For Your Information | September 23, 2021

September 23, 2021 | Volume 3, Issue 2

Download a printable version of this week's newsletter

The Safe Party Initiative

 

As we emerge from an unprecedented academic year with excitement for being back on campus, we wanted to make sure you had access to honest partying and sexual health resources that were created alongside students and many of our campus partners. The resources highlighted here may not apply to every student's experience, but we hope they are helpful as we navigate being back in-person together and try to keep everyone safe, healthy and informed. Please help spread the word! Visit Safe Party.

A MESSAGE FROM VICE CHANCELLOR TULL

Dear Friends,  

Greetings and welcome back! We are now operating on campus, and it has been great to see so many of our students and colleagues in-person, full of excitement and anticipation for a great quarter! Today, I am very pleased to announce that UC Davis has a new Director for Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives. We are continuing on our path toward becoming an HSI, as designated by the U.S. 

Department of Education, and as we move forward, we are so proud of our Inaugural UC Davis HSI Director, Dr. Lina Mendez! On Tuesday, at the Bienvenida, sponsored by the Department of Chicana/o Studies, DEI informally welcomed Dr. Mendez at the DEI table, and Associate Vice Chancellor Lorena Oropeza welcomed her with flowers. Dr. Mendez, a PhD alumna of the UC Davis School of Education and current Associate Director for the Center for Chicanx and Latinx Academic Student Success, said that she is honored to be the inaugural HSI director for her beloved UC Davis. We are very happy to have her with us in DEI, and the campus as a whole will benefit from her leadership! The campus will share the formal announcement next week in Dateline – please be on the alert and congratulate Dr. Mendez!

Over the next several weeks, we will be highlighting more initiatives across campus, and we are so glad that DEI work is continuing and growing throughout our schools, colleges, and unit. I wish all of you productivity and joy this quarter!

Warmest Regards,
Renetta

Public Scholarship and Engagement Research Fellowship

The Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement is seeking applications for a fellowship to support research, program development and implementation. Public Scholarship and Engagement (PSE) is a university-wide unit in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor that serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses and all ten colleges and schools. PSE’s mission is to build and support meaningful relationships between communities and UC Davis scholars that work together to solve today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. Learn more.

How-to Change Your Name and Pronouns on Health e-Messaging

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) created a quick tutorial on how to update your name and pronouns in Health-e-Messaging (HeM). You can find it on Instagram.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Academic Diversity | AVC Lorena Oropeza

Introducing Lina Mendez Our New HSI Director!

Dr. Mendez, who is currently the associate director of El Centro and a UC Davis alumna, brings a deep knowledge of HSI matters, a fantastic set of connections to staff, alumni, and students, an unparalleled commitment to closing the opportunity gap, and the ability to produce first-rate research on all of these matters. Please be on the look out very soon for a more comprehensive announcement and look at Dr. Mendez’s experience and qualifications. Welcome Lina! 

2021-2022 P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH Award Opportunities

“Professors Leveraging A Community of Engagement (PLACE) with CAMPSSAH” is delighted to return for a second year in support of our UCOP Advancing Faculty Diversity grant. 

The goal of P.L.A.C.E. with CAMPSSAH is to promote the development and retention of faculty by providing resources and programs in three areas: community, leadership, and recognition. It  is an interdisciplinary hub for research activities for faculty of color, URM faculty, and those faculty whose work forms the foundation of inclusive excellence at UC Davis. 

In our first year, we awarded more than $28,000 to 14 faculty and hosted two significant writing communities and we hope to provide even more in the way of community and awards this year. 

We will soon be announcing calls for applications and nominations for a number of initiatives including:

Scholars of the Quarter
Two-quarter Writing Community
Post-tenure Start-up Awards
Manuscript Workshop Grants
Faculty Affiliates Awards

You can learn more about each of the awards at our website and read an in-depth review of our activities last year. Please help us spread the word about our program and the call for applications when they become available.

Office of Campus Community Relations | Interim AVC Mikael Villalobos

UC Davis Book Project: Announcing Our 2021-2022 Program

The UC Davis Campus Community Book Project is thrilled to announce our 2021-2022 program of events. In its twentieth year, the book project focuses on the theme of social justice in practice and features How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. In support of our theme and selection, the Campus Community Book Project hosts a year-long program of lectures, panels, workshops, book discussions, film screenings, exhibits, performances, and more. Visit the book project events page and subscribe to our online calendar for up-to-date event information and registration links. We also invite you to follow the book project on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This year’s book project program reflects partnerships with nearly 40 campus and community collaborators. We’re especially proud to partner with First-Year Seminars, University Writing Program, and other departments and programs to encourage UC Davis instructors to teach the book project in coursework across the disciplines.  

