Office of the Student Advocate
Introduction
The Office of the Student Advocate (OSA) – an official service of UCSB’s Associated Students – assists students accused of violating the University Code of Student Conduct. Its staff is specially trained in all varieties of disciplinary matters, and can help students to reach an appropriate resolution to their problems. Their assistance is prompt, professional, confidential, and free.
OSA is a non-partisan executive branch of the UCSB Associated Student Government. It is composed of two internal divisions:
- University Division caters to academic conduct issues such as cheating, plagiarism and academic dishonesty, specializing in the Student Affairs Judicial Process.
- Housing Division focuses on violations to the Residential Life Policies including noise violations, zero tolerance rules, and breech of lease contract issues, and it has extensive knowledge pertaining to the Residence Hall Review Process.
Black Student Union and Student Advocate Demand Action
This year the UCSB Black Student Union and Student Advocate Yoel Haile issued a strong statement to address a variety of issues of concern to the Black student community at UCSB. At the end of Spring Quarter they held a press conference to reassert their demands and give an update of progress made by the UCSB Administration to meet these demands. A video of the statement read by Yoel and the subsequent Q&A session can be viewed on the A.S. You Tube channel by clicking here.
Initial Press Release
From: Black Student Union and Associated Students Office of the Student Advocate
Subject: Black students demand institutional changes
1. We, the Black Student Union and the Associated Students Student Advocate General, believe that the University of California, Santa Barbara must create and implement plans to recruit and retain Black students, staff, and faculty.
2. In 1968 there were about .04% Black students when they decided to take over North Hall and demanded the creation of the Black Studies Department and the Center for Black Studies Research along with other demands. 45 years later, there are only at 3.1% Black students. Clearly, the abysmal rate of growth, or lack thereof, is an urgent call to action for the institution.
3. These demands are coming from the Black Student Union and the Associated Students Office of the Student Advocate at UC Santa Barbara, whose views are embodied by the following quotes:
“The University of California Santa Barbara has to be called to demonstrate its so-called commitment to diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented students and particularly Black students. The time has come for a serious shift in priorities through the creation and implementation of concrete plans outlined in our demands to increase the number of Black students, staff, and faculty with the ‘fierce urgency of now.” Yoel Haile, ASUCSB, Student Advocate General
“The demands that we are making did not begin with us. These demands are inequality issues, amongst other battles that have been fought for constantly by black students. Now is a better time than any for the university to create sustainable systems of recruitment for Black students. This is a job that cannot be done by students alone. This is why we are requesting institutional support.” Taisonya Tidwell, Co-Chair Black Student Union
“It’s time that the Black student moves from being an ornament in highly decorated diversity university brochures to being actually considered as a substantial embodiment of UCSB scholarship by the administration.” George Jefferson, Co-Chair Black Student Union
The Chancellor has been open to meeting with us and hearing us out, and we very much look forward to the next concrete steps he will take to address our demands.
Press Advisory and Release
The Associated Students of UC Santa Barbara Student Advocate General and the UCSB Black Student Union strongly put forth the following grievances to UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry T. Yang.
Given the hostile racial climate throughout the UC system and a multitude of issues adversely affecting Black students here at UCSB, we as concerned leaders of the campus community have created this list of demands out of true concern for health of current and future Black students here at UCSB. It is our belief that Chancellor Henry T. Yang must be called to action and held accountable in addressing the structural deficiencies and lack of institutional support for Black students on this campus.
The structural changes we want to be addressed are as follows:
1. We demand that the “Enhanced African American Recruitment Strategies” Plan drafted by admissions be implemented in its entirety with full funding from the Chancellor’s office. We maintain that none of the funding that is necessary to address our demands comes from the Student Affairs Division and that Student Affairs rightly manage the issues with new funding from the Chancellor’s office. The priority shift we are demanding must be on the institutional and structural level. There is no will power and concerted effort being put forth to recruit and retain Black students by the University. We are cognizant of the University’s strong efforts to reach a system wide goal of 10% for out-of-state students and particularly international students, and 25% for Chican@/Latin@ students. While we applaud the University for striving to reach these goals, we see no such effort and energy being put forth to recruit and retain Black students on this campus.
2. We demand an aggressive recruitment of Black faculty in disciplines and programs outside of the Black Studies Department as well as within the Black Studies Department. Hold the deans in each college accountable for the recruitment of Black faculty but also provide incentives for activities that promote retention of Black faculty as well as their recruitment. There is an inadequate number of Black staff and faculty on campus. This is particularly relevant in the retention of Black students because the overall campus climate is racially hostile to Black students, and the presence of the current Black staff and faculty has been imperative in the retention of those of us who are still here.
