California Polytechnic State University
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

CSU Non-discrimination Policy and Procedure for Addressing
Protected Status: Age, Disability (physical or mental), Gender (or sex), Gender Identity (including nonbinary and transgender), Gender Expression, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Nationality, Race or Ethnicity (including color, caste, or ancestry), Religion or Religious Creed, Sexual Orientation, and Veteran or Military Status.
The California State University is committed to maintaining an inclusive community that values diversity and fosters tolerance and mutual respect. The CSU embraces our community differences in Age, Disability (physical and mental), Gender (or sex), Gender Identity (including nonbinary and transgender), Gender Expression, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Nationality, Race or Ethnicity (including color, caste, or ancestry), Religion (or religious creed), Sexual Orientation, Veteran or Military Status. All Students and Employees have the right to participate fully in CSU programs, activities (including admission and access), and employment free from Discrimination and/or Harassment based on any Protected Status (see above), Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking and Retaliation pursuant to the Interim CSU Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation. Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Retaliation Revised December 24, 2021 (https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/10926024/latest/) (hereinafter “Interim CSU Policy”) and any successor policy. State and federal laws, including the California Equity in Higher Education Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 which amends the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security and Campus Crimes Statistics Act, commonly known as the Clery Act) (VAWA) under its Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act provision (Campus SaVE Act), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, among other applicable state and federal laws, prohibit such discrimination. Interim CSU Policy (and any successor policy) is the systemwide policy and procedure for addressing allegations of discrimination, harassment & retaliation made by students, employees, and third parties against the CSU, a CSU employee, other CSU students or a third-party.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy and procedure for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo:
Maren Hufton
Assistant Vice President for the Civil Rights & Compliance Office & Title IX Coordinator
Civil Rights & Compliance Office
Building 33 (Fisher Science), Room 290
1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
E-mail: mhufton@calpoly.edu or crco@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6770

If you are in the midst of an emergency, please call the police immediately by dialing 9-1-1.
Cal Poly University Police Department (when you are on-campus)
Emergency: 911
Non-emergency: 805-756-2281
Location: Building 36
https://www.afd.calpoly.edu/police/

Local Police (when you are off-campus)
San Luis Obispo Police
Emergency: 911
Non-Emergency: 805-781-7317
Location: 1042 Walnut Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(at the intersection of Santa Rosa)

CONFIDENTIAL RESOURCES
Cal Poly Counseling Center
805.756.2511
https://chw.calpoly.edu/counseling

Cal Poly Health Services
805.756.1211
Hearing or Speech Impaired: Call 711 (Telecommunications Relay Service)
https://chw.calpoly.edu

Cal Poly Safer
805.756.2282
https://safer.calpoly.edu/

Lumina Alliance (Formerly RISE & STAND STRONG)
805.545.8888 (24/7 Crisis & Information Hotline)
Contact@LuminaAlliance.org
https://luminaalliance.org/

Safety of the Campus Community
Alleged victims and witnesses should not be deterred from reporting any incidents of Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, or Stalking out of a concern that they might be disciplined for related violations of drug, alcohol, or other University policies. The University's primary concern is the safety of the Campus community; therefore, a person who participates as a Complainant or witness in investigations or proceedings involving Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, or Stalking shall not be subject to discipline for related violations of the Student Conduct Code at or near the time of the incident unless the University determines the violation was egregious, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, academic dishonesty, or conduct that places the health and safety of another person at risk.

Protection from Retaliation
It is critical that individuals not be deterred from reporting potential policy violations. Interim CSU Policy prohibits retaliation against individuals for exercising rights under the non-discrimination policy, opposing discrimination, or participating in any related investigation or proceeding.

Information Regarding Discipline
Employees and Students who are found to have violated University non-discrimination policy shall be subject to discipline commensurate to the violation. If employee discipline is warranted, it shall be administered in a manner consistent with applicable collective bargaining agreements, CSU policies, and legal requirements. Student discipline shall be administered in accordance with 5 Cal. Code Regs. § 41301 CSU Student Conduct Procedures, Executive Order 1098 Revised August 14, 2020 and any successor policy (https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/8453518/latest/) (hereinafter “Executive Order 1098”).

Further Questions
Individuals with inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, or seeking to file a complaint, may contact:

Civil Rights & Compliance Office
Fisher Science (Bldg. 33), Room 290
1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
E-mail: crco@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6770
https://crco.calpoly.edu/

Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender or Sex
The California State University does not discriminate on the basis of gender, which includes sex and gender identity or gender expression, or sexual orientation in its education programs or activities. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation in employment, as well as in all education programs and activities operated by the University (both on and off campus), including admissions. The protection against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation, dating and domestic violence and stalking.

Any person may report sex discrimination, including sexual harassment (whether or not the person reporting is the alleged to have experienced the conduct that could constitute sex discrimination or sexual harassment), in-person, by mail, by telephone, or by electronic mail, using the contact information listed below for the Title IX Coordinator, or by any other means that results in the Title IX Coordinator receiving the person's verbal or written report. Such a report may be made at any time (including during non-business hours) by using the telephone number or electronic mail address, or by mail to the office address listed for the Title IX Coordinator.

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policy and procedure, including Title IX complaints, for Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo:
Maren Hufton
Assistant Vice President for the Civil Rights & Compliance Office & Title IX Coordinator
Civil Rights & Compliance Office
Building 33 (Fisher Science), Room 290
1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
E-mail: mhufton@calpoly.edu or crco@calpoly.edu
Phone: (805) 756-6770

Questions may also be addressed to:
Office of Civil Rights
San Francisco Office
U.S. Department of Education
50 United Nations Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (415) 486-5555
Facsimile: (415) 486-5570
E-Mail: OCR.SanFrancisco@ed.gov

https://catalog.calpoly.edu/universitypolicies/#nondiscriminationpolicy

The California State University (CSU) Systemwide Guidelines for Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Programs in Employment (Executive Orders (EO) 1088 and 1096), affirms California State University's commitment to non-discrimination on the basis of disability and to providing reasonable accommodations upon request by qualified individuals with disabilities.

The CSU is committed to maintaining and implementing employment policies and procedures that comply with applicable state and federal nondiscrimination and affirmative action laws and regulations. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, age, disability, medical condition, and covered veteran status is prohibited.

Additionally, EOs 1088 and 1096 prohibits retaliation for filing a discrimination complaint, opposing a discriminatory act, or participating in a discrimination investigation or proceeding.

For more information on Executive Order 1088, please visit: https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/6591895/latest/
For more information on Executive Order 1096, please visit: https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/6743499/latest/

The Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) works to support and provide resources to those who report and/or witness acts of bias in our campus community. In accordance with California State University Executive Orders 1096 and 1097, the team will refer alleged incidents to the appropriate campus administrators for review and follow-up, in addition to offering available resource services and support.

What does the Bias Incident Response Team Do?
When an incident is reported to the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), some of the following actions may be taken by the BIRT (response times and steps will vary depending on the circumstances of the alleged incident):

Dean of Students and Chief Diversity Officer/Office of University Diversity and Inclusion will review the reported incident as promptly as possible, and will report the incident to the campus DHR Administrator/Title IX Coordinator in accordance with applicable executive orders
As appropriate, the Dean of Students and Chief Diversity Officer/Office of University Diversity and Inclusion will consult regularly with campus DHR Administrator/Title IX Coordinator, who will take appropriate action in accordance with applicable executive orders
Dean of Students will convene the BIRT
BIRT will review the incident and informally gather information surrounding the concerns of the campus community and the affected individual(s)
BIRT will refer reports to appropriate offices and campus administrators for further review, inquiry and response
BIRT will convene community leaders, if appropriate
BIRT will recommend action steps to campus leadership, including recommendations regarding release of responses/statements, when appropriate
BIRT will work with campus services, to provide outreach and support to students who are impacted by the incident
BIRT will make referrals to appropriate support services
BIRT will communicate outcomes to campus leadership
BIRT will communicate with person(s) who initially reported the incident

https://birt.calpoly.edu/

Students:
The CSU’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) provides admission, academic and financial support services to historically underserved students throughout California. The primary goal of the EOP is to improve access of low-income, first generation and historically disadvantaged students with potential for academic success by making higher education a possibility.