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are all welcome to participate in the Campus Community Book Project. For more information on getting involved with the book project, or for any other questions, please contact ccbp@ucdavis.edu.

Fall Quarter Professional Development Programs

The Diversity & Inclusion Education Program, a unit of the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, is pleased to announce that our fall lineup of professional development courses are now open for enrollment and include both in person and virtual sessions.

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

Medical care for Team USA women's gymnastics at Tokyo Olympics led by UC Davis Health doctor 

When Team USA superstar gymnast Simone Biles struggled to land a vault Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics and withdrew from competition, she was quickly cared for by a UC Davis Health sports medicine physician who is a go-to doctor for the elite athlete. Marcia “Marcy” Faustin practices at the UC Davis Health Sports Medicine Clinic in Sacramento, and she’s also co-head team physician for USA Gymnastics’ women’s national team. Read the article.

“Becoming an Age-Friendly institution - Advancing Age and the Social Determinants of Health”

Terri Harvath, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.G.S.A., shares, “In January 2021, UC Davis Health opened the Healthy Aging Clinic in Midtown, launching an important pillar in the Healthy Aging Initiative that spans the entire health system. As we become an Age-Friendly institution, each week we see reminders that older adults, especially older adults from historically marginalized communities, bore a disproportionate brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic”. Full post.

EVENTS

Please take a look at our fall 2021 Anti-Racism Syllabus for relevant events. 
The webpage will be updated as we receive event information.
Have an event we can include? Please email the details to Tom O’Donnell.

September 23, Thursday

Staff/Faculty Womxn of Color Support Group | 12:00pm
This group was brought together in 2019 by Dr. Gill and Cecily to support womxn of color employed at UC Davis. The intention is to offer a safe and encouraging space to support healing, growth and development in the personal and professional lives of womxn of color. Hosts: Dr. Satinder Gill, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Academic and Staff Assistance Program Cecily Nelson-Alford, Director, Women’s Resources and Research Center. Consent for participation is necessary, please contact drgill@ucdavis.edu for more information. The groups meets bi-weekly year round on Thursday (next meeting 10/7).

Raising Antiracist Kids, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum | 4:30pm
Please join Davis Parent University on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 4:30pm PDT for a webinar with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita of Spelman College and internationally renowned author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. Committed to straight talk about race and racism, Dr. Tatum will share unique insights and strategies for raising antiracist kids, including: How to have conversations about race and racism with kids; How to embrace cross-racial dialogue and build community through dialogue; How to be an ally. Learn more and register.

September 24, Friday

Dred Scott Beyond Black and White, Aoki Center for Race and Nation Studies | 1:00pm
The Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision is notorious for its racism and frank endorsement of African American slavery and white supremacy.  Although repudiated by the Civil War and overruled by the Reconstruction Amendments, it remains a landmark in American history.  This symposium explores whether and how Dred Scott remains relevant in modern American jurisprudence, and its implications for a multi-racial nation. Presenters include: Gabriel “Jack” Chin, Professor of Law; Kevin R. Johnson, Dean; Leticia Saucedo, Professor of Law; Greg Downs, Professor of History and Michael Haggerty, PhD Candidate, History; Lea VanderVelde, Professor of Law, Iowa College of Law; Paul Finkelman, Chancellor, Gratz College; Amanda Frost, Professor of Law and Government, American University Washington College of Law; Moderator: Raquel Aldana, Professor of Law; Special Guest Commentary: Ediberto Roman, Professor of Law and Director of Immigration and Citizenship Initiatives, Florida International University. Learn more and register.

TANA Open House & Arts Healing Event | 5:30pm
Join in the celebration of TANA’s reopening. The celebration will include live printing activities, informal facilities tours, family print activities, and information booths featuring local community service organizations including Yolo Food Bank, CommuniCare, Brown Issues, others. They will reflect on the difficulties of the past year while engaging in community art making, which can help us look to the future and alleviate the burden of illness. Come enjoy music, food & refreshments with live silkscreen poster making, wood block printing, family print activities, and a free t-shirt and tote print station. Learn more and register. 

September 28, Tuesday

Demo Day at TANA | 4:00pm
TANA is kicking off its 2021 fall workshop term with an exciting presentation of the silkscreen process. Demo Day will cover techniques and practices that participants will explore during our quarterly silk-screening workshops. Full workshop details here.

October 1, Friday

LGBTQIA+ Graduate Students, Professional Students, and Allies – Meet up and Social Mixer | 3:00pm
Hosted by the Chancellor's Committee on LGBTQIA+ Communities. Light refreshments will be available. Walker Hall, North Lawn. Register here.

