During the month of June, we composed a Letter to UCSB EEMB Faculty with Demands Toward Racial Equality. Over 30 EEMB graduate students collaborated on the letter and its associated demands and appendices.
In order to learn more about the DEIW perspectives of EEMB graduate students, we distributed a preliminary survey. This survey will help us prioritize DEIW initiatives that are important to the graduate student community.
As the program gets off the ground, we are focused on creating a space for incoming students to make human connections during pandemic-era grad school. Students will be paired in mentoring "families", with the goal of creating an inclusive and reliable support system.
We are working on creating an EEMB alumni network specifically for students of color. This network would help relieve the burden of self-advocacy on students of color, and ease the transition into a workforce that by and large lacks ethic and racial diversity.
Following priorities highlighted by the letter written by Black grads and the letter to faculty, we are working to develop Pillars of Respect and a Code of Conduct for all members of the EEMB community.