EOP provides a comprehensive program of support services which include, but are not limited to, recruitment, pre-admission counseling, orientation, summer program, diagnostic testing, financial aid follow-up, special admissions, pre introductory instruction, academic advisement, tutoring, learning skill services, and personal, educational and career counseling.

Teacher shortages in the state are projected to last for the next decade, and the Chancellor's Office of the CSU and campuses have initiated efforts to meet this demand. A number of campuses are involved in EduCorps, a comprehensive teacher recruitment effort to identify and encourage promising undergraduate students to consider a career in teaching.
The effort has a special emphasis on attracting and preparing more male and female teachers of color with the goal of providing students with role models from their own backgrounds.
EduCorps represents a community of individuals interested in shaping the future through teaching. Its two key purposes are:
-To significantly increase the number and diversity of students entering CSU's teacher preparation programs, especially in high-need areas such as mathematics, science, special education, and bilingual education; and
-To provide ongoing, high-quality support to members on their path to earning their teaching credential.

For staff and faculty recruitment, Human Resources recruitment program entails the following:
Plan:
Position Description: Hiring Managers are encouraged to use inclusive language in the position description and to emphasize the position’s role in DEI
Interview Questions: Questions are designed and vetted for focus on competencies that align with the role to avoid “fit” oriented questions

Launch Meeting: All hiring committees must attend a launch meeting where the recruiter covers important aspects of the recruitment related to fairness and DEI, specifically unconscious biases, scoring methods, and behavioral interview questions

Attract: We conduct outreach to underrepresented groups through targeted job ads and outreach. For instance, we recently attended a veteran’s job fair in SLO.
All the recruiters are Certified Diversity Recruiters. This is a certification program that teaches recruiters how to conduct proactive sourcing (outreach) for underrepresented individuals.

Select: Unconscious bias review is conducted prior to the first recruitment

Hire: Objective data, such as education and years of experience, are utilized to set salary ranges to avoid biased offer ranges

Onboard: Setting up an inclusive and welcoming experience for the new hire is emphasized, and tools and guides are provided to support onboarding

PROVIDING MENTORING PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS FROM UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.
Numerous mentoring programs across campus support students’ academic, personal and professional growth. The programs empower students to complete their Cal Poly education, connect them with resources and build community.
- About 100 faculty and students are paired in mentoring relationships through the BEACoN Mentor Program, which connects underrepresented students to faculty mentors to help students reach their full academic and personal potential. Mentors work collaboratively with all members of the campus community to increase success and retention of underrepresented or underperforming students. A research mentoring opportunity was added in the 2018-19 academic year with 21 research matches.
- In addition to BEACoN Mentors, eight other mentoring programs have grown to serve hundreds of students, including programs tailored for undocumented and first-generation students.

CREATING PROGRAMS, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO FOSTER INCLUSION AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
Numerous programs, organizations and clubs are available at Cal Poly for campus members to form community and to support academic, personal and professional growth. These spaces aim to foster inclusion and a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community, particularly students.
-The Black Academic Excellence Center (BAEC) has grown from providing purely academic resources to serving as a social hub for the black community as well as connection to identity and culture on campus.
-Kennedy Library created a dedicated space for meditation, prayer and relief from sensory overload to serve the campus community.
-The MultiCultural Center will open an expanded space in the University Union in winter 2019 to better support students.
-The Veterans Success Center celebrated its fourth year on campus serving veterans and veteran-dependent students.
-Cal Poly re-established the Interfaith Campus Council to better serve students.

FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATIONS
Faculty Staff Associations (FSAs) are social and community-building groups for Cal Poly faculty, staff, and graduate students in some cases. The FSAs host a variety of events, programs, and initiatives including socials, social justice efforts, mentorship with students, educational opportunities, and more.

