Drawing upon Evidence-Based Practices for Staff Leaders
Drawing upon Evidence-Based Practices for Staff Leaders
Staff members represent a mainstay to support the research productivity and student learning and development at UCI. However, Black representation across all staff has stagnated at 3% for over a decade and specifically it has dwindled among senior management group leadership to a current low of 14% at a time when the university is using various programs to diversify faculty and students. Alongside all Office of Inclusive Excellence certificate and other programs open to staff, the office will pilot three efforts during the coming year to bring additional scholarship and tools to bear on approaches that interrogate anti-Black racism and equip staff leaders with cross-cultural proficiencies.
Sponsored by UCI. This pilot initiative involves the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Human Resources in a multi-faceted leadership development program targeting women of color, particularly from historically underrepresented ethnic and racial groups. Key components will include job shadowing, networking, and resource mining through the lens of inclusive excellence scholarship and interventions to equip professionals with understanding about the key levers for broadening structural diversity in staffing, identifying and developing diverse staff talent, and systemically improve promotion pathways to senior management group. This effort is aided by system-wide partnerships with chief diversity officers and human resources to broaden implementation across the University of California. (Launch anticipated winter 2021)
UCI Climate Survey Brown Bag Groups. The Office of Inclusive Excellence currently provides a dashboard of survey findings available for all UCI constituents and the public, and a topical Brown Bag group aims to familiarize and improve use among key constituent groups at UCI to confront anti-Black racism and attain inclusive excellence priorities. For 2020-2021, these meetings would be convened virtually, targeting the Staff Assembly, Black Faculty and Staff Association, management groups, as well as other affinity groups to learn about inclusive excellence dashboards, readings, and interventions to address diversity and equity themes emerging from the UCI Climate Survey. (Launch anticipated winter 2021)
Inclusive Excellence Resources and Consultation for Staff Leaders. A current module for all new staff familiarizes incoming members of UCI with the inclusive excellence action plan and its pillars for community, thriving, and wellness priorities. A proposed plan for Inclusive Excellence Resources and Consultation would extend activities to support managers by providing consultation and partnership with the Office of Inclusive Excellence to complete evidence-based unit actions for inclusive excellence. General consulting would support the development of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely) assessment approaches for overall inclusive excellence plans. Specific guidance would be provided to fund and enact sustainable activities for bringing knowledge into practice to counter anti-Black racism, and interventions and resource reviews among staff strategies to build inclusive climates and visibly value diverse talent. (Proposed for spring 2021)