UC Davis - CCC&D -

I want to acknowledge the hard work and good thinking of the task force as they explored ways in which we could help students live the UC Davis Principles of Community. We are indebted to them for their efforts. As the campus changes, continual attention will need to focus on issues of community and on the diversity found within the campus. The task force recognized that and explicitly draws attention to the wide range of differences among us including, but not limited to, ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability/disability, age, and socioeconomic class.

The recommendations of the task force are thoughtful and will form the core of a broad range of initiatives to be undertaken by Student Affairs in the 2001-02 year. It is our intent to respect the intent of the recommendations, although in implementation details may differ. In addition to the formal recommendations of the task force, many valuable suggestions came forward in the forums and in focus group discussions; I will pass those on to the appropriate unit(s) for consideration and implementation.

The recommendations of the task force encourage extending efforts already underway, suggest formalizing informal practices and processes, and provide guidance in new directions to be explored and developed. The recommendations fall within two broad categories: (1) those that focus upon educational programming and other efforts to help students live the Principles of Community and (2) those that create a safety net, a response, when problems do arise.

Educational Programming Recommendations

Task Force Recommendation: Broaden and deepen educational efforts, ensuring that all new students, staff and faculty engage in dialogue about the Principles of Community, diversity, multicultural issues, and conflict management. For student and volunteer staff as well as professional staff, ensure that plans for such education are developed and delivered. Develop similar programs for all student leaders.

Status: Discussed with Student Affairs program directors at June meeting. Each department will be charged to work with student employees and staff in understanding and living the Principles of Community. We will ask that there be ongoing efforts in these "local contexts" especially for new student and staff employees. (August update: a committee, chaired by Karen Roth, has been appointed to work during the fall quarter in developing a cohort of trainers to be available to Student Affairs units.)

The Student Affairs Fall Gathering will focus upon issues of community and will incorporate within the program some aspects suggested by the task force. August update: Rahim Reed, our new AEVC - Campus Community Relations will be the keynote speaker followed by breakout sessions on first amendment issues, community in the workplace, and conflict management.

Recognizing the importance of modifying messages in accordance with the students' developmental stages and level of involvement, Student Affairs will develop a four-year master calendar, based on student development theory, of student readiness and appropriate educational programming to guide program presentation. August update: A committee, with the leadership of Stephanie Hubbard, will do the required research to create such a master calendar.

Student Affairs staff will work with Karen Roth and the Office of Diversity in developing both a cadre of individuals able to present programs and a set of recommended approaches/modules. August update: A group chaired by Karen Roth has been charged with this task.

Summer Advising has modified its program to include more emphasis on the Principles of Community.

For first year students, Student Housing will initiate or expand a number of activities and programs. Their Welcome Week activities will include segments on diversity, communication, mediation, pledge to community cards, and Principles of Community discussions. They are also having consultants in to facilitate professional and student staff diversity training and the development of skills to build an inclusive community. Principles of Community posters will be posted throughout the buildings. Hate crime cards with statistics, what to do, and a website link will be created. They bring in speakers from the CCC, the LGBT speakers bureau, and MIP throughout the year. They publish a Diversity Digest each month focusing on a different topic (-ism).

Plans are being made for a focus on the Principles of Community during Fall Welcome Week activities.

Those working with student leaders will develop means of incorporating educational efforts in leadership conferences, REACH, and training for officers in student organizations.

I will explore with Gary Tudor (Director of Admissions) inclusion of the Principles of Community with admission packets, perhaps with a cover letter from the Chancellor or the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.

I will explore with Jack Farrell (University Registrar) including the Principles of Community on student ID cards.

Recommendation: Continue the educational and outreach efforts of the Hate Free Campaign. Commit a staff position to these efforts.

Status: Recognizing the commitment of those involved, we hope the work will continue. We would envision working in partnership with students and with student government to support these efforts (as we have partnered in efforts such as Turbulence and Diversity Days). We do not intend to create a staff position devoted to this effort. August update: ASUCD has taken responsibility for continuing this work.

Recommendation: Re-examine the diversity course requirement.

Status: I will take this recommendation to Senate leaders and to Vice Provost Turner, who has some responsibilities for the General Education program.

Recommendation: Develop a student mediation/conflict management training program and service.

