UCSF Seeks New Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Outreach
UCSF’s goal is to educate, train and employ a diverse faculty, staff and student body, such as those enrolled in the UCSF School of Medicine’s program that teaches medical students with demonstrated interest in working with urban underserved communities.
Already on the forefront of addressing health care disparities and community needs while promoting diversity and inclusion among its faculty, staff, students and trainees, UCSF is now taking a major step forward by creating the new position of vice chancellor of diversity and outreach.
This position will serve on the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet and will report directly to UCSF Chancellor Sue Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH.
Nurturing diversity is one of seven major directions outlined in the UCSF Strategic Plan, which specifically states the goal to educate, train and employ a diverse faculty, staff and student body. Since becoming chancellor in August 2009, Desmond-Hellmann has wholeheartedly endorsed that goal.
“I have been impressed with the passion and commitment demonstrated in this area by many of our faculty, staff and students,” she said. “Creating a diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone has the opportunity to excel is critical to achieving our mission. The breadth of diversity initiatives here on campus is a testament to the importance that the UCSF community places on creating such an environment.”
UCSF is looking from within the campus community to find an exceptional leader who is a member of the faculty or staff to serve in the newly created position. Additional information can be found on the campus Human Resources website. requisition No. 33554BR. Letters of interest and CVs can be submitted online or to Angelique Loscar, assistant chancellor, through Wednesday, Sept. 15.
In collaboration with faculty, staff, and student leaders, the new vice chancellor will develop and implement a strategic plan – aligned and integrated with the UCSF mission and strategies – with campuswide goals on diversity and outreach, focusing on overall campus climate, recruitment, and retention for students, faculty, and staff and operating within federal and state legal constraints.
Initially, the new post will be a minimum 50 percent appointment and may be a higher percentage appointment, up to 100 percent, as determined by the chancellor and depending upon the vision and proposed work plan articulated by the successful candidate.
Key responsibilities of the new vice chancellor of diversity and outreach are to:
- Establish a new collaborative organizational model that assures operational excellence in all aspects of diversity activities.
- Work closely with other senior administrators to address issues of diversity that cut across faculty, students and staff as well as operational lines.
- Serve as the campus expert on how best to achieve diversity goals, acting as the campus spokesperson for data and best practices on diversity and outreach.
- Establish and lead an advisory group that will offer advice and ideas.
- Develop and implement assessment tools to measure progress in meeting goals to advance diversity at UCSF.
- Solicit new funding to support diversity and outreach activities, including pursuing external donors and funding agencies with interest in innovative ideas in this area.
- Assess existing and new diversity programs for their ability to meet campuswide and unit specific goals for improving diversity and recommend or take actions to address shortcomings.
- Recommend diversity-related budgetary enhancements and/or limits to the chancellor, executive vice chancellor and provost and Executive Cabinet.
- Work with Public Affairs to develop communications for the campus and community at large.
Establishing a Collaborative Model
The idea of appointing a highly visible, senior level leader to coordinate UCSF’s myriad efforts to enhance diversity, as well as take on the duties described above, came from near unanimous support of a Subcommittee on Outreach and Diversity.
In December 2009, Bobby Baron, MD, then chair of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Academic Diversity (CACAD), appointed that subcommittee to review and analyze three recent reports with various recommendations and to develop a single, consolidated proposal to enhance outreach and diversity at UCSF.
The subcommittee, co-chaired by Joseph Castro, PhD, vice provost for Student Academic Affairs and special assistant to the chancellor, and Renee Navarro, MD, PharmD, director of Academic Diversity, also recommended that UCSF establish a diversity office to incorporate existing UCSF diversity programs and offices.
It also recommended that the new diversity office establish a campuswide multicultural center that will provide space and resources to support interprofessional collaboration for outreach, recruitment and diversity education programs. The subcommittee’s report [PDF] is posted online and was endorsed by the CACAD, the chancellor and the Executive Cabinet.
In June, the UC Office of the President established a systemwide Council on Climate, Culture and Inclusion and has urged each UC chancellor to establish a campus council. The UCSF Council on Campus Climate, Culture and Inclusion, which takes the place of the CACAD, met for the first time in July and will meet monthly.
Baron has since been appointed to chair the search committee for the new vice chancellor of diversity and outreach and serves as co-chair of the new UCSF council along with the chancellor and Jeff Bluestone, PhD, executive vice chancellor and provost.
Photo by Elisabeth Fall/fallfoto.com
Related Links:
UCSF Advances Focus on Diversity, Inclusion
UCSF Today, July 27, 2010