A week of celebration honoring the work and commitment of UCSB staff members will continue through tomorrow with on-campus events and activities.

Some of the week’s festivities included nature tours, art shows, contests and lectures. Today, staff members may choose to take part in activities ranging from a touch tank reef tour to a hula-hooping competition. Events will conclude tomorrow with the Chancellor’s staff celebration luncheon and a presentation of staff awards.

The Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Council Co-Chair and Carrillo Dining Commons Office Manager, Kori Soltz, said the event is always highly anticipated by staff members.
“Staff Celebration Week is a tradition on our campus,” Soltz said. “It is an event that we look forward to that truly recognizes the staff.”

While some of the events such as Tuesday’s ice cream social are annual, Soltz said new activities are occasionally added to give the celebration a different flavor.

“This year — as always — we have some great activities planned for staff to enjoy,” Soltz said. “The week’s activities can vary each year, but there are some ‘standing events,’ so to speak, including the staff luncheon [and] the pottery sale.”

Staff Celebration Week was organized primarily by the Chancellor’s Staff Advisory Council to commend staff and faculty members on their contributions to the university during the course of the year.

According to a memo posted on the CSAC home page regarding the celebratory week, Chancellor Henry T. Yang said the need to recognize staff members is more crucial than ever.
“Each and every year, it is an opportunity to gather and to celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of all our staff colleagues,” Yang said. “In this uncertain and difficult budget climate, recognizing the tremendous work of staff across our campus and the support they give our students and faculty, and each other, has never been more important.”

In addition to the week of celebration, Chancellor Yang and his wife Dilling created the Dilling Yang Staff Scholarship in 2003 to help low-income UCSB staff pay for educational tuition and registration fees, career training or educational programs at UCSB. Additionally, if eligible staff pursues academic courses they could be charged discounted tuition and registration. This year, the scholarship awards a maximum of $500 per individual per year.

“The purpose of the Dilling Yang Staff Scholarship Awards is to support and encourage our staff by providing opportunities for them to pursue professional development to enhance their careers,” Yang said in an e-mail.

To view the complete schedule and details of the week’s events, visit this page.