For Your Information | October 29, 2020

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Dear Friends,

Greetings! This week, a group of more than 60 staff, students, faculty, and alumni from both the Davis and Sacramento campuses attended the virtual 34th annual conference for HACU – the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. UC Davis’ engagement in the conference was widely recognized, and we will leverage the information and inspiration to continue to implement the plan from the UC Davis HSI Task Force Report. 

Yesterday, we were pleased to share in the 49th UC Davis Forum, which featured Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) as the Distinguished Speaker discussing: The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, NAGPRA, and Higher Education. Some screen captures from the event can be found here (lecture) and here (honor song by Prof. John-Carlos Perea, SFSU). Provost Mary Croughan opened the session, and Professor Inés Hernández-Ávila (Nez Perce/Tejana), Department of Native American Studies, served as the moderator. The forum also had more than 100 students from the UC Davis Interdepartmental Program in Human Rights Studies.

In an international talk on women in engineering yesterday, I discussed research by women faculty that connects to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (see photo). The talk included continuing work by Global Affairs on this topic, the Feminist Research Institute’s focus on collaboration, and several individual highlights.

I also want to thank the UC Davis Center for Poverty and Inequality (under their new name) for inviting me to give opening remarks for their forum on “Race and Class Inequalities in Higher Education.” In my remarks, I discussed SDG#1: No Poverty, and SDG#10: Reduced Inequalities, as well as our Principles of Community, which discuss our commitment to serving the needs of a global society.  

As I close, we are all too aware that Election Day is Tuesday. In two words: Please VOTE!DEI has curated a site with several resources from campus and the community called Caring for Ourselves and Our Community: Election 2020 where you can find locations for voting, information about the propositions, the “Unprecedented” workshops, today’s session on "Elections and Voting in America," with History Professor Gregory Downs, access to information for expanded opportunities to care for mental health, and more. Please take advantage of the resources that are available for information, engagement, and wellness. 

Thank you for your continued engagement, and we appreciate the opportunity to serve. 

Kind Regards,

Renetta G. Tull
Vice Chancellor

Anti-Racism Syllabus
We published a webpage of events that address racism and elevate awareness of racism and bias that took place over the summer, along with numerous others planned for the fall, and invite you to use this resource to engage in activities and learning opportunities that are forthcoming. Some of the events that have passed include opportunities to continue to engage and learn, beyond the date that the event was offered, through summary posts, video recordings, or other asynchronous options. If you see something that is missing, please e-mail Tom O’Donnell.

Global Affairs Announces Seed Grants for International Activities
Global Affairs announces the 2020-21 call for proposals for its Seed Grants for International Activities program. The Seed Grants for International Activities program began in 2001 to spark bold new ideas in international research. To date, the program has funded 242 projects totaling over $3.5 million dollars; in turn, these projects have generated over $40 million in external funding. As a collaboration between Global Affairs, the academic deans and the Office of Research, Seed Grant Projects, have helped faculty from every college and professional school at UC Davis to forge and expand important relationships with leading international universities, government agencies, and industry partners, as well as community and non-governmental organizations. We encourage faculty of all ranks and from across the university to submit proposals.

Call for Applications to Participate in ACCELERATE Fellows Program through the Center for Educational Effectiveness 
To continue helping faculty with remote teaching, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) is pleased to announce the ACCELERATE Fellows program. ACCELERATE is a self-paced, fully-online asynchronously program to support the creation of inclusive and equitable e-learning environments during the transition of face-to-face courses into online courses. The program is open to all faculty, instructors, teaching assistants, and staff. The application deadline is Monday, November 16, 2020 at 5:00 PM.

UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Office of Campus Community Relations | AEVC Rahim Reed

Claudia Rankine Reading and Lecture, Just Us: An American Conversation

The Campus Community Book Project and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are proud to support “Just Us: An American Conversation,” featuring award-winning writer Claudia Rankine. In a series of revelatory, funny and ingeniously written essays that mix text and visuals, Rankine questions what it means to interrogate white privilege, liberal politics, white male aggression and much more. Coming the day after the U.S. presidential election, this virtual event, like Rankine’s intimate book, promises to bring us into a necessary conversation about what we don’t know. As Rankine says, “It’s all right to not know; it’s what you do with your not-knowing.” Register here.

Campus Community Book Project

In its nineteenth year, the Campus Community Book Project focuses on the theme of mental health and features graphic memoir Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney. In support of this year’s book, we will be hosting virtual lectures, seminars, forums, film screenings, performances, exhibits, workshops, and the author’s visit. You can find a poster of all the planned events here. Missed a book project event? We record many of our sessions! Event recordings can be found on the book project resources page.  Visit the CCBP 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. 

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

Anchor Institution Mission for Community Health Website Launch

In 2019, UC Davis Health formally launched its Anchor Institution Mission (AIM) for Community Health. Anchor institutions are nonprofit or public place-based entities such as universities and hospitals that are rooted in their local community by mission, invested capital, or relationships to customers, employees, residents, and vendors. In the initial phase, UC Davis Health AIM initiative is focusing on three zip codes in the Sacramento region consisting of the Oak Park, Tahoe Park and South Sacramento communities. Associate Vice Chancellor Hendry Ton recently noted:

For us to truly improve the health of communities, we must continue to be more than the best provider in the region. We must also continue to improve access to care. And we must leverage UC Davis Health's resources to improve the economic vitality of underserved communities - essentially serving as an "anchor" for communities buffeted by socioeconomic instability. This is the goal of our new Anchor Institution Mission - our AIM for Community Health Initiative. By developing and supporting jobs for local community members, partnering with local businesses, and purchasing and investing locally, we can help generate wealth that stays and grows within those communities.[1]

Now, the Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has a website–Anchor Institution Mission for Community Health–where you can learn more about the mission and action of this important initiative.

[1] Hendry Ton, M.D., M.S., Associate Vice Chancellor for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, “Joint Statement from the Division of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Principles of Community in Action,” February 21, 2020. Read the full statement here.

Position Announcements

1. UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium Coordinator - SOM: Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - Sacramento Campus
   • The Office of Student and Resident Diversity is seeking applicants for the position of UC Postbaccalaureate Consortium Coordinator. This individual works closely with our UC Postbac partners at UCSF, UCLA, UCI, and our own UC Davis to administer a joint online application process and to conduct statewide outreach. Another major role of this position is the administration of OSRD undergraduate conferences and outreach. The job posting closes November 5, 2020 and can be found here.
2. Senior Director of Institutional Culture, Climate & Community Engagement Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion UC Davis Health
   • The incumbent will report directly to the Associate Vice Chancellor (AVC) for HEDI and is charged with operationalizing our mission and vision of making University of California Davis Health a fully inclusive, anti-racist, and multicultural organization that integrates the Principles of Community across the organization.  More information and the online application can be found at Job ID: 12104.  Application review will begin after November 6th, but applications will be accepted through November 24th. Please feel free to distribute this announcement and/or share our post on LinkedIn.

Office of Academic Diversity | Interim AVC Lorena Oropeza

Representing UC Davis at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) 34th Annual Virtual Conference

¡UC Davis presente! More than fifty UC Davis students, faculty, staff, and alumni attended HACU’s annual conference, one of the largest campus contingents to attend this three-day event. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion sponsored their participation to showcase the campus’ commitment to securing Davis’ identity as a Hispanic Serving Institution and to further the institutional transformation set forth in the 2019 HSI Taskforce Report. Between Oct. 26th-28th, participants had the option of attending more than 50 workshops on topics ranging from the future of higher education in a post-Covid world to HSI-National Science Foundation grants to community-campus partnerships that work. You can find out what Davis attendees learned and what were their impressions of the conference by searching Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for the hashtags #HACU2020 and #ThinkBigDiversity.

