For Your Information | April 16, 2020

Dear Friends,

On Monday, I marked my calendar board: “Quarantine Day 25” as I informally keep track of the days that we are sheltering in place. I know that several of you are working from home, are that others remain on the essential front lines and are on one of the campuses --- all of you are hard at work, and we continue to say “thank you” for your time, effort, dedication, and resilience.

DEI will have newsletters every two weeks, with a break for part of the summer. The newsletters will highlight work being undertaken by our units, and share resources. Unfortunately, many of our pre-college programs will be held remotely, which is disappointing to the leaders of the programs who had worked hard to prepare for Summer 2020, and to the students who were looking forward to spending time on our campuses. We can’t replace the on-campus experience, but as program leaders seek content for students, please consider these resources that were recently shared with the UC’s Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs). The CDOs meet via Zoom each week, and have been concerned about getting educational resources out to students, teachers, parents, and guardians. This resource in Box, is a living document for newly admitted first year and transfer students. We also share that students and teachers in California’s public schools can freely access UC Scout’s Plus program to cover the A-G curriculum, needed for UC admissions.

Our newsletters will share links to campus information, and programs that highlight community action. Thank you for engaging in our UCDH HEDI weekly 1-hour “COVID-19: Coping as a Community” series (videos online), for sharing resources and best practices, and for doing such an incredible job at “maintaining” amidst this pandemic. My best wishes for your continued health, safety, and well-being.

Kind Regards,

Renetta G. Tull
Vice Chancellor

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Raquel Aldana

CHICANX/LATINX ADVISORY COUNCIL (CLAC)

The Chicanx/Latinx Advisory Council (CLAC) to the President of the University of California met virtually last week to discuss its agenda of priorities to guide UCOP and each of the UCs especially in a time of COVID-19. The CLAC is currently comprised of two representatives from each of the UC campuses appointed by UCOP Provost Michael Brown. The UC Davis representatives who are serving the second of a two year term are AVC and Professor of Law Raquel Aldana and History Professor Lorena Oropeza.

The CLAC discussed the importance of adopting equitable responses to ameliorate as much as possible COVID-19’s impact on UC faculty, staff and students. This includes giving serious consideration to the permanent extension of admissions policies around the use of standardized tests; promoting the employability of staff whose jobs have been compromised; and supporting our undocumented students who may not be eligible to receive federal aid from their institutions through the latest coronavirus response bill, the CARES Act, and who are enrolling in greater numbers without DACA or who face the potential end of DACA.

The CLAC also discussed ongoing efforts and the urgent need to promote representation of Latinx leaders and faculty at all levels within the UCs and at UCOP. Vice Provost for Diversity and Engagement Yvette Gullat joined us the CLAC for this discussion to celebrate the recent hire of Theresa Maldonado UCOP as vice president of the Office of Research and Innovation. VP Maldonado joins UCOP after serving most recently as Riter professor of engineering and professor of electrical & computer engineering at the University of Texas (UT), El Paso. VP Gullat noted the critical role of adopting best practices for hiring and cultivating diverse leaders, as outlined in the 2018 CORO recommendations. The CLAC continues to weigh in with letters on its vision and priorities for leadership in some of the most important hires happening in the system.

Finally, the CLAC is currently selecting a graduate and undergraduate student representative based on an exceptional group of nominees from the various campuses, led by UC Davis by Professor Oropeza. The CLAC will also be putting in place a process to selecting alumni representatives to the body.

If you wish to contact the CLAC to add your voice or ideas on any of these issues or others, please e-mail Professors Aldana and Oropeza directly at realdana@ucdavis.edu and lboropeza@ucdavis.edu.

SERGIO MARAVILLA JOINS HSI TASKFORCE 

The UC Davis Hispanic Serving Institution Taskforce has remained as an advisory group to provide ongoing engagement and oversight with the recommendation of the UC Davis HSI Taskforce Report. Efren Díaz, who graduated in 2019 with a degree in Chicana/o Studies, will continue his service as an alumni member of the Taskforce. Alicia Garcia, a PhD candidate in Education will remain as our graduate student representative. We are incredibly grateful to Efren, Alicia, Professor Natalia Deeb-Sossa and Dr. Cirilo Cortez, for their enormous efforts to ensure student voices were heard and valued in the Report. We are excited to welcome Sergio Maravilla as our undergraduate student representative of the Taskforce. 

