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UC Berkeley Press Release

An emphasis on staff diversity
Campus and UC system focus on employees this week

— Two entities with an interest in promoting diversity among University of California staff will be conducting public sessions on the topic beginning this week.

The Berkeley Initiative for Leadership on Diversity (BILD), which assesses and funds proposals for projects designed to foster diversity among campus staff, has issued a call for project pre-proposals for the 2009 session. The pre-proposal applications are available online on the BILD website or by emailing bildapps@lists.berkeley.edu. They are also available for pickup in 281 Evans Hall.

In its first year in operation, BILD was able to fund ten projects ranging from a "talent and role-sharing" initiative in the School of Public Health to an effort to build diversity at every level in the campus's 29 libraries. (For summary of all ten programs, see the Berkeleyan coverage of BILD.) This year, the BILD steering committee welcomes proposals for new programs as well as requests for continued funding for projects from the 2008 year.

A series of information sessions aimed at helping prospective program developers better understand BILD's purpose and procedures as well as sharpen the focus and execution of their proposals will be taking place on the following dates:

•  Friday, July 25, noon-1 p.m. – 261 Campbell Hall
•  Monday, July 28, 3:45-4:45 p.m. – Section Room, Tang Center (UHS),
2222 Bancroft Way
•  Wednesday, July 30, noon-1 p.m. – Section Room, Tang Center (UHS), 2222 Bancroft Way
Wednesday, Aug.t 6, 3:45-4:45 p.m. – 2063 Valley Life Sciences Building

The emphasis on staff diversity continues this week as the UC Staff Diversity Council meets on the Berkeley campus for a 90-minute open-forum session on Thursday, July 24, in the Chevron Auditorium at International House. The council, established last year by former UC President Robert Dynes and chaired by Berkeley’s associate chancellor, Linda Williams, focuses on such staff-diversity concerns as recruitment, retention, and promotion; succession planning; and work climate. Last week it presented a report on its first year of work to the UC Regents at their meeting in Santa Barbara; it’s available on the UC Regent's website. Chancellor Birgeneau encourages staff attendance at Thursday’s open forum and urges managers to grant release time to those employees interested in attending.

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