| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.43 |
| Liaison | Elida Erickson |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2022 |
University of California, Santa Cruz
PA-6: Assessing Diversity and Equity
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 1.00 |
Jessica
Zubia Program Manger Sustainability Office |
Has the institution engaged in a structured assessment process during the previous three years to improve diversity, equity and inclusion on campus?:
A brief description of the assessment process and the framework, scorecard(s) and/or tool(s) used:
2022 Edit:
Inclusive Sustainability Research Survey
In 2014, Environmental Studies senior Cheslea Pack wrote a thesis titled, “Privileged Perspectives or Diverse Discourse? Disparities in Student Perceptions of and Participation in the Environmental Movement at UCSC.” Through 443 undergraduate surveys and 27 interviews, Pack found that students of color and those of lower socio-economic backgrounds tended to participate less in campus sustainability movements yet were in fact concerned with environmental sustainability efforts. This was the first study that looked at the intersections between race, class, and perceptions of environmental sustainability on our campus.
The People of Color Sustainability Collective (PoCSC), comprised of Ethnic Resource Centers’ staff, PoCSC student interns, and Colleges Nine and Ten Provost Flora Lu, worked with the Institutional Research and Policy Studies (IRAPS) office to develop and distribute the survey to UCSC undergraduates.
In Winter 2016, PoCSC developed the Environmental Sustainability Survey to continue exploring campus perceptions and participation through a more extensive survey. Through this research, PoCSC aims to better understand campus sentiments to inform our future policies, programs, and resources in an effort to support a more inclusive campus climate.
The Environmental Sustainability Survey was divided into four components:
1) Student participation in environmental sustainability programs and resources
2) Perceptions of campus priorities
3) In-class learning experiences
4) Personal experiences and suggestions
In the Spring of 2019, the second iteration of the PoCSC survey was administered with 2,546 undergraduate participants. The noteworthy findings from the 2016 and 2019 PoCSC survey were turned into five infographics with the following themes: (1) Environmental Health Threats; (2) Race and Environmental Justice at UCSC; (3) Growing Environmental Concerns at UCSC; (4) “Environmental Belief Paradox”; and (5) Diversity and Sustainability Definitions. Each infographic highlighted crucial findings (see link in AASHE hub with infographic attachments).
In March 2022, the third round of the survey will open.
Does the assessment process address campus climate by engaging stakeholders to assess the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of employees and students, including the experiences of underrepresented groups?:
Does the assessment process address student outcomes related to diversity, equity and success?:
Does the assessment process address employee outcomes related to diversity and equity?:
A brief description of the most recent assessment findings and how the results are used in shaping policy, programs, and initiatives:
There were 2,546 students who responded to the 2019 PoCSC survey.
Compared to the 2016 survey, the 2019 survey found that "Levels of environmental concern expressed by undergraduates at UCSC increased across the board from 2016 to 2019, all of which were statistically significant. Whereas only one issue was deemed “important” or “very important" by 90% or more students in 2016, by 2019, six issues reached this threshold."
The UCSC Sustainability Office started the Sustainability and Environmental Justice Ambassadors student team in 2021 to focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The student team of three is described as:
"30% - Support implementation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement of UC Sustainability Offices and Staff through peer-to-peer education of students and professional staff. Collaborate on programs with environmental justice-focused campus groups, including the People of Color Sustainability Collective.
30% - Create and manage social media content and pages to educate peers about sustainability & environmental justice issues. Promote and support social media content developed by environmental justice-focused campus and community groups.
20% - Co-Organize the Sustainability Office Annual Inter-Organizational Retreat
20% - Contribute to curriculum development for the Employee Sustainability Certificate Program - *new* Environmental Justice course . Serve on the UC systemwide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice working group Student and Community Voices sub committee."
Additionally, the Sustainability Office requires all professional staff member applicants to include a one-page statement detailing their contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion with their application.
Are the results of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment shared with the campus community?:
A brief description of how the assessment results are shared with the campus community:
The undergraduate student, Cassandra Woods created the five infographics with the following themes: (1) Environmental Health Threats; (2) Race and Environmental Justice at UCSC; (3) Growing Environmental Concerns at UCSC; (4) “Environmental Belief Paradox”; and (5) Diversity and Sustainability Definitions.
https://hub.aashe.org/browse/casestudy/24684/Inclusive-Sustainability-Collaborative-Approaches-through-UC-Santa-Cruzs-People-of-Color-Sustainability-Collective
Are the results (or a summary of the results) of the most recent structured diversity and equity assessment publicly posted?:
The diversity and equity assessment report or summary (upload):
Website URL where the diversity and equity assessment report or summary is publicly posted:
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity assessment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.