University of Southern California
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

USC’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation incorporates a University-wide approach to preventing and responding to discrimination and harassment on the basis of protected characteristics, retaliation, and specific forms of harassment based on sex: sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and related forms of conduct. The Policy provides resources, supportive measures, and care to all USC community members – students, faculty, and staff – who make a report under the Policy, as well as fair and equitable Resolution Processes in response to a formal complaint of conduct prohibited under the Policy.

https://policy.usc.edu/discrimination/

USC’s Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity and Title IX (EEO-TIX) manages the University’s response to reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation involving community members at all of its locations, including Keck Medicine of USC departments, institutes, and satellite operations.

The University encourages the prompt reporting of concerns about discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics—including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking—involving students, staff, and faculty, and related retaliation. Title IX and the University’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation prohibit retaliation against any individual who makes a good faith report or formal complaint, testifies, assists, or participates in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under the Policy. The University will take prompt action to respond to or investigate concerns about retaliation under the Policy.

https://eeotix.usc.edu/get-help/

EEO-TIX’s mission is to:
*Promptly and appropriately address reports of discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics and related retaliation;

*Provide supportive measures, such as reasonably available academic and workplace accommodations, with or without the filing of a formal complaint;

*Advance equity, equal opportunity, and inclusion in University programs and activities, such as admissions and employment; and

*Provide prevention, education, and training programs to promote and protect the civil rights of all University community members.

Reports can also be made through USC’s Office of Professionalism and Ethics via their Report and Response website. The USC Report & Response website provides a simple and easy-to-use portal for reporting conduct in violation of university policies or Unifying Values. Reports may be made anonymously.The university is committed to maintaining the privacy of those who come forward. The university prohibits retaliation against anyone who makes a good faith report or formal complaint.

https://report.usc.edu
https://ope.usc.edu/how-to-report/

Undergraduate Students:

1) Trojan Guardian Scholars Program
The program is committed to supporting ambitious, college-bound students exiting the foster care system. The goals of the program are to assist students in attaining a bachelor’s degree, and to promote career development and self-sufficiency. The program is comprehensive and contributes to the quality and depth of the student’s university experience. Some of the support and services provided include: financial aid assistance and counseling; potential year-round on-campus housing; supplemental academic and professional mentoring; referrals to appropriate on-campus resources; health and counseling services; admission and enrollment assistance; and student programming, including cohort events and holiday dinners.

2) USC SACNAS Chapter
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS) is focused on increasing the number of Chicanos, Native Americans and other underrepresented students pursuing graduate degrees in the sciences.
More information: https://uscsacnas.weebly.com/

Graduate Students
1) Pathways to the PhD - DIA JumpStart Program
USC's Graduate Initiative for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (DIA) aims to increase the pool of diverse PhD applicants by providing academic and financial support and professional development opportunities. DIA JumpStart works with USC schools and programs to invite diverse candidates from outside institutions to apply for 10-week summer research opportunities in various PhD disciplines. Available opportunities range from lab-based research to mentored participation in other types of faculty projects

2) USC SACNAS Chapter
The Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS) is focused on increasing the number of Chicanos, Native Americans and other underrepresented students pursuing graduate degrees in the sciences.
More information: https://uscsacnas.weebly.com/

More info on programs for graduate students:
https://www.provost.usc.edu/graduate-initiative-for-diversity-inclusion-and-access-dia/
https://diversity.usc.edu/diverse-graduate-school-conference/

Academic Staff (Faculty)
Each school has appointed a faculty diversity recruitment liaison who will be included in the search committees of their respective schools and has a special responsibility to ensure that qualified candidates from underrepresented groups are identified.
https://faculty.usc.edu/mentoring/diversity/

More information:
https://faculty.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2019/03/Diversity-Hiring-FAQ-FINAL.pdf
https://race.usc.edu/colleges/prism/

On October 3rd and November 1st 2023, at the University Park and Health Sciences Campuses, respectively, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion presented an interactive workshop on Strategic Faculty Hiring. These workshops provided tactics that can be used at every stage of the search process to boost the likelihood of generating excellent and diverse candidate slates, tips for retaining a diverse faculty member upon their arrival, and opportunities for engagement and growth with your peers across the university.