October 5, Tuesday

Mehrsa Baradaran - UC Council of Chief Diversity Officers Distinguished Scholars Webinar | 12:00pm
Baradaran will share her work on racial wealth gaps and generators of wealth in Black communities. The webinar is part of the UC Council of Chief Diversity Officers’ Distinguished Scholars series. Each event features a notable UC faculty member who has made significant contributions to public policy and the study of racial inequality through their research, teaching and mentorship. Mehrsa Baradaran is a professor of Law at UCI Law. She writes about banking law, financial inclusion and racial inequality, and is the author of How the Other Half Banks and The Color of Money. She has advised U.S. senators and congressmen on policy, testified before the U.S. Congress, and spoken at national and international forums like the U.S. Treasury and the World Bank. Register here.

October 8-9, Friday-Saturday

2021 Improving OUTcomes Conference
Join us as we explore how health professionals and community partners can improve quality of and access to care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) patients and their families. Learn about clinical best practices and new LGBTQ+ research; Meet with regional and national experts in LGBTQ+ related fields; Brainstorm new ways to improve care in your field and beyond; Strengthen the link between UC Davis Health and the LGBTQ+ Community. Learn more and register.

October 19, Tuesday

Native American Studies Colloquium, “Douk” | 12:00pm
Come join filmmaker Michelle Hernandez for a screening of Douk followed by a Q&A. Douk tells the story of a young Native girl who finds herself, and her younger sister, facing the possibility of being stolen and taken to a boarding school, where they will be assimilated into the western culture. Learn more about the film. Zoom link.

RECOMMENDED READING

Karen Nikos-Rose, “Native Girl’s Remains Returned to Alaska After More Than a Century,” August 30, 2021.
A trek of 4,000 miles between Alaska and Pennsylvania is a long trip even in three planes with today’s technology, observed Lauren Peters, days after the University of California, Davis, doctoral student and her family made that journey. She and her two sons were returning her grandmother’s aunt to her native Aleut island, St. Paul Island, on the Bering Sea, after her disinterment at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Read the story.

Jennifer Chu, “Study highlights long road toward gender parity in the geosciences,” MIT News, July 16, 2021.
Researchers find improvement in relative retention of women but predict decades of sustained effort are required to achieve gender parity. Read the article here.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The Aggie Info and Help Line
The Aggie Info and Help Line housed within the Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center, responds to questions by students arising from COVID-related return-to-campus concerns. The info line relies on trained student staff from the Aggie Public Health Ambassador Program to address non-crisis questions and provide referrals. Staff will provide answers using information available to the public on official campus webpages including the Campus Ready site, Student Housing and Dining Services and Office of the Registrar. Learn more at their website.

Reporting Concerns of Harassment and Discrimination
The Harassment & Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program (HDAPP) supports the University's commitment to a harassment and discrimination-free work and learning environment for all members of the UC Davis, UC Davis Health, and University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). 

If you are interested in reporting concerns of Harassment and Discrimination, please contact HDAPP to file a report and/or speak with a representative to better understand your options. Learn more about HDAPP here or go to HDAPP's website for more information.

11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own
Written by the UC Davis Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and based on the Office of Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Anti-Racism and DEI Action Plan, the “Being an Ally Requires being Anti-Racist: 11 Suggested Actions toward Anti-Racism in the Office and on Your Own” provides practical suggestions for everyone. 

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center
The mission of Aggie Compass is to help mitigate the effects of food and housing insecurity on students, while working to change policy, systems and environment that will affect long term change. The Aggie Compass is a comfortable space for students to build community and learn about basic needs resources, pick up fresh fruits and vegetables, receive CalFresh enrollment assistance and help finding stable housing.

If you need help with food or housing insecurity concerns, financial or mental wellness, please visit their website for more information.

Counseling Services Mental Health Resources Webinar [requires Kerberos log-in] One of the things we hear frequently from instructors about teaching in Spring 2020 is the extent to which they encountered students in their courses experiencing significant stress or crisis, yet they felt unequipped to help or direct students to resources. To help, Student Health and Counseling Services provided a Mental Health Resources Webinar. If supporting students in crisis is a concern for you, please watch this previously-recorded webinar. Webinar topics include an overview of mental health services on campus, how to make referrals, signs of distress and how to respond, and how faculty can support students in the classroom (remote or on-campus). Student Affairs has also provided this folder of faculty resources.

Content Submission Form
Do you have a DEI-oriented event, announcement, or article that you would like us to help promote through our DEI communication channels? Did your unit/department or a member of your unit/department receive recognition that demonstrates your commitment to DEI? If so, please send us your information through this online form.

We invite you to share and submit your thoughts and items for our newsletter (either current or future news and events) at diversityinclusion@ucdavis.edu

Thank you for your dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion!

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