Community Resources

IGPMS DEIW Working Group

IGPMS is using a "Catalyst for Change" framework to identify specific actions we can take to improve DEIW in our community. Specific changes that have already been made as a result of this program include:

• This Resources webpage!
• Removal of the GRE as an admissions requirement
• Improved guidance on the Admissions page for prospective students, including advice for written statements, the availability of application fee waivers, and tips for contacting prospective advisors.

Contact IGPMS Program Diversity Officer Nick Nidzieko if you are interested in getting involved!

Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE)

A "pod" of Marine Science community members, including faculty, staff, and students, participated in the URGE curriculum in Spring 2021. Specific actions we took as a result of this curriculum include:

• Development of a policy for reporting incidents of bias and improving clarity on our website about this process
• Adopted a holistic review process for admissions, including a standardized admissions rubric and the requirement for mulitple independent reviews of each candidate
• Inclusion of a student-developed "guide to graduate school admissions" linked through our website
• Development of a Resource Map (see below) for community members of color

Read more about our deliverables and pod participants on the URGE website.

UC-HBCU Initiative

Enabled by a grant to Professors Nick Nidzieko and Gretchen Hofmann, Marine Science is participating in the University of California-Historically Black Colleges and Universities (UC-HBCU) Initiative. Through this program, undergraduate fellows from an HBCU will spend a summer at UCSB participating in a research project and learning about the process of science.

Promoting a Culturally-Responsive Curriculum

The UCSB Center for Innovative Teaching, Research, and Learning (CITRAL) has compiled an excellent set of resources for culturally-responsive teaching. A subset of IGPMS faculty also participated in CITRAL's RISE program to receive additional training in student-centered learning in remote courses. A student survey and review of the curriculum for IGPMS's required seminar series (MARSC595) in Summer and Fall 2020 indicated a strong need for curricular revisions to better train our students for teaching and working in culturally-diverse environments. As a result, a new course - Marine Science and Society - is in development and will join the three-course rotation for MARSC595 in AY 2022-2023.

Equity in Graduate Education

IGPMS faculty are actively involved in the Equity in Graduate Education Consortium where they receive training on best practices for admissions and mentoring.

Campus Resources

Numerous campus organizations exist to prompt the health, wellness, mental well-being, and academic success of graduate students at UCSB, all of whom have valuable and unique lived experiences.

Reporting Incidents of Bias

If you feel comfortable doing so, all incidents should first be reported to the laboratory PI, the Program Chair, or the Program Diversity Officer. No one should fear retaliation or retribution in reporting an incident of bias. UCSB also has several campus-level mechanisms for reporting incidents of racial and gender bias. The Title IX Office handles incidents of sexual harrassment.

UCSB Bias Incident Reporting

Title IX Office

UC Ethics Point

Office of the Ombuds

Resource Map for Students of Color

Students, faculty, and staff collaborated to make this compilation of support resources for students of color and their advisors in our program.

Resource Map

Graduate Division

GradDiv provides support, services, and programming for the graduate student community.

• Academic Counseling
  Academic support (goal setting, time management), campus services referrals
• Graduate Student Resource Center
  The primary resource for graduate student career and professional development. GSRC offers a variety of workshops and events, individual advising, and referrals to other campus resources that serve graduate students.
• Graduate Scholars Program
  Provides support, mentoring, and services for incoming graduate students from populations that are traditionally underrepresented in the academy
• Departmental Diversity Officers
  Diversity Officers serve as departmental contact to receive information from the Graduate Division regarding diversity; take a leading role within the department in strategizing, developing, and deploying diversity initiatives affecting graduate education; reach out and provide support to students in the department who may be experiencing issues regarding diversity, inclusion, and equity. The IGPMS Diversity Officer is Nick Nidzieko

Student Affairs

Student Affairs advances the education, research, and service mission of the University by providing programs and services that contribute to students’ academic achievement, personal development, well-being and success.

• Counseling & Psychological Services
  CAPS provides culturally responsive mental health services and a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment to ensure that all students remain psychologically healthy in pursuit of their goals.
• Disabled Students Program
  DSP’s mission is to ensure full participation and equal access to all educational activities and classes at UCSB, and to facilitate student success for students with disabilities.
• Educational Opportunity Program
  EOP provides a support and information base that validates each student's experience and nurtures a sense of participation, belonging and empowerment through mentorship, academic programs, one-to-one counseling/advising, campus student support service referrals and social/cultural programming. Several Cultural Resource Centers (CRCs or RCs) operate out of EOP.
  • African Diasporic CRC
  • American Indian CRC
  • Asian RC
  • Chicanx/Latina CRC
  • Middle Eastern RC
• Equity & Inclusion
  In collaboration with other organizations on campus, the E&I team addresses campus climate, equity, inclusion and diversity issues through department/unit consulting, training, and strategic planning.
• Multicultural Center (MCC)
  The MCC (located within UCen) provides a hospitable and safe space for marginalized populations on campus. The MCC also offers a broad spectrum of events, including educational programming and performances, with the intent to facilitate the retention of students of color and combat institutional racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and transphobia. They have links to a number of on-campus resources.
• Office of Black Student Development
  OBSD advances the experiences of Black students at UCSB and fosters their personal and academic achievement.
• Office of International Students and Scholars
  OISS cultivates an inclusive environment that supports international students academically, professionally and personally by providing holistic advising on immigration, employment and cultural matters.
• Resource Center for Sexual & Gender Diversity
  The RCSGD works with students, staff and faculty to ensure that LGBTQ identities, experiences and concerns are represented and addressed at UCSB
• Student Health Services
  SHS provides inclusive, compassionate, comprehensive, and integrated healthcare services.
• Women, Gender & Sexual Equity Department
  WGSE uses a feminist approach to provide support, advocacy, resources and education to the UCSB community.
  • Women’s Center Programs
    The Women’s Center is the primary organization on campus dedicated to providing education on women’s issues, feminism, healthy masculinities, and gender and social equity.
  • Campus Advocacy Resources & Education (CARE)
    CARE’s mission is to provide professionally designed services for the prevention and intervention of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking and harassment.
  • Non-Traditional Student Resource Center
    The Non-Traditional Student Resource Center provides a community space for students whose life experiences may differ from traditional students.

Student Organizations

• Graduate Students for Diversity in Science (GSDS)
• Graduate Biology Mentorship Association (BIOME)
• Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC)
• Graduate Student Association
  GSA, the elected representative government for UCSB graduate students, advocates for graduate students in campus policy decisions and provides graduate students with information, social activities, and a physical space to use for both academic and social programming.
• Shoreline
  Shoreline is the Division of Student Affairs official community engagement tool, connecting students, staff, and faculty to more than 500 registered student groups at UCSB, of which 15 have membership that is restricted to graduate students only, including the American Indian Graduate Student Alliance, Asian Pacific Islander Graduate Student Alliance, Black Graduate Student Association, Iranian Graduate Student Association, and Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science Graduate Chapter.

Basic Needs Resources

• https://food.ucsb.edu
  Provides a centralized source of Basic Needs resources for UCSB students including food, housing, financial wellbeing, mental health, technology access and other forms of support for students.