Recommendationsforimprovingcampusclimateforgraduatestudents
AdvisoryCouncilonCampusClimate,Culture,andInclusion(ACCCCI)
September2012
TheACCCCIGraduateStudentSubcommitteereviewedthefindingsfromthe2011GraduateStudent
Surveyrelatedtoclimatefordiversity,equity,andinclusion,andidentifiedthreeareasforattention:
TATraining,ProfessionalDevelopment,andStudentVoice.Thefindingsineacharea,
recommendationsandnextstepshavebeenendorsedbyACCCCIandaresummarizedbelow.
TATraining
Surveyresults: GraduatestudentsemployedasTeachingAssistantsatleastonceduringtheir
graduatestudiesatUCSCwereaskedtoevaluateTAtrainingprovidedbytheirprogram,bothin
termsofitsoverallquality,andtrainingspecificallyforteachingdiversestudentpopulationand
maintainingrespectfulclassroomenvironment.80percentofrespondentsreportedreceivingformal
instructioninteachingpriortotheirfirstTAassignment.OfthoseTAswhoreceivedformal
instruction,about60percentweresatisfiedwithitsoverallqualityinthreedivisions(Humanities,
SocialSciencesandPBSci)and84percent–intheSchoolofEngineering.(TheArtsDivisionhadtoo
fewrespondentswithTAexperienceandwasnotincludedinthisanalysis).
About50percentofrespondentsacrossdivisionssaidthattheirprogramsprovidedinsufficient
trainingandresourcesformaintainingarespectfulclassroomenvironment(seetheattachedReport
onTAtrainingfordetails),and44percentsaidthattheirprogramsdidnotprovidesufficient
resourcesor“bestpractices”forteachingdiversestudents.Thereweresignificantgender
differencesinstudentsatisfactionwithTAtrainingforteachingdiversestudentpopulations,with
nearlytwiceasmanywomenreportinginsufficientpreparationcomparedtomen.
TheSurveyshowedthattheextenttowhichtheTAtrainingsatisfiedgraduatestudents’needsvaried
acrossprogramswithineverydivision.Therewerenosignificantdifferencesamongstudentswith
differentracial/ethnicbackgroundsintheirTAtraining,needsandexperiences.
BasedontheSurveyresults,ACCCCIrecommendsthat
1.
2.
3.
deansreviewtheSurveyfindingsonTAtraining(attached)whetherformaltrainingisbeing
providedfornewTAseitherbeforeorconcurrentwithteachingassignments,asrequiredby
campuspolicy;
departments
a) reviewtheSurveyfindingsonTAtrainingfortheirspecificgraduateprogram(attached)
withthepersonresponsibleforTAtrainingandaheadTA,
b) engagefacultymembersandinviteon‐campusspecialiststoprovidetrainingsessionsforall
TAs(newandexperienced)onissuesofdiversity,studentresources,supportivelearning
environment,andconflictresolution.SuchspecialistsincludeDonnaeSmith,Diversity&
InclusionProgramCoordinator(donnaes@ucsc.edu)andNancyHeischman,Directorof
CampusConflictResolutionServices(nheischm@ucsc.edu).
c) shareinformation/workshopsonTAtrainingonissuesofdiversityandsupportivelearning
environmentwithothergraduateprograms;
thecampus
a) createatrainingprogramincollegeteaching(forwhichacertificateofcompletionwouldbe
issued).Itisenvisionedthattheprogramwillprovideacohortof14‐15selectgraduate
ACCCCIrecommendations
4.
studentswithfacultymentorshipandin‐depthtraininginteachingadiversestudent
population.Uponcompletionoftheprogramandascompatiblewithdegreeprogressand
academicemployment,thesestudentsshouldbecomementorstoothergraduatestudents
andbringteachingresourcesandexpertisetotheirrespectiveprograms.
b) re‐establishtheCenterforTeachingExcellencetoprovideprogramming(workshops,invited
speakers,etc.)andteachingresourcesontopicsofdiversityandinclusionforbothgraduate
studentsandfaculty(buildinga“communityofpractice”);
theGraduateStudentAssociation(GSA)considerinstitutionalizingthe“TAQuestionand
Answer”panelaspartoftheyearlyGSANewStudentOrientation.
ProfessionalDevelopment
Surveyresults:Themajorityofrespondentsacrossprogramsindicatedthattheyneededprofessional
developmentopportunitiesinthefollowingareas:



writingandpublishingscholarlyarticles,
conductingdissertationresearch,and
conductingacademicandnon‐academicjobsearchandinterviews.
Studentsconsistentlyreportedirregularavailabilityorlackofprofessionaldevelopment
classes/workshopsintheseareas(seetheattachedReportonProfessionalDevelopment).
Thesurveyalsofoundthatevenamongstudentswhohavealreadycompletedcourseworkmanyfelt
underpreparedintheseareas.Forexample,fromaboutathird(PBSci)totwothirds(SocialSciences)
ofrespondentsdidnotfeelthattheyhadgoodpreparationtowritescholarlyarticlesforpublication.
Atthesametime,about70‐80percentofdoctoralrespondentsinalldivisionsexceptSOEexpected
tofindanacademicposition,includingafacultyandpostdoctoralorotherresearcherpositionin
academia.
