Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 58.33
Liaison Jessica Bilecki
Submission Date March 14, 2024

STARS v2.2

University of the Pacific
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.67 / 2.00 Mary Lomax-Ghirarduzzi
Vice President for DEI
Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Yes

Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
Both students and employees

A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:
University of the Pacific has embarked on a transformative journey to establish itself as a national leader for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in American higher education. Guided by President Christopher Callahan's vision and the commitment of the Board of Regents Social Justice Policy to eradicate systemic racism, the university developed a comprehensive action-oriented program to address problem areas and achieve established goals. the DEI office prioritizes policy and decision-making that acknowledges and responds to the socio-cultural forces impacting students, faculty, and staff. These forces encompass various aspects such as race, gender, ability, sexuality, and socio-economic status. These priorities were distributed across governance committees, with each assigned specific oversight responsibilities:

1. The Audit Committee: ensured that all future audits included DEI dimensions.
2. The Committee on Regents: focused on diversifying the Board based on gender, race, and sexual orientation.
3. The Finance and Facilities Committee: aimed to expand vendor diversity in procurement processes, considering factors such as gender, race, veterans, and small businesses.
4. The Academic Affairs/Enrollment Committee: dedicated efforts to diversifying the faculty regarding race to achieve Hispanic-Serving Institution status.
5. The Advancement/Alumni Committee: sought to increase scholarships for students from underserved populations.
6. The Investment Committee: worked on diversifying the university's portfolio, focusing on DEI and sustainability dimensions.
7. The Human Resources Committee: focused on diversifying the staff based on race and gender.
8. The Student Life and Athletics Committee: targeted increased retention and graduation rates for students, considering factors of race and gender, in alignment with the work of the Academic Affairs/Enrollment Committee.

Throughout the academic year, Dr. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi collaborated closely with President Callahan and senior leaders (Vice Presidents and Deans) to execute the DEI priorities established by the Board. The university developed and implemented a robust DEI Training and Education Program (The Pacific Anti-Racism Challenge) for all faculty, staff, and students, to raise awareness, promote cultural competency, and address implicit bias. Efforts were also made to integrate DEI topics into the curriculum through collaboration with academic departments, ensuring a well-rounded education on diversity and inclusion. To extend the impact beyond the university, partnerships with local organizations and community leaders were established to develop initiatives supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the surrounding community. Collaborations with K-12 schools and community colleges were also fostered to enhance outreach efforts and provide opportunities for underrepresented students to access higher education.

Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
All

Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Some

Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Most

A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
The Anti-Racism Challenge is a 9-week course designed to engage members of the university community on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The course is designed to provoke dialogue, thought, and action. The intent is to introduce DEI praxis that leads to anti-racism attitudes, behaviors, and mindsets.

Additionally the VP of DEI presents to every new employee through the University's onboarding process and DEI is included in staff annual performance reviews.

Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
https://www.pacific.edu/about-pacific/administrative-offices/office-of-the-president/addressing-social-justice

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