Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practices

This page describes practices of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mission, which is an ongoing, long-term effort. Our program’s practices include:

A committee on DEI with three task forces

Transparency and Accountability

• Maintaining a dedicated DEI section on the PSPG website with up to date information.
• Conducting annual DEI climate surveys covering mentorship and student mental health.
  • Report-outs of the results of these surveys.
• Facilitating anonymous reporting of concerning or problematic faculty or staff behavior.
  • Tracking complaints to identify patterns.
• Regular faculty, staff, and student DEI and anti-racism trainings with accountability:
  • No faculty can join PSPG without taking our minimum trainings, checked annually.
  • Coordination across graduate programs and the grad division to track faculty training. Details: Graduate Faculty Development Program Trainings.
• Coordinating award nominations for mentors and students.
• Providing statistics on the PSPG website about the student body on representation and outcomes.
• Making DEI committee and task force minutes public and transparent.

Awareness and Community Building

• Facilitating seminars, book clubs, and conversations focused on entrenched racism in the U.S.
• Hosting forums to discuss current events (with qualified mediators, if necessary).
• Conducting mentor-mentee workshops and retreat activities focused on improving DEI.
• Coordinating with and publicizing events hosted by D’Anne Duncan’s office for Diversity and Learner Success.

Outreach and Recruitment

• Active recruitment of students from underrepresented populations.
• Community outreach to underrepresented students from underfunded public schools:
  • Elementary, middle, high school, and undergraduate levels.
  • General programming including helping prospective students with grad school applications and interview prep.
  • Specific programming includes AI4ALL, Science Education Program, UCSF Brain Camp, Bay Area Science Festival, Summer Research Training Program.

Direct involvement and representation in the PSPG admissions committee

• Obtaining and distributing appropriate materials (pamphlets) for effective outreach.
• Participating and recruiting at SACNAS, ABRCMS, HBCUs, Purdue’s Big Ten Graduate School Exposition, community colleges, state universities, or other institutions and programs that support our mission.

Individual PSPG labs address racism in science

Including:

• Scientific inquiries into racial disparities in science and healthcare.
• DEI statements on lab websites.
• Monthly dialogue discussing current or historical events, films, books, etc. led by lab members.
• Quarterly community service events (e.g., Letters to a Pre-scientist).
• Monthly happy hour rotationally led by lab members to share background, pathway to science, a hidden talent, etc.

Additional practices

The following practices have been in place for a number of years and serve as the foundation for our early DEI efforts:

• Supporting community members who are on visas or are undocumented.
• Waiving application fees.
• GRE requirements removed.
• Emphasizing research proposal/personal statement and letters of recommendation for UCSF graduate school admission.

Additional practices that support DEI efforts:

• Providing opportunities for community members to share their stories.
• Supporting the UCSF student health leave, without judgment.

See also

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion