Inclusive Milestones
UCI is committed to a culture of inclusive excellence. Below is a list of recent campus actions that support inclusive excellence. This list does not include all school-based activities.
AY 2017-2018 Milestones
At the request of Vice Provost Douglas Haynes, Senate Chair Maria Pantelia creates Senate Task Force on Undocumented Students at UCI (View task force report here)
Inaugural Latino Excellence and Achievement Dinner (LEAD): First celebration of Latinx graduate student success in UC system.
UCI partners with Irvine Valley College and Coastline Community College to initiate Orange County AANAPISI Consortium.
UCI hosts Jump Start College Tour with Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF), de-mystifying higher education access for 400+ families.
UCI HSI Conference: National Science Foundation awards UCI an HSI conference grant for Pathways for Hispanics in STEM.
AY 2016-2017 Milestones
UCI designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
UCI designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) by the U.S. Department of Education under the category of Hispanic-Serving Institution
Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Douglas Haynes announces establishment of campus-wide AANAPISI task force. View task force report here.
I am writing to update the campus community regarding UCI’s alignment with the UC Regents’ Principles Against Intolerance. Last August, Chancellor Gillman requested me to assess our campus policies, principles and practices in relation to the regents’ principles with attention to the climate for Jewish students, and report this month. Earlier this week I shared and discussed my report entitled “Higher Ground” with the Chancellor’s Cabinet. (The report is now available here) The cabinet accepted the report and adopted the recommendations.
The report opens with a background to the January 22, 2016 UC Regents’ Final Report before turning to the multi-faceted aspects of campus life that are available to and experienced by Jewish students. The final section provides a minimum of 19 separate recommendations organized into four categories to address the climate for Jewish students. These are combatting anti-Semitism, campus accountability, education and training, and responsive engagement. Together, these recommendations are designed to substantively improve the experience for Jewish students while making UCI a national leader and global model of inclusive excellence.
As I begin implementing the “Higher Ground” recommendations, I look forward to consulting with student, staff and faculty stakeholders on campus, including the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Climate, Culture and Inclusion among others.
Expect Equity, Support Diversity and Practice Inclusion,
Douglas M. Haynes
Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Office of Inclusive Excellence
AY 2015-2016 Milestones
UCI Designated as an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution
UCI designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI) by the U.S. Department of Education under the category of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution
A brief history of the formation of a new deparment in the School of Humanities
Provost Enrique Lavernia announces establishment of new Department in the School of Humanities
Institutionalized Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience (DECADE) Faculty Mentors Program
Goals are to increase applications and degree completion of under-represented minorities and women in designated STEM fields, and to improve climate for graduate education
Launch of Award for Innovation in Higher Education in Orange County
New UCI Partnership with Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana College, California State University, Fullerton
Publicized Guidelines for Addressing Race and Gender Equity in Academic Programs
Guidelines describe strategies for diversity programming that can be legally implemented to advance the UC’s commitment to inclusivity
Required Diversity Statement of all Faculty Applicants
Established a new requirement that all applicants for faculty positions submit a statement on their contributions to diversity which will be considered by hiring committees
Worked with African American Alumni to expand the influence and impact of the UCI Black Alumni Association
Establishment of Task Force for Ensuring Positive Campus Climate for the African American community and Announced Taskforce Outcomes (View task force report here)
- Established an African American scholars and excellence hall in the Arroyo Vista complex
- Restored a resident assistant position in the Rosa Parks House
- Approved the creation of a Black Resource Center, with a budget to include a director, staff, programs, and student interns
- Initiated the process for elevating the Program in African American Studies to department status, with endorsements by the relevant dean and Academic Senate review underway
- Initiated Academic Senate review of a proposal to strengthen the multicultural breadth requirement by adding a learning outcome that must “demonstrate skills to recognize, critically analyze, and question structural systems of oppression”
- Agreed that senior administrators would not refer to incidents of racism or racial insensitivity as “rare or isolated”
