University of California, Santa Barbara
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Campus has a newly created Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Belinda Robnett, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, began her inaugural position on September 1, 2020, and oversees campus efforts to support DEI. In the 2020-2021 academic year, a Campus Climate Survey will be administered to faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. The Vice Chancellor is establishing a Campus Climate Advisory Board, along with a number of status advisory boards whose mission is to monitor the status of and to coordinate and provide support for historically underrepresented groups. Additionally, the office is poised to develop a Diversity Education Certificate Program for faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students that focuses on cultural competency. Trained and coordinated teams of faculty, staff, graduate student, and undergraduate student diversity advocates will work within the campus’ colleges and other units to provide templates and guidance to advance diversity, and in support of equitable inclusion.

The campus also has the Equal Opportunity & Discrimination Prevention (EODP) Office, which among other things, is responsible for creating and implementing the Campus Affirmative Action Plan, and in that role, oversees all academic recruitments, and monitors academic and staff waivers to open and competitive recruitments, and investigates complaints of discrimination and harassment filed against staff and faculty. The EODP Office also provides education and training for search committees regarding affirmative action, equal opportunity, and equity, and engage in interventions with regard to cultural climate issues.

The campus also has the Title IX and Sexual Harassment Policy Compliance Office (Title IX Office) which serves to ensure all UCSB community members fulfill the campus’ commitment to create and maintain a work and academic environment free of sex discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual violence. The Title IX Office also provides a variety of standard and customized training programs to help faculty, staff and students understand, prevent and respond to discrimination, harassment and equity in work and academic environments.

The campus also has the Campus Advocacy, Resources & Education (CARE) office. CARE’s mission is to provide professionally designed services for the prevention and intervention of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment. All services are free and confidential and are available to students, staff, and faculty of all identities. Through policy development and community collaborations we are committed to survivor empowerment and a public health approach for prevention.

The campus also has the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD) whcih facilitates the intersectional inclusion and representation of the identities, experiences, and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members. RCSGD staff and volunteers, in collaboration with campus partners, promote the celebration, development, scholarship, and success of the LGBTQIA+ community through advocacy, education, programming, and resource creation and referral. The RCSGD uses intersectional and social justice lenses to work toward trans justice, queer justice, racial justice, and other forms of justice by examining and combating oppressive systems, including white supremacy, heterosexism, misogyny, patriarchy, and xenophobia.

The campus also has the MultiCultural Center, which promotes cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of differences through a variety of programs. The Center’s performances, lectures, discussions, exhibits, and films are drawn from national and international cultures and foster a multi-ethnic worldview.

The campus also has the Educational Opportunity Program, which offers academic and other support services to low-income and first generation college students. EOP provides guidance through the admission and enrollment process and supports EOP students through graduation with services such as academic and personal advising, cultural programming, academic support groups, orientation and summer bridge programs, peer advising, and career counseling. Also see Summer Transitional Enrichment Program (STEP) above.

The campus also had the Disabled Students Program, which serves as the campus liaison regarding issues and regulations related to students with disabilities. DSP works in an advisory capacity with campus departments to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities. DSP coordinates academic support services for students with temporary and permanent disabilities, including note takers, readers, sign language interpreters and adaptive computing.

The campus also has the ONDAS Student Center (Opening New Doors to Accelerating Success), which promotes the success and retention of first-generation college students with an emphasis on the first year transition and underrepresented student experience. The Center provides mentoring and academic support in a learning-centered space for students to connect with faculty, staff, and peers in order to grow personally and excel academically.

The campus also has the Promise Scholar Program, which was established to recognize talented, incoming undergraduates who have demonstrated significant potential for a rigorous academic curriculum, cutting-edge research, and student leadership. The promise includes predictable financial resources over their years at UC Santa Barbara, providing students and their families a two-year or four-year plan. The promise of financial aid resources allows the Promise Scholars to thrive academically and promotes attainment and completion of their educational goals.

There are several committees on the UCSB campus whose mission is to promote diversity and equity and who occasionally work in conjunction with each other. Eight of the central committees include:
-The Chancellor's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women
-The Chancellor's Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion
-The Academic Senate Committee on Diversity and Equity
-Chancellor's Outreach Advisory Committee (COAB)
-The Senior Women's Council
-The Professional Women's Association (PWA)
-The Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (APIA)
-Latinx UCSB Network Association (LUNA)

-The Chancellor's Advisory Committee on the Status of Women is an administrative committee that has existed on campus since the mid 1970's. It draws its membership from faculty, staff, and students on campus, and standing members include the director of the Women's Center, our Title IX Coordinator and Sexual Harassment Officer, chair(s) from the Senior Women's Council, and chair(s) from the Professional Women's Association. The charge of CACSW is to advise and consult with the Chancellor about concerns and issues regarding the status of women at UC Santa Barbara. The committee engages in the review of drafts of campus and system-wide policies pertaining to campus women (e.g., parental leaves, sexual harassment, gender equity in sports). The CACSW, along with the Women's Center, organizes a panel discussion, "Demystifying the Tenure Process," for junior faculty women on a yearly basis. The CACSW conducts meetings and investigations on issues including leadership, governance, representation of women in faculty and key administrative positions, pay equity, career equity review, work/life, staff-student ratio, Title IX, safety, student parent registration, diversity training, and female graduate student representation, employment, and mentorship. Since 1997, CACSW has met annually with the Chancellor and his Vice-Chancellors to discuss a yearly report on the status of women.