Levelofpreparationvariedbydivisionaswellasbyrespondents’genderandrace/ethnicity.For
example,intheSocialSciencesDivisionandtheSchoolofEngineeringfemalegraduatestudentsfelt
significantlylesspreparedtoproducescholarlypublicationsthantheirmalecolleagues.Almost40%
ofunderrepresentedethnicminorityrespondents(includingHispanic/Latino,African‐
American/Black,American‐Indianstudentsandstudentswithmulti‐racial/ethnicbackgrounds)
reportedhavingpoorpreparationtowriteandpublishscholarlyarticles.Poorpreparationfor
producingscholarlypublicationswasreportedby12%ofwhite,non‐Hispanic,15%ofAsian‐
American,and21%ofinternationalstudents.
Feelingwellpreparedtoengageinvariousprofessionalactivities(suchasindependentresearch,
writingscholarlyarticles,andmakingpresentations)wasassociatedwithstudentperceptionsofa
supportiveclimateinthedepartment.Forexample,studentswhofeltwellpreparedtoconduct
independentresearchandengageinscholarlywritingalsoreportedasignificantlyhighersenseof
supportinthedepartmentforstudentswithdifferentbackgrounds,identities,andphysical,and
othernotreadilyapparentdisabilities.
BasedontheSurveyresults,ACCCCIrecommendsthat
1.departments
a) reviewandevaluateprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities,identifyingthegapsbetween
studentneedsandopportunitiesoffered,
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ACCCCIrecommendations
b) organizeworkshopsandprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesand,ifpossible,invite
studentsfromotherprogramstoattend,and/orcooperateinprogrammingwithrelevant
relateddepartments,
c) informstudentsandfacultyaboutnewonlineresourcesavailableatUCSC’sCareerCenter
websiteforgraduatestudentssuchas“VersatilePhDforHumanitiesandSocialSciences”,
d) invitealumnatosharetheirexperiencesontheacademicandnon‐academicjobmarketsand
earlycareerexperiences;
2.thecampus
1.
2.
supportandincreasethenumberandcapacityofcampus‐wideprofessionaldevelopment
events,
raisestudents’awarenessofcampus‐wideanddepartmentalprofessionaldevelopment
events(forexample,throughmaintaininganonlinequarterlycalendarofevents).
StudentVoice
Surveyresults:Graduateprogramsacrosstheacademicdivisionsvariedinthefollowingpractices
supportiveofstudentvoice:
 consultingwithstudentsaboutprogramissues/changesthatconcernthem,
 allowinggraduatestudentrepresentativestoattendfacultymeetings,and
 informinggraduatestudentsaboutmeansforconflictresolutionbetweenfacultyorstaffand
students.
Programsthathadthesepracticesreceivedsignificantlyhigherratingsoftheoverallqualityofthe
program.Inaddition,theseprogramswerefoundtohavehigherlevelsofstudentsatisfactionwith
bothtransparencyandequitabilityoffundingdecisionsandhadmorestudentswhoweresatisfied
withretentionofgraduatestudentsintheirprogram.
Studentsweremorelikelytoreportfeelingrespectedbyfacultyintheprogramswherefaculty
consultedwithstudentsandinformedthemaboutconflictresolutionprocess.Pleaseseetheattached
ReportonStudentVoicePracticesfordetails.
BasedontheSurveyresults,ACCCCIrecommendsthat
1.departments
a) reviewtheirexistinginformationdisseminationpracticesinlightofthesurveyresultsfor
theirprogram,
b) considerinstitutingpracticeswhichimproveinformationsharingwithgraduatestudents
aboutdepartmentalissuessuchasstudentrepresentativestoFacultymeetings,Doctoral
ProgramCommittees,etc.,
c) reviewtheirexistingprocessesforgraduatestudentstoresolveaconflictwithafaculty
member,
d) makenecessarychangestothewaysinwhichgraduatestudentsareinformedabout
department‐andcampus‐wideservicesandprocessesforresolvingaconflictwithafaculty
member;
2.thecampusbuildacomprehensiveon‐lineresourcedevotedtomanagingrelationshipsbetween
graduatestudentsandfaculty(e.g.,perhapsmodeledafterUCDavisorMichiganStateU).
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ACCCCIrecommendations
Recommendednextsteps
ACCCCIrecommendsthatresponsibilityforfollow‐throughontheserecommendationsbeformally
designated–specifically,
 recommendationssuggestingcampuswideactionbeassignedtoandcoordinatedbythe
ViceProvostandDeanofGraduateStudies,
 recommendationssuggestingactionsbydeansordepartmentsbeassignedtoand
coordinatedbyacademicdeans,and
 therecommendationtotheGraduateStudentAssociationbeforwardedtotheGSApresident
forconsideration.
Expectedactionsbytheprincipalofficerassignedresponsibilitymayinclude
a) receivingrecommendations,
b) endorsingormodifyingthem,asappropriate,
c) consultingwiththeSenate(i.e.,theGraduateCouncil),asappropriate,
d) creatinganactionplan,and
e) assessingoutcomes.
Inaddition,ACCCCIrecommendsthatthesethreeareasofconcern(TATraining,Professional
Development,andStudentVoice)beagainevaluatedinlateSpring2013(viathegraduatestudent
surveytobeconductedbyIRPS/GradDivision).
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