3. We demand the hiring of two full-time Black psychologists at UCSB. We maintain that the funding for this (which includes recruitment expenses) not come from Student Affairs Division for the reasons stated above. Currently, there is a critical need as we only have one Black Psychologist on campus. We as Black students need psychologists who share similar experiences in terms of racial discrimination and in dealing with the racially hostile campus climate at this University.
4. We demand North Hall be re-named Malcolm X Hall in honor and respect for the Black students and countless student and staff allies who occupied North Hall and symbolically renamed it Malcolm X Hall in 1968. Because of this student activism, the Black Studies Department and the Center for Black Studies Research was created at UCSB. We believe renaming North Hall will memorialize the history and contributions of Black students on this campus.
5. We demand a permanent, student activism-centered display inside of North Hall memorializing the history of the 1968 student takeover of North Hall, Currently a plaque has been placed outside of the inner side of the building, with the drawback that the history of UCSB, its students and its Black Students current and past is not properly memorialized. A student simply can enter and leave the hall without knowing the legacy of the building and its role in changing the curriculum and climate of UCSB. Inclusion of the memorial helps to highlight the role that Black, Chican@, and White students played in making the University’s boastful legacy of diversity a partial reality.
6. We demand access to the contact information (such as email addresses) of all self-identified Black incoming first year and transfer students to be available through student affairs mediums such as EOP or OSL so that we can conduct our own familial and individual-centered models of outreach. We are aware that retention of Black students is done in large part by current student leaders and their organized efforts. That being said, we need to be able to extend resources to our community more systematically and rigorously to increase the Black student presence and well being on this campus.
7. We demand access to Black Alumni through the implementation of a program that allows Black alumni to give directly to retention and scholarship efforts of Black students through both monetary and social networks. We want to ensure these additions are localized in the Black community so as to maintain and sustain our community.
8. We demand that all of these be implemented within the next 3-6 months.
BSU is sending out this press release, because we want to inform the UCSB student body of the steps we are taking to address issues of marginalization and systemic discrimination that we as Black students face at the university. We want the entire student body to know what we are doing to promote a more inclusive and better -resourced campus for the underserved Black students, staff and faculty. Moreover, we believe that increasing the presence and well-being of Black students on this campus will aid the entire student body as knowledge of diverse, and especially Black, peoples is critical to the education of all 21st century UCSB students.
Ours is a call for support from the rest of the University to assist us with this project. As a follow-up to this press release, we invite all supportive members of the UCSB community to join us in a follow-up meeting to these demands with the Black Student Union on Tuesday April 2nd at 5pm in the UCEN Flying A room. You can also support us by signing our online petition on this link. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/black-students-demand-institutional-changes/
Black Student Union Mission Statement
The Black Student Union of University of California, Santa Barbara exists to create a safe, supportive and inclusive Black student community. By providing opportunities for all students to increase awareness of Black culture with an emphasis on Black social, political, and intellectual traditions. The philosophy of THE BLACK STUDENT UNION is to serve and unify the students of the African diaspora at the University of California, Santa Barbara, by addressing their needs. It seeks to identify relevant issues and initiate appropriate action in order to reduce or eliminate any impediments believed to be adverse to students and their continued wellbeing and matriculation. This shall be accomplished by providing educational, cultural, and social programs and activities that relate to the past, present, and future goals and aspirations of Black people. Furthermore, it seeks to provide enriching experiences and assuring continuing development of a progressive environment that is conductive to Black students in their quest to obtain a quality and meaningful education. The Black Student Union shall operate as an umbrella organization to other Black Interest groups on campus. The Black Student Union seeks to challenge its membership to actively address political, social and cultural injustices while at the same time celebrating and acknowledging the advancement of People of Color at University of California, Santa Barbara and beyond.
Office of the Student Advocate Mission Statement
It is the mission and charge of the Office of the Student Advocate to facilitate open and honest communication between students and the University by providing free and confidential peer support, advice, and assistance to any student, student organization, or student group involved in a dispute with the University or any other entity within the University community. All staff members of the OSA shall be empowered to advocate for any student requesting the services of the OSA. It is the responsibility of the OSA to give students the tools and information necessary to empower them to either address their situation individually, or be assisted by an OSA staff member. In addition, the Office of the Student Advocate shall be empowered to promote students’ rights, as well as be empowered to challenge policies of the University on behalf of the students of UCSB.
Information on Black Student Activism and the 1968 North Hall Takeover
http://ucsblhp.blogspot.com/2012/04/black-students-at-ucsb.html
Enhanced African American Recruitment Strategies
The Office of Admissions remains firmly committed to assisting the campus achieve greater ethnic diversity among our undergraduates. Efforts have long been underway to attract students of all underrepresented ethnic backgrounds and UCSB staff have created numerous initiatives that have served as models for other campuses.
Current efforts are comprehensive but limited in scope due to inadequate staffing levels. Specific activities include:
Outreach to target schools in Los Angeles and Oakland
Limited purchase of SAT student data
Phone and email campaigns to applicants and admitted students
Distribution of Black Book to admitted students
In order to make greater strides in our efforts to attract African American applicants, collaboration across campus is required. Participation and input from the following units/departments are critical to our efforts:
Office of Student Life: Student Organizations (especially Black Student Union)
Academic Units (Black Studies, Center for Black Studies)
Institutional Research
Public Affairs
Office of Residential Life / African American Interest Hall and Dining Services
SAIT (for web enhancements)
The following strategies and programs are requested to enhance the efforts of the Office of Admissions.
Staffing Augment: Admission Counselor (new initiative)
Hire 1.0 or FTE Admission Counselor/Recruiter
Fall outreach visits throughout California targeting African American feeder schools
Collaborate with high school counselors to help identify students who are UC eligible.
Coordinate advocacy efforts which could including phone campaigns to admitted students, mailings, email campaigns, and personalized tours to prospective/admitted families.
Coordinate Advocacy Interns
Conduct home/coffee shop visits to meet with admitted students/parents in Los Angeles to answer questions and demonstrate campus commitment to outreach
Advocacy Program: Funding for Student interns (new initiative)
With an augment in funding, Admissions would pay current UCSB students to participate in advocacy efforts. Currently, students volunteer and unfortunately, reliability is low. Providing hourly pay (of stipends for student organizations) would enhance reliability and participation.
Hire 4 Advocacy Interns to assist professional staff with Advocacy and Outreach duties. Hiring preference would go to alumni from key feeder high schools representing Northern California and Southern California, Non-Resident, and American Indian
Phone campaigns
Host weekend tours
Attend and Promote receptions
Coordinate student organizations (attend student meetings, encourage and assist with SIOP activities)
Serve on campus-wide committee as student representatives
Counselor Services (new initiatives)
While it is critical to reach students and families, greater efforts must be made to broaden and strengthen our liaisons with school counselors. Greater visibility at WACAC (Western Association of College Admission Counselors), College Board, AVID, Cal SOAP, etc. will ensure our marketing messages reach the widest network of counselors possible. Specific efforts can include:
Application Readers from targeted high schools
Invite counselors from targeted high schools to serve as regional readers for UCSB. The expanded training and close relationship with UCSB could increase the likelihood that they would promote UCSB to their students.
Hosted Counselor Visits
Invite key counselors to UCSB for overnight stays to include faculty meetings, meetings with student alumni from their schools, and campus tours. Provide abbreviated “Reader Training” so counselors are better prepared to assist students with writing the personal statement.
Applicant Rosters to Schools
Ensure high school counselors are aware of their applicants and most importantly, their students admitted to UCSB. Send rosters with a cover letter thanking counselors for their continued support of UCSB and invite dialog for improving services to schools.
Non-Resident Recruitment in Target States (new initiative)
Staff would add NACAC fairs and USD events in states targeted with college bound African American students. Example: Atlanta has a large number of SAT test takers with strong GPA’s. Attending a college fair to promote UCSB may bring in African American students from this region.
Print / Web / Video Resources (enhanced initiatives)
Funding is required to create new materials and refresh media that has proven successful in past initiatives. Admissions cannot rely on supplemental “one-time” funding (SFAC, Chancellor funds, special VCSA funding) to create long-term media campaigns. Initial efforts would focus on the following:
Publications
“Join Our Community” (proposed new publication)
While UCSB created the Resource Guides (now copied by several UC campuses), it is difficult to use the separate pieces at outreach events due to the printing expense and the weight which makes transport challenging. A general piece that highlights Black, American Indian, and Chicano communities, support services, and student organizations would give Outreach staff a tool for to initiate communication with students and parents.
The Black Book
Support for regular updates of The Black Book for continued distribution to high school juniors and newly admitted seniors.
Photo Archive
The photos could be used in our presentations (slide show in the Visitor Center, PPT presentations for webinars) and admissions brochures (Lead Piece, Admit Brochure, International Admissions Guide, Black Book, and Horizon’s Counselor Newsletter.
