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Staff Equity Advocates

Application for the Staff Equity Advocates Pilot is Now Open!

The application is now open to participate in the SEA pilot. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 3, 2025. If you are interested in participating in the program, please read more below and click the link at the bottom to apply!  

Overview

The Staff Equity Advocate (SEA) program seeks to embed the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into staff employment practices at UC Santa Cruz.

The creation of the SEA program is a direct response to one of the goals identified by the  Inclusive & Thriving Campus Community (ITCC) committee as part of UC Santa Cruz’s strategic plan Leading the Change, which notes:

The campus Fair Hiring Guide provides information and resources for staff hiring, and there is an online training module and a systemwide [UC Managing] Implicit Bias Series. However, these are not required. Search committees would benefit from additional support and a requirement to complete the training module and bias series every two years. The campus should explore creating a Staff Equity Advocate program akin to Faculty Equity Advocates. (p. 58 of the report)

Co-sponsored by Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer Anju Reejhsinghani and Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Human Resources Officer Kamala Green, the SEA task force is a joint effort between the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Staff Human Resources and comprises members from across divisions and functional areas on campus.

We are launching the SEA pilot in Academic Year 24–25, which focuses on the recruitment of managers. Managers have a substantial impact on their staff and the campus climate at large. It is crucial to hire managers who can foster and promote a welcoming, fair, and inclusive working environment. One critical way to achieve this goal is to conduct inclusive and equitable recruitment for these positions, where SEAs advocate for inclusive and equitable recruitment processes and procedures by serving as an advisor and a consultant to the hiring manager and the search committee.

The SEA pilot will be funded by UCOP one-time funds to address bias and bigotry (read this UC Santa Cruz Newscenter article for more). SEAs are expected to serve a two-year term following the supervisor’s approval. They will receive additional training and will be compensated for their service.

SEA Task Force

Executive Sponsors
  • Anju Reejhsinghani, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer
  • Kamala Green, Associate Vice Chancellor & Chief Human Resources Officer
Co-Chairs
  • Colette Chriqui Grey, Director, Talent Acquisition, Staff Human Resources
  • Dadao Hou, Director of Policy and Planning, Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Members
  • De Acker, University Ombuds
  • Silvia Austerlic, Learning & Talent Development Organizational Communication Consultant, Staff Human Resources
  • Naomi Chu, Director, Center for Advocacy, Resources & Empowerment, Division of Student Affairs and Success
  • Herbie Lee, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Statistics
  • Lenora Willis, Executive Director for African, Black, Caribbean Student Success, Division of Student Affairs and Success
  • Samara Winbush, EEO Director, Equity & Equal Protection Office

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Staff Equity Advocates (SEA) program?

The SEA program is designed to embed the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in staff employment. The SEA pilot will focus on managerial or higher level recruitments, where SEAs advocate for inclusive and equitable recruitment processes and procedures by serving as an advisor and consultant to the hiring manager and search committee. 

Why is UC Santa Cruz establishing a SEA program?

UC Santa Cruz is committed to fostering and promoting a campus climate where all members feel welcomed, supported, and empowered. The creation of the SEA program is a direct response to one of the goals identified by the Inclusive & Thriving Campus Community (ITCC) committee as part of UC Santa Cruz’s strategic plan Leading the Change, which notes: 

The campus Fair Hiring Guide provides information and resources for staff hiring, and there is an online training module and a systemwide [UC Managing] Implicit Bias Series. Search committees will benefit from additional support and a requirement to complete the training module and bias series every two years. The campus should explore creating a Staff Equity Advocate program akin to Faculty Equity Advocates. (See pg. 58 of the report)

Why does the SEA pilot focus on manager hiring?

Managers have a big impact on staff and the climate of the units they lead. It is important to hire managers who can foster and promote a welcoming, fair, and inclusive environment and actively combat bias and bigotry in the workplace. One key strategy to achieve this is to conduct inclusive and equitable manager recruitment, with SEAs advising hiring managers and search committees on inclusive processes.

What qualifications are necessary to be a Staff Equity Advocate?

