University of California, Los Angeles
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

University policy prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, service in the uniformed services, or the intersection of any of these factors. Prohibited discrimination arising from historical biases, stereotypes and prejudices jeopardizes the research, teaching and service mission of the University. This mission is best served when members of the University community collaborate to foster an equal learning environment for all, in which all members of the community are welcomed and confident of their physical safety.
https://equity.ucla.edu/toolkits/principles-against-intolerance/#principleb:~:text=University%20policy%20prohibits,their%20physical%20safety.

UCLA's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has two independent investigatory units that handle reports: the
Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO)1 and the Title IX (T9) Office.

Given UCLA’s size, scope, and decentralization, the DPO and the T9 Office are not the sole campus entities that respond to reports of discrimination,
harassment, and retaliation. Responsibility and authority to investigate often depend on (1) the type of allegation and (2) the person or entity accused of that
conduct (the “Respondent”).

Title IX
A complaint involving gender discrimination, including sexual violence and sexual harassment, as well as discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation, gender (including transgender or non-binary) identity, and pregnancy status is handled by the T9 Office, or a T9 Office designee, regardless of the
Respondent.

Other Prohibited Conduct
A complaint involving any other form of prohibited conduct (i.e. discrimination, harassment, or retaliation) is handled by one of the following offices depending on
the Respondent:
• If the Respondent is a faculty member, the complaint is handled by the DPO.
• If the Respondent is a staff member, the complaint is generally handled by
the Staff Diversity & AA/EEO Compliance Office (“SD&C”).
• If the Respondent is a student, the complaint is generally handled by the Dean of Students, with two prominent exceptions:
o Disability: complaints of disability discrimination made against a student Respondent are handled by the ADA & 504
Compliance Office;
o Campus climate: If the matter alleged against a student or group of students is reasonably likely to have a substantial negative
impact on UCLA’s campus climate on matters of equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Vice Chancellor for Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion may decide to investigate the matter (typically through the DPO or the T9 Office)

A guide with the above and other details about reporting and how reports are handled is available here: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/hi4pbuzjch8a0aiaafj2pxix7bu36e85

Faculty/Staff/Students:
UCLA Native American and Pacific Islander Bruins Rising Initiative (https://equity.ucla.edu/ucla-native-american-pacific-islander-bruins-rising-initiative/)
Launched in June 2022, the UCLA Native American and Pacific Islander Bruins Rising Initiative aims to expand access to UCLA for members of these groups, as well as support their success and well-being on our campus. The initiative has three main components: enhancing UCLA’s intellectual community devoted to Native American and Pacific Islander peoples, supporting inclusive and equitable student experiences, and providing meaningful support for Native American and Pacific Islander staff.

The initiative will also lay groundwork to support the successful implementation of the University of California’s Native American Opportunity Plan, which ensures that in-state tuition and fees for California students from federally recognized Native American tribes are fully covered by grants or scholarships.

Students:

UCLA is pursuing designations and new partnerships, as well as building on existing ones, to recruit more students from underrepresented groups. What follows are examples of student recruitment programs, and they are not exhaustive of system, campus, school and department efforts.
- For instance, UCLA is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through the UC-Hispanic Serving Institutions Doctoral Diversity Initiative (UC-HSI DDI), the UCLA School of Nursing has been selected as a recipient for $700,000 ($350k from UC - $350k from UCLA Nursing) to recruit and support underrepresented minority students over the next five years: https://www.newswise.com/articles/uc-grant-to-expand-pathways-to-the-professoriate-for-underrepresented-minorities-at-ucla-school-of-nursing.
- Among many efforts (see all details at https://cmb.mbi.ucla.edu/diversity), UCLA's Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) Training Program and Graduate Programs in Bioscience (GPB) participate in the UCLA California State University (CSU) Symposium, which involves an annual conference to promote scientific exchange and provide information on graduate educational opportunities - in order to strengthen interactions between CSU capstone research programs and UCLA graduate programs. This event is meant to allow CSU students an opportunity to network with UCLA faculty and promote their excellent research prior to their applying to graduate programs. GPB has seen an increase in CSU student acceptance since beginning this symposium.
- The CMB Training Program also participates in the UCLA Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Initiative. The UCLA HBCU initiative provides summer research and career development opportunities to bioscience undergraduate students from HBCUs interested in PhD graduate programs, particularly bioscience graduate programs. HBCU students are exposed to faculty members and their research programs through weekly presentations, poster sessions and summer lab work. Additionally, UCLA's engagement in the HBCU Initiative includes a fellowship for entering PhD students: https://grad.ucla.edu/funding/financial-aid/funding-for-entering-students/uc-hbcu-initiative-fellowship/.
- California community colleges and UCLA collaborate through the Transfer Alliance Program to enhance students' ability to transfer to UCLA at the junior level from a participating California community college. Applicants are given priority consideration for admission. More info on this program may be viewed here: https://admission.ucla.edu/apply/transfer/ucla-transfer-alliance-program.

