Important Information
Commencement 2010 Hotel Information
Winter Break Campus Closure Information
FREE Airport Shuttle Information
Does your student need to waive student UC Health Insurance (SHIP)?
College News
Warren College High Table Dinner
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade & Day of Service
Campus News & Updates
Society 60 Membership Benefits Students
Parent & Family Giving
Spotlights
Wellness Spotlight: Spiritual Wellness
Research Spotlight: Classroom Experiences vs. High Grade Point Averages
News Spotlight: Undergraduate Team Dukes it Out in "BattleBots" Competition
Athletic Events & Updates
Important Information
Commencement dates for 2010 have been announced. Please note Commencement ceremonies will take place according to the following schedule:
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 8:00 am – Thurgood Marshall College
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 1:00 pm – Revelle College
Saturday, June 12, 2010, 5:00 pm – John Muir College
Sunday, June 13, 2010, 8:00 am – Earl Warren College
Sunday, June 13, 2010, 1:00 pm – Sixth College
Sunday, June 13, 2010, 5:00 pm – Eleanor Roosevelt College
In addition to these undergraduate Commencement ceremonies, the following graduate ceremonies will also take place during the same weekend:
Saturday, June 12
10:30 am - Graduate Studies, RIMAC arena
Sunday, June 13
10:30 am - The School of International Relations and Pacific Studies (IR/PS), Institute of the Americas Plaza
3:00 pm - Rady School of Management, Rady School Plaza
More information on Commencement is available on the Current Students Commencement Web site or the Parent & Family Programs Commencement Web site.
Commencement 2010 Hotel Information
Parent & Family Programs has worked with surrounding hotels to negotiate the following rates specifically for Commencement weekend:
Hilton San Diego/Del Mar
15575 Jimmy Durante Boulevard
Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 764-6043
Be sure to reference: UCSD Parent & Family Programs
Rate available: $89 (Standard Deluxe King, Queens, plus taxes)
For direct access to the special rate: Click Here
San Diego Marriott Del Mar
11966 El Camino Real
San Diego, CA 92130
1-800-228-9290 or (858) 523-1700
San Diego Marriott Del Mar Web site
Be sure to reference: UCSD Commencement 2010
Rate available: $114.00 (Single or Double, plus taxes), Thursday 6/10/10 - Monday 6/14/10
Rooms must be reserved by Wednesday, May 12, 2010
San Diego Marriott La Jolla
4240 La Jolla Village Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
1-800-228-9290 or (858) 453-4420
San Diego Marriott La Jolla Web site
Be sure to reference: UCSD Commencement 2010
Rate available: $139.00 (Single or Double, plus taxes), Thursday 6/10/10 - Monday 6/14/10
Rooms must be reserved by Wednesday, May 12, 2010
La Jolla Shores Hotel
8110 Camino Del Oro
La Jolla, CA 92037
1-866-392-8762
La Jolla Shores Hotel Web site
Be sure to reference: UCSD Commencement
Rates available: See below
Weekday Rates: (Monday 6/7/10 – Thursday 6/10/10)
Garden View - $179, Coastal View - $219, Beach Front - $279
Weekend Rates: (Friday 6/11/10 – Sunday 6/13/10)
Garden View - $199, Coastal View - $239, Beach Front - $279
The most up-to-date list of hotels in the area offering a special rate for Commencement as negotiated by Parent & Family Programs can be found on the Parent & Family Programs Commencement Web site.
Winter Break Campus Closure Information
During the Winter Break, the campus will be closed Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Sunday, January 3, 2010. Keep in mind that while the final examination period for students ends December 12, 2009, the campus remains open until December 19, 2009.
Students who are interested in staying in on-campus housing during the campus closure period are encouraged to discuss options for living on-campus with the Residence Life office of their College. Contract Dining Plans end with dinner, Saturday, December 13, 2009 and resume at noon on Sunday, January 3, 2010.
