Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at NCEAS

To create a welcoming and safe environment we expect you to:

• Treat all participants with kindness, respect and consideration, valuing a diversity of views and opinions (including those you may not share).
• Communicate openly, with respect for other participants, critiquing ideas rather than individuals.
• Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech directed toward other participants.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert NCEAS staff if you notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress.
• Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, NCEAS-contracted facility, or any other venue.
• Respect people’s boundaries.
• Be considerate in your interactions with others and careful about the words you use. Consider if the language that you’re using can be perceived as discriminatory.
• Be mindful of how much time and space you take up. Be aware of the dynamics of power and privilege, and whether you may be taking advantage of it.

Reporting to NCEAS: 

• Contact deputy director Courtney Scarborough (scarborough@nceas.ucsb.edu) with the details of the unacceptable behavior you would like to report. If the incident is ongoing, please be sure to let us know so we can help ameliorate the situation immediately.
• If you would prefer to report to another individual in NCEAS leadership, please notify any member of the NCEAS Leadership Team who you feel comfortable communicating with directly.

Reporting to UCSB: 

• Anonymous reports on campus climate issues (expressions of bias, hate speech, hate crimes, graffiti/vandalism, intimidation, bullying, physical violence, bias incidents, hostile climates) can be submitted to the University of California via the online Intolerance Report Form.
• For sexual harassment, sexual violence (sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking), and sex discrimination (including gender, gender identity/transition/expression, pregnancy, and sexual orientation), please report to the UCSB Title IX and Sexual Harassment Policy Compliance Office.
• For discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, age, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services, please report to the UCSB Equal Opportunity and Discrimination Prevention Office.
• For criminal conduct reports, please report to the UCSB Police Department.
• For whistleblower reports, please report to the UCSB Whistleblower Office.
• For research integrity reports, please report to the UCSB Office of Research Integrity.
• If you are unsure how you would like to proceed, you may contact the UCSB Office of the Ombuds for confidential, informal consultation. 

How NCEAS responds to reports:

The NCEAS Leadership Team takes community safety, security, and inclusion seriously and will respond promptly to any reports of unacceptable behavior. The Leadership Team can direct people to all options available through the University of California system to assure that reporting is directed to the appropriate channels and treated with the appropriate level of urgency.

Potential sanctions include: 

• Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately
• NCEAS staff (or their designee) or security may take any immediate action deemed necessary and appropriate, including removal from a meeting, event, online community (e.g. email lists, community calls, forums, community platforms or software), and future engagement without warning.
• Removal from the NCEAS public webpage
• Ending a presentation early
• Immediately suspend certain responsibilities and privileges the accused holds
• Notification of the proper authorities

Privacy and Confidentiality: 

NCEAS will make every effort to maintain the privacy of everyone involved to the degree allowed under law. However, there may be instances when the University's responsibility to respond to reports of potential discrimination and the rights of the accused (when relevant) outweigh the need for privacy. While a person's wish for confidentiality is important, it must be balanced against the University's responsibility to respond. The University will limit disclosures to what is reasonably necessary to engage in an appropriate response and remedy.

UCSB Confidential Resources:

• Office of the Ombuds: (805) 893‐3285; Acts as a confidential resource for the UCSB community to discuss concerns with a trained mediator. They serve faculty, staff, students, parents, or anyone else with a campus‐related concern. 
• Academic & Staff Assistance Program (ASAP): (805) 893‐3318; ASAP counselors promote the emotional health and well‐being of academic personnel, faculty, staff, and eligible family members in a confidential, cost‐free setting.
• Title IX Advocacy Liaison in the Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity (RCSGD): (805) 893‐4284; RCSGD has a staff member who is designated as a confidential resource for reports of Prohibited Conduct. They serve faculty, staff, and students.

Other Policies and Resources:

• UC Policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Affirmative Action in the Workplace
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UCSB Faculty Code of Conduct
• UCSB Student Code of Conduct
• UCSB CARE Office
• Resources for Impacted Parties

You can read and access previous versions of our strategic plans for:

• 2020
• 2021
• 2023