SUBJECT:

Retirement of Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs, Juan C. González

Following three-and-a-half years of outstanding service as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Juan C. González has announced his decision to retire effective January 1, 2018. His dedication to the development and well-being of our students has been unwavering and will be greatly missed.

Vice Chancellor González has served UC San Diego with distinction, and has collaborated with campus, community, and systemwide partners to enact impactful initiatives that enhance and enrich the lives of all of our students. Within the Division of Student Affairs, he has fostered a culture of assessment and evaluation, placing data-driven decision-making and goal setting at the center of each administrative unit.

As VC-SA, Dr. González implemented several student-centered elements of the campus wide Strategic Plan, including the creation of the Office of Student Retention and Success. The office is charged with fostering student success, persistence, and timely graduation of undergraduate students, with particular attention to underserved and first generation students. In support of the campus' strategic goal to increase diversity and progress toward graduation for all students, Vice Chancellor González developed and enacted new strategies for the recruitment, admission and enrollment of historically underrepresented minority students, and UC San Diego has made significant gains in this area during his tenure. The Chancellor's Associates Scholars Program (CASP), which supports talented students locally and across the state with financial and academic resources, has increased in enrollment from 100 students in 2014 to 540 in 2017. The number of students participating in the OASIS Summer Bridge program increased from 185 to 300 during the same period. Dr. González has also been a strong advocate for the campus' aspiration to become a Hispanic Serving Institution in the near term.

With campus partners, Dr. González has championed and supported a comprehensive strategy centering on meeting students' basic needs, a fundamental requirement for academic success. He established the Triton Concern Line, a 24/7 point of service resource for faculty and staff regarding students' well-being. The Triton Food Pantry was also established, and staff and financial resources allocated to support students in finding permanent solutions to food and housing insecurity, and to assist students in crisis.

In the area of Student Life, Dr. González collaborated with student leaders, the Colleges, and the UC Police Department to transform the annual Sun God Festival into a safe and fun concert experience for students. Under his tenure, Intercollegiate Athletics acquired Academic Senate and Associated Students support for the move to Division 1 Athletics, and the campus has now received an invitation to join the Big West Conference and begin the formal process for the move to Division 1. VC González also guided the physical move of the International Center into new locations to allow for the continuation of excellent service to UC San Diego's international students.

Dr. González's career serving and teaching students spans 40 years, and UC San Diego is very fortunate to have benefitted from his dedicated leadership as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. We congratulate Dr. González most warmly on his retirement, thank him for his devoted service to our campus community, and wish him all the best for the future.

Since the work of Student Affairs must continue without pause, we have engaged the support of an external agency in our search for a highly qualified Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. The Student Affairs units will report directly to EVC Simmons until an Interim VC-SA is identified.

Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor Elizabeth H. Simmons Executive Vice Chancellor