Executive Sponsorship

At UC San Diego, we set and commit to many ambitious but imperative goals in our Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence – and we are making progress. After careful, measurable assessment and thoughtful review, we are pleased to share an update on our progress in this State of Inclusive Excellence report.

This update demonstrates our progress since the previous report was published in 2018. Inside, you will find details of the many ways we have worked to improve several aspects of our campus environment. This includes investments to improve outreach, access, diversity in hiring, local and global engagement and community building, and also shares the outcomes of those efforts. These measurable results exemplify the power of individuals and our collective community to move the needle on our core tenets of access and success, as well as climate and accountability, and advance our collective goals.

Moving forward, UC San Diego will continue to prioritize inclusive excellence as an area of intentional investment and action. We will remain accountable by regularly measuring progress toward our goals and identifying and adopting approaches, programs and strategies to make a broader impact on the communities we serve.

On behalf of UC San Diego, I am grateful to the many students, faculty, staff and community members who work tirelessly to cultivate a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus in which all members can flourish. These successes and continuous improvements would not be possible without your excellent work. Together, we are actively nurturing a supportive and welcoming environment that fosters belonging, respect and support for all. I am proud to witness this commitment in practice on campus each day, and I welcome you to join us.

UC San Diego’s commitment to improving access, equity, and inclusion for all underpins the ongoing transformation of our university community. Our collective efforts are dedicated to erasing equity gaps and empowering all Tritons to succeed. By employing a collaborative and coherent approach, we are making progress on our shared objectives under the university’s strategic plan. This progress report will share updates on some of the many ways we are: Demonstrating measurable improvements in diversifying our university community; improving the campus climate; and promoting accountability through our Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence and our Principles of Community.

It is exciting to see examples across units and disciplines engaging around this shared purpose. Such innovative initiatives are models of advancing academic excellence that have the potential to create lasting change. While we continue to make progress towards our vision as a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented university, there is still room for improvement.

Moving forward, we will continue to unify our many efforts to make members of the university feel informed, mentored, valued, heeded, and enabled to do their best work. Thank you to all of our faculty, staff and student who have helped champion inclusive excellence at UC San Diego: Your efforts have your efforts have made a lasting impact on our university community and your continued dedication is helping shape a brighter future for Tritons.

At UC San Diego, our diversity is our strength, and we continue to grow each year as we pursue equity and inclusion for all with intention and compassion. In this progress update, you will learn about our innovative approaches toward building an authentic and inclusive campus community where every student, faculty, and staff member feels welcomed and valued. You will meet Tritons who are making significant contributions to our progress in achieving true inclusive excellence, from leaders ensuring EDI is at the forefront of their decision-making to new community members bringing a fresh perspective to our continued efforts.

I hope you are inspired to contribute to our collective action, as the work and progress highlighted in this report were inspired by the movement we set in motion with the launch of the Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence. As a campus we have invested in more equitable, creative, and innovative strategies to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff can thrive at UC San Diego.

We take this moment to celebrate how far we have come and to reflect on the way forward. I extend my sincere gratitude for the unwavering commitment of all those who have contributed to these efforts to create a more inclusive campus community through the changes and challenges over the past few years. Your contributions will continue to have a lasting impact on the lives and communities that UC San Diego serves.

Thank you.

Becky R. Petitt