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 OFFICE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

January 30, 2025

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

People Leaders:  For staff without ready access to email, please print and post a copy of this email. 

We’re kicking off the new year - including the celebration of the Lunar New Year yesterday, for those who celebrate - and I’m sure many of you may agree when I say things sure didn’t kick off as expected. It’s like the new year is kicking us instead. 

The devastation resulting from the fires first in Los Angeles and then in our very own city is inconceivable and incredibly painful to assimilate - whether you were directly impacted by the fires, or know someone who knows someone who was. It’s a somber time for Southern Californians as we mourn the loss of people, family, pets, and places we once loved.

The University of California is offering support, including temporary housing and a helpful list of resources for those impacted by the fires. There is also an article listing ways members of the UC community not impacted by the fires can help, and information on how to donate to the catastrophic leave program across all UC’s is forthcoming from the UC Office of the President.

Then there have been frequent news alerts out of our nation’s capital that have caused a flurry of activities and questions. As Dr. Drake noted in his message this week, these are challenging times and uncertainty may lie ahead, but our dedication to our values, mission, and the well-being of our entire community remains unwavering. 

And now last night’s staggering news of the plane and helicopter crash in D.C. At a time when many are experiencing lingering exhaustion from the pandemic and other world events, having to recover from a January that has seemingly lasted for over a year can feel insurmountable and debilitating. I urge those feeling this way to contact our Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. 

How are you feeling about the volume and frequency of the information you receive during the news cycle? This might be a good time to evaluate whether it’s too much for your capacity right now, or just the right amount, or not fully meeting your needs? Should you approach when you review the news alerts differently? 

When I find myself dwelling on the magnitude of these losses, as crippling as it can be, I allow myself to experience the emotions. And then I draw solace in the humbling and faith-restoring acts of humanity I’ve witnessed as legions of people and organizations (our own UC San Diego included) step in to help in ways we’ve never seen before. I am moved to tears by the bravery, generosity, and relentless disposition displayed by our own and surrounding communities.

Let this be us—always. Let’s not wait for catastrophic events to remind ourselves to care for each other, to show up for one another, to truly feel our feelings, to extend grace to ourselves and others, and to be beacons of hope in the everyday.

When we make this our way of life, we may not only bring more kindness into our lives, but also mitigate the possibility of awful things happening. This mindfulness helps us pause and consider how our actions might impact others—like how your coworker might interpret that email you’re about to send or how your employee might feel about the feedback you’re about to give.

It’s more important now than ever to stick together and remain anchored in the things that ground us and bring us joy. To show your loved ones how much you care about them. To address your health—mental and physical—by listening to your inner voice and not gaslighting yourself, and to live in the present knowing that we can’t control what happens around us, but we can control how we respond. Kindness matters.

Lead with grace and courage,

Terri S. Winbush  

Campus Chief Human Resources Officer 

Effective Jan. 1, 2025, the UC has revised leave policies to expand eligibility for paid sick leave. Staff employees will have expanded paid protected sick leave options visible in their timekeeping systems (Ecotime & TOPS: Sick Leave – Protected, Kronos: Protected Sick Leave). An information session for People Leaders will take place February 24, 2025 from 10 – 11 a.m. Register through Zoom here. Please reach out to your Department HR Contact with any questions, and learn more about this change on UCNet. 

As some of you may have learned, Anthem Blue Cross and Scripps Health have been in negotiations for several months to establish mutually agreeable contract terms and reimbursement rates. An agreement was not reached, and the contract terminated effective Jan. 1, 2025. As a result, services from Scripps Health will be considered out-of-network for UC-sponsored, non-Medicare PPO plans starting Jan. 1, 2025, including: UC Core, UC Care, and the Health Savings Plan (HSP) PPO plans. 

 

While Campus HR cannot influence nor interfere with contract negotiation between vendors and medical groups, we understand that contract termination may directly impact your medical care and/or that of your family. Members who were receiving treatment at Scripps Health for a serious or complex condition prior to Jan. 1, 2025 may contact an Accolade Health Care Advocate for assistance at 1-866-406-1182, Monday through Friday  5 a.m. - 8 p.m. Pacific time. Accolade will review the member’s situation and assist with a Continuity of Care request to continue care at Scripps for a limited time after Jan. 1, 2025. Accolade Advocates can also provide assistance locating in-network physicians and transitioning to a new medical group as needed. Additional information may be found on Anthem’s website.

Undocumented Student Services (USS) supports the well-being and safety of members of our undocumented and mixed-status community at UC San Diego. Following anticipated policy changes, USS is working with appropriate campus partners to understand potential impacts and share information as needed. Refer to thisinteractive guidebook for on-campus and off-campus resources, and subscribe to the USS monthly newsletter to stay tuned for more updates.

The UC Office of the President is opening up catastrophic leave donations across all UC’s in an effort to support our UC Los Angeles peers devastated by the fires. As soon as we have the final information from UCOP, we will share out for those of you and/or your teams who want to donate. 

With President Drake’s planned departure later this year, the UC Board of Regents is conducting a global search to recruit the next president of our university. An important part of this process is holding town hall meetings to gather stakeholder input — including insights from staff, faculty and students. These town halls provide a platform for community members to voice their comments and concerns, and to share their perspectives on the qualities and experience they believe the next UC president should have. Learn more on UCnet.

