Chancellor Frenk shared this message with the UCLA campus community.
Dear Bruin Community:
This remains an extremely challenging moment for our community, with so much loss and displacement across L.A. County. The ongoing wildfires have affected many Bruins directly, and all of us are processing the sheer scale of the destruction that surrounds us. Please know that UCLA is here to support you. We will get through this together.
I have several pieces of news to share with you today, and will send another update this Thursday. I am also sharing information daily through videos on UCLA’s social media accounts and my own accounts on Instagram and X, so please visit these to learn more.
UCLA Connects with Bruins – Town Halls
Campus leaders hosted a virtual town hall for faculty and staff yesterday — and more than 4,000 Bruins joined and asked thoughtful questions. A recording of that town hall is now available.
It is critical that we stay connected, and so we have three more town halls scheduled for this week, including two today. I hope you will register to join:
- Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. – Town Hall for Students
- Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 5:30 p.m. – Town Hall for Parents
- Thursday, Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. – All-Campus Town Hall
You can always view the latest campus announcements, FAQs and additional information on UCLA Newsroom’s L.A. fires: UCLA campus updates and resources page.
UCLA Connects with the L.A. Community
While it is essential that we connect with one another at such a difficult moment, it is also important that our university community connect with so many around us who are in need of support.
We have donated space at the UCLA Research Park to establish a Disaster Resource Center in partnership with FEMA and the City of Los Angeles. This center opens today, and it will serve as FEMA’s central hub for evacuated residents on the Westside, offering aid to those who have lost their homes, businesses or vital records. We have seen the vast challenges that members of our Bruin family and broader community have faced due to the fires, and are grateful to be supporting the relief effort and aiding our neighbors in this way.
Beyond this, many across our campus are stepping up to lend support in this time of need. As just a few examples, our UCLA Homeless Healthcare Collaborative is working with displaced fire victims, our UCLA Volunteer Center is making 500 emergency packages for community members in need, and our registrar’s office is offering free diploma replacement for alumni who may have lost their diplomas in the fires.
So many Bruins I have talked to are asking how they help. To aid us in addressing the needs of UCLA students and employees impacted by the fires, I want to encourage contributions to the Student Economic Crisis Fund and the UCLA Employee Relief Fund. Every gift makes a difference and your contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please visit Bruin Wildfire Relief to learn more. You can also find a list of local organizations coordinating relief efforts on UCLA Newsroom.
I hope you find this information helpful. Please send any questions you have regarding fire issues and UCLA’s preparedness to WildFireRelief@ucla.edu.
We are One UCLA — and we will overcome this immense challenge together.
Sincerely,
Julio Frenk
Chancellor