May 1, 2008

Mark your calendars.  The much-anticipated Price Center East launch party will rock the campus this month.  We’re hoping to see you all there, united in your Triton pride.  And there are two other events this month that all Tritons can be proud of — the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies is celebrating its 20th anniversary and the City of San Diego is declaring the last week in May “UC San Diego Week.” 

Price Center East Launch Party
The launch of the Price Center East is finally here.  This expansion has been in the works for years now and we’re thrilled to host the official launch party on May 12.  If you haven’t seen the expansion yet, I encourage you to visit the site.  Some areas are still receiving finishing touches, but many departments have already moved into their new offices and the Sunshine Market is already open for business.  It’s proven quite popular among students, staff and faculty alike.

The expansion doubles the size of the original Price Center.  The new area will add seven new restaurants, a bank and hair salon, two performance spaces, meeting rooms, lounge areas, a computer lab and more.  For years, we’ve heard students say they want more social life and night life on campus.  We’re responding to the request, and took into account many of the suggestions in the Undergraduate Student Experience and Satisfaction report.  I think the Price Center expansion, along with the development of a new downtown neighborhood, will certainly improve student life on campus and be a new social hub.  I invite all of you to the Price Center East launch party.  Click here for details.

UC San Diego Week
The City of San Diego is declaring the week of May 26-30 to be “UC San Diego Week.”  The official resolution will be presented to the university by Mayor Jerry Sanders and Council President Scott Peters at the May 27 City Council meeting.  We are receiving this honor because of our many contributions to, and partnerships with, the City of San Diego.  These contributions include providing a world-class education to more than 27,000 students each year, generating new jobs and economic growth, improving patient care and producing innovative research.  UC San Diego’s impact is felt in the lives of all Californians.  During UC San Diego Week, campus advocates including faculty members, students and alumni will meet with City Council members to discuss our economic and community impact.  In addition, university experts will present information to the Council members on our campus’ sustainability efforts.

Celebrating Pacific Leaders
The School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month with a series of events for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.  IR/PS is the nation’s only graduate school of international relations focused on the Pacific Rim, and it built a distinctive curriculum to match its unique focus.  The first students enrolled at IR/PS in September 1987 and the first 13 students graduated in June 1989.  The school now boasts more than 120 students in each entering class.  And, since its founding, the school has educated more than 1,700 leaders in international relations and public policy.  Alumni have gone on to positions of leadership in business, government and non-profit organizations around the world.  It’s also impressive to note that in 2005, the journal Foreign Policy ranked UC San Diego 9th in the nation for international relations studies.  That’s quite an accomplishment for such a young school.  If you’d like to join in the 20th anniversary celebration events, click here for more information.

Asian and Pacific Islander American Awareness Month
The UCSD Asian and Pacific-Islander American Planning Committee is hosting a number of events to celebrate and explore our diverse Asian and Pacific Islander American communities.  The series of events, titled Spring Roles 2008, began at the beginning of April and will continue through the end of May.  This is the second year the committee has organized this celebration.  Events include a poetry reading, a hip-hop competition, a diversity dinner and culture nights.  I hope you have an opportunity to attend at least one of these activities.  To see a calendar of all of the festivities that have been planned, click here.

Looking Ahead to Commencement
The countdown to commencement continues and there are only a few more weeks left.  This year’s commencement ceremonies will be held a week later than usual since the U.S. Open Golf Championship is being held at Torrey Pines Golf Course June 9-15.  Most of our commencement ceremonies will be held between June 21-23, with the exception of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on May 31 and the School of Medicine ceremony on June 1.  We decided to push back the other ceremonies because the golf tournament is expected to draw a crowd of 50,000 people.  This will significantly impact traffic around the campus, and many local hotels are already booked by golf spectators.  For information about how the U.S. Open will affect campus events, work schedules and parking, click here.

Since the commencements are pushed back a week, seniors will have a few days off between finals and graduation.  But they will have plenty of activities to keep them busy, thanks to the organizers of the first-ever Senior Week.  Several activities have been arranged including a trip to the zoo, a senior class bonfire, a new grads mixer and a career-planning seminar.  For more information on Senior Week, click here.

Also, as part of Senior Week, the university will host an all-campus graduation celebration, the first all-campus baccalaureate since the 1990’s.  The guest speaker will be Robert F. Kennedy Jr.  He’s an ideal choice for speaker because of his impressive commitment to public service and the environment.  The all-campus graduation will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 19 at RIMAC Arena.  All students, undergrad and grad, are invited to this special event that will give graduating students the opportunity to celebrate together.  Tickets are available at the UCSD Box Office. 

Enjoy the rest of the spring quarter, and be sure to demonstrate your Triton pride during UC San Diego Week.  And please join us for the Price Center East launch party on May 12.  It will be a fun, memorable event, and a true milestone for the campus.

With warm regards,

Marye Anne Fox
Chancellor