This page offers guidance to faculty candidates for writing their Diversity Statement.

Thank you for your interest in a career at UCSB! The University of California is committed to excellence and equity in every facet of its mission. Contributions in all areas of faculty achievement that promote equal opportunity and diversity are encouraged and given due recognition in the evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications, in the same way as other faculty achievements.

A Diversity Statement is required as one component of a complete application, and will be reviewed by the search committee along with your other materials. This statement should describe your past, present, and planned contributions to equity, diversity, and/or inclusion. The examples below will guide you in writing an effective statement on contributions to diversity. Although this is not an exhaustive inventory, relevant contributions might include:

Teaching

  • Contributions to pedagogies addressing different learning needs and educational backgrounds, for example:
    • Designing courses or curricula that meet the needs of educationally underserved students;
    • Developing effective teaching strategies for the educational advancement of students from under-represented groups.
    • Strategies to encourage both critical thinking and respectful dialogue in the classroom.
  • Experience teaching students who are under-represented, for example:
    • Teaching at a minority-serving institution;
    • Record of success advising women and minority graduate students;
    • Experience teaching students with disabilities.

Research

  • Research contributions to understanding and overcoming the barriers facing women and minorities in academic disciplines, for example:
    • Studying patterns of participation and advancement of women and minorities in fields where they are underrepresented;
    • Studying socio-cultural issues confronting underrepresented students in college preparation curricula;
    • Evaluating programs, curricula, and teaching strategies designed to enhance participation of under-represented students in higher education.
  • Experience creating inclusive and respectful research environments.
  • Mentoring and supporting the advancement and professional development of underrepresented students or postdocs.
  • Research focused on underserved communities.

Professional Activity

  • Engagement in activity designed to remove barriers and to increase participation by groups historically under-represented in higher education:
    • Participation in academic preparation, outreach, or tutoring;
    • Participation in recruitment and retention activities;
    • Service as an advisor to programs such as Women in Science and Engineering.

University and Public Service

  • Participation in service that applies up-to-date knowledge to problems, issues, and concerns of groups historically underrepresented in higher education:
  • Participation with professional or scientific associations or meetings that aim to increase diversity or address the needs of underrepresented students, staff, or faculty.
  • The application of theory to real-world economic, social, and community development problems.
  • Outreach activities designed to remove barriers and to increase the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups.
  • Honors, awards, and other forms of special recognition such as commendations from local or national groups or societies representing under-served communities;
  • Supporting student organizations that serve underrepresented groups.
  • Serving on university or college committees related to equity and inclusion, or preventing sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Knowledge and Understanding

  • Knowledge of, experience with, and interest in dimensions of diversity that result from different identities, such as ethnic, socioeconomic, racial, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and cultural differences.
  • Familiarity with demographic data related to diversity in higher education.
  • Comfort discussing diversity-related issues.
  • Understanding of mentorship power dynamics and personal-professional boundaries between faculty and students.
  • Understanding of the challenges faced by underrepresented individuals, and the need to identify and eliminate barriers to their full and equitable participation and advancement.

The examples provide in this document are modeled after guidelines in the UC Office of the President document “Evaluating Contributions to Diversity for Faculty Appointment and Promotion Under APM – 210”, as well as guidelines for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statements developed by UCLA and UC Berkeley.