Dear Students,

We are now soliciting applications for between 3-5 vacant positions on the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Student Advisory Board (SAB) for the 2020-2021 academic year. All undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are eligible to serve on the Board. We’re committed to ensuring the SAB represents the full diversity of the UCLA student body.

Below are additional details about the SAB, including the scope of work the Board members perform, the term of service, and the application process. I encourage you to visit the SAB page on Facebook and the EDI website to learn more about the current Board.

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BOARD MEMBER EXPECTATIONS

LIAISONS | PROBLEM SOLVERS | ADVOCATES

Roles and responsibilities within the SAB are shaped by the goals of the EDI team, Board member passions, and the needs of the UCLA community. To meet these goals, Board members will work collaboratively, professionally, and collegially to support equity, diversity, and inclusion at UCLA consistent with the terms of this memorandum of understanding. A specific articulation of requirements of SAB service is provided below.

Liaisons. The SAB is the student “brain trust” for EDI. The core charge of all Board members is to liaise with and advise the Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (VC-EDI) on issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion that directly impact students. SAB members are expected to draw on their experiences and insights as students to fill gaps in EDI’s knowledge about student matters with the aim of making UCLA a more equitable and inclusive environment. Each Board member will be asked to provide independent perspectives and assessment, drawing on her/his/their individual knowledge and experiences.

SAB members also function as liaisons between EDI and UCLA’s entire student population. This role includes, but is not limited to, communicating to EDI the full breadth of student concerns and perspectives that arise on any given issue and providing periodic updates to the student body about their collaboration with the Office.

Problem Solvers. Successfully tackling issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion requires a problem-solving mindset. SAB members must therefore be interested and invested in doing so with a commitment to solve, and not merely describe, diversity-related problems. EDI will provide training on a range of interdisciplinary problem-solving tools, including laws, regulations, and policies; the mind science of bias and discrimination; and institutional politics, strategies, and tactics.

Advocates. SAB members will serve as advocates for issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion that affect the entire UCLA community. In doing so, Board members will need to participate in various community outreach and programming efforts in order to collaborate and engage with UCLA campus constituents.  At their core, these efforts should foster EDI’s mission to “build equity for all”.

SAB STRUCTURE

The SAB will comprise approximately eight (8) members. The particular number will depend on how many qualified applicants apply in any given year and the available capacity of the SAB. Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students are eligible to serve on the Board, and all members must maintain a minimum of a 2.5 GPA throughout their term of service.

A member of the EDI staff will serve as the SAB Program Coordinator. The VC-EDI will serve as an ex officio Board member.

Organization. The SAB will be organized into 3-5 working groups based on the various interests of the Board members and what best fulfills the needs of the UCLA student body/community (e.g., campus climate, programming/outreach, policy change, academics, etc.).

Compensation. SAB is a service board; SAB members are selected with the understanding that insight and engagement with EDI will be both personally and professionally beneficial. Members are expected to be intrinsically-motivated and excited about the opportunity to contribute to the mission to “build equity for all.” No members will receive monetary compensation in exchange for their involvement.

Scope. SAB members do not, and should not, speak on behalf of EDI or any of its members. Nor should SAB members, in their capacity as SAB members, act as representatives of a particular student organization or constituency. SAB members are free to, and encouraged to, speak in their individual capacities about whatever issues SAB members wish to engage.

Confidentiality. Given the nature of equity, diversity, and inclusion work, SAB members will inevitably encounter sensitive and controversial subjects. In order to promote an environment that promotes robust discourse and discussion, SAB members agree to keep confidential internal deliberations during all SAB meetings. Members recognize that their confidentiality obligation extends beyond their time on the Board.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Biweekly Meetings. All SAB members must participate in biweekly SAB meetings. These meetings allow SAB members to share updates on pertinent projects; respond to campus developments; and engage in strategic planning and decision-making. The VC-EDI will attend at least one meeting each quarter. Additionally, the Associate Vice Chancellor for BruinX will attend at least one meeting per quarter.

Board members who are unable to attend meetings should notify the SAB Program Coordinator in advance. Members who miss more than 2 meetings (unexcused) in a quarter and/or are unable to actively participate may be asked to step down to ensure continuity.

Ad-hoc Projects. EDI Staff regularly request student input on relevant projects or initiatives. When needed, SAB members will be invited to participate in these projects and initiatives. Time commitment and project length will vary.

SAB-generated Projects. SAB members will also have opportunities to develop projects based on their various interests. These projects will necessarily shift based on the composition of the Board and the projects members see as best fulfilling the needs of the UCLA student body/community. These working groups will meet weekly or bi-weekly. Time commitment and project length will vary.

General Board Responsibilities. SAB members should budget an average of 2-3 hours per week to their SAB responsibilities. At least one hour every other week will be devoted to mandatory biweekly Board meetings. The remainder of SAB responsibilities will typically involve working group engagements. Additional involvement is welcomed, but not required, and will occur at the discretion of each student.

APPLYING TO BE ON THE BOARD

TERM LENGTH

Students will serve on the SAB for 1 year, with the opportunity to reapply. There are no term limits, as experience and familiarity with University structures are valuable assets. Returning applicants will be asked to reflect on their involvement over the past year of service, including attendance at meetings, active participation, and personal/professional growth. The SAB Program Coordinator will review written materials and make final decisions.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications for the Student Advisory Board will be accepted until May 22nd, 2020. All applications should include the following components:

(1) A Personal Statement of Interest (required)

(2) A Letter of Reference (optional)

The Personal Statement of Interest (required) is limited to two single-spaced pages. It must explain (a) why the student is interested in joining the Board; (b) why the student is qualified to serve on the Board, including one example in which the student changed his/her/their views as a result of engaging with people from different groups, and (c) a project idea incorporating an EDI topic that both the student is interested in and is relevant to the UCLA student body/community.

The Letter of Reference (optional) should speak to the student’s qualifications to serve on the Board. It may come from a UCLA student, faculty member, staff member, alum, or community member. Students are welcome to submit no more than 2 Letters of reference.

At the close of the application window, the SAB Program Coordinator will review complete applications and selected applicants will be invited to interview via Zoom; final decisions will likely be announced by the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Applications can be submitted at this link: https://tinyurl.com/SABAPP20-21

Please direct any questions to Anyssa Llerena at 310-267-4777 or allerena@equity.ucla.edu.

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Thanks in advance for considering this opportunity. I know many of you care deeply about changing UCLA for the better, by building equity for all. Help me do just that.

Warm regards,

Jerry Kang
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion