Student Experience

Problem Statement

We are called as Berkeley Public Health (BPH) to work toward an anti-racist society, but that work must also happen at home. The Student Experience Working Group is committed to supporting and ensuring that our students have a positive, anti-racist experience during their tenure at BPH, and that all of our students learn ways to actively disrupt racism when they encounter it and move from bystanders to co-conspirators and allies during their time at BPH.

Business Case

If we improve the experiences of our BIPOC students at BPH and develop anti-racism skills amongst all of our students at BPH we will improve the climate of the school, increase our enrollment of BIPOC students and become an exemplar for other academic programs and institutions. Students who graduate from BPH will be actively involved in the anti-racist/racial justice endeavors, such as:

1. Experiencing their training from a racial justice and equity lens and one that proactively negates racism; and
2. Learning skills to become an anti racist public health professional, able to lead efforts locally, statewide and globally towards a fair and just world for all people.

Objectives

• Convene the SEPT team and establish a meeting schedule and membership for the remainder of the year.
• Convene the SEPT team and review and finalize problem statement and year 1, 3 and 5 year objectives, strategies and metrics.
• Conduct a needs assessment geared specifically toward BIPOC students to assess their key areas of need.
• Analyze data from needs assessment and develop a work plan and list of activities for the remainder of AY21 through Fall, 2021.
• Hold at least 2 student focused events related to anti-racism.
• Develop guidelines and protocols for reportable racist incidents in order to mitigate them in a timely manner.

Success Metrics

• At least 25% of students participated in anti-racist events/activities
• 40% completion rate of Needs Assessment
• 70% positive evaluation data for 2 student focused events

Project Leaders

• Sponsor: Michael Lu
• Project Co-Leads: Quin Hussey, Abby Rincon
• Program Manager: Priya Sarran