The University of California, Davis, will put in place a broad array of educational programs and services aimed at improving campus climate. And if incidents of hate and bias do occur, new policies and procedures will help the campus handle them.

The initiatives answer many of the recommendations of a Task Force on Campus Community, established in February in the wake of incidents of violence, bias and incivility. Chaired by Diane Russell, associate director of student housing, the 13-member task force included students, faculty and staff, and gathered comment from the campus community through two open forums, interviews and written submissions.

The initiatives -- many to be developed in partnership with students -- range from diversity training for student affairs staff and students to conflict resolution training and services for students. Some of the task force's recommendations of an academic nature will be forwarded to other campus officials for consideration, and others reach beyond the campus into the city of Davis.

Carol Wall, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the task force's recommendations form the core of such actions her unit will undertake in 2001-02. However, she said that achieving the ideal of a campus community characterized by respectful interaction is an ongoing process.

"As the campus changes, continual attention will need to focus on issues of community and on the diversity found within the campus," Wall wrote in her response to the task force's report.

To respond to hate- and bias-related incidents, student affairs will develop a policy explicitly addressing hateful, biased or discriminatory behavior. The policy will use as its context the Principles of Community, an expectation of behavior adopted in 1990 and signed by faculty, staff and student representatives.

To formalize its current practices for responding to incidents, the Vice Chancellor's Incident Management Council will be established. The council will coordinate the efforts of various campus units, develop response strategies, oversee communication issues, prepare an annual report and advise the vice chancellor of trends related to hate and bias.

A greater number of educational initiatives seek to foster an appreciation for diverse cultures and backgrounds, different perspectives and civility -- thereby preventing problems before they happen.

Wall is charging student affairs departments to work with student employees and staff to help them understand and abide by the Principles of Community, and the annual fall gathering of student affairs employees in mid-September will focus on community.

Student affairs will develop a four-year master calendar, based on student development theory, to guide educational programming, and a group will convene this summer to develop recommended approaches, modules and a team to present programs.

Efforts to educate students about campus expectations will begin even before a new student enrolls in the fall and will continue through a student's experience at Davis.

* At summer advising sessions through mid-August, entering students are now receiving a copy of the Principles of Community and participate in a discussion of the principles. A skit emphasizing the importance of respect for people's differences will continue to be presented.

* Plans call for the Fall Welcome to include a focus on the Principles of Community, and Wall said student affairs will look for ways to incorporate other education efforts in student leadership conferences and training for officers of student organizations.

* Student housing will expand its programming related to campus climate. During the first week of school, sessions for residents of student housing will focus on diversity, communication, conflict resolution and the Principles of Community. And throughout the academic year, guest speakers will also address such topics.

Posters about the Principles of Community will be on display throughout residence buildings, and cards providing information about what to do when an incident of hate or bias happens will be distributed to residents. Student housing will continue to publish a monthly newsletter that focuses on diversity issues.

Consultants also will facilitate diversity training for the unit's professional and student staff and help them develop skills for building an inclusive community.

* To address concerns that multicultural fraternities and sororities do not have the resources of the traditional fraternities and sororities, student affairs will explore ways to provide more support. Possibilities include creating a multicultural Greek council and establishing a presidents' council with representatives from the multicultural Greek organizations and those fraternities and sororities represented by the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Association. The university will also look to create leadership and skill development opportunities for the multicultural Greek organizations.

Other recommendations being explored include:

* developing conflict resolution training and services for students;

* conveying to academic senate leaders and the vice provost for undergraduate studies the task force's recommendation to re-examine the general education requirement for one course on social-cultural diversity with a view to expanding it and ensuring that approved courses increase understanding about diversity and multicultural awareness;

* identifying the demand for and discussing with academic officials the potential expansion of the multicultural immersion program -- an intensive program that includes enrollment in two courses designed to foster understanding of multicultural issues;

* and enclosing a copy of the Principles of Community with information packets for admitted students and putting an abridged version of the principles on the back of student identification cards.

Wall said student affairs will continue to work with students to further the efforts of the student-initiated campaign to foster respectful behavior.

Responding to the report's observation that improving campus climate requires attention to the surrounding community, Wall said the new post of associate executive vice chancellor for campus community relations provides an opportunity to establish "a new era of connections with the city on issues of diversity and community."

She also said campus climate will be regularly monitored. The campus is currently awaiting analysis of responses to questions about campus climate included in a spring survey of enrolled undergraduates.

Editor's note: To receive by e-mail a copy of the task force report and the vice chancellor's preliminary response to its recommendations, please contact the News Service./P>