Compass

On August 5, 40 HDAE leaders came together for a one-day Strategic Planning Reset. The retreat was designed to re-energize, reimagine, and refocus our collective efforts as HDAE prepares for significant changes over the next five years. With two new residential complexes set to welcome 3,500 more students and approximately 100 new staff members by 2029, this was a timely and important event. The day was highly productive, sparking fresh ideas, fostering deeper collaboration, and laying a clear foundation for the future.

What do you get when you mix equal parts overnight accommodations, seamless event planning, and top-rated food & beverage in a stunning seaside location?  The answer is in the title - a recipe for success!

Under the leadership of Carol Dreste, Director, the UCSB Campus Store has undergone a remarkable transformation, demonstrating that big changes can happen even with no budget. The Campus Store had been stuck in an outdated look for years, with old, tired textbook gondolas that no longer served our students or our space. We needed to address issues with theft and have implemented a higher standard of customer serve.

Here's how we turned things around and gave our store a fresh, modern look without spending a dime.

Through a series of stakeholder workshops during the 2023-24 academic year, SOM as the Architect of Record and Mithun as Programming lead and co-design partner have been working to develop Detailed Project Programs (DPPs) for both the San Benito and East Campus projects. These DPPs are comprehensive planning documents that include all the information necessary for campus to establish a project budget and for the design team to initiate schematic design.

At the end of the last academic year, the work groups concluded their immense efforts toward researching and working to improve the employee experience around Recognition & Appreciation, Work Life Balance, and Career Advancement. While their work has concluded, their efforts will continue to live on. Each work group identified that giving supervisors the proper tools to support their staff in these three areas is crucial. As a direct result of this recommendation, the AVC’s Office Learning & Development is currently developing a program to do just that.  

HDAE Staff on the Move

Welcome 

Raul Alvarez, Sr Custodian

Timothy Antonacci, Student Leadership Programs Advisor

Dahyana Arroyo, Assistant Resident Director

Christian Barrios, Personnel Supervisor

KC Buller, Marketing & Communications Specialist

Don't miss out on these upcoming HDAE-Wide Events!

Tuesday, October 22 -- HDAE Town Hall at 9:30 a.m. at Corwin Pavillion

As we arrive at graduation weekend, punctuated by the campus’ nine commencement ceremonies, it’s hard to believe the end of the academic year is upon us. As always, I am beyond grateful for the care, attention, and hard work each of you has put into this year – a year that marks a new strategic chapter in Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises with the launch of the student housing development projects and the leadership realignments that will strengthen our departments.