Web
Design specific webpages within the Admissions website that provide information to specific communities. Digitize the current Black Book and American Indian Resource Guide, highlight student organizations, and profile faculty and current students.
Video
Update “To Be a Black Student at UCSB.” Submit proposals to present video at conferences highlighting the student-production/academic unit model of creating this unique video
Video clips would highlight current students and faculty on campus. The video segments would be emailed to admitted students, posted on UCSB Admissions social media, and/or used for prospective student messaging throughout the year.
Student spotlights would include targeted areas of study: pre-med, pre-law, economics/business entrepreneurship, engineering, music, psychology, etc. They can also include student life options and campus community: Greek life, athletics, housing, DSP, Leadership, community service, SIRRC, etc.
Faculty spotlights would highlight research, mentorship opportunities, and honors opportunities.
LA2SB (reinstitute funding)
Funding for HS2SB (Formally known as LA2SB which hosted Los Angeles high schools invited to UC Santa Barbara). The program allowed UCSB to invite schools (45 students and their counseling staff) to visit UCSB for a day. The group would receive an admissions presentation, campus tour, and lunch in the dining commons all paid for by UCSB Admissions. The schools invited were targeted for their enrollment diversity; usually low-SES schools which could not pay for college visits.
With additional funding the Admissions Office would partner with African American student organizations to act as tour guides, host visits and lunch with the students, and/or sit on a student panel. The groups would be paid a stipend to guarantee their participation throughout the year.
Expand former program model to the San Bernardino and Kern counties.
Black Family Weekend (enhanced initiative)
Expand the role of Admissions and prospective students in Black Family Weekend activities. This signature event highlights the strong African American community at UCSB that would be highly attractive to prospective students and families.
Invite prospective students and their families identified through the SAT search.
Provide bus transportation to targeted schools in southern California
Expand alumni participation
Greater Alumni Participation in Outreach Efforts (new initiative)
Greater collaboration between Admissions and the Alumni Association is critical. African American alumni can play a pivotal role in our yield efforts. Goals include:
Greater participation at Chancellor’s Regional Receptions
Phone Calling Campaigns
Hosted family visits
Video messages for email campaigns
Promotional / Branding Materials (new initiative)
Admissions frequently received requests from AVID schools, SIOP hosts, and major-event hosts for promotional items such as pens, bags, lanyards, etc. Funding limitation have prevented our ability to make such donations. As a limited pilot, produce a supply of promotional materials for targeted distribution to include:
SIOP groups: Provide promotional material such as drawstring bag, pens, stickers or key chains with UCSB branding to showcase UCSB. This would allow for viral marketing of UCSB when the students return to their schools following their UCSB visitation.
UCSB Mentorship Program / Adopt a School (new initiative)
Collaborate with student organizations to create an “Adopt a School” program whereby registered student organizations would serve as official student liasons between targeted high schools and UCSB. Activities include:
Skype/Adobe connect meetings and webinars
Host Overnight visits (reimburse train transportation)
Provide travel grants so UCSB student organizations can visits the high schools.
Conduct Admitted student visits in April to high feeder schools
Give participating high schools priority visits to UCSB via the LA2SB program.
Host special tours during Black Culture Week
Marketing Messages (enhanced initiative)
Market research suggests that the strong sense of community, especially within the ethnic communities at UCSB, is a major factor in prospective students selecting UCSB at the point of enrollment. Future communication efforts must highlight this factor.
Build branding into all print and electronic communications that highlight UCSB’s strong community.
Enhance website to highlight support and strong community within the African American population
Collaborate with the Office of Public Affairs to ensure that branding messages reach the largest market possible.
College Fairs: Where permissible (per NACAC fair guidelines), distribute UCSB branded items. Events include Black College Expo and conferences such as the African American Youth Leadership conference in Sacramento.
SIOP (enhanced initiative)
Re-structure the SIOP program to enhance greater collaboration between Admissions and student organizations to ensure student data is shared across programs to allow for improved student follow-up.
With staffing augments, Admissions would be able to dedicate more time to SIOP groups that target African American students for outreach programs. BSU’s overnight program is an example of a student-led SIOP event that Admissions could support.
Require collection of student rosters for import into Admissions prospective student database
Create follow-up communications with participants and counselors from participating schools
Spring Insight (enhanced initiative)
Host receptions during Spring Insight Open House co-sponsored by student organizations and Admissions to better acquaint prospective families to the UCSB community.
Explore reinstatement of the Jump Start program which provides families traveling to UCSB for Spring Insight with hotel accommodations and a welcome dinner.
