Academic Senate Chair: Grace and Gratitude this Holiday Season

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

As we approach the end of our fall quarter, I take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for the beautiful and welcoming sentiments I have gathered during my visits to your department homes. It has been a wonderful experience that fills me with gratitude.

As is the case every year, this fall quarter your Senate has been very active defining and establishing several task forces and workgroups that will begin their work during early winter quarter. Firstly, we have established a task force in response to the Crisis Response resolution from last spring. I sent information on this in my November letter. In addition, two workgroups are being established in collaboration with EVC Simmons on the topics of undergraduate admissions policies and academic personnel policies. The success of such Senate activities, at both the campus and systemwide levels, depends crucially on the involvement and expertise of Senate faculty. On the Academic Senate homepage, under Senate Service, there is a link to your service preference profile, where you can update your availability for service and your Senate committee preferences.

I am also delighted to inform you that we have started a collaboration with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion on co-hosting Academic Senate Seminars. Our first Seminar will be on January 10, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (virtual). You can find additional information and a link to register on the Tritons Belong web site. Click on the "VC EDI & Academic Senate Seminar Series | Kickoff: January 10" header. The topic, "America's Changing Demographics and its Effect on Democracy", is extremely timely and will be presented by our undisputed expert in this area, Professor Barbara F. Walter.

Also, I remind you we have a deadline of January 6, 2025, to submit comments on the Interim Campus Policies on Permissible Conduct on Campus. We had two excellent Town Halls on this topic, which allowed us to converse and listen to each other. Thank you to all who participated!

As we move into 2025, I hope that together we can build the strength and courage to be unafraid of the unknown. This is what I learned from my immigrant mother, who is my guiding light and the bravest person I have ever known. As I think of the future, I cannot help in expressing that I will always respond to the world as my mother’s daughter. Immediately and urgently, let us provide support for our vulnerable students, including our undocumented students, who will likely be targets during the next four years. In the Senate, we have begun discussions with Undocumented Student Services to explore how we can support their work. Please anticipate much more on this effort. For now, I hope you will consider adding the following statement to your syllabi:

Undocumented Student Services
Undocumented Student Services (USS) provides support for undocumented students and those from mixed-status families at UC San Diego. For more information about the services, visit the USS website or connect through email (undoc@ucsd.edu).

In addition, our campus will be facilitating three upcoming trainings for “Creating a Culture of Care: Supporting Students in Distress.” Three dates are being offered: (1) January 9, 2025, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. (in person); (2) February 13, 2025, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. (in person); and (3) March 13, 2025, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. (virtual). Register on the UC Learning Center and search the keyword “Students in Distress”. For more information, please contact Chrystian Smith at cas014@ucsd.edu. I hope you will consider participating.

Enjoy the winter break! I convey to you my most genuine and heartfelt wishes of

Grace and gratitude this holiday season,
Blessings countless, stories shared,
To you and your families, friends and allies,
May we all stand together when doubt is near,
And may we all contribute to define and lead,
At UC San Diego, a future of dignity,
a future of hope and justice for all.

As always, I can be reached at senatechair@ucsd.edu. I am here to listen, and I am here to serve.

Olivia A. Graeve
Chair, San Diego Divisional Academic Senate

University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093