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Santa Clara University
Inclusive Excellence Division

Advancing Racial Justice Dashboard

This blueprint for advancing racial justice on our campus reflects the visions, collaborations, and hard work of many: Unity 4 in 2015, the 2016 Blue Ribbon Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, the 2017 Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion, and the 2018-2019 Campus Climate Study team. The profound impact of recent events in 2020, both in our nation and on our campus, has served as a catalyst for this dashboard to be not only a record of our work to date, but also a springboard for continuing progress.

As shown below, Santa Clara University has made steady progress on many official recommendations from the sources cited above. Nearly 30 units on campus have launched scores of grassroots antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, large and small—including recruiting events, student support sessions, speaker series and panels, mentorship programs, and growth in faculty hires. At the same time, we have more work to do, including: essential work to build bridges and restorative justice processes in our community; hiring an inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI); and supporting this critically important leadership position.

Mindful of the adage “you cannot manage what you do not measure,” the Office for Diversity & Inclusion (ODI), in collaboration with other campus partners, created this Advancing Racial Justice dashboard. Here we will track the actions planned, underway, or completed in five focus areas on our campus: Teaching, Learning, and Research; Leadership and Governance; Student Experience; Faculty/Staff Engagement; and Alumni & Community Engagement. This dashboard is a living document and will be a tool to benchmark our progress, identify priorities and resources, and highlight best practices on campus. And no work is more important. For until everyone in the SCU community feels at home here, we have not attained our vision.

Advancing Racial Justice Focus Areas

Teaching and Learning

How our classrooms, faculty, and course content will change to achieve diversity and inclusive instruction.

 

 

Leadership and Governance

How University practices and protocols will expand to be more purposeful in our efforts towards diversity and inclusion.

 

 

Student Experience

How BIPOC students will be supported and represented on our campus, and how all SCU students will experience a more diverse and inclusive campus.

 

 

Faculty and Staff Engagement

How the work of our faculty and staff will be informed by best practices in antiracism, diversity, and inclusion.

 

 

Alumni and Community Engagement

Our prioritization of antiracism, diversity, and inclusion will include outreach and events for alumni and the larger community.

 

 

This dashboard, which will be updated regularly, is a roll-up summary of hundreds of campus initiatives, programs, events, and actions tracked across key focus areas. Some of the most impactful recent actions and initiatives are highlighted below. For more information on the dashboard including requests for data and how to submit updates, please email odi@scu.edu.

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Teaching, Learning, and Research

How our classrooms, faculty, and course content will change to achieve diversity and inclusive instruction.

In Progress

  • For 2020-2021, as in previous years, all tenure-track faculty searches are supported by required inclusive search training and DEI practices. 
  • Hiring for tenure-track faculty positions in AY2021-22 in Ethnic Studies (Black Studies) and Women’s and Gender Studies (Critical Race & Gender Studies).
  • Recruitment, support, mentorship, and development of Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows from historically underrepresented groups.
  • Creation of a Black Corporate Board Readiness Program for Black executives through Silicon Valley Executive Center.
  • Funding designated for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) projects solicited from School of Engineering faculty and staff.
  • Provision of professional development faculty training and support in antiracist education and inclusive teaching.

Completed

  • Since fall 2018, Santa Clara has hired fifty-six tenure-stream faculty members. Of those who reported data on their application materials, 56% are faculty of color and 24% are from historically underrepresented communities of color.
  • Creation and distribution of instructional manual, How to Create an Inclusive Curriculum.
  • Creation and approval of three new Ethnic Studies minors: Asian American Studies, African American Studies, Latina/o/x Studies.
  • Completion of racial justice workshops for multiple schools and centers.
  • Funding secured for new Jesuit School of Theology speaker series on the Black Catholic Experience.

Accountable Offices

Provost, Academic Affairs Committee, College of Arts & Sciences, Department of Ethnic Studies, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Leavey School of Business, School of Education and Counseling Psychology, School of Engineering, Jesuit School of Theology, Division of Student Life, Office for Multicultural Learning

Leadership and Governance

How University leadership and governance practices will expand to be more purposeful in our efforts towards antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

In Progress

  • Search for an inaugural Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, a cabinet-level position.
  • For 2020-2021, as in previous years, all open dean searches are supported by required inclusive search training and DEI practices.
  • Creation of university-wide restorative justice program to address institutional racism and conflict resolution.
  • Convening of Campus Climate Working Group Bias Incident Response Team.
  • Progress updates and regular dialogue about the Advancing Racial Justice dashboard with the Inclusive Excellence Student Action Council (IESAC), the Associated Student Government (ASG), the Multicultural Student Union (MCC) and other student leaders.
  • Increase in financial aid and outreach to improve representation of Black students in the School of Law.
  • Development of a framework for racial justice/DEI goals and priorities by the Planning Action Council (PAC).
  • Creation of a new ad hoc committee by the Board of Trustees to propose measurable objectives for the Board of Trustees to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at the board level.
  • Continuing opportunities for dialogue and feedback regarding the Ohlone History Working Group Report and recommendations (2020-2021).
  • Initiation of a comprehensive audit of the practices, policies, and impact of our Campus Safety Services.

Completed

  • Completion of Ohlone History Working Group Report and immediate adoption of two recommendations. 
  • Appointment of School of Engineering co-Associate Deans for Mission, Culture and Inclusion.
  • Hiring of School of Engineering Director for Outreach and Diversity.
  • Adoption of “Russell Rule” by West Coast Conference schools (requiring each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community to the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department).

Accountable Offices

President, Provost, Board of Trustees, School of Engineering, School of Law, Division of Student Life, Office for Diversity & Inclusion, de Saisset Museum, Department of Athletics

Student Experience

How BIPOC students will be supported and represented on our campus, and how all SCU students will experience a more diverse and inclusive campus.