FREE Airport Shuttle Information
If your student needs a ride to the airport for Winter Break, Parking & Transportation offers free shuttle service to and from the San Diego Airport. To view the full schedule and make reservations, see the Free Airport Shuttle Information Web site. As you can imagine this is very popular service and fills quickly. Therefore, encourage your student to make a reservation as soon as possible!
If your student's schedule does not match the UCSD Airport Shuttle schedule or they are unable to obtain a seat, there are other travel options to the airport. Cloud 9 Super Shuttle provides UCSD Affiliates a discount. The Cloud 9 Super Shuttle provides $3.00 discount each way for share ride & $10.00 discount off the Sedan service. See the UCSD Cloud 9 Super Shuttle Web site for more information.
Does your student need to waive student UC Health Insurance (SHIP)?
If your student forgot to waive the UC Health Insurance or you do not need the additional insurance for the Winter or Spring quarters the waiver period for Winter quarter is now open. For more information on the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) or how your student can waive SHIP, see the Student Health Services Web site.
College News & Updates
Warren College High Table Dinner
The High Table Dinner is an evening of conversation and fine food for a small number of students and faculty. The goal of the Dinner is to enrich and increase exchange among students and faculty. This occasion is loosely based on the Oxford and Cambridge tradition, where college faculty and students dine together in a formal and intimate setting. The next Warren College High Table dinner is scheduled for February 3, 2010. Space is limited. Therefore, Warren College students interested are asked to send their full name and email address to the Warren College Office of the Provost at waprovost@ucsd.edu.
Martin Luther King Jr. Parade & Day of Service
Encourage your student to participate in their College's delegation for the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade & Day of Service. On Saturday, January 16 students can take bus transportation from campus to downtown San Diego to participate in the MLK Annual Parade and then help restore and maintain the historic National City Living History Farm Preserve - Stein Family Farm. More information is available on the Center for Student Involvement Web site.
Campus News & Updates
Finals week is a particularly stressful time for students at UC San Diego. If you hear something which sounds unusual in your student during finals week, or any time during the academic year, encourage them to visit Counseling & Psychological Services to speak with a counselor. If you want to know more about the services offered on campus for students, see the Counseling & Psychological Services Web site.
Parents/Guardians that claim a student as a dependent might able to claim a credit against their federal income taxes for certain post-secondary educational expenses. See the university's Educational Tax Credit Web site for more information.
Society 60 Membership Benefits Students
Named for UCSD's founding year, Society 60 is UCSD's Student Alumni Association. Society 60 equips students with a strong familiarity and connection to the UCSD network of over 130,000 alumni before graduation. With a winning combination of alumni interaction, VIP access, entertainment, UCSD tradition, and more, Society 60 keeps the spirit of UCSD's past alive through of students today.
The benefits of being part of Society 60 are endless. For example, during the Fall quarter Society 60 members: 
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- Were invited to lunch with the Chancellor
- Connected with UCSD alumni
- Ran a Chancellor's Challenge 5K Run/Walk for Scholars to raise money for scholarships
- Received a $25 coupon to the UCSD Bookstore
- Were treated as VIP's at the Bookstore's Welcome Party and at a concert at The Loft
- Enjoyed free Yogurt World frozen yogurt
- Received t-shirts, blue books for mid-terms, Price Center movie passes and more!
Make your student a member of Society 60!
For more information about Society 60, email society60@ucsd.edu, or call (858)534-3900.
Encourage your student to volunteer at the UC San Diego Neighborhood Community Garden. The Neighborhood Community Garden is located behind the Che Café close to Revelle College. Participating volunteers will learn about growing fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices organically on campus. For more information about the Neighborhood Community Garden, see the organization's Web site or email ncgarden@ucsd.edu.
If you feel your student needs a little time to de-stress during finals week, encourage them to attend the Therapy Fluffies event on Library Walk, Tuesday, December 8, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Therapy Dogs will be on hand at the "Petting Palace" for students to pet, visit, and relax. For more information on Therapy Fluffies and photos from last year's successful event, see the Wellness Center site.
