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The Muir College Way

 

Diversity Matters

Affirmation of Diversity

Muir College’s Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)

We — the staff and students of John Muir College, at the University of California, San Diego — will actively participate in an inclusive community that supports individuals and their intersecting identities. This may include, but is not limited to, ethnicity, nationality, language proficiency, gender, sexual orientation, race, abilities, religion, age, socioeconomic status, citizenship status, military affiliation, and political beliefs. We will intentionally foster the independent spirit through a space where students can continually engage with and learn about the differences in our shared humanity and actively contribute to the Muir community. John Muir College will address the critical issues of bias, power, privilege, and institutionalized oppression in all forms.

In serving these goals, we commit to the following efforts:

  • We will devote time to train and educate students and staff by promoting discussion on topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, then developing programs and policies necessary to bring about change in the community.
  • We will promote access and retention by providing a wide range of student leadership opportunities that promote connection to community and staff within Muir College.
  • We acknowledge that college is a space for critical growth. We will commit to social justice by creating programs and practices that encourage and empower students to exchange meaningful dialogue regarding challenging EDI issues.
  • We encourage students to challenge their presumptions and we aspire to create a culture of “calling-in” students for inappropriate behavior, so that they can continue to learn from their experiences and not be alienated by the community at large.
  • We will strive to close the gap of knowledge that leads to discriminatory language and actions through programming, campaigns, formal/informal conversations, workshops, courses, lectures and/or conferences, and the use of inclusive language.

Mission Statement

We seek to build a college  as diverse as the society we serve. Our commitment to excellence includes a commitment to diversity and to helping students become effective citizens and leaders in a society enriched by many cultures.

John Muir College enjoys an atmosphere of friendliness and informality. We encourage and expect humane interaction and respect for others, regardless of personal characteristics such as race, gender, age, ethnicity, physical or education challenge, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs.

John Muir College has long been dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for UCSD’s diverse student body. Since its founding, JMC has sponsored a wide range of organizations and programs designed to advance equality, acceptance, and success for all students, faculty and staff regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, class, ability, age, citizenship, religion, or other distinctions.

Among our more prominent commitments to diversity are Culture House, our partnership with OASIS in Summer Bridge and OASIS Learning Communities, and our new CAMP initiative.

History of Diversity at UC San Diego

Diversity at UC San Diego

Tell Us How UC It: A Living Archive

Geisel Library has a virtual exhibit that covers campus climate and the reaction of students, staff, and faculty to a wide variety of issues from the University's founding in the 1960 through 2016 and intends to add on additional material as time progresses.

Other notable events that have occurred that greatly impact EDI at UC San Diego include the Compton Cookout.  The Compton Cookout was a party held off campus that encouraged the perpetuation of racial stereotypes against African Americans.

EDI at Muir


College Training

Orientation Freshman Diversity Activity

  • During freshman orientation all students participate in an activity lead by Muir Orientation Leaders and a discussion facilitated by the Dean of Students.

Equity-Minded Education (EME) House Advisor Training

  • House Advisors (HAs) go through an extensive training during Spring quarter and the summer and fall before their residents move-in. HAs participate in a blogging exercise, summer readings, attend workshops, actively engage in conversations with other leaders, and create their own EME programs for the Muir community.  Their training is facilitated by Muir College Staff as well as Campus-Wide Staff in conjunction with the other Residential Life Areas on campus.
  • HAs use their training to hold various programs, workshops, and trainings for their residents throughout the year.
  • Here's an example of a video project our HAs created!

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Student Leaders Training

  • The overall goal of this program is to educate our student leaders on the importance of inclusivity and how to implement what they have learned when planning events, organizing, and/or speaking to others who may not share the same background or experiences.  Student leaders receive an EDI certificate upon completion of the training.

Summer Bridge College Success Strategies & OASIS Leaning Communities (OLCs)

A Muir Advisor partners with Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Student Affairs in teaching “College Success Strategies” as part of the OASIS summer bridge program. During the school year the group continues as part of an optional OASIS Learning Community (OLC) .

