Berkeleyan

Campus staff issues to take center stage at May 9 diversity forum

By Cathy Cockrell, Public Affairs | 03 May 2006

Members of the campus community are invited to attend the upcoming campuswide forum, "Diversity in Action: Strengthening Excellence in Our Workplace," and to offer input on fostering equity and diversity on the Berkeley staff. The event takes place on Tuesday, May 9, in Pauley Ballroom, Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Attendees are invited to participate in all or part of the proceedings, depending on time and interest; supervisors may grant staff two hours of administrative leave to do so, as operational needs permit.

During the introductory session, from 9 to 9:30 a.m., Chancellor Birgeneau will speak about the launch and significance of a new effort, the Berkeley Initiative for Leadership on Diversity. A variety of panels and small-group discussions will be offered throughout the day. A keynote speech by Nancy "Rusty" Barceló, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity at the University of Washington, is slated for 1 to 2 p.m.

The forum is sponsored by the Office of the Chancellor and the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate. Senate Chair Alice Agogino notes that the entire campus community met last March in a similar forum, "Diversity in Action: Leading the Nation Through Research and Practice," where faculty issues were discussed.

"A great deal of input and advice from the many staff who attended that forum" helped shape the launch of the faculty-focused Berkeley Diversity Research Initiative, she says. "The entire community's support and thought-provoking advice has been crucial to what I consider the current success of that initiative."

In a similar spirit, while the focus of the upcoming forum is staff diversity, the input of all campus constituencies is encouraged.

There will be hourly shuttle service to the MLK Union from 2000 Carleton, 6701 San Pablo Ave. (the Marchant Building), the Clark Kerr Campus, and the Richmond Field Station.

A detailed schedule of events may be found online at cci.berkeley.edu/news/index.html. To register, e-mail gabrams@berkeley.edu or call 642-9605.