Chancellor Block shares resources for those affected by wildfires.
All of us are deeply concerned about the wildfires burning from Orange County to Santa Barbara. We extend our support and sympathy to any members of the UCLA family who are directly affected. We are anxious about their welfare and want to help in any way we can. Our thoughts also are with those on our sister UC campuses that have been impacted, including UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside and UC Irvine.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommends that we all take precautions when outdoors in areas where there may be visible smoke, soot, ash or an odor of smoke, but this is particularly important for those with sensitive conditions, such as asthma or other respiratory diseases. Everyone is urged to be cautious and to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
Students directly impacted by the fires and concerned about class scheduling issues or campus support services should contact the Dean of Students Office at 1206 Murphy Hall, (310) 825-3871 or at dean@saonet.ucla.edu. Counseling and Psychological Services staff is available by phone 24 hours a day at (310) 825-0768.
Students who were directly affected or whose families were impacted by the fires are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office, A-129J Murphy Hall, (310) 206-0400 or finaid@saonet.ucla.edu, to discuss their options. The Student Loan Services Office, A227 Murphy Hall, (310) 825-9864, may also be able to assist currently enrolled students via the Short-Term Loan Program. Go to loans.ucla.edu/Short-Term-Loan for program details.
Professionals at the Staff and Faculty Counseling Center (310-794-0245) are available to help employees deal with the impact of the fires. Those who participate in UC’s 403(b) plan may borrow their own funds for emergency needs or, if ineligible for a loan, may be able to take a hardship withdrawal. Call Fidelity Retirement Services at (866) 682-7787 for additional information about loans and hardship withdrawals.
In addition, administrative leave with pay is available during natural disasters or other emergencies. And departments may allow employees who are unable to work as a result of the fires to use their accrued vacation, compensatory time off or leave without pay. Please ask your supervisor for more details.
I encourage you to lend personal assistance in this crisis by contacting the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/.
As updated information is available, it will be posted at Headlines at www.ucla.edu.
Gene D. Block
Chancellor