Through a weekly seminar, the OLCs assist selected, new, first-year students in their transition into the university. Through collaboration with their peers, the OLCs provide an environment where students develop an understanding of academic and social issues that may arise as well as the strategies to address them.

Cultural House

In Cultural House, students of different cultures, ethnicities, races, and sexual identities learn from each other and increase their personal awareness of diversity. Muir’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) and Allies Program is located in Cultural House. Residents participate in programs and activities that may include group discussions, presentations by campus resources, music and dance performances, museum visits, outdoor experiences, study breaks, movie nights, and other student events.

The College Academic Mentor Program (CAMP)

The CAMP program, co-sponsored by Muir College, CREATE, and EAOP provides opportunities for UCSD juniors and seniors to work in local high schools with significant historically underrepresented communities to mentor and advise  on a number of issues to prepare students for college admission. CAMP students participate in classes to learn basic college counseling skills, and work closely with high school counselors to do field work with high school students.

Conferences & Workshops

Conferences

Students of Color Conference

  • The Students of Color Conference is one of three annual conferences held by UCSA (University of California Student Association). The Students of Color Conference (SOCC) is an annual event that aims to provide an educational experience to attendees and to encourage students and staff to start the dialogue that is necessary for students to gain larger cross-cultural understanding and interaction.

UC Student Organizing Summit

  • UC Student Congress is an annual conference focused on the intersection of organizing and student issues, creating conversation and teaching skills that students need to be powerful student organizers. It is also where UC students vote on a new campaign for UCSA to organize around for the next two years. This year, Congress is returning to its grassroots as the UC Student Organizing Summit.

Student Lobby Conference

  • The Student Lobby Conference (SLC) is an annual event that brings UC students to the State Capitol for the opportunity to develop lobbying skills, learn more about issues affecting students and California higher education, and directly engage elected officials on these issues.

Queer Trans People of Color Conference

  • The Queer & Trans People of Color Conference (QTPOCC) offers a unique space for students to explore and deconstruct the intersections of being queer, trans and a person of color. These identities impact our experiences in regards to immigration status, class, ethnicity, culture, spirituality, sexuality, gender expression, and ability, which are important to recognize and affirm as we build collaborative relationships across communities.

UC Student Association

  • The University of California Student Association (UCSA) is a coalition of students and student governments that aims to provide a collective voice for all students through advocacy and direct action. UCSA participates in the shared governance of the University of California system, and seeks to advance higher education by empowering current and future students to advocate on their own behalf for the accessibility, affordability, and quality of the University of California system.

Passive Programming

Inclusive Language Campaign

Muir College implemented an Inclusive Language Campaign to encourage students to think about their words and the effect their words can have on others.  Our campaign was inspired by the Inclusive Language Campaign from the University of Maryland.

Some words and phrases that are commonly used and heard may be offensive to members of our Muir community. Non-inclusive language makes spaces uncomfortable for people and identities who are excluded by that language. If you hear someone using language that may be offensive or might exclude other students, ask that person what they mean by their words and encourage them to use alternative terms for what they really intend to say. Every student, staff, and faculty member should feel welcome on our campus regardless of their identity, life experience, or background.

Resource Centers

Reading Materials & Resources

Undocumented Student Resources

Diversity Efforts

Suggested Videos

  • FRONTLINE: A Class Divided
    • Synopsis: "The day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, a teacher in a small town in Iowa tried a daring classroom experiment. She decided to treat children with blue eyes as superior to children with brown eyes. FRONTLINE explores what those children learned about discrimination and how it still affects them today."
  • Mellody Hobson: Color Blind or Color Brave?
    • Synopsis: "The subject of race can be very touchy. As finance executive Mellody Hobson says, it's a 'conversational third rail.' But, she says, that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring — makes for better businesses and a better society."
  • How Studying Privilege Systems Can Strengthen Compassion: Peggy McIntosh

Suggested Readings

Know Your Rights

Below are a list of resources outlining the rights students have on campus relating to freedom of speech and of expression.