For Your Information | April 2, 2020

Volume 1, Issue 2

  • by Thomas O'Donnell

Quick Summary

  • Coping as a Community: COVID-19 Initiating Compassion, Giving, and Hope
  • DEI Leadership Updates
  • Academic Senate DEI Resolutions

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support and resilience during this time of uncertainty. Please rest assured that we are doing all that we can to cover as many bases as possible to serve you – our students, staff, faculty, and community.

We’ve decided to bring you a DEI newsletter twice per month, and extend our thanks to you for items that you’ve already shared for inclusion in this distribution. I thank all of our team members who have contributed information and ideas. We also have some websites to share:

Our general DEI website for all units (Academic Diversity, Campus Community Relations, and Health) has been updated to include Coronavirus resources.

Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has updated its specific site to include additional information, such as resources in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese, and

The UC Council of Chief Diversity Officers has published its guidance as a link online.

Over the past few days, we have been commemorating the legacy of Cesar Chavez, leader of the farmworkers’ rights movement. Additional information can be found in this edition of our newsletter.

These days, many of us are communicating on Zoom or by phone, and some of us are on our campuses going about the business of keeping things clean, keeping people fed, and preserving life. Thank you for your time, your effort, your service, and your dedication.

In this letter, I also want to take a minute to offer condolences to any among us who has lost a loved one --- a family member, friend, or acquaintance. We recognize that you are dealing with “Hidden Grief” --- at times, covering your feelings, staying strong, pouring yourselves into your work, while dealing with loss either close by or far away. Let us all remain mindful of our commitment to care about one another, and to be patient with one another.

We know that as we do our best, there are some things that might be delayed, and some things that might be missed. Let’s connect as a community to be understanding in the midst of this current circumstance. In a meeting today, there was mention of “maintaining.” We help to hold the line don’t we? Thank you for your decision to be strong.
 
Please continue to take care of yourselves. We may not have a chance to see one another as often, or interact as frequently, but we need you to remember that you are important, and we’ll look forward to the day when we can be together again soon.

Kind regards,

Renetta G. Tull
Vice Chancellor

Coping as a Community: COVID-19
Initiating Compassion, Giving, and Hope

A discussion with Hendry Ton, MD, MS
Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Health

Thursday | April 2, 2020 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm

DEI Leadership Updates 

As we are receiving news daily about COVID-19 from our loved ones and family, social media, and news outlets, Chancellor May noted that official mess-ages for UC Davis will be posted each Friday. Updates that occur during any other day of the week will be captured and repeated in the subsequent Friday update. Please read information that is shared on UC Davis’ website.

On March 27, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Hexter and VC Chancellor Garrison Tull wrote a joint-statement, Embracing the Challenge and Working Together. You may find the statement on our DEI webpage here.

DEI business operations will continue. As many of DEI’s programs have been cancelled and/or postponed until further notice, there will be no new DEI pro-grams/initiatives/events for the remainder of the academic year. A friendly-reminder, select existing programs will be redesigned for remote delivery. 

Health Information

SOCIAL DISTANCING is our best defense against this virus.  FLATTEN THE CURVE.

If you are experiencing any cold/flu/ COVID-19 or other symptoms, please stay home/telecommute until your symptoms pass.  What coronavirus does to the body: COVID infection process, symptoms.

UC Davis Health - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Important Information and Resources

What to do with a positive test result.  When you have personal knowledge of testing positive yourself  for COVID-19 , or an immediate family member testing positive, or know of a colleague who has tested positive, please adhere to the campus reporting protocol and  immediately  notify:

  1. Email Campus Privacy Office
  2. For faculty and staff, email Occupational Health or call (530) 752-6051 

or

  1. For students, e-mail Mary Macias at Student Health or call (530) 752-6559

Kirsten C. Stevenson
Interim Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer
deputychro@ucdavis.edu

César Chávez Holiday

On Friday, March 27, the campus honored César Chávez. Many individuals and organizations celebrated as well as recognized the holiday from Friday through César Chávez’s birthday on March 31.

We would like to highlight a few organizations that continue César Chávez’s legacy for social justice: 

  • The SAC FUEL Network which is fighting to protect the rights of immigrants during these challenging times. The network was established through funding by the City of Sacramento. More information may be found on their website.
  • The Immigration Law Clinic, the Executive Director of the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, and AVC Aldana were a part of the working group working with the City of Sacramento remain very active in the work protecting vulnerable immigrants. For more information visit their website.
  • Our AB540 and Undocumented Student Center also continues César Chávez’s social justice legacy by assisting and working with students to attain their educational goals, overcome legal and financial obstacles and achieve their long-term dreams.