University of California-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI)

The University of California Office of the President is pleased to announce the release of the University of California-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI). This systemwide effort is designed to support faculty diversity by enhancing pathways to the professoriate for underrepresented students from California Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The UC-HSI DDI program includes two components:

1. Competitive grant awards to UC faculty/faculty administrators that will support short-term and long-term programs/projects to enhance and expand pathways to the professoriate for underrepresented minorities, with a goal to increase faculty diversity and inclusion at UC. Please see the Request for Proposals for detailed application information.
2. Funding to support graduate student preparation for the professoriate. Specifically, there are resources to help support a limited number of PhD students, who are California HSI alumni and have advanced to candidacy at UC, to foster their interest and preparation for the professoriate, and additional professional development outreach and support for underrepresented PhD students with a goal to encourage and help equip them to consider careers in the professoriate. UCOP will coordinate directly with campus graduate divisions for this component of the Initiative.

Please note that applicants at UC Davis must (1) partner with an HSI that is on the Department of Education’s list (click here for a list of California HSIs), and (2) UC Davis applicants must contact Vice Chancellor Tull with their intent to apply to sign off on proposals. Proposals are due Friday, January 29, 2021. Learn more here.

Raquel Aldana Selected as 2020 American Law Institute Member

Professor of Law and former Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity, Raquel E. Aldana was elected to membership in the prestigious American Law Institute (ALI). The ALI is a leading independent organization producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and improve U.S. law. Through their participation in the Institute’s work, its distinguished members have the opportunity to influence the development of the law in both existing and emerging areas, to work with other eminent lawyers, judges, and academics, to give back to a profession to which they are deeply dedicated, and to contribute to the public good. 

EVENTS

Ongoing Events for the Fall Quarter

UC Davis Cross Cultural Center has a robust and relevant series of discussions and workshops lined up for the fall quarter. Take a look at their calendar of events here.

School of Education Graduate Group in Education is offering a Brown Bag Speaker Series during the fall quarter. Please look at their flyer of upcoming speakers here.

Feminist Research Institute continues to offer their “Asking Different Questions” research training series to create and implement more equitable research agendas. Learn more on their website.

Campus Community Book Project, in its 19th year is focusing on the theme of mental health and is hosting numerous events throughout the academic year. If you missed a book project event, they record many of the sessions! Event recordings can be found on the book project resources page. We also recently added this year’s book project poster to the website

October 29, Thursday

La Gente: Struggles for Empowerment and Community Self-Determination in Sacramento | 4:00pm
La Gente: Struggles for Empowerment and Community Self-Determination in Sacramento traces the rise of the Chicana/o Movement in Sacramento and the role of la gente, or everyday people, in galvanizing a collective to seek lasting and transformative change during the 1960s and 1970s. In its efforts to be self-determined, la gente resisted multiple forms of oppression at school, work sites, and in their communities. Register here.

Conversation and Book Launch for Young, Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists, The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art | 4:30pm
This event celebrates the recent publication of the survey of the work of a new generation of Black artists that accompanies the Young, Gifted and Black exhibition. Associate Curator Susie Kantor will be in conversation with collector Bernard Lumpkin, writer Antwaun Sargent and curator Matt Wycoff. Register here. The event will travel to the Manetti Shrem Museum in 2022.

Sacramento Mexican Consulate - Access to UC Davis | 4:00PM
Join Undergraduate Admissions and current UC Davis students who are from the region to learn more about our campus and hear firsthand from current students about the resources they use at Davis. Register here.

November 4, Wednesday

Claudia Rankine Reading and Lecture, Just Us: An American Conversation
Award-winning writer Claudia Rankine's timely new book, Just Us: An American Conversation, questions what it means to interrogate white privilege, liberal politics and much more in a genre-defying work that is being hailed as her magnum opus.  Organized by Professor Allison Coudert, Paul A. and Marie Castelfranco Chair in the History of Religion; Professor Katie Peterson, director of the Creative Writing Program; and the Manetti Shrem Museum, and co-sponsored by 23 UC Davis departments, centers and organizations. Register here.

