California State University, Sacramento
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Non-discrimination Statement:

The California State University, which includes Sacramento State, does not discriminate on the basis of gender, which includes sex and gender identity or 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). The protection against discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender based dating and domestic violence and stalking. Sacramento State is committed to creating and sustaining an educational and working environment free of sexual misconduct, dating and domestic violence, and stalking. If you experience any of these forms of misconduct, you are strongly encouraged to utilize the various on- and off-campus resources. Your safety and well-being is a top priority for the university.

Link: https://www.csus.edu/title-ix/_internal/_documents/notice-of-non-discrimination-based-on-gender.pdf

Sacramento State also publicly posts the following non-discrimination statement on all recruitment materials and our online recruiting portal:

California State University, Sacramento is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability. Sacramento State hires only those individuals who are lawfully authorized to accept employment in the United States.

It is the policy of California State University, Sacramento to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. If you need a disability related reasonable accommodation as part of the application and/or interviewing process, visit https://www.csus.edu/administration-business-affairs/internal/your-hr/benefits/disability-parental-leave.html#reasonable-accommodations-interactive-process .

The University is committed to creating an education and working environment free from discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. For more information on mandatory training for new employees, visit https://www.csus.edu/compliance/hr-compliance/mandatory-dhr-training.html .

Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act and Campus Fire Safety Right-To-know Act Notification:
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the current Annual Security Report (ASR) is available for viewing at https://www.csus.edu/clery . The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery Act crimes for Sacramento State for the last three (3) calendar years. Paper copies are available upon request at the Police Service Center located in the University Union.

In addition, the Office of Equal Opportunity posts all of the governing policies related to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

Link: https://www.csus.edu/diversity-inclusion/division-inclusive-excellence/office-equal-opportunity/

Sacramento State has chosen to highlight its values and commitment to our entire community, including underrepresented groups, through its Inclusive Excellence statement: Sacramento State defines Inclusive Excellence as the ongoing and active process of ensuring our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion are integrated into the core functions and operations of our university in order to realize educational equity and the full benefits of having a diverse and inclusive campus. As such, Inclusive Excellence is embedded in our institutional mission and commitments to academic excellence and student success. Sacramento State created the Division of Inclusive Excellence to help lead the campus-wide commitment to transformational change.

Link: https://www.csus.edu/diversity-inclusion/division-inclusive-excellence/

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/

Sacramento State staff from The Office of Equal Opportunity support those who have experienced or witnessed discrimination by immediately addressing these issues through formal/informal processes, implementing sanctions (when applicable and allowed), and offering on/off campus support resources.

An example of the response process for an individual who reports discrimination is as follows:

1. Immediate discussion with the reporting party. This discussion includes outlining the party’s rights and options, possible University actions and outcomes, and on/off-campus resource information such as counseling services available.
2. The process also involves other entities on campus that can contribute to the solution.
3. Solutions range from preventative education (e.g., additional training) to formal discipline up to and including termination.

The Office for Equal Opportunity, among other duties, investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation (DHR) brought by faculty, students, staff; responds to complaints filed through outside agencies; participates as a member or ex officio on various campus equity committees; provides DHR training to managers, supervisors, and staff; consults with various departments on equity issues; prepares an annual affirmative action plan; reviews process summaries and recruitment waivers; administers the on-line sexual harassment prevention training program; and determines and processes reasonable accommodation requests from employees with disabilities. The Director for Equal Opportunity serves as both the Title IX Coordinator and the DHR Administrator for Sacramento State.

As part of creating a more holistic response to bias incidents, including incidents not currently covered by law or policy, Sacramento State is in the process of creating an online reporting system for complaints of bias as well as an internal bias incident response team. The team includes individuals who represent already established compliance functions, e.g. Office for Equal Opportunity, Student Conduct, etc., and representatives from other areas of campus, e.g. Student Health and Counseling, identity and cultural centers, etc., to ensure that all complaints of bias are appropriately responded to both in terms of compliance and with respect to the harm caused. The team is in the process of working through protocols and is responsible for providing guidance and assistance in implementing a holistic response by the university and ensuring appropriate responses to specific instances as well as proactive efforts to prevent future incidents.