Faculty:

- The UC-HSI DDI (see above) - in addition to student recruitment - aims to develop nursing faculty reflective of California’s diversity, by leveraging relationships and expertise of five federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions and two health care systems across southern California.

- The UCLA Academic Recruit website, which lists open academic positions, is linked to DirectEmployers, a non-profit association of employers that provides job indexes for 40,000+ JOBS Network sites.
- UCLA posts many academic positions on the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC). HERC mails information about itself and its services to many organizations representing women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. HERC’s Job Board reaches many women, minority, disability, and veteran groups. HERC and the National HERC attend numerous diversity Conferences and Job Fairs on behalf of their members and also engages in advertising targeted to publications and sites drawing a diverse pool of applicants. (from UCLA Academic Affirmative Action Plan: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/iqrotzqmswgz2ln7ora9p0g0hl9hio01)

Staff:
- Outreach to the veteran community is made through veterans-specific sites
- UCLA Campus Human Resources (CHR) and Health System Human Resources administer campus career websites, and ensure that UCLA job links are sent to the Employment Development Department (EDD) offices and the Veterans Affairs Office to cultivate diversified applicant pools. UCLA jobs are posted on the EDD website. Announcements are sent to minority and community agencies, community leaders, and women’s organizations.
- UCLA jobs are also posted on Getting Hired.com, JOFDAV.com and
Disabledperson.com, to name a few of the diversity-related career sites the University targets.
- Campus Human Resources recruitment teams attend Civilian Career Fairs, where America’s military connects with civilian careers. These fairs are open to current and prior military, members of the National Guard and Reserve and military spouses. CHR also attends quarterly Hire-A-Hero Career Fairs located in the Los Angeles region. In addition, the Veterans Volunteer Work Experience Program was launched through a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Rehabilitation, and the UCLA Veterans Resources Office. It is designed to assist veterans in the transition to full-time employment.
- Assessment of External Outreach and Recruitment Efforts: On an annual basis, the office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will review the number of applicants who self-identified as protected veterans and the number of protected veterans hired and compare these statistics to the total number of applicants and the total number of applicants hired within each job group. Data for the current year and the prior two years will be reviewed. Assessment of external outreach and recruitment efforts will be made based on this comparison. If recruitment or hiring of protected veterans is
deemed insufficient, additional efforts will be made in the following plan year to improve outreach and recruitment efforts. (from UCLA Academic Affirmative Action Plan: https://ucla.app.box.com/s/iqrotzqmswgz2ln7ora9p0g0hl9hio01)