College Board Search / Enrollment Planning Service – EPS (enhanced initiative)
While Admissions annually purchases prospect names from the College Board, we propose an expansion of this purchase to include wider national territories and to students earlier in their high school careers.
Based on research using the College Board’s Enrollment Planning Service (EPS), identify schools both within California and outside of California that enroll UCSB eligible prospective students.
Expand the territories of SAT name purchases
Include purchase of PSAT names for long-term cultivation
Analysis (new initiative)
Partner with Institutional Research and Public Affairs to lead focus groups with the UCSB Black community
Why did they come to UCSB?
Who influenced their choice?
Tools used to research schools?
Annual Budget
| Staffing Augment | $45,000 |
| Advocacy (4 interns x 10 wks) | $10,000 |
| Counselor Services | $10,000 |
| Non-Resident Recruitment | $10,000 |
| Print/Web/Video | $50,000 |
| LA2SB (pilot 10-15 visits) | $30,000 |
| Black Family Weekend | $5,000 |
| Alumni Activities | $10,000 |
| Promotional / Branding Materials | $20,000 |
| Developing Marketing Messages | $2,000 |
| Mentorship/Adopt a School | $5,000 |
| SIOP | $5,000 |
| Spring Insight | $10,000 |
| College Board Searches | $3,000 |
| Analysis | $2,000 |
| TOTAL | $217,000.00 |
African American Freshman Enrollment (per SA Data Warehouse)
| 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| 115 | 96 | 102 | 112 | 114 | 117 | 187 | 175 | 142 | 155 | 203 |
SAT Data
(review attached statistics on SAT test takers in California)
Recruitment
African American Psychologists
Counseling and Psychological Services
UCSB
Annual Salary and Benefits – Counseling Psychologist II – MSP
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is requesting to hire 2 African American psychologists to meet the current demands within the African American community as well as the UCSB community in general.
Salary (mid range) $93,888
Benefits (42% estimated) $39,433
GAEL Insurance $385
Total Annual – 1 Psychologist $133,706
Total Annual – 2 Psychologists $267,412
Recruitment
CAPS has had demonstrated difficulty in recruiting qualified psychologists. Additionally, we have had even more difficulty recruiting qualified staff with experience or expertise in working with diverse populations.
Membership to the Association of Black Psychologists $225
ABPsi Annual International Convention for recruitment $3,000
(Includes convention fee, travel, lodging, and meals)
Travel to Los Angeles area for recruitment $1,000
Advertising $2,000
Interview travel expenses $8,000
(4 candidates at $2000 each)
Move expense reimbursement $4,000
(2 psychologists at $2000 each)
Total Estimated Recruitment Expenses $18,225
We typically do not offer travel expenses to the interview. This has limited our recruitment usually to California only. In an effort to diversify the pool and provide incentives in a national search we would like to offer travel expenses to qualified finalists as well as increase the moving expense budget.
Office Space
CAPS has no additional office space available for clinicians. In order to accommodate additional psychologists we have worked with our community to create satellite offices located in the Student Resource Building (SRB), in Housing & Residential Services, specifically San Clemente and most recently Santa Catalina. We have also partnered with Student Health to embed two psychologists to provide further collaboration with the medical mental health team.
In addition to the need for African American psychologists, there is an immediate need for additional clinical staff on campus to accommodate the increasing number of crises. The wait time for first appointment is at an all time high of 20 business days. We have had two suicides this academic year and a number of attempts. Psychologists have had to work overtime evenings and weekends to respond to these crises. We are unable to accommodate additional staff in building 599 as this is a shared space with Career Services and office resources are limited.
This type of CAPS community psychology model with psychologists embedded in departments across campus has served the campus well. We are still limited with the availability of urgent (on-call) services in all locations.
We propose a new satellite office to include an African American psychologist as well as other psychologists with diverse backgrounds. Since space is a limited commodity on campus, we propose to rent office space in Isla Vista. We could have 4-5 psychologists in an office building serving the community thereby helping to reduce wait times for first appointments.
CAPS Annex Office in Isla Vista
Rental of office space (estimated at $4 sq ft at 2000 sq ft) $8,000
Monthly expenses (utilities and maintenance) $200
POP ($350 per computer annually) $175
Total Estimated Monthly Annex Expenses $8,375
CAPS Annex Set Up One Time Expenses
Office modifications $70,000
Furniture $30,000
Office equipment $20,000
Total Estimated One Time Annex Expenses $120,000
Total Funds Requested $414,012