Parent & Family Giving
The holiday season naturally evokes the desire to give in various ways - whether it is presents chosen with care for family and friends, or thoughtful gifts to nonprofit organizations, including public universities. And in light of this year's economic situation, the need for charitable support is proving to be critical.
With higher education's share of state revenue declining each year (less than 10 percent of UC San Diego's total budget is from the State of California), many families choose the Parents Fund for their year-end giving. Gifts of any size to the Parents Fund help maintain and strengthen UC San Diego's Student Affairs programs, and also offer a pool of flexible dollars to each of the university's six Colleges - Revelle, Muir, Marshall, Warren, Roosevelt and Sixth - to provide essential complements to classroom instruction.
"UCSD Scholarships have meant a lot to my family and me," said Kenneth Wong, '10, a Warren College student majoring in Microbiology and Third World Studies. Kenneth is a recipient of the Warren Research Scholarship, which is supported by the UC San Diego Parents Fund. "The scholarship has gone directly to pay the equipment costs for my leptospirosis research. This equipment that I'm using daily will help us to understand a bacterial infection that affects the poor from Baltimore to Peru," he stated.
"The Parents Fund has also been helpful in other areas," he continued. "Last year as A.S. Senator, I led the Warren College Literary Contest which received 37 students' entries and was judged by six Professors. The Parents Fund financed the $50 honoraria that were awarded to the three winners by the Provost's Office. It helped make the contest much more of a success than I could've hoped for."
The Model United Nations at UC San Diego is another beneficiary of the Parents Fund. Rebecca Saar, secretary general of the local campus group noted, "Through our organization, students have the opportunity to travel to conferences around the country to debate pressing international issues while representing different countries in a formal mock United Nations setting. This February, the Model UN team will be sending 14 delegates to compete at the prestigious Harvard National Model United Nations Conference 2010. In the past, we have attended and been recognized at conferences in San Francisco, UCLA and Las Vegas. If funding allows us, we hope to compete at an international conference next year."
Your Parents Fund gift will also help to support:
- Student Wellness Initiative - To ensure that UC San Diego students are happy and healthy
- Family Connections - To help families stay connected to UC San Diego, Parent and Family Programs provides a myriad of tools and resources
- Funding for the Six Colleges - To provide essential complements to classroom instruction and enrich the educational experience
- Partners in Education- Where Colleges partner with charter schools including The Preuss School on the UCSD campus and Gompers Charter Middle School
- Revelle in Rome - To fund scholarships for students who spend a summer session studying and exploring Rome
- And so much more - Free newspapers for students, campus symposiums, bike loans and artist-in-residency programs made possible through the generosity of parent and family giving
It is easy to give to UC San Diego!
To donate online to the general Parents Fund or the parent funds at any of our six Colleges, please visit the Parents & Families Giving Web site and click on "Give Now."
You can give to any school, division or area on campus by visiting the university's secure online Giving Web site.
And when you make a gift to UC San Diego, please check first to see if your employer has a matching gifts program that can double or triple your donation by visiting the Matching Gift informational Web site.
For more information, please call Parent and Family Giving Director Toni Tschann at (858) 822-3867, or email ttschann@ucsd.edu. Thank you for including UC San Diego in your year-end giving!
Spotlights
Wellness Spotlight: Spiritual Wellness
From maintaining a sense of purpose in life to finding joy and beauty in everyday events, Spiritual Wellness encompasses the most fundamental aspects of happiness and contentment. With a wide variety of resources, workshops, and events on campus, UC San Diego supports Spiritual Wellness for students of every background and culture! Visit the Spiritual Wellness Web site for more details.
Research Spotlight: Classroom Experiences vs. High Grade Point Averages
As students enter finals week, we typically do not hear the most positive comments about classes, faculty, and tests. Contrary to those feelings, however, students at UC San Diego have largely positive feelings about their academic experience according to the 2008 University of California Undergraduate Experiences Survey (UCUES). Seventy nine percent of students at UC San Diego noted feeling somewhat satisfied, satisfied, and very satisfied with their overall academic experience. Sixty five percent of students feel their academic experience is a value for the price paid. Students, however, are not as satisfied with their UC grade point average. Only 51% of students were somewhat satisfied, satisfied, and very satisfied with their grade point average at UC San Diego. This is similar to the UC wide satisfaction which was only 56%.
