As the inaugural chair of the UCLA Administration Equity Council, I am pleased to serve with my fellow Equity Advisors. The UCLA Administrative Equity Council was formed in April 2021 with the intention to promote an inclusive environment and to aid in the recruitment of talented individuals and the retention of a successful workforce within UCLA Administration. Fourteen designated representatives were selected from 12 different administrative departments, to work with their leadership, managers, and supervisors, in order to support Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) efforts at multiple levels. The efforts made by the Equity Advisors are championed and supported by Administrative Vice Chancellor Michael Beck and the UCLA Administration Leadership Team (ALT).
Equity Council Goals
UCLA Administration Equity Council Staff Equity Advisors (EA) are advocates for promoting an inclusive work environment within UCLA Administration. Equity Advisors are to communicate and raise awareness of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) best practices and professional development in their respective organizations. The Council will work towards the following goals:
- Improve awareness and promote Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging through professional development, education, and networking opportunities
- Develop strategies to recruit from diverse backgrounds and retain talent by promoting career progression, including representation at all levels
- Build an inclusive community where employees’ voices can be heard (e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc.)
Equity Council Workgroups
The UCLA Administration Equity Advisors have formed the following three workgroups within the Council – Communications, Program/Events, and Research.
The Communications workgroup is responsible for planning, creating, and distributing communications and employing strategies to reach audiences across UCLA Administration. Currently, they are creating the UCLA Administration Equity Council section on the Administrative Vice Chancellor website as well as a quarterly Equity Council Newsletter. They are also responsible for creating promotional and training materials to support the other workgroups.
The Program/Events workgroup oversees and implements program and event offerings across UCLA Administration. This workgroup offers various opportunities for engagement including online, in person, and hybrid events. They determine professional development and training opportunities around EDI topics via workshops, webinars, and other networking events. They created the Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) Speaker Series in April 2022 and are planning to secure additional speakers for multiple trainings, panels, and other sessions.
The Research workgroup leads the Equity Council efforts in research projects that supports data collection and analysis of EDI information across UCLA Administration. By partnering with several campus entities, they facilitate data collection for UCLA Administration leadership. Currently they are working with Organizational Effectiveness & Development (OED) to design a research method for collecting data surrounding UCLA EDI Administration data focused on staff. They are also partnering with the Civil Rights Office (CRO) and Campus Human Resources (CHR) Talent Acquisition to strategize and create tools to support obtaining, analyzing, and presenting Staff, Diversity & Compliance data for UCLA Administration leadership.
The UCLA Administration Equity Council and I look forward to partnering with our departments on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging initiatives.
Sincerely,
Dr. Anne Dela Cruz
Director of Human Resources & Payroll Operations Center (HRPOC)
