End-of-Year Updates, Shout-outs, and Reminders

Dear Student Affairs Colleagues and Friends,

I sincerely hope that this message finds you and your loved ones safe, happy, and healthy.

With the winter campus closure approaching, I’d like to call your attention to the on-point message that EVC Elizabeth Simmons included in her most recent newsletter. As we have demonstrated over the last few years, remaining focused on our commitment to be an inclusive and compassionate community will continue to help us navigate challenging times together. Upon resolution of the current labor negotiations between the UC Office of the President and the UAW, let us continue to keep student centeredness at the heart of our collective work together going forward.

Professional Development Day - Thank You!

The 5th annual Student Affairs Professional Development Day took place last week on Dec. 12-13, with more than 100 of our friends and colleagues attending sessions over a two-day, hybrid experience with our featured speakers – Amanda Nachman and Hassan Akmal. Thank you to Amanda and Hassan for inspiring us to embrace confidence and apply our values to the work we do and the lives we build.

I would like to personally thank the Professional Development Day Committee for their hard work in facilitating this opportunity: Kirby Knipp, Eddie Paje, Diana Go, Kaylee Howard, Priscilla Ju, Nic Alonzo, and Fairoza Allie – kudos to each of you!

January is National Mentoring Month

National Mentoring Month is designed to celebrate the power of supportive and meaningful mentorship relationships, recognizing the importance of mentoring and the impact it can have on students’ university experience. It is also a time to encourage others to become mentors, and raise awareness about the various mentoring programs that are available at UC San Diego.

Stay tuned for details on events and opportunities throughout the month, including a call for participation in an Instagram series that will highlight the impact of mentorships in the lives of both mentors and mentees.

Collective Impact - Get Involved

As UC San Diego continues to expand, various schools and units have created unique programs that address the needs of individuals in particular disciplines, career paths, or personal circumstances. Yet, these valuable programs cover only a fraction of the Triton community. To erase the opportunity gaps that divide us, we must find ways to reach everyone. EVC Simmons and I invite you to get involved in “Erasing Opportunity Gaps via Collective Impact” – an initiative to leverage and enhance the disparate mentoring, training, and support systems on our campus that have the potential to jointly improve the experience, climate, and performance for all of our undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty.

For information or to express interest in joining a Collective Impact working group, please complete the interest form on the Collective Impact website or reach out to Gillian Hemingway Asch (gchemingway@ucsd.edu) in the EVC Office.

Save the Dates

MLK Jr. Parade and Day of Service - Jan. 14-15, 2023

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Day of Service Committee would like to invite staff, faculty and students to join UC San Diego in the campus traditions of serving our local community and marching in the 41st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade!

 Day of Service - Saturday, January 14, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Mission Bay High School
To learn more about the day of service and/or register, please visit:  https://mlkday.ucsd.edu/?p=dayofservice

Parade - Sunday, January 15, 2 - 4 p.m.
Downtown San Diego
The UC San Diego contingent will include a float, university spirit groups, students, staff and faculty. Colleges, departments and organizations are encouraged to showcase their own banners and signage as we march together.

For more detailed information, please visit: https://mlkday.ucsd.edu/

Student Well Fest - Jan. 24-25, 2023

Previously known as the Wellness Symposium, the Student Well Fest is a collaborative, engaging festival that will take place on Jan. 24-25 in the Price Center. The Student Well Fest is centered around the eight dimensions of well-being, and will provide students with opportunities to engage with each other, learn wellness skills, and discover resources on campus. Please reach out to Christine Glissmann (cglissmann@ucsd.edu) with any questions.

Welcome: New Colleagues

Please join me in celebrating the recent appointments of some of our valued Student Affairs colleagues:

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs - Dr. Piya Bose

After a comprehensive national search, it is my distinct pleasure to announce the appointment of Piya Bose, Ph.D., as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs – effective January 16, 2023.

Dr. Bose joins UC San Diego from California State University, Long Beach – one of California’s most diverse four-year universities – where she currently serves as the Dean of Students. Dr. Bose has more than 18 years of student-facing higher education experience, having served in a variety of student affairs leadership roles in Southern California universities. She has received numerous national and local awards and honors, having most recently been selected to participate in the upcoming January 2023 NASPA Alice Manicur Symposium. Previously, she was recognized with the Long Beach State Athletics “Beach Pride” Award, the A Place Called Home - Shaheen Scholars “Community Partner” Award, and the “Outstanding Woman” of the Western Association of College and University Housing Officers (WACUHO) Award, among others. Dr. Bose also holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs from Claremont Graduate University, and a Master of Arts in Education from Cal Poly Humboldt. She previously completed her undergraduate work at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Program Manager, Student Veterans Resource Center - Nat Kapp

I am also pleased to welcome Nat Kapp to the Student Success Programs (SSP) team as the Program Manager of the Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC). In this role, Nat is responsible for providing comprehensive and holistic programs and services to our military-connected students, including veterans, Active-Duty service members, reservists, family, and ROTC. Their work – alongside the staff, students, and affiliated staff and partners of the SVRC – will focus on helping military-connected students make a successful transition from the military environment to campus life, receive the support necessary to thrive academically, professionally, and personally, and find belonging, camaraderie, and community on campus. Nat’s perspective and commitment to serving military-connected students is informed by their own experiences as a Naval veteran, the child of a service member, a student in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), and as a veteran student and staff member. Prior to joining the SSP team, Nat served as the Facilities Management Specialist in Resource Management, and at the start of Fall Quarter, became the interim Program Manager of the SVRC serving in a dual role that allowed SSP to seamlessly welcome and serve our students during staff transitions.

Students with Dependents Coordinator - Bianca Barreto

As part of a concerted effort to enhance the Triton experience for our students with dependents, Student Affairs Case Management Services is excited to announce that Bianca Barreto has been hired as the inaugural Students with Dependents Coordinator. Bianca is a recent UC San Diego alumna, and a current MSW student at Cal State San Marcos with plans to graduate in 2023. Bianca is particularly excited about working to provide more resources and advocacy for this student population while eliminating equity gaps.

Required UC Learning Center Trainings

As the year winds down, I would also like to remind you to complete your required UC trainings. Based on individual requirements, you’ll receive automated assignment emails and reminders from the UC Learning Center with information about required courses and relevant due dates for training. Please pay close attention to these emails, and complete your assigned courses as soon as you are able. If you’d like to check your status on compliance courses, please login to UCLearning.ucsd.edu.

Resting up

Finally, I want to recognize that a number of us have on-call duties during this time period, but I remain hopeful that you will manage to find some precious downtime during Winter Break to rest and rejuvenate for the New Year.

I’ll be with my family and hosting friends, enjoying our tradition of smorgasbord, cheesy holiday movies, homemade tea cakes, and playing games. After the challenging, Omicron-fueled Winter Break surge that occurred this time last year, I am eager for a quiet, healthier break – and know that you all are as well. Please enjoy it!

Happy Holidays,

Alysson