Dear Students:

I invite you to apply to serve on the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’s Student Advisory Board (SAB) for the 2021-2022 academic year. The SAB provides student-centric perspectives and advice to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and to me. Student involvement helps ensure that the values of equity, diversity and inclusion are translated into meaningful action representative of undergraduate, graduate and professional student experiences. All UCLA students are eligible to apply. We’re seeking to fill 3-5 vacancies and our goal is to appoint a diverse SAB that is representative of the UCLA community we serve.

Below are additional details about the SAB, including the scope of work the Board members perform, the term of service and the application process. Please visit our EDI website to learn more about the current Board and about the work of EDI @ UCLA.

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BOARD MEMBER EXPECTATIONS

ADVISORS | LIAISONS | PROBLEM SOLVERS

SAB members serve for a term of one (1) academic year commencing in September and agree to follow and work in support of:

Board members will work collaboratively, professionally and collegially to support equity, diversity and inclusion at UCLA consistent with the terms of the SAB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). A failure to do so may result in being asked to step down from the Board. A specific articulation of requirements of SAB service is provided below.

Advisors. One of the core charges of the SAB members is to advise the VC-EDI and EDI Office 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 living, learning and working environment. Each Board member will be asked to provide independent perspectives and assessment, drawing on their individual knowledge and experiences. The SAB will meet with the VC-EDI at least four (4) times per year (once per quarter).

Liaisons. SAB members will assist EDI by sharing information with and receiving feedback from various student organizations at UCLA under the guidance of the SAB Program Coordinator. Board members may need to participate in community outreach and programming efforts in order to collaborate and engage with UCLA campus constituents. In this role, Board members will also communicate 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, EDI-related challenges. Board members may 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 “enhance equity, diversity and inclusion, combat discrimination and achieve our shared values of upholding dignity for all”.

SAB members will receive additional information and guidance on relevant law, policies, best-practices and EDI Office priorities. All SAB members are expected to attend the SAB Retreat, which will take place at the beginning of the Fall quarter.

SAB STRUCTURE

The SAB has 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.

Board members serve a term of one (1) academic year and are required to re-apply each subsequent year. Members can serve a maximum of three (3) non-consecutive terms.

A member of the EDI staff serves 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, outreach, policy change, academics, etc.).

Service. 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 “enhance equity, diversity and inclusion, combat discrimination and achieve our shared values of upholding dignity for all.” SAB members do not receive monetary compensation.

Scope. SAB members serve in their individual capacity and do not represent or speak on behalf of the EDI Office or any of our employees.

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 (1) meeting each quarter.

Board members who are unable to attend meetings should notify the SAB Program Coordinator in advance. Members who miss more than two (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 biweekly. Time commitment and project length will vary.

General Board Responsibilities. SAB members should plan to spend, on average, two to three (2-3) hours per week on their SAB responsibilities. At least one (1) 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

Board members will serve a term of one (1) academic year and are required to re-apply each subsequent year. Members can serve a maximum of three (3) non-consecutive terms. 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 SAB will be accepted from May 3, 2021 to May 31, 2021. 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 (2) 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 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 two (2) Letters of Reference.

At the close of the application window, a committee 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 2020-2021 academic year.

Applications can be submitted via the Student Advisory Board application page.

Please direct any questions to Anyssa Llerena at allerena@equity.ucla.edu.

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At UCLA, equity, diversity and inclusion are everyone’s responsibility. Thank you for considering this opportunity and being a part of what makes UCLA so special.

Best regards,

Anna Spain Bradley
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion