Equity Advisors

Shared Responsibilities for all EAs

• Appointment from Sept 1, 2025-Aug 31, 2026 with option of renewal
• Attend annual planning meeting in September, c. monthly meetings with OIE
• Report progress on activities
• Create one or more resources (i.e., informational sheet, best practices guide, workload evaluation study)
• Ongoing education and demonstrated knowledge in one’s area(s) of expertise
• Serve as sounding board for overall EA responsibilities

Possible Areas of Expertise

Individual EAs will be assigned to an area of expertise, such as:

• Promote best practices for merit-based evaluation and equity in faculty merit process
• Provide structural support to new faculty 
• Create and oversee robust external mentoring program(s)
• Address OIE Climate Survey results 
• Build a positive climate for faculty success and retention
• Serve as a conduit for resources regarding faculty concerns 
• Encourage work-life balance and policies
• Analyze and promote workload equity
• Educate on equity-minded leadership
• Other areas, dependent on EA expertise and faculty needs

After more than two decades of success, the Equity Advisor program is ready for a substantial revision. This proposal has grown out of conversations with multiple stakeholders (Associate Deans, OIE, OEOD, Legal Counsel, AP), in light of the Senate 2019 and 2020 review and faculty survey about the program, in response to the OIE Climate Survey, and through extensive brainstorming with current Equity Advisors. 

We believe that this will lead to more impactful EA work. It will also address several longstanding concerns that:

• Faculty can be hesitant to reach out to Equity Advisors who serve as an assistant to the Dean.
• There may be inequity in the school-based model due to the size of schools and that some schools have Associate Deans in overlapping roles.
• Equity advisors may not be able to develop in-depth knowledge on all areas that may be raised within their school.

Past Equity Advisors had an array of responsibilities across their school. This likely included recruitment, retention, climate, mentoring, and individual faculty assistance. In the new model, EAs have the chance to develop additional expertise in a concentrated area and work more generally across the campus. The new EA model will be both a more focused and lower workload position.

They will have a priority opportunity to convert their position to the new EA role.

Deans will still meet with and be able to reach out to OIE and VC Bergeron. OIE will be addressing equity-minded leadership best practices in 2025-2027 and hope to have an Equity Advisor interested in developing resources on this topic.

In subsequent years, a call will be sent out each Spring, depending on vacancies. Faculty will fill out a form, submit a cv, and write a statement describing their activities in relation to equity, inclusive excellence, as well as their goals for holding an Equity Advisor position. A committee will review applications and notify applicants of the results within a month of the deadline.

No. Our commitment to recruiting and supporting inclusively excellent faculty and addressing effectors of opportunity remains as strong as ever. These changes will result in a more efficient and effective program. Updating the program to match current needs has been discussed for several years, including in a senate evaluation of the program and through repeated discussions with the Senate Committee on Inclusion and Equity. 

We are in a new financial landscape so we are aiming to address this strategically and pro-actively rather than reactively. The EA program began, in part, to offer opportunities for faculty to become more educated about equity by serving in the role. More than 120 faculty have served as Equity Advisors since its inauguration in 2002. In addition, some of the work can now be accomplished centrally within OIE, reducing the burden on individual EAs to wear many hats.

Due to the changing federal landscape and changed campus hiring levels, OIE will be handling more of these activities centrally, perhaps with the assistance of an Equity Advisor dedicated to recruitment. For example, rather than presentations to single search committees, there will be multiple presentations across campus that search committee members will be expected to attend.

Associate and Full professor level senate faculty (including Clinical X, Professor of Teaching series, etc.) who have a track record and/or demonstrated knowledge and practice of equity and inclusive excellence and an interest in supporting faculty. Apply with this form.

After the 2025-2026 pilot version, we will continue to review and improve the program depending on how well the current version works and in response to changing circumstances. With these ongoing modifications expect this new version of the EA program to continue for the foreseeable.

If your Dean wants to fund a version of a school-based Equity Advisor, reach out to AVC Sharon Block (sblock@uci.edu) in OIE. We can talk about possibilities, especially during this transition period. We are also happy to learn about specific needs beyond what current Equity Advisors have conveyed.

We hope that you will give this new model a chance. If your Dean wants to fund a version of a school-based Equity Advisor, reach out to AVC Sharon Block (sblock@uci.edu) in OIE. We can talk about possibilities, especially during this transition period. We are also happy to learn about specific needs beyond what current Equity Advisors have conveyed.

Equity Advisors will have regular communication with Associate Vice Chancellor Sharon Block and with each other. Former Equity Advisors have volunteered to be on call to offer guidance and insight into school-specific needs to new Equity Advisors as “Friends of OIE.” In addition, Equity Advisors will also have access to funds for needed projects or activities in their role.