SUBJECT:

Faculty Participation in the New Student Welcome Convocation - Monday, September 24, 2018

Dear Colleagues:

We write as the Convocation Planning Committee faculty representatives to invite your participation in the 13th annual Welcome Convocation for new undergraduate students: Monday, September 24, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on RIMAC Field. Details are available at the following link: http://convocation.ucsd.edu/

Convocation is the inaugural academic event for new freshmen and transfer students, and serves as their formal welcome into UC San Diego’s scholarly community, the figurative bookend to Commencement. This year’s ceremony will feature welcoming remarks by Associated Students President Kiara Gomez, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla, Executive Vice Chancellor Elizabeth Simmons, Faculty Keynote - Professor Anita Raj (Medicine/Education Studies) and Alumni Keynote - David Marchick ’88 (History/Muir College). Following the ceremony, faculty and students will share an informal dinner on the field. Signage will direct students to designated division/school tables where they can gather and chat with faculty representing each academic discipline.

We encourage you to join us for this milestone event, and in doing so demonstrate the value we place in this symbolic first step on our students’ academic journey. Studies have shown that students identify closer engagement with faculty as one of the keys to a stronger student experience. This year, UC San Diego will welcome over 9,000 new undergraduates to campus – our largest incoming class ever! We hope you will join us in giving them a warm Triton welcome at Convocation.

Participating faculty are invited to a pre-Convocation reception beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the RIMAC Green Room. The reception will serve as the staging and assembly area for the Convocation ceremony. Faculty will proceed to RIMAC Field as a group at 4:45 p.m. (regalia will not be worn). Please RSVP to evc-events@ucsd.edu by Wednesday, September 19. We look forward to your participation!

Convocation Planning Committee Faculty Representatives:

· Kim Cooper (Biological Sciences) · Sarah Giddings (SIO) · Boubacar Kante (Electrical and Computer Engineering) · John Moore (Dean, Undergraduate Education/Linguistics) · Robert “Skip” Pomeroy (Chemistry and Biochemistry) · Emily Roxworthy (Provost, Warren College/Theatre and Dance) · Dennis Trinidad (Family Medicine and Public Health)