In Progress

  • Revision of the Thurgood Marshall scholarship award, with recipient to be determined by two Black Law Student Association board members, faculty advisor and two other members of the School of Law.
  • Securing of additional funding to support cultural shows sponsored by student organizations within the Multicultural Center.
  • Expansion of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) personnel to care for BIPOC students.
  • Establishment of chats and peer support groups offered through Cowell Health Center.
  • Creation of Justice Starts Here Campaign in residence halls, which centers around listening, speaking out, and acting on injustice.
  • Creation and programming of Finding Affirmation and Meaning (FAM) mentorship network for BIPOC students.
  • Creation of School of Engineering speaker series on inclusion issues, “Walking the Walk Together.”
  • Expansion of DEI recruitment and outreach programs for high school students and community college transfers. 
  • Design and creation of the Diversity and Inclusion Hub in the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation to improve student experience, collaboration and inclusion.

Completed

  • Creation and endowment of Black Excellence Scholarship Fund.
  • Establishment of annual admission programming to recruit BIPOC students including Unity Night; group campus visits; Raices; college fairs; presentations to Community Based Organizations (CBOs); and outreach to Cristo Rey network. 
  • Integration of diversity and inclusion into Being A Bronco series (part of Orientation).
  • Success of LEAD Scholars program for first generation students: 85% of Scholars reported LEAD helped them build a sense of belonging, become aware of leadership opportunities, and seek resources needed for success.
  • Creation of Athletics Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
  • Halloween campaign to discourage cultural appropriation in costumes.
  • UndocuAlly trainings to better support undocumented members of our community.
  • Safe Space program to improve the environment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) members of our community.
  • Coordinate Veterans Student Support efforts that help address issues affecting SCU student veterans.

Accountable Offices

Athletics, Center for Student Involvement, Cowell Center, Office for Diversity & Inclusion, LEAD, Residence Life, Off-Campus Living, Office for Multicultural Learning, School of Engineering, School of Law, University Relations, Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid

Faculty and Staff Engagement

How the work of our faculty and staff will be informed by best practices in antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion.

In Progress

  • Changes to the Faculty Activity Reports (FARs) so that faculty work on diversity, equity and inclusion is appropriately recognized and rewarded.
  • Organization of Digital Humanities for Racial Justice panels and workshops for 2020-2021 academic year.
  • Enhanced inclusive search training for faculty and staff, resulting in more intentional outreach to historically underrepresented groups. 
  • Increase in diversity of mentor network for faculty of color.
  • Development of an online diversity training for all Campus Recreation employees to take within 60 days of hiring.
  • Engagement with The PhD Project to identify and actively recruit faculty of color to Leavey School of Business.
  • Expand SCU faculty and staff involvement in BIPOC new student recruitment efforts.

 Completed

  • Funding secured for expansion of Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows (IEPDs) positions, as well as mentoring and course releases to support the early development of teaching scholars who are from historically underrepresented groups with the goal of increasing the diversity of faculty members in the academy and at Santa Clara University.
  • Funding secured for Center for Arts and Humanities for programming on the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism.
  • Launch of Racial Justice Resources, a Research Guide that includes materials available through SCU’s Library (books, videos, and databases) and some publicly-available resources (podcases, digital humanities projects)
  • Creation of Staff Senate Anti-Racism Working Groups. 
  • Anti-Racist Teaching Collective (ARTC) website, created by SCU faculty and graduates supported by a Provost’s Office grant, launched to provide resources to help develop anti-racist vocabulary and praxis among all people.
  • Funding secured for SCU institutional membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity for all faculty to access resources and for every new assistant professor to participate in the Faculty Success Program.

Accountable Offices

Campus Recreation, Cowell Center, Center for Arts & Humanities, Department of English, Department of Ethnic Studies, Faculty Development, Office for Multicultural Learning, Residence Life, Division of Student Life, Provost, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Miller Center, College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, School of Law, Staff Senate, Faculty Affairs Committee, University Library, Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, One-Stop Enrollment Center

Alumni and Community Engagement

Our prioritization of antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion will include outreach, events, and programming for alumni and the larger community in which we live.

In Progress

  • Creation of an Alumni Relations/Alumni Board Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Priority Working Group.
  • Creation of a Diversity Committee in University Relations to improve inclusion in fundraising and other division activities. 
  • Convening of a values-driven career expo for students to network with employers that actively engage in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices.
  • Increased consultation with leaders of identity-based alumni communities for regular counsel, with issues and outcomes shared among all alumni.
  • Solicitation and sharing of updates of the Campus Safety audit with alumni.
  • Development of speaker presentations covering various topics on race, intersectionality, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Completed

  • Launched first event of SCU Listens & Learns: Race, Reflection, Renewal speaker series with more programs planned for the rest of the 2020-2021 academic year.
  • Communications and outreach to alumni throughout the year on racial justice updates, including Santa Clara Magazine and other alumni vehicles.
  • Launched Middle Eastern & North African (MENA) and Native American alumni identity-based communities.
  • First-time convening of leaders from all seven alumni identity-based communities to form a new Alumni Identity Council. This group will provide guidance and ensure unique, diverse engagement opportunities and timely university communications will continue being available for our alumni community.
  • Incorporated minority-owned and women-owned business information on Alumni Relations’ hosted Bronco Business Registry.
  • Sent an inclusion survey to the alumni community, inviting suggestions for how to best support our graduates through inclusive events and programs.

Accountable Offices

Alumni Relations, Career Center, College of Arts & Sciences, Office for Diversity & Inclusion, University Relations, University Marketing & Communications, Undergraduate Admission