-American Indian and Indigenous Faculty and Staff Association
-Asian and Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association
-Black Faculty and Staff Association
-Chicanx Latinx Faculty and Staff Association
-Disability Faculty Staff Association
-Pride Faculty and Staff Association
-Women’s Faculty Staff Association

The California State University-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CSU-LSAMP) is a statewide program dedicated to broadening the participation of underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

The LSAMP program is designed to support undergraduate students who face or have faced social, educational, and/or economic barriers to careers in STEM fields*. The program also aims to significantly increase the persistence and quantity of underrepresented minority students who successfully complete a baccalaureate degree program in STEM fields.

https://lsamp.calpoly.edu/about-lsamp-0

Students:
The CSU’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) provides admission, academic and financial support services to historically underserved students throughout California. The primary goal of the EOP is to improve access of low-income, first generation and historically disadvantaged students with potential for academic success by making higher education a possibility.

EOP provides a comprehensive program of support services which include, but are not limited to, recruitment, pre-admission counseling, orientation, summer program, diagnostic testing, financial aid follow-up, special admissions, pre-introductory instruction, academic advisement, tutoring, learning skill services, and personal, educational and career counseling.

Additional CSU educational and professional programs offered to support students and employees in general that may be of benefit to students, academic staff and non-academic staff from underrepresented groups:
https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/community/stem-vista/Pages/about-stem-vista.aspx

Cal Poly staff and faculty recruitment:
Plan
- Position Description: Hiring Managers are encouraged to use inclusive language in the position description and to emphasize the position’s role in DEI
- Interview Questions: Questions are designed and vetted for focus on competencies that align with the role to avoid “fit” oriented questions
Launch Meeting: All hiring committees must attend a launch meeting where the recruiter covers important aspects of the recruitment related to fairness and DEI, specifically unconscious biases, scoring methods, and behavioral interview questions
Attract
- We conduct outreach to underrepresented groups through targeted job ads and outreach. For instance, we recently attended a veteran’s job fair in SLO.
- All the recruiters are Certified Diversity Recruiters. This is a certification program that teaches recruiters how to conduct proactive sourcing (outreach) for underrepresented individuals.
Select
- Unconscious bias review is conducted prior to the first recruitment
Hire
- Objective data, such as education and years of experience, are utilized to set salary ranges to avoid biased offer ranges
Onboard
- Setting up an inclusive and welcoming experience for the new hire is emphasized, and tools and guides are provided to support onboarding

The California State University’s (CSU) Pre-Doctoral Program has granted the Sally Casanova scholarship to over 2254 low-income and educationally disadvantaged students throughout the CSU, the majority of whom are first-generation college students. For the 2019-20 academic year, 74 new scholars will join this group representing 16 of the 23 CSU campuses.

The California Pre-Doctoral Program is designed to increase diversity within the pool of university faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of students in the CSU--with particular support for low-income and educationally disadvantaged students. Awardees of this scholarship represent juniors, seniors, and master’s level students who come from a variety of academic disciplines. Each of these scholars are mentored by a faculty member from their respective campus.

The scholarship provides the Sally Casanova Scholars with:
-An opportunity to travel with their mentor to various University of California (UC) and other doctoral-granting institutions for site visits;
-Attendance at national symposia, or professional meetings, exposing them to their field of interest; and
-Membership in professional organizations, subscriptions to academic journals, or
-Purchasing of supplies necessary to carry out their current research agenda.

In addition, these scholars are offered an opportunity to participate in a summer research experience at any doctoral-granting institution in the United States, with particular emphasis on the UCs. This eight-week program gives the scholars direct exposure to doctoral-granting faculty and research, preparing them for entry into doctoral programs.

For more information about the Sally Casanova Scholarship program, please visit: https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/faculty-staff/predoc/SallyCasanovaScholars/Documents/2019-20-Pre-Doc-Booklet.pdf

https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/diversity/Pages/default.aspx

Additional Information
https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/eop
https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/teacher-education/Pages/pathways-to-teaching-education-careers.aspx
https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/faculty-staff/cdip

Gender inclusive Housing: http://www.housing.calpoly.edu/gender-inclusive-housing

HR hiring information provided by Samson Blackwell