As families, know that your student and students UC wide are satisfied with their academic experience, however the academic rigor of the University of California is also evident. We know that your student was academically talented to enter UC San Diego but many students still underestimate the challenges in the classroom and are therefore less satisfied with their grade point average. When your student has completed final exams, ask your student which is more important: a high grade point average or having an enjoyable learning experience?
News Spotlight: Undergraduate Team Dukes it Out in "BattleBots" Competition
Last April, the Triton Robotix team competed at the first ever "BattleBots" competition. The competition is a spinoff of BattleBots, which airs on ESPN. Like championship boxers, the robots are paired up in an arena in front of a live audience and TV cameras. The competition will begin to air on television December 10. For more information, read the entire news story.
Athletic Events & Updates
The 2009 Fall athletic season is officially completed and two Triton teams made their way into post-season play. Coach Brian McManus' Women's Soccer squad went 15-5-2, reaching the NCAA Division II round 16 before losing a heartbreaker in a penalty kick shootout. Five UCSD players-Junior Lisa Bradley, Sophomores Anne Wethe, Sarah McTigue and Kristin Armstrong, and Freshman Jessica Wi-were named to the All-West Region team.
Coach Tom Black's Women's Volleyball club, which was ranked as high as second nationally, finished 29-3 after being upset in the second round of NCAA Tournament play. Senior Sylvia Schmidt, who set a school single season record for kills with 478, was named MVP of the CCAA as well as first team AVCA Division II All-American. She was joined on the first team All-American list by Senior Elaine Chen and Sophomore Roxanne Brunsting earned honorable mention recognition.
The Men's Water Polo team, coached by Denny Harper, was ranked 10thnationally and battled its way into the championship game of the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) Tournament before dropping a hard-fought, 5-4 decision to Loyola Marymount. Seniors Steve Donohoe and Peter Gresham were All-WWPA selections and John Butler was picked to the Conference's All-Freshmen squad.
UC San Diego's annual Spirit Night basketball doubleheader is set for Saturday, January 30, 2010 when the Tritons will host Cal State San Bernardino. The Women play at 5:30 pm followed by the Men at 7:30 pm. Spirit Night is the culmination of a week-long spirit competition between UCSD's six Colleges and attracts the biggest crowd of the season to RIMAC Arena. Roosevelt College is the defending Spirit Night champion.
The UC San Diego Athletic Department's weekly online radio show, Triton Talk, with host Craig Elsten, can be accessed on the Athletic Department's Web site. New interviews are typically accessible by Tuesday afternoon.
10th Annual Athletics Blood Drive
The 10thAnnual Athletics Department Blood Drive, run in conjunction with the American Red Cross, is scheduled for Friday, January 15, 2010. The event will be held in the RIMAC Green Room with appointments available between 8:00 am and 7:00 pm. For the past several years, this has been the largest single day blood drive on the UC San Diego campus. To give blood or volunteer, please call the UCSD Athletics Department at (858) 534-8460.
Parent & Family Programs
Información para las vacaciones de invierno
Personal de oficina de Programas de Padres y Familias estarán disponibles por teléfono y correo electrónico hasta el 18 diciembre del 2009, y regresaremos después del descanso de invierno el día 04 enero del 2010. Por favor contáctenos con cualquier pregunta o preocupación, ya que se acerca el fin de este turno escolar. Si tiene preguntas sobre su estudiante durante las vacaciones de invierno, por favor póngase en contacto con el Departamento Policiaco Universitario al (858) 534-4357.
Parent & Family Programs staff will be available by phone or email through December 18, 2009, returning after the holiday break on January 4, 2010. Please contact us with any questions or concerns as the quarter comes to a close. If you have emergency questions or concerns about your student during the holiday break, contact the University Police (858) 534-4357.
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