Students:

The Office of Admissions and Outreach works with Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT), a local non-profit organization with the mission of increasing the number of young men of color who attend and graduate from college or university in the Sacramento Area. Two primary initiatives have been the focus of this year’s engagement:

The 1300 campaign—the 1300 Campaign is a targeted effort to increase the number of young men of color who graduate from one of 13 local high schools and attend Sac State. Through this initiative we are engaged with various community partners to develop strategies for college advocacy, college preparation and policy revisions to break down barriers to enrollment in college for this population of students.
College For All—As a sub initiative of the college for all program, the Office of Admissions and Outreach partnered with IYT to develop a guaranteed admission pathway for first-year students who applied for admission but were not initially eligible for admission. Instead of receiving a traditional rejection letter, students in IYT’s target population received a letter letting them know that, while they are not eligible for admission right now, they are encouraged to participate in the College For All program. Participation in that program will provide clear guidance on transferring to Sacramento State after attending a local community college. IYT will provide mentors to work with students as they complete their community college work and prepare for transfer and the Admissions Office will continue to connect with the students as they progress through the program.

As part of these initiatives, the Office of Admissions is in the process of hiring a Program Liaison who will work directly with IYT and other community partners to coordinate these efforts.

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.

As the largest producer of teachers in California, the CSU is being called upon to expand its teacher preparation programs to meet the staffing needs of California's K-12 school districts.

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.

Staff/Faculty:

There are various efforts to ensure diverse application pools and diverse staff. In addition, there is an annual Affirmative Action Plan that assists the campus in evaluating representation amongst staff classifications.

Additionally, increasing diversity in higher education faculty here at Sac State is supported in the following policies:

- University ARTP Policy: Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Representatives (Section 6.06D): 6.06D.2.d: “The AA/EOR shall review the University’s and the department or equivalent unit’s existing policies and shall advise the search committee on issues of affirmative action and equal employment opportunity, based on training and advice from the Office of Human Resources and the University Counsel.”

- CSU Non-Discrimination Policy Executive Order 1096: "The CSU is committed to maintaining an inclusive community that values diversity and fosters tolerance and mutual respect. It is CSU policy to provide equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, and military and veteran status. Insofar as Employees are concerned, this policy extends to all employment practices, including recruitment, selection, hiring, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, transfer, separation, and other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment."

- The AA/EOR & Full-Time Faculty Recruitment Workshop supports and promotes future faculty diversity and raises a greater awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues in the hiring process by providing a framework to:
- ensure open, respectful dialogue
- discover your own unconscious biases
- challenge and transform those biases

Sacramento State offers a wide variety of support for individuals from underrepresented groups. The Division of Inclusive Excellence supports the entire campus community in Sacramento State's efforts to ensure an inclusive and welcoming campus. In particular, Inclusive Excellence has launched a number of programs to support the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and staff in conjunction with other entities on campus, including offering training to disrupt bias in the hiring process, professional development programs to support underrepresented faculty and staff, and various community building efforts. Notably, Sacramento State recently formalized its ongoing support for employee affinity groups that have been developed by our community. In addition, IE has recently brought on a Director of Faculty Diversity and Inclusion, a role focused on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty and support for more inclusive practices in our curriculum and pedagogy.
In addition, the Division of Student Affairs has numerous programs as well as cultural/identity centers that support underrepresented students, including Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), MLK Center, Dreamers Resource Center, PRIDE Center, among many others. The EOP in particular has the primary goal of helping students achieve their college goals by providing services needed to be successful in college. The following services are offered through EOP:
- Admissions assistance
- A special orientation to the university
- Academic advising, personal counseling, and tutoring
- Financial aid advising and information
- An EOP grant award for eligible EOP students
- Course placement and planning
- Learning and study strategies
- Participation in a required EOP Learning Community
- Referrals to other university special programs and services
- Enrollment in a second-semester transition program to aid with adjustment to university life

The Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement is a federal program that prepares first generation, low income and underrepresented juniors and seniors for graduate education through workshops, seminars, lectures and research. The CSUS McNair Scholars Program is a two-year program designed to prepare selected students for admission and study at the master’s and doctoral levels. Each year, 26 McNair scholars participate in both academic year and summer activities. During the student’s first year students attend a series of workshops designed to enhance the research experience; attend a three-unit research and methodology techniques course; meet with the McNair Faculty Coordinator and the McNair Coordinator to assess personal needs and monitor academic progress; and meet with faculty mentors to prepare for the Summer research project. The summer component includes supervised research activities with a faculty mentor and travel to research conferences and doctoral granting institutions. McNair scholars will receive a $2,800 stipend for their participation in the summer research project. In the second year, the academic component includes attending a Seminar course through which the scholar will receive assistance with selecting, applying to and financing graduate studies; taking the GRE and other graduate admission exams; career opportunities; and developing the elements necessary for submitting a successful graduate application, i.e. the statement of purpose. In addition, the scholars will be encouraged to participate in statewide and national conferences to present their research findings.
https://www.csus.edu/academic-affairs/mcnair-scholars-program/
https://www.csus.edu/academic-affairs/mcnair-scholars-program/about.html