Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

students at Founders Day

Our mission is to create a community where all students, staff and faculty are supported, valued, and treated with dignity. This requires prioritizing equity, diversity and inclusion in the access and representation, climate and culture, and educational mission of every Arts and Humanities department, institute and program.

Our belief is that the rhetoric of equity, diversity and inclusion must be accompanied by resources and opportunities that remedy systemic inequality, and that structural change is necessary to avoid the “illusion of inclusion.”

We want to grow meaningful conversations and initiatives that highlight how arts and humanities effect change in the university and diverse communities across our city, region and globe. Ours is a collaborative effort, one dependent on cultivating conditions in which everyone will thrive.

“The goal of an education in the arts and humanities is not to build intellectual comfort, but to strip it away. If we are restless and upset, it is because we question the status quo. In the face of inequality and injustice, we continue to ask the uncomfortable questions that inspire action and change.” — School of Arts and Humanities Dean Cristina Della Coletta

Equity Advisors

Faculty Equity Advisor

Jessica Graham, Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(858) 534-6270 | jlgraham@ucsd.edu

Staff Equity Advisor

Anthony King, Assistant Dean, Strategic Engagement
(858) 822-7824 | apk006@ucsd.edu

UC San Diego's Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence

Developed in 2017, through extensive campus community input, the Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence is a framework that promotes, values, and welcomes the collaborative input, mutual respect, and recognition needed to create an environment that encourages the full participation of all campus members, which in turn leads to excellence in teaching, research, learning, and patient care.

The Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence identifies core tenets central to achieving our vision and mission. These core tenets are: Access and Success, Climate, and Accountability.

Access and Success: Attract, retain, and support a diverse faculty, staff, and student body with the goal of achieving institutional excellence at UC San Diego.
Climate: Create and foster a positive and welcoming climate where we value, include, and support all at UC San Diego.
Accountability: Ensure institutional accountability through processes and structures that strengthen UC San Diego's clear and continuous commitment to institutional effectiveness as described in the campus’ Strategic Plan goals.

The mission of the School of Arts and Humanities is to deliver “an education for the common good” following the core principles of equity, diversity and inclusion as foundational to our instructional, research and administrative functions.

View accountability report highlights of our work below.

Faculty: Access, Success and Climate

Continued to fulfill the long-term initiatives piloted with the 2019 UCOP grant “A More Diverse Humanism: Faculty Retention and Academic Climate” and with additional support from the Office of Organizational Transformation. Highlights for this year include the launch of an ambitious Mentoring Across Gender, Race and Ethnicity program that involves 32 mentors and 32 mentees, and includes monthly workshops with campus and external experts on topics including “Approaches to Mentoring Across Gender, Race and Ethnicity,” “Supporting, Promoting and Teaching Anti-Racism,” “Grant Writing and Fundraising,” “How to Prepare Your Academic Personnel File,” etc.
Development-led fundraising to establish the first endowed chair honoring an African-American colleague, the Cecil Lytle Endowed Chair in African and African American Music.
Inclusive Excellence ad-hoc funding support: Speaker recognition for the 2020 UC San Diego Workshop on Philosophical Issues in Contemporary Social Crises and support for the “Incarceration, Deportation, and Resistance in Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander Communities in Southern California” program.
Summer Research Support Grants: promoting junior faculty’s summer research projects and community-outreach initiatives related to EDI, social justice and anti-racism.
Completed one-on-one meetings between the Dean and nearly all untenured faculty members (38 of 39 total) to hear about challenges and needs related to the pandemic and beyond.
Led by the Dean and Associate Dean, assisted departments to guide their departmental EDI-related climate work. This includes recommending departments to develop EDI plans that address unique issues yet align with the school-wide and campus EDI strategic plan; creating and updating policy and committee structures for EDI; documenting EDI work on the Academic BioBib for merit and promotion.
Established a new grant and award initiative centered on EDI that includes three EDI-related awards (faculty-to-faculty mentoring, faculty-to-student mentoring, and community engagement).
Review of school-wide and departmental bylaws, including the recommendation that appointment of and transition to new leadership reflect a commitment to anti-racism, gender equality and faculty equity.

Students: Access, Success and Climate

PATH Integrated Internship fellows: With the renewed Mellon Foundation grant, the school launched an initiative geared to professional training and leadership development of graduate students in collaboration with the San Diego Community College District. Fellow activities included: Pathways Retreat (addressing anti-Black racism), cabinet and senate meetings, shadowing/mentorship, Title V Taskforce (Hispanic Serving Institution compliance).
The expanded PATH program added mental health services specific to the transfer-student population.
For undergraduate professional training and leadership development, the PATH Peer Mentee initiative continues to be one of the most successful components of our Mellon-funded PATH program: 55% of participants are URM.
Inclusive Excellence ad-hoc funding for the 2021 Summer Program for the Advancement of Women in Philosophy (Philosophy), and speaker honorarium for the Art for Change graduate independent studies program (Visual Arts) were awarded.
Established the Arts and Humanities Diversity Projects and Programming Fund in 2020, where funds raised explicitly support student-led research.
Launched of the Black Diaspora and African American Studies major and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies Program (and minor), both housed in the Institute of Arts and Humanities. Providing these culturally focused, interdisciplinary programs allows students to feel seen and explore opportunities for inclusive exploration, contributing to the overall climate.
Through a $5 Million gift we established the university’s first Center for Taiwan Studies to expand cultural understanding of Taiwan and Taiwanese Americans.

Staff: Access, Success and Climate

Inclusive Excellence ad-hoc funding support: Professional development access for EDI training and preparation in communications and promotions (school wide)
LEAD Fellows: Communications director Anthony King completed the advanced LEAD Academy, and assistant dean Alma Palazzolo completed the LEAD Fellows program.
Hosted specific Race Talk sessions with staff, facilitated by the campus LEAD Fellows program.
Began staff meeting with an “EDI check-in,” allowing time to discuss concerns, successes and questions in a supported environment.
Contracted with an outside leadership consultant to host a retreat that was attended by ~80 staff, giving staff the opportunity to learn about their colleagues’ work styles.
Made accessible core EDI Policies, Principles, and Anti-racism, Harassment and Mediation Resources via new Diversity portal on our website

Select Resources

In addition to the School of Arts and Humanities one-sheet of campus-based resources (PDF) that includes core policies and principles, and whistleblower procedures, below is an expanded list of material and links for support.

Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion

The Center for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion works with administrators and Equity Advisors to identify and implement practices that will advance these goals. These include broadening candidate pools, establishing clear criteria for evaluating applicants, guarding against biases in decision making, and treating all candidates with respect.

Anti-Racism Resources from the Office of EDI

The Office of Organizational Transformation supports our campus community through a number of initiatives, programs and workshops, and are available to engage with you and your team in a variety discussion formats on anti-racism.

Their website is updated regularly with resources to support your personal edification and discussions with students, colleagues and teams regarding racism, including:

Key Terminology and Concepts
News and Expert Opinions
Podcasts
Research, Reports and Actionable Resources
Videos, Webinars and Virtual Panels
Resources directly for the UC San Diego Community
An EDI Engagement and Resources Request Portal

Anti-Racism Resources from the Office of Organizational Transformation >>

Anti-Racism Guide: Resources for Education and Action from the UC San Diego Library

This Libguide, organized in consultation with the UC San Diego Library Diversity and Inclusion Committee with contributions from other units across the library, is by no means a definitive guide. The guide will evolve over time and The Library welcomes thoughts, suggestions and corrections.

The guide is compiled to flow from educating users to the topics of racism and anti-racism, taking a deeper dive into details and exploration of the scholarship, delivering educational resources to use in the classroom or for self-education, and then to build sustained and actionable practices for individuals and institutions.

Access the complete Anti-Racism Guide: Resources for Education and Action >>

21-Day Anti-Racism Challenge Material

Diversity scholar Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. created the 21-Day Challenge concept to promote deeper understandings of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression. The UC San Diego Chancellor's 21-Day Challenge took place Friday, Aug. 7, 2020 through Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, with material and resources available for continued education.

Access all materials (Single Sign On required) >>

Candidate outreach guidance for Indigenous Studies job searches

Indigenous research methodologies do not cleanly map onto conventional disciplinary methodologies and areas of study. Indigenous intellectual traditions and research practices can lead to creative and important innovations across departments and in classrooms. When preparing and executing search plans, it’s important to be aware of some of these distinctions. Thus, we suggest that departments and search committees engage in sustained conversation with Indigenous faculty and experts in Indigenous Studies throughout the entire search process, giving them ample time to participate in all deliberations, and taking their recommendations seriously.

JOB ADS

Scholars working in Indigenous studies may use terminology and methods that differ from those that are most common in a given field. Language in a job advertisement, even the most well-intended, may reproduce hurtful or biased terminology or methods that may be off-putting to candidates. Periodization can also be limiting, as many Indigenous intellectual traditions do not separate past-present-future, as is more common in Western academic traditions. Instead, Indigenous intellectualism is often place-based. Consult with Indigenous faculty, Indigenous studies scholars, and faculty in related fields, to ensure the language of job ads target the kinds of applicants the department wants to recruit.

OUTREACH

It is crucial to reach out to Indigenous Studies experts and share the job advertisement with them, and post the job advertisement on Indigenous scholarly listservs, websites, etc. The Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) has space on the organization’s website for job advertisements: https://naisa.org/postings/job-postings/. Reach out to Indigenous faculty and experts in the fields for suggestions on where to post job advertisements and inquire if they can suggest the names of other Indigenous studies scholars to whom you might directly send the advertisement. Effective recruitment also means targeted hires, including targeted opportunities of excellence hires (TOEs) when appropriate.

REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS

Some of the “top tier” schools for Indigenous studies are not Ivy League institutions or prestigious R1 universities. In many fields, the best place to get an education in Indigenous history, literature, philosophy, etc. is at a place with a thriving and supportive collective of Indigenous faculty and field experts, and, ideally, a vibrant relationship with local tribal communities. For example, some of the schools with the strongest programs have historically been UCLA, UC Davis, the University of Washington, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Minnesota.

INTERVIEWS AND CAMPUS VISITS

It is critical to have Indigenous studies candidates meet with Indigenous campus community members and to invite Indigenous faculty, staff, and students to campus visit events, including meals, talks, or coffees, depending on the preferences and time constraints of the department. While these events do further overburden Indigenous campus community members, it is better to invite people than to exclude them; give Indigenous community members the opportunity to decide whether or not they have the capacity to participate. Efforts to connect candidates with the Indigenous campus community are an important strategy for recruitment and retention. We also suggest asking candidates if they would like to visit the Intertribal Resource Center or meet with the American Indian Faculty and Staff Association (AIFSA) or Indigenous Futures Institute (IFI) affiliates. Actively including these campus community spaces gives candidates a sense of what is available at UC San Diego and it demonstrates that your department is aware that these resources and connections might be important to them if they were to accept an offer.

All programs and initiatives coordinated by the School of Arts and Humanities and its units are designed and implemented in full compliance with Proposition 209 and the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy. More information about Proposition 209 can be found here. More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.

Resource list

Campus Resources:

Campus Community Centers:

UC Office of the President Resources

In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories.