Diversity Equity & Inclusion

 Overview

The MCDB Diversity Equity & Inclusion committee, comprising undergraduate and graduate students as well as MCDB faculty and staff, seeks to address issues that have led to disparities in representation in STEM faced by persons excluded by ethnicity, race, nationality, or sexual orientation and gender identity. This collaboration will pursue improvements that we as a community can make together.

 Actionable Items

• Recruited undergraduate and graduate MCDB students to participate in the DEI committee
• Implemented the UC Implicit Bias training for all MCDB faculty
• Developed a student climate survey that will collect broader student experience in the biology major to identify challenges and issues faced by members of the community.
• Conducted an open Town Hall on August 21, 2020
• Created Video introduction and welcome for incoming Biology with students, advisers, and faculty giving positive advice to incoming students
• Created a GauchoSpace site of Teaching and Diversity Resources that will shape MCDB faculty approaches to implementing instructional techniques that promote equity in academic outcomes
• Creation of a new course, Diversity in Biosciences (undergraduate and graduate offering; approved for Fall 2020)
• Faculty participation in UCSB Graduate Scholars Program (mentoring diverse grad students)
• MCDB Graduate Program actively participating in the California Consortium for Inclusive Doctoral Education (C-CIDE); emphasis on STEM faculty training in inclusive mentoring/training.
• Created new website resources for Graduate Students providing access to Diversity and Wellness Resources; also an events calendar that highlights diversity, career and wellness events on campus.
• 6 MCDB Faculty participated in 5-week Summer Reimaging Instruction for the Student Experience (RISE) course; this program helps faculty redesign MCDB courses such that they incorporate diverse voices, integrate student participation, and promote equitable outcomes for participating students
• The committee continues to work on other tasks and challenges submitted to the comment form (below) or provided by student, staff, and faculty feedback. We will update this website with progress on these efforts.