UC Davis and UC Davis Health prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging- and that hasn't gone unnoticed.
- Forbes places UC Davis on their list of Best Employers for Diversity three years running
- Healthcare market researcher Monigle ranks UC Davis Health #3 nationally as "most committed to improving diversity and inclusion"
- The Human Rights Campaign Foundation designates UC Davis Health an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader
Top Reasons UC Davis is among the Best
1. Our leadership
UC Davis excels in large part because of the diversity among its leadership and the value that comes with a variety of perspectives. While Forbes looks at the share of women who fill top executive or board positions at UC Davis, our Diversity & Inclusion Executive Leadership Team works with the Chancellor and Provost on equity and inclusion training opportunities for senior leaders, including vice chancellors, deans, chairs, and others.
Bottom Row L-R: Helene Dillard, Dean, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Lauren Lindstrom, Dean, School of Education; Viji Murali, CIO and Vice Provost for Information and Educational Technology; Joanna Regulska, Vice Provost and Dean for Global Affairs; MacKenzie Smith, University Librarian and Vice Provost of Digital Scholarship; Susan Murin, Dean, School of Medicine.
2. Our Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Our Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, founded in 2019, continues impactful work across the Davis and Health campuses, including Implementing our Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision. One critical goal is broadening the diversity of faculty and staff by cultivating a diverse pipeline and ensuring that campus policies, departmental incentives, and funding models are aligned to make aggressive progress on hiring goals.
3. We're invested in cultivating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment
- The UC Davis Strategic Investments webpage shares just some of the many investments that have been made to support our communities.
- Our Community Benefits Agreement with the city of Sacramento focuses on workforce development and training from low income areas in the Sacramento region, as well as supplier diversity.
- By working toward Anchor Institution status at UC Davis Health, we're reversing systemic/structural racism and discrimination by improving the health, welfare and wellbeing of neighboring communities.
4. Our Employee Resource Groups
Our employee resource groups foster a sense of belonging for veterans, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals with disabilities, women and others.
5. Our recruiting efforts
Our recruiting efforts target underserved communities with the message You Belong Here.
- We make sure recruiting committees and interview panels are representative of our diverse community and prepared to manage implicit bias in the hiring process.
- 50+ outreach events this year focused on sharing job opportunities with the local community, because UCD thrives when our workforce reflects the diversity of our student population and the patients we serve.
- HR's You Belong Here webpage which was recently launched in an effort to demystify the application process for future employees, providing more equitable access to all.
6. Our non-stop educational opportunities
Those in the offices of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Organizational Excellence offer educational opportunities that foster an inclusive culture and improve the employee experience for everyone.
- The Race Matters series, launched in 2020, and helps teams have conversations about race.
- The Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces series prepares leaders to create safe spaces for conversations impacting their team's work and professional lives.
- The Becoming An Inclusive Leader Series is currently underway, empowering leaders to lead our increasingly diverse workforce.
7. Our Principles of Community
Our Principles of Community reflect ideals we seek to uphold and are shared widely, particularly during Principles of Community Week.
"The Principles of Community mean every individual has the right to fully participate in university life: every person is valued equally; and the ability to question, disagree and to think new thoughts is at the core of everything we do as a university."
— Dr. David Lubarsky, CEO, UC Davis Health | Read more
8. We ask employees for feedback
We ask employees for feedback on diversity, inclusion and belonging, and then take action.
The second ever Staff Experience Survey just wrapped up in May 2022, offering employees the opportunity to make their voices heard and help make UC Davis an even better place to work. We were proud to learn that staff feel a sense of belonging and empowered to make decisions at work.
9. We celebrate successes
Soaring to New Heights celebrates individuals and teams for championing diversity, our Principles of Community and disability awareness across UC Davis.
10. Our chancellor prioritizes diversity in hiring
"I believe our workforce should reflect the diversity of our students and of the State of California."
— Chancellor Gary May