AA Action Plan

Academic Affairs-Action Oriented Programs, Activities, and Plan
2000-2001, 2001-2002

Affirmative Action Awareness and Training:
Academic Affairs has accomplished a variety of activities to promote the awareness of UCSD’s EEO/AA policy. Under the leadership of the Senior Vice Chancellor, key staff and administrators from Academic Affairs units meet to advise and consult with staff on a variety of EEO/AA issues.

The Director of Staff H.R. Policy established a staff work group last year. Its objective was to identify, develop, and implement strategies that would effectively inform department administrators about issues pertaining to EEO/AA/Diversity. The work group will continue to meet and review relevant University policies and campus procedures, and discuss strategies to implement the affirmative action program. We will be adding a new group to Academic Affairs for Departmental H.R. Contacts this year. The group’s focus will be on providing information, networking, and sharing of ideas that will empower staff members to be proactive in fostering an environment that embraces the UCSD Principles of Community. Additionally, Human Resources directors and managers will meet with the group to speak on affirmative action policies and issues, and to discuss effective strategies. Building upon the activities and information exchange fostered by the SVCAA's work group and HR contact Group, the members will inform individual departments/units about the campus’ affirmative action program as a whole, and that of Academic Affairs in particular. They are also available to identify resources, provide referrals, and answer questions regarding the program.

Academic Affairs continues to disseminate EEO/AA policy to all of its employees’ thru the Academic Affairs HR website. Staff from the Dean's and other senior administrators’ offices will continue to discuss their commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action at departmental meetings. Staff in the Office of the SVCAA will continue to work with representatives from Division Deans, Schools, Colleges, Departments, Research Units, the Library, Extended Studies and Public Programs, and Academic Business Officers to explore campus and system wide resources to leverage instructional materials in the EEO/AA arena.

Last year, eighteen staff members from Academic Affairs units attended the Diversity Education Program. Regularly, departments are encouraged to invite diversity trainers to instruct their staff and faculty on EO/AA/Diversity. The Department of Physics joined San Diego Supercomputer Center and IR/PS in the design and implementation of its first Diversity Workshop this year. Academic Affairs supports its employees, including women, people of color, covered veterans, and people with disabilities, to participate in staff education and training to enhance their job skills. Last year, 16 staff members were awarded SEOEP funds to assist them with tuition/book expenses for career development activities.

The Senior Vice Chancellor shows her support of diversity by nominating and presenting an award to the academic unit in her area that has been proactive in their efforts to promote campus EEO/AA policies. This year, The Jacob School of Engineering-Dean’s Office was honored for implementing “good faith” efforts in this area. JSOE has implemented a number of activities such as a Diversity Initiatives page on their website and a generic applicant pool program that allows for continuous recruitment of diverse applicants to demonstrate their commitment to EEO/AA principles.

Outreach and Recruitment:
SVCAA continues to work closely with its managers and supervisors to enhance their outreach and recruitment efforts, particularly in areas where underutilization is identified. Academic Affairs has supported the development of recruitment plans organized by divisions and departments, to outline appropriate and consistent outreach methods for recruiting diverse applicants. Departments/units advertise job openings in a wide variety of journals and newspapers designed to reach out to the greatest number of qualified candidates, including women and people of color.

To further enhance their recruitment efforts, Academic Affairs departments and units participate in the outreach activities on campus and in the community. The Department of Music participated in the Summer Hire-A-Youth Program this year. More than 270 staff from 63 departments participated in UCSD Career Connection. Academic Affairs staff represented 20% of the participants selected to attend MSAP at Lake Arrowhead last year. The Jacob School of Engineering, CREATE, OGSR and the Women’s Center created internship programs and the Women’s Center and Dean of Social Sciences had employees that participated in an internship Program.

The Office of the SVCAA continues to encourage department/unit managers and supervisors to participate in community outreach programs and activities. SDSC conducts staff outreach as part of its K-12 Program Series. SDSC also participated in a career fair with the NAACP. The Cross Cultural Center and the Women’s Center offer a variety of services, programs, and outreach and educational opportunities for UCSD staff, students, and faculty throughout the year.

Academic Affairs will focus its recruitment efforts in the underutilized areas, with emphasis on the Management and Senior Professional Program and mid level Student Affairs Professionals. The Office of the SVCAA plans to establish an advisory group to identify best practices, including the development of advertising strategies, to recruit more diverse job applicants. It also plans on posting various EO/AA/Diversity related publications, resources, and opportunities on its web site and to participate more actively in Career Fairs to further the outreach efforts.

Selection:
Academic Affairs is committed to the assurance of fairness and nondiscrimination in all of its staff hiring and promotions by monitoring the staff selection process closely. It encourages supervisors to develop career plans and discuss them with their employees, with emphasis on helping all employees, including women and people of color, to advance into higher level positions. To enhance the effectiveness of the selection process, the Office of the SVCAA strongly supports its divisions/units in taking good faith efforts to diversify their job applicant pools.