“Picture a Scientist” Film Q&A | 12:00PM
Please join the Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases (SVM) for an opportunity to view the 2020 Tribeca film selection "Picture a Scientist", a powerful documentary that explores gender and racial bias in the STEM fields through the experiences of three woman scientist. CIID has acquired a campus license that allows registered individuals to view this film for free over the weekend of 10/30/20 through 11/2/20. This will be followed by a lunchtime webinar Q&A session on Wednesday, 11/4/20 with Dr. Willenbring, one of the three scientist featured prominently in the film. Registration is open to UC Davis students, staff and faculty.

November 9, Monday

Book Project: The Adventures of Comic Book Readers vs. Genre Snobs: Fighting for Respect | 12:00PM
A talk by Karma Waltonen, Continuing Lecturer, University Writing Program. Registration here.

November 13, Friday

UC's First-Generation Virtual Symposium | 9:00am
Join your peers from UC and other higher education institutions across the nation for a virtual symposium on first-generation college students. This occasion celebrates the 55th anniversary of the Higher Education Opportunity Act and is inspired by this year's National First-Generation Celebration Day on November 8. We welcome participants from divisions with oversight of programs that address retention, graduation and time-to-degree of first-gen students. Register for sessions here. The symposium will explore four themes related to the first-gen experience, including:

• Asian American and Pacific Islander students
• The first-generation population in graduate schools
• Practices for supporting first-generation students' career readiness
• The evolution of higher education in times of unpredictable challenge and opportunity

November 18, Wednesday

2020 Improving OUTcomes Conference: “Homelessness in the LGBTQ+ Community: Discussing Promising Practices and Programs” | 3:30PM
Improving LGBTQ+ Health Today for a Better Tomorrow: A Virtual Series, discussion with Koby Rodriguez Chief Program Officer Sacramento LGBT Center. 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.

Join Us To: 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 LGTBQ+ Community. Register here.

RECOMMENDED READING

Erin R. Hamilton, Caitlin Patler, and Robin Savinar, “DACA Enables Mobility, but its Uncertain Future Undermines Benefits for Recipients,” Center for Poverty and Inequality Research.
In a new policy brief, Hamilton, Patler, and Savinar write that DACA recipients, without access to permanent legal status, experience ‘liminal legality’ characterized by chronic uncertainty and limited socioeconomic integration.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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, 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.

Aggie Compass Basic Needs Center We are a student community space where you can find fresh fruits and vegetables during Fruit & Veggie Up!, get CalFresh enrollment assistance and find resources to help you find stable housing and financial assistance. 

Food Resources for UC Davis Students and Community Members Food is one of the most basic and important human needs, yet an increasing number of college students are going hungry as food insecurity gets worse. Food insecurity can not only lead to poor health, but it can also have detrimental effects on a student's academic, professional, and social life. Food insecurity can be brought on by various factors, including limited food access and financial difficulties. Here in Davis, there is a variety of fresh and health foods in grocery stores, restaurants, and farmer’s markets.

Campus Ready With the anticipation that our on-campus community will increase gradually over the next several months, we are introducing a robust COVID-19 plan to ensure that UC Davis is “campus ready” for you. What does campus ready mean? It means phases of return to campus. New policies, guidelines and protocols to minimize exposure. And a campus wide approach that follows prevention best practices including wearing face coverings, physical distancing, frequent sanitization and symptom monitoring.

Keep Teaching Instructional Resilience at UC Davis. To support UC Davis faculty during a time of COVID-19-related illness, quarantine, or campus closure, this site provides concise, practical resources and strategies for moving part or all of a course online to help you keep teaching.  

UC Davis Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion COVID resources page In English and Spanish to reach our communities and we are actively updating with new 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/