AVÀÇ

Dear AVÀÇ community,

It’s such a pleasure to see so many faces back on our campuses. My return to the East Bay continues to feel like a homecoming, especially as I am reminded daily about the rich diversity of our communities and the connectivity we have with each other. 

The week of September 20, the university will release the results from the My Story, My Truth climate assessment — the assessment of learning, living and working that our students, faculty and staff were invited to participate in last winter. I received a summary for high-level themes from the assessment and am grateful that it has identified specific areas where we can work together to create a greater sense of belonging. I will see the full executive summary and presentation the same time it is revealed to the campus.

Please watch for an email linking to the executive summary of the My Story, My Truth assessment the week of September 13, as well as a form where you can provide feedback or ask questions. At that time, you will also be able to sign up for one of the Community Presentation sessions where the members of the Climate Assessment Working Group will share the findings via Zoom. From there we will identify specific actions we can take together to create a more inclusive university community and how we will hold ourselves accountable. 

I would like to thank the working group that guided this project last year, especially Kimberly Baker-Flowers, University Diversity Officer, and Fanny Yeung, Director, Institutional Research & Analysis for their longstanding commitment to this effort. 

AVÀÇ continues to create an environment of openness, fairness and equal access for all. These principles are at the core of our values, and I know that each one of you carries these important beliefs and actions into your learning and work here. I certainly recognize the strong sense of community and connection that is a hallmark of AVÀÇ. However, creating a positive campus climate is an ongoing process of continuous improvement. Please join me in my commitment to continue this work together.

Sincerely,

Cathy Sandeen
President 

September 8, 2021