Any employee who meets the following criteria are eligible to apply to be a Staff Equity Advocate: 

  • Full-time, non-probationary, non-represented, career staff employees, with a salary grade level of 21 or above.
  • Experience serving on one or more search committees at UC Santa Cruz.
  • Received an overall performance rating of “Meets Expectations” at minimum in their most recent performance review.
  • Fully compliant in all mandatory UC Compliance training for staff employees 
    • UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for Staff
    • UC Cyber Security Awareness Fundamentals
    • UC Ethical Values and Conduct
    • UC Abusive Conduct in the Workplace
    • UC Workplace Violence Prevention Training
  • Completed the Search Advisory and Hiring Committee Best Practices (also known as “Fair Hiring Training”) and the UC Managing Implicit Bias Series in the past two years.

In addition, the application asks about your experiences related to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and why you are interested in becoming a SEA.

If you don't meet all the criteria listed above but is passionate about participating in the SEA program, please reach out to Colette Chriqui Grey (cchriqui@ucsc.edu) or Dadao Hou (dadao.hou@ucsc.edu), co-chairs of the SEA Task Force.

Who reviews the Staff Equity Advocate applications?

The Staff Equity Advocates Task Force will review all SEA applications and recommend SEA candidates to the executive sponsors, who will formally appoint the SEAs. The application review will focus on knowledge, skills, and actions related to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

What are the expectations for Staff Equity Advocates?

SEAs serve as advisors and consultants to hiring managers and search committees. SEAs are not expected to be regular search committee members and will not screen applicants or interview any candidates. 

It is expected that SEAs spend 4 to 6 hours per recruitment; this includes engagement with the hiring manager and the search committee and written documentation of work performed. Given that only the most critically needed positions will be approved for hiring in light of the campus budget situation, each SEA should expect to engage in 2 to 3 recruitments in FY25.

SEAs are expected to serve for two years with annual reappointment — the first year as a junior SEA, and the second year as a senior SEA who also serves as a mentor to a junior SEA.

Why is supervisor approval required to be a Staff Equity Advocate?

Supervisor approval is required due to the time commitment expected for SEAs, both during the training period and when supporting an assigned recruitment, and because SEAs will serve in their role for 2 years. 

What type of training and support will be provided to Staff Equity Advocates?

As prerequisites, the SEAs should already have taken the Search Advisory and Hiring Committee Best Practices (also known as “Fair Hiring Training”) offered through the UCSC Learning Center, and the UC Managing Implicit Bias Series. 

Once selected, SEAs will participate in three two-hour interactive group training sessions. The training is designed at an advanced level considering that SEAs should already have a baseline understanding of existing professional development materials. In particular, the additional training offers:

  • Conceptual frameworks of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and organizational culture.
  • Toolkits of inclusive and equitable hiring practices, communication, and conflict management. 

Aside from group training sessions, SEAs will also have the opportunity to build a community of practice — a networking space that promotes mutual support, idea exchange, and story sharing. The community of practice will be particularly beneficial when SEAs start working with hiring managers and search committees to compare notes.

The SEA Task Force (and its successors) will work with  SEAs to curate an ever-evolving literature and best practices of workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion into a resource library for managers and search committees. 

Will Staff Equity Advocates be compensated?

SEAs will be compensated for their services. A $750 stipend will be provided for each recruitment during the SEA pilot. Compensating SEAs is an investment; a strong SEA program is a cost effective method of supporting hiring managers in improving the inclusivity of searches. More efficiently run recruitments ensure highly qualified candidates are hired. The long-term benefits of hiring strong managers is immeasurable in terms of the retention of the staff they support.

How is the SEA program funded?

The SEA pilot will be funded by UCOP one-time funds established to address bias and bigotry (read this UC Santa Cruz Newscenter story for more). 


If you have any questions or need additional information about the SEA program, please do not hesitate to reach out to Colette Chriqui Grey (cchriqui@ucsc.edu) or Dadao Hou (dadao.hou@ucsc.edu), co-chairs of the SEA Task Force.

Apply to be a Staff Equity Advocate here

Check here for a PDF copy of the Call for Applications.