USD Opens Center to Support Local Startups

On September 11, 2017, the university announced the creation of a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) that will be hosted on campus as a partnership between USD, the U.S. Small Business Administration and the San Diego and Imperial SBDC Regional Network. Michael Vallante, a regional administrator for U.S. Small Business Administration’s Region IX, said, “Small business is the backbone of our nation’s economy and the center for job creation and global competitiveness and innovation. The opening of this SBDC at the University of San Diego means there’s another resource to support San Diego’s dynamic business community.”

The center will provide no-cost services and opportunities for both start-ups and established technology-oriented companies in San Diego County. Services will include general business consulting, technology consulting, training programs, networking and support resources, mentoring programs, funding and financing consultation, and community events.

“We are about to start a very promising and very ambitious plan,” said Jaime Alonso Gomez, dean of USD’s School of Business, about the new center. “It is the explicit commitment of the University of San Diego to work together, learn together and build futures together with the San Diego community. It can materialize new wealth creation, new employment creation, new technology being launched into the market and new capital infusion.”

Tom Cleary Awarded First Ever 79th State Assembly District Salute to Men Leaders Award

Tom Cleary, Senior Director of Community and Government Relations at USD, was recently recognized as the first recipient of the 79th State Assembly District “Salute to Men” Leaders Award in the field of Community Activism for his tireless commitment to the community of Linda Vista.  This award was created to honor those men who “make a difference every day in the lives of the people in their community,” said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber. She added that Tom was a clear choice for this honor as she presented it to him at the November 6, 2017 San Diego City Council Meeting. 

Tom has been a presence in Linda Vista for over a decade and served as a mentor to many local politicians. Councilmember Lori Zapf spoke first commenting, “We are so grateful to have people like Tom who stand up for the community” followed by Councilmember Scott Sherman who added, “When you want to get the pulse of the community, Tom is the person you want.”  The Linda Vista community at large was well represented at the recognition and included several community members, civic leaders and USD staff who were all in support of Tom and his commitment to Linda Vista over the years. 

While the award was announced on August 11, 2017, Tom was unable to accept it until the November presentation due to health issues.  We wish him all the best as he undergoes further treatment.  In the interim, Malia Pfister will be taking the lead on community relations for USD. You can reach her at mpfister@sandiego.edu or at (619) 260-4297.  For issues related to government affairs, please contact Pam Gray Payton at pgray@sandiego.edu

USD Offers Many Services On-Campus for the Linda Vista Community.

Did you know USD has a host of services that are available to the public? Through Auxiliary Services, USD is able to offer a full service mail and copy center for all your copy, print and mailing needs, Zip Cars for hourly or daily rental, as well as a full service US Bank branch and multiple ATMs.

Hungry? The options are endless and all are open to the public. Pavilion Dining is the food court/dining hall experience, Aromas coffeehouse and La Paloma cafe are perfect for meeting up with friends and La Gran Terraza is a full service California bistro and lounge with exceptional views of the canyon and bay. These are just a few highlights so be sure to browse the other options for campus dining.

Planning a meeting, conference or retreat? USD Conference Services provide everything you need for a memorable event - catering, unique venues, accommodations, AV services, design and decor, modern meeting rooms and beautiful event spaces.

The official USD campus store goes beyond books! Stop by this state of the art store for computers and tech accessories, unique gifts-  including an array of religious merchandise, office supplies, greeting cards, and of course the latest Toreros and USD apparel and merchandise. Shop online anytime.

Be sure to visit the Auxiliary Services website for additional services and to verify operating hours.

Meet Jocelyne Olguin, USD-Bayside AmeriCorps VISTA Member

USD has a tradition of engaging with the community of Linda Vista. One of the oldest partnerships is with Bayside Community Center and this year marks a new chapter in our collaboration. USD, together with Bayside, was selected to host an AmeriCorps VISTA member who would focus on capacity building for some of Bayside’s flagship programs (e.g. Youth Leadership Academy), support the efforts of the Linda Vista Collaborative and serve as a liaison between USD and Bayside. We are pleased to announce that Jocelyne Olguin, BBA, USD’17, is the new USD-Bayside AmeriCorps VISTA member.

