Hi! I'm the UC Irvine School of Social SciencesEquity Advisor. An equity advisor has required responsibilities, assists with recruitment, retention, remediation and distributing resources to faculty. See here for more details on these roles and responsibilities. As Equity Advisor, I'm here to support our school's faculty how I can in making it a more inclusive and equitable space. Please do note hesitate to reach out here if you're a faculty member in our school and have a question or are looking for a resource.
I. Employee Support, Benefits and Leave Policies - Employee Experience Center: This one-stop shop connects you to UC Path (for payroll, etc.), benefits, leave policies, health resources, OIT and more. Another way to navigate the resources is found here. - UCOP Benefits and Privileges: This gives information on many possible leaves (e.g. military service, government service, sabbaticals, etc.) - Leave of Absence – Sick Medical Leave: This is the direct link to UCI's Academic Policies and Procedures (APP) on sick leaves for one's personal illness. - UCI Employee Discounts: Enjoy some discounts and perks for being at UCI!
II. Life Resources: Mental Health, Financial Advice, Childcare, Elder care, Legal, etc. ---UCI Life Resources Program Employees receive 3 free counseling sessions. In addition to mental health resources, this website also connects you with childcare, elder care, financial advice and support, legal support and more ---UCI also has a dedicated person on staff to assist faculty with access to mental health resources, etc.
III. Resources for Individuals with Disabilities or who are Differently-abled This website offers information about accommodation requests. If you are seeking a specific accommodation but are experiencing diffictulties in receiving it or just have questions, you can contact: - Wendy Pawling, Campus Disability Management Specialist - Katie Dizdarevic, UCI Health Disability Management Specialist. You are also welcome to contact folks working in the DSC office here
IV. Family-related Policies, Leaves and Resources (e.g. Parental Leave, etc.) - *** Comprehensive Slideshow of Family-related Policies and Leaves **** This slideshow explains many of the family-related policies, leaves and resources (e.g. parental leave, bereavement leave, reproductive leave, childbearing leave, etc.) - Benefits and Privileges (regarding leaves) – "Family Accommodations for Childbearing and Childrearing" This policy defines and explains the different types of leaves related to childbearing and childrearing . - Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Family-related Leave Policies Don't miss these extensive FAQ's! They answer common family-related leave questions ranging from parental leave and modified duties (called ASMD) for those giving birth to ASMD for those adopting children. If you have additional questions about the policies, you can talk to your CPO / Director of Personnel / Human Resources or you can reach out to your Equity Advisor. You can talk with your chair about teaching and service expectations. - Tenure: Stop the Clock Program This program applies to eligible faculty, at the Assistant level, as covered under APM 133 and provides rules for if and when faculty can request a temporary deferral on the review of their mid-career appraisal and/or promotion (e.g. going up for tenure). The term "clock" here refers to the maximum amount of time faculty are given before appraisals and promotions. Faculty might request a "stop the clock" for multiple reasons, including the birth of a child, as one example. See the link for more details. - Career Partners Program (CPP): All University of California campuses, including UC Irvine, offer a fantastic program to recruit faculty who have an academic partner seeking a professor, professor of teaching or other type of academic position. The program also incentivizes academic units to hire partners since it's subsidized by the university. However, not enough people know about this program! Take a look and spread the word. - Lactation Facilities and Support for Faculty with Newborns Recently, the university took a serious inventory of lactation spaces on campus and has worked hard to improve the conditions and expand access to lactation facilities. The rooms are now private, regularly cleaned and accessible. Click the link above for how to find these rooms and for additional resources. - Family Resources Vast array of resources, including information on childcare facilities on and around campus, as well as information specifically for faculty (i.e. "Academic Appointees") and more. To find these resources, go to the very TOP of the website since many of the important links are under "Family Care". If you are arriving at UCI with a family, I encourage you to spend time reviewing the entire website. - Free membership to Sittercity (for babysitters and other childcare support) - Information on child / youth camps. - High school rankings in Irvine here - Middle school rankings in Irvine here - Elementary school rankings in Irvine here
V. Housing Resources- - Housing on / just next to Campus (University Hills): UCI offers houses, apartments and condos in neighboring University Hills (also called "UniHills"). Be aware that the waitlists are extremely long. Learn more by calling a representative at the organization ICHA (click here), which manages the homes and the waitlists. - If you are living in UniHills, there is a UniHills community website here with information on community events, renting community spaces and more. - UC-provided faculty home loans There are also several home loan options for those seeking a home within or outside of UniHills. - Important Housing FAQs from a recent townhall with the UCI Administration and UCI Senate
VI. Resources, Policies and Advice on Promotions to Tenure and Full - UCI Policies on Merit and Promotion (APP 3-60): This website gives an overview of the merit and promotion process and policies, therein, for faculty who are members of the Academic Senate. - Pathways to Tenure and Promotion: The School of Social Sciences Office of Faculty Development and Diversity developed this amazing resource for faculty that includes extensive advice and video testimonials from the Dean and from faculty on how to navigate the promotion process in our school. Check it out! - Office of Faculty Development and Diversity (OFDD): The School also has an Associate Dean and Vice Dean of Faculty Development and Diversity, in addition to a Committee on Faculty Development, Inclusion and Diversity (CFDID). This excellent team is working to improve climate, solve challenges and support diversity, equity and inclusion across the school. They are open to feedback and ideas. - Faculty Diversity Program (NFDD): I highly recommend this program; I personally found it very useful. UC Irvine already has an institutional membership so you can access many of the resources (e.g. videos, mentorship worksheets, tips, etc.) online. You may wish to also consider the NFDD's Faculty Success program. (FYI: Typically, the university and/or school will cost-share with you the costs of the program so that you don't pay the full price from your research budget. You can ask your department chair or contact the school's OFDD).