Mobilizing resources to provide immediate relief for affected faculty, staff, and students
In response to the devastation caused by the January 2025 LA wildfires, teams within University HR acted swiftly to support the Trojan community. Through collaborative efforts with University Advancement, Provost IT, and Campus Support & Intervention, University HR helped facilitate the launch of the Trojan Family Relief Fund, which raised nearly $4.3 million from alumni and community members. These funds provided critical assistance to more than 450 faculty, staff, and students, with over 1,000 applications reviewed and processed to ensure timely support.
To further ease the burden on those affected, the Major Disaster Leave Sharing Plan was reintroduced and several temporary benefits were implemented, including:
- A vacation cash-out program
- A special emergency bank of up to 40 additional paid time off hours
- Speedier access to retirement hardship withdrawals from 401(k) and 403(b) plans
Additionally, University HR used Workday employee address data to identify and compile a list of employees in wildfire-affected areas, enabling the university to proactively reach out to offer support. HR professionals across the university were in touch with their schools and units, and they invited faculty and staff to update information on their affected colleagues’ behalf to make sure no one was forgotten.
To further support the community, available resources were shared on the Employee Gateway and updated multiple times daily during the wildfires so that faculty, staff, and students had the latest at their fingertips.
These efforts reflect USC’s commitment to caring for its community in times of crisis and ensuring they have the resources needed to recover and rebuild.
To those who were affected directly or indirectly by the LA wildfires, we fight on with you!