We would like to encourage you to continue to learn about Cesar Chavez,  Dolores Huerta, and the United Farm Workers by watching:

DOLORES: Rebel. Activist. Feminist. Mother
United Farm Workers, César Chávez

Please also read VC Tull's tweet commemorating César Chávez  

Lastly, here are few ideas to honor César Chávez’s legacy yourself:

  • Drop off a meal to elderly/sick and shut-in
  • Send a donation to community programs that support native/Chicanx and other community orgs

From our Latinx Faculty Staff Association:

  • Create a Day of Service - donate to food banks, give blood, research your local community needs
  • Stay Connected - reach out to others in support and compassion, check in with vulnerable neighbors
  • If you need to leave your house to get food, support local farmers markets but still keep physical distance
  • Reflect and set positive intentions for the future to honor his memory and lead by his example. 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources for Immigrant Communities in the Central Valley [English]
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information and Resources for Immigrant Communities in the Central Valley [Spanish]

Updates & Announcements

Office of Academic Diversity   
- AVC Raquel Aldana

Academic Senate DEI Resolutions
In our last newsletter, we reported on the outcome of the first academic senate resolution pertaining to statements of contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion. This first resolution, which sought to eliminate the mandatory use of diversity statements in hiring and promotion (though they are not currently required in promotion), failed to pass by a very close margin. In contrast to the first resolution, the second resolution on diversity statements seeks to affirm rather than contest the value and desirability of using diversity statements. It reads in full:

Statements describing Contributions to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are a useful part of a holistic review in the appointment of new faculty.

The Academic Senate notified the academic senate faculty by e-mail on March 30 that voting on this resolution is now open and will remain open until no later than 4/13/20. Only members of the academic senate faculty are eligible to vote. Voting is secure and anonymous. You must register your vote by signing in to the Academic Senate system. 

Immigration and COVID-19
COVID-19 is also deeply impacting US immigration laws and practices in ways that may impact our faculty, staff or students directly. Recently, DACA students sent a letter to the US Supreme Court making a compelling case why DACA must be preserved, especially during COVID19. Our final share of communication is the first video in a new series called Immigration Short-Takes explains some of these changes in a brief presentation titled Immigration in a time of COVID-19.

Center of the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (CAMPSSAH) and Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS)
CAMPSSAH and CAMPOS is accepting nominations for the 2020-2021 cohort of faculty scholars. Department Chairs, in consultation with Deans, may nominate candidates that have been selected to interview for a UC Davis Academic Senate faculty position within the current recruitment cycle/academic year if they meet one or more of the review criteria. The nomination materials for the 2020-21 cohort will be accepted on a rolling basis with a deadline of May 1, 2020.

Discourse Surrounding Black & Mixed-Race Women's Hair
Cinema & Digital Media/MURALS student Chara Charis Andrews is producing a film about the discourse surrounding Black and Mixed-Race Women’s Hair. Ms. Andrews is mentored by CAMPSSAH scholar Branwen Okpako and Dr. Kimberly Nettles-Barcelón. The film should be completed by the end of spring quarter. In the meantime, she will be presenting at the Undergraduate Research Conference. When the details of her presentation become available, we will share them. In the meantime, please visit the film’s  trailer .

2020 ADVANCE Scholar Award
CAMPOS is excited to announce the call for nominations for the 2020 ADVANCE Scholar Award. The ADVANCE Scholar Award program is available for mid-career and senior Academic Senate and Academic Federation faculty who advance diverse perspectives and gender equity in STEM through their teaching, research and service. Two 2020 ADVANCE Scholar Awardees will be selected, one from the Academic Senate and, new this year, one for the Academic Federation. The recipients will receive a small cash award and will deliver a distinguished campus lecture in fall 2020 at the Award Symposium. Nominations can be made by UC Davis faculty, staff, postdocs and students. Deadline for nominations is May 15, 2019.  Visit here to nominate a STEM faculty member.

Atmospheric Scientist and CAMPOS Affiliate Named UC Davis Teaching Prize Winner
CAMPOS Affiliate Scholar Professor Kyaw Tha Paw U won this year’s UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement which recognizes exemplary teaching, research and service. Professor Paw U is a professor in the Land, Air and Water Resources Department and serves as a member of the CAMPOS selection committee. 

Reminder: CAMPOS Research colloquia are canceled Spring 2020. We look forward to renewing our series as soon as possible. Visit here for information about our most recent research colloquia.

