Capstone Project Requirement of the

Making Excellence Inclusive: A UC Riverside Diversity Certificate Program 2010

We Are Champions of Diversity

A Reward and Recognition Program for UC Riverside

Members of the Project Group

Christy Brown Anderson, University Libraries

Frances Fernandes, Office of the Chancellor

Brandy Quarles-Clark, Media and Cultural Studies

Lisa Warren, University Extension

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

Reward and Recognition Program Project Group

Create a Reward and Recognition Program

that identifies those departments and individuals

who facilitate and promote the positive concepts of

diversity and inclusiveness.

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

The mission of the Project Group:

The UCR Problem

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• One of the most diverse campuses in the nation

• Needs an institution-wide diversity program

• Needs a focused, campus-wide plan for inclusiveness

• Encourages others by public annual recognition

The Search for Solutions

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• We studied other campus diversity programs

• Many awarded individual promotion of diversity

• A few had holistic programs that:

included the entire campus

looked beyond mere legal compliance

The Search for Solutions

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

We explored other resources:

•National higher education groups such as:

The American Association of Colleges & Universities

• Individual researchers such as:

Carlos Cortés, UCR emeritus professor of history

Finding models

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

One UC campus stood out:

• UC San Francisco issues an annual review

All units report on two aspects of diversity:

Progress toward staff/faculty diversity.

Measures to promote inclusion.

Finding models

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

One philosophical approach stood out: Carlos Cortés’s “Multicultural Vision“ which

promotes constant "envisioning" of diversity

Three core criteria: Continuity – Keep recreating organization’s

visionEnrichment – Keep expanding inclusion goals Action – Keep stimulating actions toward ever-

evolving vision

Best Practices

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Support by the Chancellor and Senior Management disseminated

• All levels of faculty and staff be represented in every department’s goal setting committee

• Affirming that all persons and their contributions count

Best Practices

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Assess current status

• Set goals and lay out overall plan

• Provide first year evaluation and feedback

• Celebration of department and individual successes

• Evaluate and modify the program

Risks

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Time and staff commitment during goal setting phase

• Ensuring participation by all levels of staff

• Perceptions that departments or individuals will be rewarded undeservedly

• Overlooking those who genuinely deserve recognition

Benefits

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Contributes to the richness of the community in ways that are tangible and measureable.

• Increased communication, dialogue about ideas and ideals, expansion of research collaboration and respect for others, especially underrepresented groups.

• Campus’s reputation continues to be an enticement to potential students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Evaluation

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Committee:

• Evaluates the departments’ annual reports

• Selects departments meeting 80% of their goals

• Provides written feedback after first year

• Selects persons for the Individual awards

Measuring Success

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Progress made meeting diversity goals• Faculty and staff morale increases

• Employee retention rates improve• Incidents of hate crimes, number of complaints to Ombudsman’s Office, and lawsuits of discrimination and hostile work environment should reduce over time

Rewarding Process

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• Every department determines their own criteria for rewarding diversity. The Affirmative Action requirements will be completed as well.

• Chancellor’s Diversity Advisory Committee selects the award winners each year.

• Awards will be given out at a luncheon that coincides with the MEI presentations.

The Rewards

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• A lapel pin will be given to individuals receiving an award.• A perpetual plaque displayed in the Chancellor’s Office will list the departments which have received awards and the year.• A picture of the department personnel with the Chancellor will be taken and displayed in a public area within the department that earned the reward.

Ongoing Recognition

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

• A Website will be developed.• Departments and individuals within the department will be listed on the website.• Individual award recipients will tell their personal story of achievement.

The Final Step

At UC Riverside, We Are Champions of Diversity!

Alert the Media!