Her work will embody the collaboration between the Linda Vista community and USD. According to Dr. Corey Pahanish, Executive Director of Bayside, maintaining the partnership takes a lot of effort and a variety of strategies, one of which is the AmeriCorps VISTA position.  “Having Jocelyne represent both USD and the community is HUGE!” commented Pahanish.  Building the capacity of the USD-Bayside partnership will be no easy task.  Bayside serves as a corridor for USD faculty, staff and students. To get an idea, last year Bayside had 1,500 USD students come through their doors according to Pahanish. Let’s get to know more about the woman up for the task….

Why did you choose this particular AmeriCorps VISTA position after graduation?
When I was a business student at USD, I knew I wanted to do more than earn money. I looked to the Mulvaney Center at USD and got involved with Border Immersion trips. The last stop on these trips is Linda Vista and that is how I got to know some of the community members.  I wanted to work at Bayside because they do so much! Linda Vista is so diverse and I felt like it was a family here.

Can you tell me more about the people you met through Bayside?
(Big smile). Tomasa, Irma and Maria are part of the Bayside Women’s Saving Group and they would invite USD students that went on the trips to their homes for meetings. This created a deeper relationship with the community because not everyone invites you to their home! I think it also helped to burst the bubble of USD as the castle on the hill and helped me (and other USD students) get to know more about Linda Vista.

How do you see your position as an AmeriCorps VISTA member bridging the gap between Linda Vista and USD?
Part of my job will be to liaison between USD and Bayside. I will work on developing opportunities to bring Linda Vista residents (through Bayside) to campus to get to know it better and access on-campus resources AND bring USD undergrads to Bayside to collaborate and get to know Linda Vista better.  I am happy that I can use what I learned at USD and apply it to the real world by engaging with the Linda Vista community. 

USD Board Chairman Don Knauss, Wife Ellie Knauss Make $20 Million Gift Toward New School of Business Complex

President Harris announced a leadership gift to the university from USD Board Chair Donald (Don) R. Knauss and his wife, Ellie Knauss, to launch the building of a new state of the art facility that will house all of the School's academic programs, centers and institutes into one location. “It’s a blessing to be able to do this,” Don Knauss said. “Ellie and I think of this more of an investment than a gift. It’s an investment in the young men and women who will attend this university and the School of Business in the years and decades to come.”

At the November 30, 2017 ceremony, President Harris noted that the 20 million dollar gift is the largest donation ever received by USD’s School of Business. The new building will be named for Don and Ellie Knauss and will be located adjacent to Olin Hall, the current home of the School of Business.

Click here for more information. 

Christmas Tree Lighting

Last Tuesday evening, with the famous San Diego sunset in the background, President Harris lit the USD Christmas tree in front of students, staff, faculty and the Linda Vista community.  During the lighting ceremony, dubbed “Light out of Darkness,” we were challenged to bring light to our world as we begin the holiday season. 

Associated Students President and senior Will Tate stated, "Tonight, it’s about coming together in community to celebrate the holiday season, but tonight is about much more than that—it is also about coming together and bringing light to our campus and to our world. When I think about the theme of tonight's event, ‘Light Out of Darkness,’ I think about the people who've dedicated their lives to justice, peace and mercy.

The evening was filled with carolers, hot chocolate, winter-themed crafts and liquid nitrogen ice cream.  For those of you who were not able to make the event, we welcome you to campus to see the tree and the two over-sized Adirondack chairs that were given as a gift and have become an instant photo op!

USD Master Plan Update Approved by Planning Commission and City Council

A big 'thank you' to the Linda Vista community from USD for your on-going support and public participation in the USD Master Plan Update and Conditional Use Permit process.  We are pleased to announce that on June 1, 2017, not only did we receive unanimous approval from the SD City Planning Commission, but the commissioners gave us high marks for submitting a thorough and multi-faceted plan. Moving forward, the Master Plan Update and Conditional Use Permit went before the full San Diego City Council and were approved on September 11, 2017—enabling USD to meet its campus needs through the next two decades. 

The success of this process could not have happened without the support of our friends and neighbors in Linda Vista.  We value our partnership with Linda Vista and this Master Plan will allow us to continue to be, according to the Princeton Review,  “the nation’s Most Beautiful Campus” .

As a reminder, feel free to check the Facilities Management webpage for additional announcements that may impact the community.

