Developing and Implementing Equity Advocate Programs at UC Santa Cruz and UC Merced

UC Merced & UC Santa Cruz , 2021-2022

Project Principal Investigators

UCSC:
Needhi Bhalla, Professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology

Jean Fox Tree, Professor of Psychology

Megan Moodie, Associate Professor of Anthropology

Juan Poblete, Professor of Literature

UC Merced:
Tanya Golash-Boza, Professor of Sociology

Dania Matos, J.D., Associate Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer

Zulema Valdez, Associate Vice Provost for the Faculty and Professor of Sociology

Project Abstract

This two-year project involves the creation of an Equity Advocate (EA) Program at UC Santa Cruz and the expansion of the EA Program at UC Merced to improve climate and retention outcomes for diverse faculty. During Year 1, and drawing on earlier AFD-funded collaborative research, these campuses will create a robust set of training materials for EAs, whose roles will include advising on faculty searches, fostering retention and promotion, and promoting equity and inclusion. During Year 2, the campuses will develop a crossover EA training - the first of its kind held at these campuses. UCSC will launch its first cohort of EAs and UC Merced will expand its school-level program by engaging in campus-level strategic planning and department-level demographic reporting on diversity; both campuses will use similar evaluation metrics for data-sharing and comparison. This project responds to the call of the UC-wide Committee on Affirmative Action, Diversity and Equity for every UC campus to create an EA program that aligns these campuses with nationally-recognized best practices.

Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs