OFFICE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

July 11, 2022

ALL STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO (excluding UC San Diego Health)

The information in this campus notice applies to campus staff. UC San Diego Health and Health Sciences staff should refer to Pulse for the most up-to-date information.

Updates from Human Resources

If any of you are like me, turning on the news, reviewing the news alerts on my phone, or overhearing conversations at the grocery store about current events can be exhausting. It’s not to say the information is not important, but it does take significant energy to process all the negative. I share this to say, be intentional on finding moments of joy for yourself. If you are a people leader, check in with your folks and make time and space for things that bring your team joy. Yes, deadlines have to be met, but where you can, push something back and make space to pause and give you and your team rejuvenation time to refocus.

On a positive note, I want to congratulate the new Staff Association Executive Board and say thank you to the outgoing board members. Our Principles of Community provide a framework for diversity that affirms the unique contribution of each member of the UCSD community. The Staff Association plays a unique and critical role in providing opportunities to build and strengthen both personal and professional connections that enrich our campus community in line with these Principles. The work that our staff does through the Staff Association and Staff Affiliate Groups is, in fact, work on behalf of the university and should be valued and respected as much as any other work done by an employee. This is not work that an employee does in their free time and we need to be sure that staff have time during their regular workday to do this part of their jobs. Providing opportunities for staff to contribute to the Campus in this way should be celebrated as these staff members often develop deeper and more meaningful relationships across the organization that benefit their work unit and career growth.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate and shine a spotlight on FSAP’s very own Dr. Cathy Thompson, who was recognized by the Black Staff Association Executive Board for the “I Am Black Excellence Award” during the Annual Juneteenth Celebration.

Staff Town Hall: Join us for our next Staff Town Hall on Thursday, July 14, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Register and submit your questions. This Town Hall will highlight:

Staff Association Executive Board election results and upcoming events (such as the Summer Celebration)
The new public transit pilot program, VC-50
Exciting and important changes within Campus Human Resources that will enhance your employee and people-leading experience, making it more valuable and easier to navigate.
Updates on campus health and safety guidelines

Can’t attend the Town Hall live? You can always access prior Town Hall recordings here.

News and Resources

Exciting new Transit Pilot Program
To encourage staff and faculty to explore cost-effective alternatives to driving to campus and to encourage use of two new convenient campus stations on the UC San Diego Blue Line trolley, financial incentives are now available through the VC-50 for Transit pilot program for policy-covered and represented UC San Diego faculty, academics, and staff with active appointment statuses. Continuing through June 2025, vice chancellors will sponsor 50% of their eligible employees’ transit pass costs, up to $27 per month. After sponsorship, the cost of a FaSt Pass will be just $27 per month. To make it even easier for first-time transit pass purchasers, Transportation Services will sponsor the employee’s $27 share, reducing employee transit costs to $0 for a limited time. If you have any questions, please contact Transportation Services at iride@ucsd.edu.

Campus Card Updates
Effective July 1, the cost of a new ID card, currently $25, returned to being the responsibility of the department, or the individual employee. Departments covering the cost of an ID card are required to provide the Common Chart of Accounts - specifically, the Project, Task, and Fund (if applicable) numbers. Please be sure to use the Campus Card Request Form, which accounts for this payment method. The Campus Cards Office continues to be open by appointment-only. Stay tuned for exciting updates on the request process later this summer!

Get Involved in Our Campus Community

Triton Trivia
Join your fellow Tritons for a friendly, online game featuring July-themed trivia on Wednesday, July 20th from 12:00-12:30pm. Prizes available for top point scorers! Register here.

Shines and Shoutouts
This is a great time to submit your Shine or Shout Outs. Would you like to share about yourself and how you SHINE as a UC San Diego Staff member? Or, perhaps shine the light on a staff colleague or your team with a SHOUT OUT about how they contribute to the Staff experience at our university? Share your unique and innovative experiences and the Staff Association will continue to spotlight some of these stories in upcoming Staff Association newsletters, social media and other communications. (And don’t forget to follow the UC San Diego Staff Association on Instagram!)

On the Horizon: Dates and Deadlines

Vacation Maximum Accrual Extension Ended: As a reminder, the extension ended; policy-covered staff who are over their maximum vacation leave accrual limit will no longer accrue additional vacation leave until they bring their vacation leave balance below their maximum. If you are at or over your vacation maximum, you will not continue to accrue vacation hours until you use enough vacation to bring your balance below maximum.

Donate vacation hours to the Catastrophic Leave bank: If you are nearing maximum, have “additional vacation” accruals, or feel inspired to support your colleagues, please consider donating some of your vacation hours to the Catastrophic Leave bank. It could make a world of difference in the life of a Triton colleague. We encourage you to both donate and take vacation time yourself if you have enough hours available. Note, if you are already overmax, any hours that were accrued as “additional vacation” can be donated.

Work Location Status Form: All UC San Diego employees, including campus and Health, are required to complete and submit the Work Location Status Form, providing information about your work schedule and location. It’s important for UC San Diego to maintain an accurate database of this information in support of space planning, regulatory compliance and emergency preparedness. Learn more and find step-by-step instructions on Blink.

Staff Learning and Development Opportunities

Managerial and Leadership Development Core Series: Anne Curtis and I are looking forward to seeing you at our next session in the Core Series for managers, Team Building: Setting Norms, Goals, and Expectations on Thursday, July 14, 1:00 - 3:30 p.m. Register here

Lean Six Sigma Scholarship Opportunity: Applications can be submitted through July 25. For more information about application requirements, selection criteria, past project awardees, or and additional resources please visit the Lean Six Sigma Scholarship page. You may also review the application process map (created in Promapp). For questions about course curriculum, please see the Extension Green Belt course page.

Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress: This Summer, Case Management Services will be facilitating three sessions of “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress” on July 14, August 11, September 15. Each offering will be held from 9:00-10:30am. Register here

Terri Winbush
Chief Human Resources Officer