STEM Equity and Inclusion Initiative

Background image: Students holding a syringe and smiling in a lab

Vision Statement:

The STEM Equity & Inclusion Initiative seeks to advance partnerships in equity, inclusion, and diversity with STEM academic units to ensure student and research success.

Goals

  • Partner with colleges and divisions to scale best practices for an inclusive STEM classroom and research climate.
  • Collaborate with colleges and divisions to increase recruitment, admissions, and retention of diverse STEM student populations.
  • Create foundations for STEM diversity programs to leverage each other's efforts.

Objectives

  • Use data analysis on equity gaps, campus climate, and STEM diversity programs to inform STEM colleges and divisions of potential points of partnership with the Division of Equity & Inclusion.
  • Review campus policies and practices that affect the initiative's goals and suggest revisions.
  • Organize opportunities for STEM diversity programs to network, partner, learn, and share.

Accomplishments

  • 2021 - Started developing a UC Berkeley vision for Tech Equity 2030 with three goals: 
    1) Developing a vision and plan for UC Berkeley to become a national model for Tech Equity by 2030
    2) Creating thriving relationships across and amongst our campus Tech Equity influencers and decision-makers
    3) Securing the resources that we need to realize our vision and plan (resources, capacity, people, and funding, etc.)
  • 2020 - Launched STAR.berkeley.edu - an online hub for people to explore Berkeley's STEM opportunities.
  • Collected data and conducted in-depth data analysis on 118 STEM diversity programs offered at UC Berkeley or closely partnered with the campus. Read the Executive Summary of the analysis.
  • Produced a one-page document that shows the STEM fields, targeted and benefited constituencies, and groups from underserved communities that are addressed in the wide-breadth of programs. Summarized here.
  • Conducted in-person meetings and an online survey to collect recommendations that identified needs for STEM diversity programs on campus.
  • Held a community gathering with stakeholders on May 2, 2017. Facilitated a discussion with all attendees to hear what the community wanted for next action steps and gave stakeholders an opportunity to meet, network, and potentially build new partnerships or collaborations. View Program and View Slides.
  • Developed a working draft that codifies programs by services offered and targeted constituency, and provides additional analysis on STEM subject and targeted underrepresented group for each category. Access the Working Draft of STEM Diversity Programs.
  • Held a series of meetings for STEM diversity program leaders by the constituency served (K-14, undergraduates, and graduate students and postdocs) in December 2017. Participants built relationships across programs, shared best practices, and identified needs. Read a summary of the discussions.

If you have any questions about the initiative, please contact Fabrizio Mejia, Assistant Vice Chancellor: Student Equity and Success.