by Adela de la Torre and Rahim ReedUC Davis is fully aware of and takes very seriously the allegations made recently in an open letter regarding discrimination against a staff member and the removal of a student from a library.
Discrimination and bias should not and are not tolerated in our community. As people of color, we take allegations of racial discrimination such as those written about last week very seriously, a concern that is shared deeply by all members of the UC Davis administration.
At UC Davis, we’ve never just sat on the sidelines when it comes to these issues. Rather, recognizing that concerns about racial justice exist throughout our society, we actively support ongoing conversations about these matters and take steps to change when change is needed. For example, we recently created a restorative justice program and developed training courses for supervisors and managers on micro-aggressions. Only last week, the Chancellor established a taskforce regarding workplace climate issues that will be led by Provost Ralph Hexter and Vice Chancellor de la Torre.
Our backgrounds, personal experiences, values and worldviews arise from differences of culture and circumstance. When we respect our differences, we have a healthier environment in which to work and thrive. While a great deal has been done, we all recognize these are issues that require our continued vigilance and that we want everyone on our campus to feel safe to talk about them openly and honestly.
Adela de la Torre is Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Diversity and Rahim Reed is Associate Executive Vice Chancellor for Campus Community Relations
uc davis has a bad record on the treatment of employees who file complaints. the vanguard has already covered numerous cases that ended up going to court. i’m sure the vice chancellors here mean well, but they are part of the system that doesn’t act nearly as well as they are trying to let on.
That article could have contained no words and has as much substance.