CSUB developing first Diversity Action Plan

Plan will guide university’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts over next few years

By California State University, Bakersfield

March 28^th, 2023

California State University, Bakersfield student Tiffany James knows what it’s like to feel that you don’t belong on campus.

“Sometimes, as a Black student, I don’t feel we’re always accepted or shown the same kind of graciousness for being a student here compared to other students,” she said. “When you come to campus and you don’t see many individuals like you, then you may feel like it is not possible to be successful. When you’re in a place where you feel like you don’t belong, you don’t want to be there.”

James — the director of graduate students for Associated Students Inc. — is working to enact change on campus through her role as a student representative on CSUB’s Commission for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Her work is empowered by her experience as a Black woman who has previously been incarcerated.

“I feel that there are a lot of changes that need to be made to comply with what our school says that we are, which is a diverse and inclusive school,” she said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and I feel that as a student, I am able to give my input and let the school know how it feels being a student and sometimes not feeling accepted at the institution you’re attending.”

To address such concerns, CSUB is drafting its first Diversity Action Plan, which will guide the university’s DEI work over the next two to three years.

“It’s very clear that we need to make progress when it comes to our [DEI] efforts on campus,” said Claudia Catota, chief diversity officer and special assistant to the president. “Our Diversity Action Plan will set the stage for our priorities when it comes to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice at CSUB. I think it will really give us a tool to guide us with the work that is really important for our campus.”

CSUB held several listening sessions earlier this month to receive input from students, faculty and staff on what they would like to see in the plan. The university’s DEI Commission is also hosting a Diversity Action Planning Summit on Wednesday, March 29, led by Dr. Ame Lambert, vice president of global diversity and inclusion at Portland State University.

Dr. Lambert will lead faculty, staff and students through several activities aimed at helping the university establish its vision for the plan. The summit will take place from 12-3 p.m. in the Student Union multipurpose room.

Catota said the listening sessions and summit will allow students, faculty and staff “to have a voice and a seat at the table where they can express their needs. It will give us an opportunity to look at what our priorities are and how we can measure that progress.”

Increasing hiring from underrepresented groups has already been a priority, Catota said, but this is the first time there will be a university-wide DEI plan in place. The idea for it originated from CSUB’s participation in ModernThink’s Great Colleges to Work For survey in fall 2021.

Faculty and staff used the survey to express a need for more conversations around DEI as well as a stronger commitment to diverse hiring that is more reflective of the student population.

“Given that feedback, we thought the next step should be to create a plan just focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion where we could address some of those concerns,” Catota said.

Kris Grappendorf — a faculty representative on the DEI Commission — said the commission has been hard at work over the past year and a half to assess the campus climate and identify what the barriers are to achieving the university’s goal of better supporting marginalized students.

“I think I can speak on behalf of the commission in saying that everyone is focused on strategically creating a plan, with input from all members of campus, that moves us toward a more inclusive environment that goes beyond acceptance of our diverse campus community and instills a true sense of belonging for every individual,” she said.

'We need togetherness'

While the university is still in the early phases of crafting a Diversity Action Plan, James is excited about its potential and believes it could make a significant difference for students.

“I think this plan is necessary in allowing our students to distinguish the difference between diversity and inclusiveness. Just because they are aligned together doesn’t mean they are the same thing,” she said.

CSUB may still be gathering input from campus stakeholders on what to include in the plan, but James already has a few ideas. She hopes one of the biggest priorities will be the creation of a multicultural center on campus.

While CSUB already has some spaces on campus dedicated to supporting students from underrepresented groups — such as the Multicultural Alliance and Gender Equality Center and the Dreamers Resource Center — James said the university needs a center that can serve as a centralized hub for all student groups.

“I know we are a Hispanic-Serving Institution. I think that’s a great thing,” she said. “However, I feel like we need to focus a little more on the smaller groups and make sure they feel appreciated too. We need to have more spaces where students can feel welcome.”

James would like to see a center where each culture can have its own room that students can customize and make their own. Not only would this give them a sense of ownership and belonging, but she also believes it would help strengthen the bonds between students.

“It would give us more confidence and pride in our school,” James said. “It would allow each group to feel like they belong, and they will be able to connect with each other. I feel like right now we’re all separate, and we need togetherness.”

That’s something she also wants to see from faculty and staff as well, as James believes that will set a good example for students.

“In order to promote togetherness, we need to see it in them,” she said. “If we don’t see them functioning together, then how do we expect to do it ourselves as students? It’s very important for us to see that.”

Catota hopes the Diversity Action Plan will lead to more faculty, staff and students getting actively involved in DEI efforts on campus.

“DEI work is not an office or a person — it is a collaborative effort,” she said. “I think most of our campus is really invested and wants to do good work when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion but don’t know how. I hope that in the process of creating this plan, we can increase the knowledge in our campus community on how they can advance DEI work at CSUB.”

James said she’s already seen a lot of faculty and staff working hard to make the campus more welcoming to everyone. She believes the Diversity Action Plan will help the university reach that goal.

“I think the passion and motivation to get it done is there. I do see a lot of commitment to making that change,” she said. “We are moving forward to becoming a more diverse and inclusive campus. With the continued motivation of our faculty, staff and students, I think we’ll be successful.”

The Diversity Action Plan is expected to be finished by the end of the academic year and take effect in fall 2023, according to Catota. The plan will be made available to view online once it has been completed.