Status: We envision a major broad set of initiatives in this area. Student Affairs leadership will work with Larry Hoover,Judy Mack, representatives of ASUCD and the City of Davis to explore the scope and development of such a program and its associated costs. August update: A group, chaired by Judy Mack, has been charged with developing such a program together with its financial and human resource requirements.

Recommendation: Expand the Multicultural Immersion Program.

Status: I will meet with Jim Cramer and Judy Mack to determine the unmet demand for access to the program and its component parts as well as its potential for expansion. If indicated, I then will explore the possibility for expansion with Vice Provost Turner, to whom the program now reports. August update: The MIP program is currently meeting student demand, thus immediate expansion of capacity is not an issue.

We will also explore other opportunities for growth and development through opportunities such as the various leadership retreats, the REACH conference, a coordination of the programming and students in the MIP program, the Cross Cultural Center/LGBT Center, SPAC, and the WRRC.

Recommendation: Expand resources and physical space available to the CCC/LGBT Center.

Status: Assistant Vice Chancellor Gong and I are working with the Centers with respect to future plans and possibilities. As part of the anticipated growth on the campus we are exploring space needs and staffing needs for all units, including the CCC/LGBT Center. The CCC/LGBT Center needs assessment will be incorporated within Student Affairs planning and within the LRDP process. This needs assessment must occur within the context of a strategic plan for the CCC/LGBT Center.

Recommendation: Monitor campus climate.

Status: The recent (spring quarter 2001) survey of enrolled undergraduate students includes a series of questions specifically designed to elicit information about campus climate. The results of this survey will become available soon. Regular monitoring of the campus climate will occur. August update: The SARI report will soon be available at the SARI website.

Recommendation: Support for multicultural Greek organizations.

Status: I have asked Margaret Ortega, Director of SPAC, to explore ways of addressing this need. Several possibilities are now being explored including the creation of a multicultural Greek council, a Presidents Council (IFC/Panhellenic/multicultural Greek), a rethinking of rush, and more support, skill building, and leadership development opportunities for those in the multicultural Greek organizations.

Recommendation: Enhance Campus/Davis Community Relations.

Status: I will discuss this with the new AEVC - Campus Community Relations, suggesting that the creation of this position offers the perfect opportunity to establish a new era of connections with the city on issues of diversity and community. It will be important for the AEVC to be connected with established campus/community liaisons.

The "Safety Net" Recommendations

Recommendation: Develop a hate/bias incident policy that uses as context our Principles of Community, focuses on behavior (not speech), identifies the threshold for accountability, indicates the consequences of hateful, biased, or discriminatory behavior. Better publicize and explain the campus's zero tolerance policy.

Status: Jan Gong (Assistant Vice Chancellor), Student Judicial Affairs staff, and Margaret Ortega (Director of SPAC) will work to these ends, involving students, the Office of the Campus Counsel, and others as appropriate. In particular, I will ask them to attend to clarity of language; use of accountability and zero tolerance convey different meanings to different people. August update: A policy is now being drafted.

Recommendation: Develop a formalized campus community response system. Develop an incident report form and a description of the response system.

Status: We will develop an incident report form and a description of the response system.

Recommendation: Create an incident management team (modeled after the Student Crisis Response Team) chaired by a senior administrator. And, establish an Action Advisory Council for Campus Climate with appointed representatives from diverse communities to advise the Vice Chancellor and Student Affairs units.

Status: These recommendations are consistent with our current informal practices; the suggestion of formalization is worthwhile. We will create a single group, the Vice Chancellor's Incident Management Council, charged with an array of responsibilities similar to those suggested in the task force report. Permanent membership of the Incident Management Council would include representatives from the Office of the Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs, Student Judicial Affairs, UC Davis Police Department, the Counseling Center, SPAC, and Public Communications. Other participants will be included as circumstances warrant. Assistant Vice Chancellor Janet Gong will convene of the Council. I will ask the Incident Management Council to meet with the Vice Chancellor in times of crisis, coordinate efforts of relevant units, develop response strategies, oversee communication issues, provide the Vice Chancellor with an annual report of incidents and subsequent actions, and to advise the Vice Chancellor with respect to trends.

Again, I want to thank the members of the task force for their good work. I look to them and others to work with us in the implementation of the recommendations.

Carol Wall
Vice Chancellor-Student Affairs
June 27, 2001
Updated August 13, 2001