USD Celebrates Completion of Paseo De Colachis 

University of San Diego recently celebrated the completion of Paseo de Colachis, a beautiful new pedestrian plaza that spans the center of the west end of campus from the Immaculata to Copley Library.   

Replacing an existing two-way street, “the plaza has already become an inviting and popular location for the USD community to study, socialize and play,” said USD President James Harris. “We are grateful for the generous gift from Kathryn S. Colachis that made this wonderful project possible.”

The plaza adds to the walkability of the campus and is part of the Master Plan promoting institution-wide sustainability initiatives and principles with respect to land use decisions, development density, transportation management, and building and landscape design practices. As a result of these and other efforts, USD earned a spot on The Princeton Review's prestigious Green Honor Roll.  

Construction began in January and was completed just in time for the start of the fall semester in September, 2017. If you haven’t visited campus recently, we encourage you to walk the Plaza and see what is happening!                                               

 Read more here.       

To be removed from or added to this email list, please contact neighbors@sandiego.edu

Stronger Together: Women Waging Peace 
Join US Ambassador Swanee Hunt in a dialogue on the most pressing issues related to women's rights. 
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Kroc Peace and Justice Theatre

Student Recital I
Thursday, December 7, 2017
12:15-1:30 p.m.
Camino Hall, Shiley Theater

Student Recital II
Thursday, December 7, 2017
7:30-9:00 p.m.
Camino Hall, Shiley Theater

Engineering and Computing Expo
The Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering invites you to come see what senior USD students are designing and creating in their engineering and computer science classes.  Called capstone projects, they are all team-based with some sponsored by industry partners.  Light refreshments provided. Metered parking provided. 
Friday, December 8, 2017
2:30 – 5:00 pm  
First Floor, Loma Hall

Champagne Tasting
Friday, December 8, 2017 
4:00 -7:00 p.m. $17.50
La Gran Terraza

Holiday Tea with Live Harpist
Saturday, December 9, 2017
11:30 a.m. $31.95
La Gran Terraza

Lessons and Carols 
The Harpst Center for Catholic Thought and Culture invites you to celebrate a Christmas tradition that dates back over 100 years involving readings interspersed with music and carols.
Saturday, December 9, 2017
7:30 p.m.
Founders Chapel

Sunday, December 10, 2017 
2:00 p.m.
Founders Chapel

Gamelan and Mariachi Ensamble
This concert features the music of Bali, Indonesia and repertories from the US and Mexico. 
$10 general admission
$8 seniors
Monday, December 11, 2017
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Camino Hall, Shiley Theatre

Dangerous Ideas: The Alt-Right and Challenges of Race
A panel discussion on the emergence of the Alt-Right and its relation to other varieties of conservatism, and the challenges of race in American politics.
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m
Humanities Center, Serra Hall, Room 200

Jazz Ensemble Concert
The music will be a mix of old and new jazz standards whose swing, bossa and funk grooves will make you move.
Wednesday, December 13
7:30 p.m. $10.00 
Camino Hall Shiley Theatre

Prime Rib Dinner with Carolers
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
5:00 - 9:00 p.m. $28.95
La Gran Terraza

Christmas Brunch with Santa
Sunday, December 17, 2017
10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. $44.95 (adults), $17.95 (kids 12-6, 5 and under free with paid adult) Reservations recommended
La Gran Terraza

Prime Rib Dinner with Carolers
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
5:00 - 9:00 p.m. $28.95
La Gran Terraza

Building Trust Partnership
Launch of the handbook and website on building trust between communities and police. Evening will include a panel discussion, Q &A and reception.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Kroc Peace and Justice Theatre

USD University of the Third Age
Participate in USD's life-long learning program for those 55+. In its 40th year, USD U3A is open to the public and meets twice per year on campus.  Each session is 3-weeks and includes lectures on variety of topics: medicine, health, technology, music, art, business, military and government to name a few. The speakers are executives, academics, researchers, military and government officials. The fee is $175 (after December 11th, 2017) or $157.10 (before December 11th). Fee includes: all lectures, optional pre-lecture workshop, farewell luncheon
Monday-Thursday, January 8-25, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Athletics
Come and cheer on your Toreros! Men's and Women's Basketball season is in full swing.  Ticket prices vary and can be purchased on-line, by phone or in person at the ticket office.  Refer to the schedule for all upcoming games.

Go Toreros!