DEIA Strategic Plan

UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Strategic Plan

2023-2028

Approved October 6, 2023

The UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), and this plan serves as a new, robust framework through which to expand on our previous progress. The long-term goal is to build a more welcoming, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment for all of our students, staff, and faculty. To do this, fundamental shifts must be made in order to decrease existing barriers. Implementation of this plan will help the Program truly live up to its core values of Collaboration, DEIA, and Sustainability. As stewards of cultural heritage, the plan will also allow us to better contribute to the preservation of underrepresented cultures, supporting the human right of cultural equity.

Increasing student and faculty diversity is a top priority for the Program. Efforts will be made to promote diversity in the student body, leadership, and in decision-making positions. Efforts will also be made to: revise the curriculum to include a greater diversity of perspectives, increase student support, improve the workplace environment, expand disability accommodations, and continue the formation of collaborations with other campus units, organizations and community partners.

DEIA is the responsibility of all Program faculty, staff, and students. This Strategic Plan is accompanied by a DEIA Action Plan with annual goals that will be revised for each academic year.

Background

The Program’s previous DEIA efforts have included:

  • Increased racial diversity of admitted students
  • Website – featuring news items and announcements on DEIA issues
  • Classes centered on inclusion of Indigenous artists and staff of Indigenous Museums (began in 2006)
  • MA and post-graduate research directed toward Indigenous collections care (began in 2006)
  • Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation (established 2017)
  • Redrafted Mission Statement and incorporated core values (2020)
  • Formation of a DEIA Committee to initiate planning (2020)
  • ANAGPIC faculty workshop on diversifying syllabi and curricula (2020)
  • Launch of Distinguished Speaker and Conservation Conversations lecture series featuring diverse speakers (2020)
  • NEH Community, Collaboration, and Cultural Heritage Conservation Project (2020)
  • Preservation of Indigenous Cultural Resources & Collections Online Courses, NEH Care & Conservation of Indigenous Collections Workshop (3-year grant awarded in 2021)
  • NEH Sustainability in Conservation Education Initiative (2022)
  • Changes in the admissions requirements (2022)
    • Eliminating conservation internship requirement
    • Eliminating GRE requirement
  • Creation of the Director of Community Engagement & Inclusive Practice Position (2022)
  • Curriculum Review process including Sustainability and DEIA discussions in the context of program courses (2022-2023)

Goals and Strategies

The following goals and areas of focus were identified through Program-wide discussion:

  1. Modify hiring practices in order to increase faculty and staff diversity
  2. Increase diversity of decision-making bodies in the Program
  3. Improve the work-place environment for current and future members
  4. Improve student support
  5. Diversify content and integrate DEIA values into the curriculum and pedagogy
  6. Invest in increased community collaboration and in the preservation of cultural heritage from historically underrepresented communities
  7. Disseminate content focused on the Program’s DEIA efforts

Goal 1: Modify hiring practices in order to increase faculty and staff diversity

A critically important area of focus is faculty and staff diversity. In particular, faculty diversity is currently lacking. We will evaluate current hiring practices to look for areas for improved equity and inclusion in the hiring process while being mindful of university-wide policy. Modifications to the recruitment and hiring practices will be made such as updating required qualifications, using more inclusive language, expanding methods for posting job announcements, and revising interview processes.

Goal 2: Increase diversity of decision-making bodies in the Program

We will ensure that all decision-making bodies in the Program, such as the Faculty Advisory Committee, Search Committees, and the Admissions Committee, have diverse compositions. This would include representation from historically marginalized communities in the United States. Diverse representation at this level will help decrease the chance of implicit bias in our decision-making and will help advance university-wide anti-bias efforts.

Goal 3: Improve the work-place environment for current and future members

The Program will strive to improve its organizational culture in order to both increase the satisfaction of current members and to attract new employees. We will work to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all Program members regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, etc. We will first evaluate the work environment, fair compensation, and treatment of Program members. This will then be followed with decided-upon modifications. We will enthusiastically support, announce, and advocate for access to accommodations for People with Disabilities.

Goal 4: Improve student support

Students-specific modifications are required in order to ensure that students are properly supported as they traverse the Program regardless of their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status, parental status, etc. Support in this context not only means financial support, but for example could also mean support in resolving interpersonal conflict within the Program, handling administrative issues, finding supportive affinity groups, or acquiring disability accommodations. Conversations will take place between Program leadership and students in order to better understand potential issues. Modifications to the Student Handbook and Program policies will be made in order to improve student support.

Goal 5: Increase diversity of content and integrate DEIA values into the curriculum and pedagogy

We will analyze the skills and knowledge that the students are gaining through their courses, workshops, and internships. Additions and modifications will be made to further incorporate DEIA values into the Program’s curriculum and pedagogy. As we work with global collections, global perspectives on preservation and collections care will be incorporated into the curriculum. Collaborations and guests that bring in diverse perspectives will continue to be encouraged. Skills such as cultural competency, community organizing, and consensus building will be better emphasized. DEIA training opportunities will be provided for staff, faculty, and students.

Goal 6: Invest in increased community collaboration and in the preservation of cultural heritage from historically underrepresented communities

We will continue and increase the formation of working collaborations with groups focusing on the preservation of underrepresented cultural heritage, both externally and interdepartmentally within UCLA. We will cultivate reciprocal relationships with marginalized communities, focusing on Los Angeles and Southern California. We will take particular care to develop collaborations that support the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles basin and South Channel Islands, the Gabrielino/Tongva People, in recognition of the critical role they have had and continue to play in the area.

Goal 7: Disseminate content focused on the Program’s DEIA efforts

As appropriate, we will disseminate our DEIA work through social media, newsletters, our website, and through academic and public workshops and seminars. Protocols will be developed that will ensure that approval from collaborators is received before dissemination and that everyone involved is properly credited. Efforts will be taken to prevent tokenism. The Program website should be evaluated for accessibility and improvements should be made. Other revisions should be considered for the website as well such as the inclusion of a land acknowledgement and an anti-racism statement.

 

UCLA Getty DEIA Strategic Plan 2023-2028