AY 2014-2015 Milestones
Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Douglas Haynes convenes an administrative work group to prepare the campus for designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution. View the report here
Elevated Attention to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Faculty Review Process
Disseminated guidelines for reporting on diversity activity
Re-energized efforts to recruit a more diverse faculty
Resulting in an historic high in the recruitment of African American faculty
Launch of “Living 101” – Undergraduate Course
1.3 unit/optional credit course offered quarterly through Student Affairs, covering topics to assist first-generation and at-risk students
Identified action items in response to Campus Climate Survey results
- Create more favorable campus climate for individuals from underrepresented minority groups, who report they experience the least favorable campus climate;
- Implement a clear process for all members of the campus community to report a campus climate-related incident;
- Improve the visibility and quality of diversity training programs for faculty, staff and students by creating more interactive components that strengthen the effectiveness of such training;
Established Chancellor’s Cabinet-Level Leadership Position for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Reconstitution of key diversity oversight position reporting to Chancellor’s Office
Established Vice Provost for Academic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion within the Office of the Provost
Established in the Provost’s office a newly titled position and reconstituted Office of Inclusive Excellence. Also created a position for a 50% Associate Director faculty member to oversee Faculty DECADE Mentor Program
Established Diversity Opportunity Database
Connects faculty and students to opportunities to advance inclusive excellence
Established a new position in Student Affairs: Special Assistant for Cultural Affairs
Position assists with programming initiatives to address race, gender, and identity
Established Chancellor’s ADVANCE Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Funded fellows in drama, biochemistry and molecular biology, earth system science, physics and astronomy, Chicano/Latino studies, and education
Publicized results of Campus Climate Survey
More than 90% of the overall campus reports they are very comfortable, comfortable, or neutral on the overall campus climate. Undergraduate students are at 97%, graduate students are at 93%, and by race, white respondents 92%. URMs 92%, other people of color 95%, and multi-minority respondents 91%
AY 2013-2014 Milestones
Launched Student Affairs programming addressing issues of race
Includes “New Narratives Series: Conversations on Identities and Culture,” with speakers such as Melissa Harris-Perry, Laverne Cox, and Michael Eric Dyson. Also organized academic workshops on topics such as race and policing
Established workgroups of the Advisory Council on Climate, Culture and Inclusion, and implemented programs
African American Student Experience Workgroup; Diversity Program Workgroup; Climate Workshops for students, faculty and staff; Multicultural Education Workgroup; Surveys/Data Analysis/Evaluation workgroup
- Dwight Trible concert
- Seminars, one-on-one classes with Kenny Oden, SOAR
- Drafted mission statement reflecting perspective and needs of black faculty, staff and students and serving as a conduit between those constituencies and the Campus Climate Council.
- Networking events for undergraduate and graduate students
- In planning stages: African American Documentary Series, in collaboration with Illuminations
- Pursued African American Film Project with Carla Wilson
- Black Urban Music Conference
- Haki Mahabuthi – Civil Rights Movement, poetry recital
- What Matters to Me and Why series
- Annual Anteater Equity Games – 2014 and 2015
- Diversity Conversations with Faculty & Staff
- “Identifying Microaggressions”
- “Race Talk and Other Differences: The Psychology of Talking Across Differences”
- “Fostering Inclusive Excellence: Strategies and Tools for Deans and Chairs”
Expanded outreach and recruitment efforts
Increased the pool of African American applicants and increased total African American student population. From Fall 2013-Fall 2015, UCI has increased the number of enrolled Black undergraduates by 15%, and the number of enrolled, Black graduate students by 21%
Established a new program coordinator position in the Student Outreach and Retention Center (SOAR)
Addresses the specific needs of at-risk students
AY 2012-2013 Milestones
Established Diverse Educational Community and Doctoral Experience for Graduate Students (DECADE)
Funds Mentor Diversity Awards, oversees campus DECADE Graduate Student Council, and supports partnership with the ADVANCE Program to provide several training performances
- Diversityville 2012-2013
- Diversitopia 2013-2014
- DiversiQue? 2014-2015
AY 2011-2012 Milestones
UCI participation in UC-HBCU Initiative
Three UCI faculty received grants to improve diversity and strengthen UC graduate programs in collaboration with Historically Black Colleges and Universities – to strengthen and enrich missions of teaching, research and public service