The UCLA Physical Sciences Student Advisory Board on Diversity is comprised of graduate students in the division of physical sciences who are dedicated to creating a climate that provides everyone with opportunities to contribute to our research and teaching missions.
The full board charter describes the board charge, guidelines for board membership, and the process by which the board will contribute to the development and implementation of the Physical Sciences Division Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan
Division of Physical Sciences Student Advisory Board Charter
The graduate students in the Division of Physical Sciences are central to our teaching and research missions. Therefore, any effort to transform the climate in the division must take into account the goals of our graduate students. The Physical Sciences Student Advisory Board on Diversity will advise the Dean of Physical Sciences on all issues pertaining to the transformation of the division into an environment in which everyone is welcome and has the opportunity to succeed.
Charge: The primary role of the board will be to help develop the Division of Physical Sciences Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategic Plan and to advise the division on its implementation. The board will provide the Dean with feedback on EDI initiatives and activities in progress across the division and propose new initiatives.
Guidelines for membership: The board will consist of graduate student representatives from the six academic departments in the Division of Physical Sciences and from the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES). The board will consist of at least ten members with at least one member from each department and IoES.
Candidates for membership can be self-nominated, or nominated by department chairs, faculty, and graduate students. Nominations should include a CV and a brief letter indicating the candidates’ contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion and/or motivation for seeking membership on the board. The final selection of the members will be the responsibility of the Division of Physical Sciences Diversity Committee.
Term of service: The term of service on the board will be one year, but members can be renewed annually upon recommendation of the Division of Physical Sciences Diversity Committee. There are no term limits. The division of Physical Sciences Diversity Coordinator will assist the chair with logistics and communications, including website content and social media posts.
Chair: The board will select one member to serve as chair.
Meetings: The board will meet once per quarter with additional meetings called for when there are special opportunities.
In addition to the board members, the Dean, Associate Deans, Assistant Dean and the Division of Physical Sciences Diversity Coordinator will attend the meetings. Guests may include Department chairs and others from both inside and outside the division making presentations.
Prior to each meeting, a call will go out to all committee members for agenda items, and the board chair will work with the Dean and Associate Deans to develop an agenda for each meeting.
Meetings will include presentations about the current situation in the division regarding the climate for diversity and describe initiatives underway to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion at all levels (undergraduate students, graduate students, staff, and faculty). Board members will be asked for advice on how current initiatives should be refined and improved and to propose new initiatives. Minutes will be taken and shared with the committee for the preparation of the board’s report.
Subsequent to the meeting, with support from the division of Physical Sciences Diversity Coordinator, the student advisory board chair will coordinate the preparation of a written report (generally 2-5 pages) that provides comments and recommendations on each item discussed at the meeting. The final report will be posted on the Division of Physical Sciences diversity webpage.
Student Advisory Board Webpage: To aid communication between the students and board members, who serve as liaisons between the students and the Dean’s office, a webpage in the Division of Physical Sciences website that includes information on board membership will be made available to all Physical Science students and faculty. It will also include biographical information and contact information for each board member along with a brief personal statement describing each member’s motivation and goals.
Funding for Diversity Initiatives: The board will have control over an annual budget in the amount of $5,000 to be used in support of diversity and outreach initiatives. It will be up to the board to determine the mechanism for soliciting proposals for these awards and to choose the awardees. The Physical Sciences Diversity Committee and Dean of Physical Sciences have final approval authority over these awards.