More information :https://view.comms.usc.edu/?qs=0294c3bd613361d61faaeb7fb3d887eaec38e0d9aebeeb0d3881c8de7cae9443cef02d4914501a03a73235dca72f5d19b27e69d02e3b143efff59a2c08f3328bfce41c97c9a1384be3db874cb8aa245b

Student Support:
- The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA) is a department that works toward creating an optimal learning environment for students of African descent and the Trojan family at large.

- The LGBT Resource Center (LGBTRC) (est. 2005) provides support, education, and advocacy for LGBT and Ally undergraduate and graduate students. LGBTRC works with diverse campus undergraduate, graduate, and faculty/staff and alumni organizations along with campus departments to address the LGBT student experiences.

- The Annenberg Latino Student Association is committed to promoting career and academic opportunities for Latino students in the fields of communication, journalism, and public relations. The organization is also designed to provide a social network outside of the classroom, and provides students the opportunity to volunteer in the community through its various outreach field trips. ALSA hosts bi-weekly meetings with guest speakers, workshops, and networking mixers focused on supporting and advancing the career of Latino media students.

- Founded at USC in 1991, Chicanos for Progressive Education is an organization that is committed to the education and retention of underrepresented minority students. Their purpose is to increase the number of minority students, especially Latinos, at USC and in colleges around the country by touring Los Angeles High Schools in order to motivate and answer questions about university life, academics, and financial aid. They also provide mentoring to high school students as well as informal mentoring between their members. They maintain a scholarship fund to help supplement the financial needs of one qualified freshman or transfer student who has shown commitment and dedication to CPE and their cause.

- The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) provides the Hispanic community more college scholarships and outreach support than any other organization in the country. In its 35 years, the HSF has awarded over 90,000 scholarships worth more than $250 million to students in need. HSF's mission is to strengthen America by advancing the college education of Hispanic Americans. As one of their many programs to achieve their mission, HSF initiated the Scholar Chapter Network in 2001 that exists to promote the advancement of Hispanic students, while encouraging them to serve as role models and leaders in their communities.

-USC’s Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) chapter assists in building diversity and inclusion within the Chan Division by increasing the profession’s visibility and accessibility to underrepresented groups and increasing cultural humility by sharing and learning about different lived experiences. This student-led organization also aims to provide safe spaces where students can engage in meaningful discussions surrounding current affairs, implicit biases, culture’s impact on occupations, and the importance of representation in healthcare. Additionally, chapter leaders will have the opportunity to collaborate with other COTAD chapters around the nation. Here, members can share ideas and resources on how to create more supportive and diverse occupational therapy education programs.
More Information: https://chan.usc.edu/people/student-organizations/cotad

Students, Postdocs, Staff and Faculty:
Mindful USC offers mindfulness-related classes, programming and events designed to foster growth, health, wisdom, compassion, and connection within and among the diverse communities of USC. Several of the meditation drop-in sessions are designed for underrepresented groups such as the "Transgender, Non-Binary, and Genderqueer Mindfulness Meditation Drop-In Practice Group". More information: https://mindful.usc.edu/practice-groups/

Postdoc, Staff and Faculty support:
-The WorkWell Center provides confidential, no-cost counseling for personal and work-related concerns. These services are provided by licensed clinical providers to assess, consult, and conduct brief supportive counseling, crisis interventions, care management, benefit guidance, and resource and referral. Clinical staff are highly skilled in the areas of crisis intervention, critical incident, high-risk personal and work circumstances, stress management, self-care, and ways to improve faculty and staff health and well-being in the workplace.

More information: https://workwell.usc.edu/services/counseling/#:~:text=Counseling%20appointments%20can%20be%20scheduled,emailing%20workwell%40usc.edu.

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Program is the centerpiece of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's initiative to increase the commitment to diversity in the faculty ranks of colleges and universities. The University of Southern California's MMUF program is a partnership between the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and the Office of the Provost.

More information:
https://libraries.usc.edu/fellowshipaward/mellon-mays-undergraduate-fellowship

Data up to date as of 10/27/23