Dear UCSB Staff Community,

As the 2025–2026 academic year comes to a close, the Staff Assembly Executive Board wants to celebrate what we have accomplished together. This year, we paired our traditional community-building events with a strategic shift toward systemic advocacy, institutional transparency, and establishing a strong partnership with our new Chancellor, Dr. Dennis Assanis.

Here is a brief look at what we achieved on your behalf this year:

  • Amplified Staff Advocacy: We served on the Chancellor’s Task Force on Campus Staffing, contributing to a vital report addressing campus workload audits, structural growth imbalances, and staff-to-student ratios. We also gathered critical staff feedback regarding UCSB’s potential adoption of the Okanagan Charter for campus well-being.
  • Community & Recognition: We hosted highly successful campus traditions, including our department Halloween Contests, Burrito Day, the Winter Warmer Arts and Crafts Bazaar, and our annual Service Milestone Event. Additionally, our Citations of Excellence program received an incredible 52 nominations, and UCSB’s Kelly Wood was honored with the systemwide CUCSA Kevin McCauley Memorial Outstanding Staff Award.
  • Professional Growth: The Gaucho Mentor Connection (GMC) successfully guided another cohort through professional pairings and targeted career workshops.
  • Securing Our Future: To protect Staff Assembly's longevity, we began a total overhaul and mapping of our internal bylaws and roles. Crucially, we entered negotiations with senior leadership to secure funding for staff appreciation events.
  • Looking Ahead: UCSB has been selected to host the statewide CUCSA meeting in September 2026. We have already secured dedicated funding from the Chancellor and are about to begin the final stages of planning this amazing opportunity for our campus.

Everything achieved this year was made possible by the advocacy and passion of staff members who stepped up to support one another. Thank you for your dedication to making UC Santa Barbara an exceptional place to work.  And with that, we are excited to announce next year's Co-Chairs Emma Cristofani-Tran and Maritza Fuljencio!

Best Wishes,

Kristen Ikeda Yoza & Alex Moretto, UCSB Staff Assembly Co-Chairs