a series of discussions with cabinet members designed to provide staff the opportunity to get to know our campus leaders on a more personal level and hear what they have to say about important topics impacting campus.
The upcoming session on July 28 will feature Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy Resnick. Don’t miss this opportunity to get to participate in the conversation.
Learn more.
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Meet the new leader of the University of California
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Michael V. Drake, who previously led Ohio State University and the University of California Irvine, was named as the 21st president of the U.C. system. He is the first Black president of the 152-year-old public university.
Read more
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Call for applications: Committee on Status of Women
The Chancellor’s Advisory
Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) is actively seeking volunteers to fill vacancies for staff, faculty, and student members. The CSW meets the second Tuesday of every month from 12:30-2:00 pm PT and makes recommendations to help improve the campus climate and overall experience for women at UC San Diego.
Interested?
Apply online
by August 7.
Learn more.
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Hone your process improvement skills
Office of Strategic Initiatives recently announced the 2020-21 scholarship opportunity for Lean Six Sigma (LSS) courses offered by University Extension.
Staff who are highly involved in process improvement are encouraged to apply online August 3-21. For more information, please visit
LSS Green Belt Scholarship Opportunity
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New system for campus notices
The university has upgraded its system for campus notices.
You are encouraged to
add
adminrec@ucsd.edu
to your email contacts
or safe senders list to help ensure timely delivery of important campus announcements.
Read more.
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Protect against ransomware
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Webinars for champions of diversity
The UC San Diego Black Staff Association invites you to participate in
Born Free: Healing and Transcending Racism
, a four-part webinar series facilitated by Professor Starla Lewis. The sessions are intended to provide a safe space for the campus community to discuss, understand, and address systemic racism. Visit the
event website to learn more
about the series and register for upcoming workshops.
The National Conflict Resolution Center invites you to join a conversation August 20 7:00-8:15 pm PDT with leading scholars and #1 Best Sellers, Robin DiAngelo (White Fragility) and Ibram X. Kendi (How to Be An Anti-Racist), facilitated by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Wesley Lowery, as they address the question: How do we talk about race in a way that unites and strengthens us as a community?
Learn more
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Exploring the digital workplace
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Digital collaboration platforms have proliferated in the workplace, but the optimal use of such tools requires a radical shift in thinking about technology, organizational processes, and team collaboration.
Join us July 29 for a discussion about the ongoing evolution of the workplace and how to effectively adapt to such paradigm shifts. The session will not provide detailed training, but is intended to develop a common understanding between ITS and the people they support.
Webinar registration.
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Best way to stop cheating in online courses? 'Teach better'
This Inside Higher Ed article has some good suggestions for small, scalable changes instructors can make to increase student engagement, improve assessments... and also deter cheating, featuring our own Academic Integrity Director, Dr. Gallant.
Read more
www.insidehighered.com
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Check out the new and improved surplus store
The same URL since 1998, but with 2020 vision,
surplus.ucsd.edu has been redesigned to make it
easier than ever to search inventory, submit bids, and make personal or departmental purchases. With everything from fitness equipment and musical instruments to office furniture, you can shop online anytime for your WFH needs.
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Record @ The Loft
The Loft is
now offering state-of-the-art recording studio services. High-quality production equipment and experienced staff are available to help take your virtual event to the next level, and fees are temporarily waived for all UC San Diego student organizations, staff, and faculty. Email
theloft@ucsd.edu to book a reservation.
Learn more.
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Take a break to take care of yourself
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Summer is normally the season to enjoy the recess between academic years and go on vacation.
We strongly express our support for the recommendations from the Staff Association and encourage UC San Diego employees to take breaks from work. Coping with the unprecedented challenges of today’s reality make
self-care that much more important. Spending time away from work allows you to rest and recuperate during these stressful times. Supervisors should encourage their employees to take time off and consider modeling this behavior themselves - you also need to take time away to lead and manage your team effectively.
With increased workloads and restrictions on travel, we recognize that not all employees will be able to use their vacation time in the coming weeks. A recently approved temporary extension gives employees more time to take vacation and makes it easier to hold onto accrued leave until they’re ready to use it:
Eligible staff will continue accruing vacation leave through December 31, 2020 even if they are over their maximum accrual.
Lean more.
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Support for caregivers
There are several social networks available to support UC San Diego families. Staff, faculty, and students with young children are welcome to
subscribe to the UCSDmoms listserv
to ask questions, share advice, and receive information about parenting support groups
listed below.
Learn more.
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Today's parents of elementary, middle school, and teenaged children face immense challenges and working remotely can make it even more difficult to manage a healthy work/life balance.
Join the Working Parents group to discuss topics relevant to you
and connect with other UC San Diego working parents.
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Working from home and parenting during the pandemic is unfamiliar territory - parenting is never easy but this is unprecedented. You are not alone!
Join the 0-5 Working Moms support group to connect with other UC San Diego moms working remotely.
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We offer an
ongoing caregivers and eldercare support group, as well as individual referrals
and resources, to campus employees, retirees, and postdoctoral and visiting scholars. Specific topics addressed include long-distance caretaking, caretaker management, family conflict resolution, and more. Contact
Crystal Green
for information.
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Standout support for first generation students
UC San Diego was recently designated a
“First-gen Forward Advisory Institution” by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) for our commitment to first generation student success. Nearly 40% of UC San Diego students are the first in their families to attend college and the university's “commitment to being student-centered is demonstrated through our robust programs that support and empower students throughout the entirety of their college journey,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Alysson Satterlund. “We are thrilled to be a community that celebrates the many contributions of our first generation students.”
Read more.
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Celebrating over 40 years of UC San Diego athletics
On July 1, 2020 UC San Diego was officially welcomed into the Big West conference and began the extensive four-year NCAA reclassification process. Two coaches have had the unique experience of witnessing the continual growth of UC San Diego Athletics for over four decades, though neither one predicted they would spend their entire careers at the university. Liz Planta started as the women's tennis coach when she was 21 years old and is the longest-serving coach on campus. Denny Harper joined UC San Diego in 1980 and has served as coach for both the men's and women's water polo teams. The longtime coaches credit the dedication and talent of their scholar-athletes as the driving force behind their prolific careers.
Read more.
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Visual artist selected to lead new campus craft center
Annika Nelson
has been chosen by Housing, Dining and Hospitality to lead the new UC San Diego Craft Center opening in 2021. The 11,000-square-foot center will offer students, faculty, staff, and community members unique opportunities to connect, and its development marks the long-awaited return of a beloved campus hub for creativity. Nelson was an instructor at the original craft center and one of her first tasks as manager will be to build a network of instructors for hands-on art classes in five core areas: ceramics, jewelry-making, woodworking, surfboard shaping, and culinary arts.
Read more.
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Faculty receive Newton Award for Transformative Ideas during COVID-19 Pandemic
Two UC San Diego professors, Melvin Leok from the Department of Mathematics and Boris Kramer from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, were recently recognized by the Department of Defense for their proposal to effectively simulate complex interconnected systems for long-term analysis.
The award was named in honor of Newton’s achievements during the Great Plague of London, and sought revolutionary ideas in research with the potential to significantly benefit society during the global health crisis.
Read more.
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Special achievement in GIS award
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Have an idea for our newsletter? We'd love to hear from you!
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