Sergio Maravilla is a first-generation college student from Modesto, CA. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Regional Development as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology. He completed internships with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research in Sacramento and a capitol office internship with California legislator. He has studied abroad twice; once in Vienna, Austria in August 2019 as well as Kathmandu, Nepal in December 2019. In addition to his academic and professional excellence, we selected Sergio for his visible and effective leadership on this campus. At UC Davis, he has taken on many important leadership roles as building manager for the Student Community Center, tour guide for the university, and At-Large Member for Chancellor May’s Undergraduate Advisory Board. As well, he is highly involved with the Latinx community, being the founder of both the Chicanx Latinx Collegiate Association at UC Davis and the Latinx Leadership Council which he considers to be his proudest accomplishments for his undergraduate career.

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

DIVERSITY EDUCATION and TRAINING CLASSES and WORKSHOPS

Our OCCR team is working to increase our diversity and inclusion training for campus departments. In doing such, select trainings/courses have been modified for Zoom participation. Please complete our Needs Assessment form to request trainings for your department and or unit; you may also email diversitytraining@ucdavis.edu directly with questions or for additional information.

ANTI-BULLYING TRAINING on ZOOM

New sessions of anti-bullying scheduled. The sessions have been modified for Zoom participation and links will be provided after registration. To enroll, please register via LMS.

Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion | AVC Hendry Ton

AVC Hendry Ton is giving a presentation on Anchor Institution Mission (AIM) to the Sacramento Building Health Communities Program Community Health Initiative. Adrienne Lawson, Director of Institutional Culture/Climate & Community Engagement, presented on AIM for Community Health to the Oak Park Neighborhood Association. AVC Ton was also invited to join the board.

Additionally, AVC Ton will present at the upcoming UCOP Health Diversity and Inclusion Task Force on the topic of faculty diversity.

EVENTS

Thursday, April 16

Coping as a Community: COVID-19 Developing a Healing Mindset

A discussion with Laura Hansen, Board President, Chill Sacramento. Peace within us. Peace between us. Whether it's the impacts of the Coronavirus on your life, a family emergency or an unexpected challenge, we can be prepared with the mindset and practices that help us stay well. In this interactive session, you will have an opportunity to learn: Why a healing mindset is key to your well-being; How to shift "on the fly" into a healing mindset; How to be present with yourself and others. 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Eventbrite link to RSVP

Exploring LGBTQIA+ Well-Being and Resilience: A Discussion and Virtual Healing Circle

A webinar featuring: Hendry Ton, M.D., M.S. (He/Him), Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; Blake Flaugher, MPH, CHES (He/Him), Health Promotion Specialist, Sexual Well-Being; Maia Huang, LMFT (She/Hers), LGBTQIA+ Resource Center Community Counselor. Healing circles provide a space for the sharing of stories to promote healing within our authentic communities. Our mission is to provide a space for those that identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community and the friends and family members who advocate for health equity for all. Our virtual healing circle modifies the story sharing by presenting a living stories document where every participant’s story is included. Some stories will be shared by our hosts throughout the session. In addition to the living stories document, a list of resources shared by our speakers will be available after the session for those who register. 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Eventbrite link to RSVP

FacultyConnect with the Center for Educational Effectiveness

Join CEE for FacultyConnect: a new series of informal conversations about evidence-based practices in online and remote teaching. Conversations will revolve around a specific online/remote teaching topic each week, giving you the chance to reflect on your course and share your experiences with teaching this quarter.. 12:10 - 1:00 pm. Register and view the full meeting schedule here.

Friday, April 17

Faculty Reflections on Teaching in the COVID-19 Era

This first virtual faculty forum will give us the chance to connect with our colleagues from across the disciplines. With an eye towards fostering community as well as sharing insights about remote teaching, I am looking forward to the opportunity to hearing stories about teaching in the COVID-19 era. Debbie Fetter, Department of Nutrition, has consistently taught online before COVID-19 and as such will share some interesting insights into moving face-to-face courses online quickly. Bwalya Lungu, Food, Science, and Technology, was featured in an AudioBlog entry on teaching with curated video and personal response systems in Winter quarter 2020. Her experience using video and personal response systems effectively can provide helpful insight for faculty as they work to integrate these tools in new ways. Kristin Kiesel, Agricultural and Resource Economics, has presented in various ATS events on teaching with video. Her presentation at the Summer Institute on Teaching and Technology with Bwalya Lungu and Mark Wilson on Teaching with Instructional Video is more relevant than ever. 

The Association of American Colleges & Universities - Designing High-Impact Practices for Equity and Impact in New Contexts

High-impact practices are known to deepen learning and engagement and to promote student success, but how readily do they translate to new contexts? Can faculty design similarly impactful teaching and learning practices even as they adapt to the sudden and massive shift to virtual environments now underway? Join the conversation to share strategies for supporting student success and advancing equity in new contexts—during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond. 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Learn more and register here