UC Systemwide Human Resources will conduct a comprehensive faculty and staff employee benefits survey in the first quarter of 2025. The purpose of the survey is to capture your feedback about employee benefits programs at the UC. Randomly selected participants will receive a personalized link to complete the survey through a third-party administrator. If you receive the survey, it will ask specific questions about your opinions of the employee benefits programs the UC offers. For questions about the survey, contact healthandwelfarebenefits@ucop.edu. Learn more on UCnet.

Results from the Staff@Work survey launched in the fall of last year are now in, and are ready for departmental action planning. The Staff@Work Survey biennially asks staff to contribute their anonymous feedback about perceptions of their workplace. This year, the Tritonlytics team introduced a new Action Box on Page 1, highlighting your department’s top primary opportunity for improvement. Department leaders can visit the Tritonlytics website to learn more and explore more than 250 actionable ideas customized to each question. 

The UC San Diego Triton Alert emergency notification system uses a phone and email notification system to keep the campus community updated in emergency situations. Your UC San Diego email account is already registered to receive Triton Alert emergency email notifications if you are part of the campus community (e.g., students, academics, and staff). You must, however, add your phone devices if you wish to receive SMS (text messaging).

 

Staff can use the Faculty/Staff Triton Alert emergency notification portal.  Please visit the Triton Alert FAQ for more information.

The Office of the President expects to roll out an updated version of theGeneral Compliance Briefing training in February. To assist with the transition, the training assignment in the UC Learning Center has been removed for all active employees, and the course is not available to new users. We will share more details regarding rollout timing as they become available. If you have questions or concerns about this training, please contact the UC Learning Center support team through theEmployee Center.

Help welcome future Tritons to our campus by volunteering at Triton Days on April 12, 2025. The deadline to register to volunteer is March 16. Be a part of one of UC San Diego's most exciting traditions, welcoming admitted first-year students and offering a valuable recruitment opportunity for prospective students as they prepare to make their college decisions. Register to volunteer through this Qualtrics form.

Are you new to people leadership at UC San Diego or looking to refresh your People Leader toolkit? Do you want to connect with colleagues who are also leading teams? Campus HR is excited to announce the 2025 People Leader Development Program! Designed for new-ish People Leaders, these offerings will help you build essential skills, foster inclusive teams, and grow your leadership capabilities. Register for the first offering of the year, Building Inclusive Teams and Trust, taking place Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Additional courses and registration links are listed in this calendar.

TritonGPT is a secure, focused, and funded AI tool designed to support staff at UC San Diego. Check out the TritonGPT training page on Blink for resources to help you get started. The next webinar will focus on prompting skills, which can be used in most AI tools. Dates will be posted on the resources page along with recordings from past webinars.

Visit UC San Diego’s Farmers Market on Tuesdays from Jan. 14 – March 11, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. for farm-fresh produce and flowers, plus locally prepared, delicious international specialty foods and more. Learn more on the Farmers Market website.

Join Enrollment Management and College Access Outreach Programs at UC San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 8:15 a.m. – 1 p.m.  for an engaging event designed to support pathways into higher education. The event will feature informative sessions on various higher education pathways; the college admissions process; financial aid and scholarships; and preparing for success in college. Interested? Complete the interest form to secure your spot.

Join us for the first Staff Town Hall of 2025 on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Featuring Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Budget Operations, Mercedez Muñoz, myself, and other guest speakers, the Staff Town Hall will include updates on the statewide budget context, Updates from HR, and strategies for fostering dialogue with your team and leaders during turbulent times. A Q&A session will also be held. Register and submit questions in advance through Zoom.

Join your fellow peers; members of Facilities Management;  Environment, Health & Safety; and the UC San Diego Police Department for the annual Campus Lighting and Safety Review Walks. These walks aim to cover the entire campus footprint and assess safety and lighting issues that can be improved to create a safer environment for our community. The Lighting and Safety Review Walks will take place every Thursday night in February (Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27) beginning at 6 p.m. Learn more in this recent campus notice.

Please join the Council of UC Staff Assemblies (CUCSA) and UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D. on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 11:00 a.m. for a UC systemwide town hall. President Drake will be in conversation with CUCSA Chair Jen Bowser and CUCSA Past Chair Dennis McIver. You may submit a question for President Drake when you complete the webinar registration.

Start your morning with community and connection! The UC San Diego Staff Association invites you to the first Triton Treats event of 2025 on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at Price Center West Ballroom AB between 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Enjoy a morning filled with activities and opportunities to connect with colleagues, including a special activity hosted by the Craft Center; guided stretches led by Employee Wellness; photo opportunities at a photobooth; mingling with fellow staff members; and delicious breakfast bites to kickstart your day. Please bring your UC San Diego Staff ID for entry. For more details, visit the Staff Association website. 

For those unable to attend, a recording of the People Leader Summit held Jan. 14 is now available on the People Leader Network Blink page along with resources shared during the presentation. The People Leader Summit is an online, interactive session featuring a wealth of necessary tools for people with teams to thrive as People Leaders. Learn more on Blink.