Office of Campus Community Relations
- AVC Rahim Reed

Diversity Education and Training Classes and Workshops
OCCR previously scheduled more than two dozen trainings, classes and workshops, and working with clients and considering their needs and we have transitioned to remote/ virtual learning (webinar). Our Diversity and Inclusion Education and Training team is providing UC Davis Health IT with roughly 18 sessions of our Making the Unconscious Conscious: Understanding and Mitigating Bias course with a goal to reach all 600+ of the employees in their unit. Despite the challenges that have arisen from COVID-19, we have successfully modified the course to deliver via Zoom, and we are on track toward achieving our goal by June!

Additionally, we are following suit with our remaining DEI related courses available through SDPS to help ensure UC Davis staff still have the ability to access and complete our courses. Our aim is to provide staff access to our courses in order for our colleagues to utilize as a part of their performance management goals.

Also, to note, our undergraduate First Year Aggie (FYAC) course, Who Are You?: Exploring Identity and Diversity this quarter has been successfully modified to an online platform for students who enroll this quarter. 

We are working diligently to assist departments across Campus to build inclusive learning environments. On Friday, April 3, we are assisting the College of Engineering with their Zoom TA Orientation to Create Inclusive Classrooms and on Sunday, April 5, we are providing a Zoom presentation to Student Housing’s Orientation Team Leads on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and housing.

Campus Council on Community and Diversity
The Campus Council on Community and Diversity meeting for this month has been canceled. The June 2020 meeting is still on the calendar but may be held remotely via a Zoom conference call. 

Administrative Advisory Committees (SWAADAC, DIAAC, & SDAAC)
The Administrative Advisory Committees meetings scheduled for the remainder for April should be held via Zoom or by conference call. An update will be provided regarding the status of meetings scheduled for May and June.

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

On March 21, Dr. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Director of the Center for Reducing Health Disparities at UCDH was interviewed by Telemundo to discuss anxiety due to isolation and how to combat it.  ¿Ansiedad por aislamiento? un médico explica cómo puedes combatirla may be found here.

On March 31, Dr. Jann Murry-García, Associate Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing led  Let’s Do Our ABCs! (Actively Building Connection and Community), an interactive dialogue on Zoom. Dr Murry-García reminds us to take time to write brief thank you messages to those in our UCDH community who are on the front lines, including nurses, physicians, lab techs, and environmental service workers.

Also, this past Tuesday, March 31, Drs. Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola and Elizabeth Vasile from the Center for Reducing Health Disparities, partnered with The National Alliance on Mental Illness of California and the UCD Clinical and Translational Science Center to provide a training on Principles of Community Engagement. This webinar high-lighted key examples from community-based organizations of sustainable community engagement projects and COVID-19 resources when working with the community. 

Today, April 2  from 12:00 -1:00 p.m, join AVC Hendry Ton for a virtual discussion on Coping as a Community: COVID-19: Initiating Compassion, Giving and Hope. Register via the Eventbrite link. The link to the webinar will be sent out to those registered is a means to control for "Zoom-bombing" aka "Zoom trolling." 

Here is a link to last week’s webinar given by AVC Ton for you to view and share. Also, here is a brief story (including the viewing notes) on The Insider here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Shared from our Global Affairs Colleagues:

  • COVID-19 is having a unique impact on our inbound international students. To that end, through the end of April we are opening up the following Diversity Abroad Short Course to our members: Supporting Inclusive Excellence with International Student Services. Details on how to access this Short Course will be available on April 6th. Also, both members and non-members have complimentary access to the Winter 2020 edition of the Global Impact Exchange: Fostering Exchange Across Difference: Identity & the International Student Experience.
  • To support ongoing dialogue on how COVID-19 is impacting diversity, equity and inclusion in international education, Diversity Abroad has created a new Community Forum thread specific to COVID-19. While access to posting questions or sharing resources is limited to Diversity Abroad members, anyone can review details of the questions and resources posted in the thread.

Some colleagues have shared with us they have experienced “Zoombombing” and “Zoom-trolling” on their Zoom calls and webinars. Please remember to report any Hate and Bias. We will not tolerate any hate or attacks in person or on any online modalities. Please encourage others to report any incidents they may experience.

We will continue our relevant ongoing programming, and attend to actions discussed in our recent meetings, e.g., communications and development of metrics. Most importantly, the DEI Leadership Council urges you to take care of yourselves and your health! Please make sure that you build time throughout the day. Remaining connected to others via online modalities and phone calls are important. Please remember to take time to build a healthy immune system. 

We invite you to share and submit your thoughts and items for our newsletter (either current or future news and events) at https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/form/contact . 

Thank you for your dedication, and thank you for all that you do!

#ThinkBigDiversity
https://diversity.ucdavis.edu/

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