Jacobs School of Engineering, November 2021
As one of the largest and highest-ranked engineering schools in the country, the Jacobs School of Engineering must strive to create and sustain an environment that embraces individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. Only in this way can we do our best for all of our students, staff and faculty. Much link engineering ethics are expected to be incorporated into our activities in the Jacobs School, faculty are expected to make contributions to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in their Department, the Division, at UC San Diego, and/or on larger scales, and to foster the success of diverse students in the classroom and in engineering degree programs and careers. Such contributions will be recognized and can include enhancing EDI through research, teaching, service, or a combination of these areas. Contributions the provide detailed success metrics are encouraged.
In the context of the Jacobs School of Engineering, contributions to diversity activities are activities related to making engineering accessible to groups historically underrepresented in engineering (at student, postdoctoral and faculty levels). Such underrepresented groups (URGs) include under-represented ethnic or racial minorities (URM), women, LGBTQ, first-generation college, people with disabilities, and people from underprivileged backgrounds.
Faculty are strongly encouraged to document their professional contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion in their merit and promotion files. EDI, very much like engineering ethics, is an activity to be infused within research, teaching, and service and thus, is expected of engineering faculty. As such, EDI activities should be presented within the sections of the personal statement on research, teaching, and service as appropriate, or included in a separate EDI section. If activities appear in the research, teaching, or service sections, they may be referred back to from the EDI section, but entire narrative paragraphs should not be duplicated.
Ad hoc committees are strongly encouraged to highlight the EDI activities of candidates in their reports as well, in a separate section and/or throughout the report as appropriate. Highlighting such efforts in a separate section helps campus reviewers (CAP, etc.) identify such efforts clearly.
Examples of contributions to diversity activities can include:
Research/Scholarly Activity
Research goals
Pursued research goals that focus on addressing inequalities (Health, environmental, social, economic, or cultural), and/or identify under-explored topics pertaining to underserved communities or ways to improve outcomes for these communities.
Research practices
Established authentic collaborations with diverse institutional partners (MSIs, CCs, PUIs, tribal colleges, etc.), industries, or internationally-based researchers.
Developed and maintained an inclusive research team, uncovering and addressing systematic barriers and implementing practices that support a positive work environment. For example, created a group position for a student to organize EDI activities, such as brief presentations in group meetings, outreach activities, and/or communications to the larger community.
Proactively recruited URG students or postdocs into your research group or to UCSD on a sustained basis, spanning several years. [Note that having occasional women or other URGs in your group along does not indicate proactive recruitment.]
Published articles, editorials policy recommendations, etc. related to URGs in STEM.
Teaching and Mentoring
Pedagogies and classroom strategies to advance equity and inclusion
Implemented research-validated inclusive classroom pedagogical techniques in your taught courses, with details of methods provided.
Established a caring and socially aware classroom environment and was sensitive to the experiences and needs of minoritized students.
EDI-focused course content and curriculum
Developed and inclusive syllabus for a course, with details provided.
Used Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approaches to course design.
Selected course content and materials (e.g. textbooks) the recognize diversity and acknowledge barriers to inclusion for an existing course.
Designed a seminar or course (e.g., DEI requirement) focused on the URG experience in STEM.
Designed and implemented a service learning course which addresses issues of equity, diversity, and access to STEM education in the wider community.
Recruitment and retention of URG students
Participated in or led an effort to recruit and support URG undergraduate students through your departmental major and related courses.
Served as an advisor for a campus or national group supporting URGs in STEM.
Participated in led an effort to establish holistic graduate admissions processes within your department, with documented outcomes of URGs.
Mentored URG students, postdocs, or junior faculty through a mentoring program.
Participated in or led summer programs focused on providing research experiences for URGs.
Established or led, or continuously participated in a bridge or engagement programs with a minority-serving institution(s).
Developed co-curricular opportunities to enhance the EDI competencies of non-minoritized and minoritized students.
Service and Outreach
Campus and external committees and efforts
Served on campus or national committee related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (Include list of specific responsibilities).
Participated as a speaker in panels for URGs in STEM.
Participated in campus events supporting URG communities.
Gave invited talks on URG issues in engineering on campus or elsewhere.
Partnered with the IDEA Engineering Student Center and/or the Teaching and Learning Commons or other campus organizations on participating or leading EDI initiatives.
Professional Development efforts
Participate in a training, institute, community of practice, seminar, campus event, or discussion group about EDI topics or strategies (i.e. examples includes resources offered by the Office for EDI, Teaching + Learning Commons, and IDEA Center)
Professional or scientific associations or meetings
Attended a conference aimed at women and/pr URM such as NSBE, SHPE, SACNAS, Grace Hopper, etc.
Participated in, or organized a workshop or panel at a conference aimed at URGSs in STEM.
Outreach activities designed to increase participation of URGs
Participated in sustained (beyond one day and/or one time) outreach efforts aimed at URGs at the K-12 or community college levels.
Applied for and received campus or external funding or grant support specifically for STEM outreach or diversity activities.
This list is not meant to be exhaustive, rather it is meant to provide an idea of the kinds of substantive activities that are valued by campus and should be documented within merit and promotion files. Not that relatively insubstantial efforts, such as having a small fraction of URGs in your research group, or one-time outreach efforts of minimal investment, will likely not have a significant positive impact on your file.