Faculty - UC System Efforts

All 10 campuses have implemented a wide variety of measures to recruit and retain a more diverse faculty. The following are some examples:
- Associate Vice Chancellor/Vice Provost for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Positions and Offices
- All campuses have a dedicated senior leadership position that oversees matters of inclusion and diversity, engages the Academic Senate in effecting campus change, and spearheads the strategic vision planning related to diversity and inclusion initiatives. At some campuses, the office of equity, inclusion, and diversity oversees all aspects of faculty searches, from conceptualization of the search plan to the proposal of the final candidate, and supports search committees in handling challenging issues and conflicts of interest.
- Increased Use of Statements Describing Contributions to Diversity in Faculty Recruitment and Advancement
All candidates for faculty positions are given the opportunity to provide a Contributions to Diversity statement as part of their application. Many review committees have been instructed to evaluate and weigh such contributions in making their short list recommendations. Most faculty job postings describe a commitment to diversity and inclusion as an integral component of excellence for UC faculty.
- Faculty Recruitment Search Plans
All campuses have faculty recruitment search plans to conduct broad, inclusive, and equitable searches for excellent faculty that may contribute to more robust applicant pools. At UCLA, for example, before conducting a search, the department chair develops a search committee, including faculty who are committed to diversity and excellence (https://equity.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/EDI-Faculty-Search-Process-Policy-Memorandum-v2016.03.09-1.pdf).
- Faculty Equity Advisors
All campuses appoint Faculty Equity Advisors (FEAs) who participate in the strategic planning for diversity that is part of the academic program review, making sure that diversity is a meaningful part of the department or school’s self-assessment and plans for future success. FEAs also serve as a resource to ensure equity and inclusion in faculty searches, advancement and retention cases and the evaluation of faculty contributions to diversity in merit and promotion. FEAs also consult with graduate admissions committees to ensure equity and inclusion in graduate admissions and fellowships. Finally, FEAs serve as a resource for promoting a positive department climate by contributing to policies and practices that support equity and inclusion, such as climate surveys and effective responses to identified climate issues.
UC has expanded its efforts to recruit, support, and retain a diverse faculty at each of its campuses. At UC, several recently initiated or expanded programs demonstrate real potential to increase diversity at UC. While each of these efforts will take time to yield the desired results, new faculty hires over the past five years are more diverse than the current overall faculty population, which indicates the progress UC is making. The most promising programs are strengthening the academic pipeline to bring more of UC’s excellent and diverse graduate students into faculty ranks – at UC and other universities – and continuing to cultivate academic and professional work environments where underrepresented minorities and women faculty can thrive.
- President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Initiative (PPFP)
The PPFP is a key component of the UC President’s commitment to building an academic pipeline that culminates in a diverse faculty to drive innovation in education and educate UC’s diverse student body. Established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at UC, the program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring, and eligibility for hiring incentives to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC. For more information, visit: http://ppfp.ucop.edu/info/.
- Faculty Salary Equity Studies
Equity in faculty compensation is a critical part of UC's commitment to fairness and inclusion and contributes to a productive academic workplace. All campuses conduct faculty equity studies.
- Academic Personnel Policy
Since 2005, the Academic Personnel Manual has included diversity statements in policy to enhance the faculty appointment, promotion, and appraisal review criteria. “Contributions in all areas of faculty achievement that promote equal opportunity and diversity should be given due recognition in the academic personnel process, and they should be evaluated and credited in the same way as other faculty achievements. These contributions to diversity and equal opportunity can take a variety of forms including efforts to advance equitable access to education, public service that addresses the needs of California’s diverse population, or research in a scholar’s area of expertise that highlights inequalities. Mentoring and advising of students and faculty members, particularly from underrepresented and underserved populations, should be given due recognition in the teaching or service categories of the academic personnel process.”
- Systemwide Committees
The University Committee on Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Equity (UCAADE), an Academic Senate committee, has been active in collecting best practices in recruiting a diverse faculty and shares such practices across the UC campuses. UCAADE considers general policies concerning affirmative action for academic personnel and academic programs. The committee reviews the annual reports of the Divisional Committees of Affirmative Action and the information on affirmative action provided by campus and University administration. These reports consist of data and analyses for women and ethnic minorities concerning working conditions, salaries, advancement, and separation.

Student Initiated Outreach Center (SIOC) - http://www.cpo.ucla.edu/sioc/
The SIOC was created in the spring of 1998 as a means of funding student-initiated, student run outreach and access programs. The impetus for its creation came in the wake of the dramatic drop of underrepresented students in the UC system. SIOC includes a portfolio of programs specifically aimed at recruitment and retention of underserved communities.

UCLA's Center for Diverse Leadership in Science (CDLS | https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/diversity/) is the nation’s first university center to focus on diversity in environmental science. CDLS grows and nurtures diverse leaders who solve environmental problems and create pathways to sustainability.