-The Chancellor's Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion (http://chancellor.ucsb.edu/committees) former UC President Mark Yudof formed a system-wide Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/23577) to address challenges in enhancing and sustaining a tolerant, inclusive environment on all UC campuses. The Council's first meeting was held June 30, 2010. UCSB also has a Campus Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion. It is chaired by Chancellor Yang and composed of faculty, students, staff, administrative personnel, community representation, and ex-officio members, which includes academic deans. The purpose of the advisory council is to:
-Provide ongoing evaluation of campus climate conditions, practices, and policies.
-Suggest measures that will support the goals of inclusion and community, especially including measures reflecting promising practices from elsewhere in UC and the nation.
-Coordinate its analyses, recommendations, and other work with related work of any entities created by faculty, staff, students, or neighboring communities.
-Fulfill other campus-specific responsibilities identified by the Chancellor.
-Respond to queries and suggestions from the President's Advisory Council.

-The Academic Senate Committee on Diversity and Equity (https://senate.ucsb.edu/~councils.and.committees/?DE) (http://diversity.evc.ucsb.edu/resources/committees/) Purpose: To work towards attaining the campus goals of diversity and equity and to actively pursue the goals of affirmative action. Duties: The Committee promotes campus diversity and equity, ensuring the equal treatment of women, ethnic minorities, individuals of diverse sexual orientations, individuals with disabilities, and other members of the campus community. In meeting this charge, the committee may initiate studies on campus diversity and equity, using data collected from all campus sources; formulate and disseminate recommendations on any matter influencing campus diversity and equity; and address matters involving the hiring, employment, educational, and social circumstances of faculty, staff, and students.

-Chancellor's Outreach Advisory Committee (COAB) is the policy and governing body for all campus outreach programs. COAB provides overall guidance on policy, budget and evaluation issues regarding UC Santa Barbara's K-12, community college and graduate academic preparation and educational partnership programs. COAB also advises the chancellor and other staff on these matters, and monitors outreach programs via evaluation efforts. COAB is committed to strengthening campus academic preparation and educational partnership programs. The Board will provide consultation and direction to the campus in the development and oversight of campus initiatives supported by university outreach funds. In collaboration with the Academic Senate, the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and Student Affairs, COAB and the Office of Outreach Initiatives coordinates the Faculty Outreach Grant (FOG) Program.

-The Senior Women's Council was founded in 1993 to create a forum for defining and actively addressing issues that promote gender equity and diversity at UC Santa Barbara. All tenured women faculty and lecturers with SOE are automatically members. The steering committee, composed of 15-20 members, specifies several well-defined programmatic goals that the Council will accomplish each academic year. The direction of SWC's program is based on input from all tenured women.

-The Professional Women's Association (PWA) at UC Santa Barbara promotes a sense of community through networking and community service, and focuses on the advancement and accomplishments of UCSB Women. PWA provides opportunities to develop one's professional and personal self as well as network on campus, through activities that include brown bag lunch sessions, networking luncheons, a holiday party for IV children, and an annual professional development conference.

-The Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (APIA) is a collective of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) staff and faculty at the University of California Santa Barbara that aims to create a supportive, proactive, and knowledge sharing community in order to ensure a welcoming, safe, and inclusive campus for the AAPI identified individuals by promoting growth of staff and faculty while supporting students through collaborative efforts.

-Latinx UCSB Network Association (LUNA) primary mission is to provide activities and opportunities to assist with the retention, development, and promotion of Latinx communities at UCSB. In addition, LUNA promotes the ties with institutional, local, regional and national organizations with similar missions to learn from and contribute to diversify the university.

UCSB offers several formal and informal training and activities on cultural competence. The Supervisory Certificate Program includes modules on diversity, accessibility (for people with physical and mental disabilities), and sexual harassment.
All supervisors are also required to take regular online training in sexual harassment. Here is a description of the "Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors":
California law (AB1825) requires two hours of mandatory sexual harassment prevention education on a bi-annual basis for all supervisory employees. In addition to staff supervisors, most academic employees (including all faculty) have been identified as having supervisory authority for the purposes of this law, and as such, are required to receive the training. New supervisory employees must receive the training within six months of their assumption of a supervisory position. This training also includes information on other protected statuses including but not limited to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and age.

Through the Equal Opportunity & Discrimination Prevention (EODP) Office, the Campus also offers Search Committee Briefings which include education on Implicit Bias.
UCSB also offers many cultural and diversity oriented programs and support services, including lectures and workshops. They are not mandatory. Listing of diversity events: http://diversity.evc.ucsb.edu/events/