CALIFORNIA ALLIANCE FOR MINORITY PARTICIPATION - http://sciences.ugresearch.ucla.edu/resources/camp/
The Louis Stokes California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP) is an NSF-funded program shared across nine UC campuses (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, Riverside, and Merced). Its goal is to enhance diversity in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields at the PhD and faculty level by providing financial and professional development support to students from groups underrepresented in these fields. UCLA’s CAMP program provides the following benefits to its members:
- Mentorship and community
- Quarterly luncheons supported by the generous donation of Professor Emeritus Richard Weiss
- Support for research
- Support for conference attendance
- Eligibility to participate in the CAMP Statewide Symposium
- Lending Library
- GRE and MCAT Prep
- Building Additional skills (e.g. lab management, science communication, scientific integrity, etc.)
- GRE prep
- GRE fee reimbursement
- Graduate application fee reimbursement
- Eligibility for NSF-funded Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) programs for graduate students

First To Go: https://firsttogo.ucla.edu/
First To Go promotes campus involvement and visibility with a focus on the retention and success of all first-generation college students at UCLA. It serves as a resource hub to assist current UCLA undergraduate students as they navigate the campus and provide support in building community.

Other Student Specific Programs:
- Undocumented Student Program: https://www.usp.ucla.edu/
- Transfer Student Center: https://www.transfers.ucla.edu/
- LGBTQ Campus Resource Center: https://www.lgbtq.ucla.edu/
- Bruin Resource Center: https://www.brc.ucla.edu/
- Dashew Center for International Students: https://www.internationalcenter.ucla.edu/
- UCLA Undergraduate Education, Academic Advancement Program: https://www.aap.ucla.edu/
*Many departments also offer their own academic advising/counseling teams and peer support programs.

Faculty/Staff Specific Resources:
- Staff and Faculty Counseling: https://www.chr.ucla.edu/employee-counseling/counseling-consultation
- UCLA Staff Assembly: https://staffassembly.ucla.edu/
- UCLA Administrative Management Group: https://amg.ucla.edu/
- Academic Personnel Office - https://apo.ucla.edu/ (see "Faculty Development")
- UCLA Latino Faculty and Staff Association - https://lsfaatucla.weebly.com/
Staff and Faculty based organization dedicated to empowering and advocating for Latino/a staff and faculty through networking and education.
*Many academic and research departments have their own programs such as the Institute for Pure & Applied Mathematics (IPAM) - https://www.ipam.ucla.edu/about-ipam/diversity/

UCLA’s Teacher Education Program (TEP) prepares aspiring teachers to become social justice educators in urban settings. TEP is designed for those who want to serve in underserved communities and schools, and is guided by an anti-racist and social justice agenda. https://centerx.gseis.ucla.edu/teacher-education/

UC-HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS DOCTORAL DIVERSITY INITIATIVE (UC-HSI DDI)
UC-HSI DDI aims to enhance faculty diversity and pathways to the professoriate for underrepresented students from California Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). See entry above for more details.

The UCLA American Indian Studies Center (AISC) was founded in 1969 as a research institute dedicated to addressing American Indian issues and supporting Native communities. The AISC serves as a hub of activities for Indigenous students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community, as well as serving as a bridge between the academy and indigenous peoples locally, nationally, and internationally. https://main.aisc.ucla.edu/

Recognizing Faculty Contributions to Advancing Diversity and Equity:
https://www.apo.ucla.edu/policies-forms/the-call/appendices/appendix-41-contributions-equity-diversity-and-inclusion
Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of the University of California and key components of the University’s commitment to excellence. Contributions to teaching, scholarship, and service that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion are encouraged and should be given due recognition during the faculty merit and promotion process, and, as stated in the UC Academic Personnel Manual (APM-210-1-d), “evaluated and credited in the same way as other faculty achievements.” Contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion should function as an inducement to contribute to the core values of the University. Although APM 210-1-d does not make it obligatory to incorporate comments about such contributions in applications for appointments, merits and advancements, UCLA is requiring such information in the file.