GRAD 210: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Academic Leadership

We're excited to continue our popular course for UCSF PhD students and postdocs offered by the Graduate Division Dean’s Office.

► Watch students from the 2021 and 2022 cohorts present their projects at our inaugural GRAD 210 Symposium held on September 14, 2022!

The Winter 2025 application cycle is now open. 

Instructor:
D’Anne Duncan, PhD
Assistant Dean for Learner Success
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Course Coordinator:
Geremy D. Lowe, MPH
PhD Candidate in the History of Health Sciences

Course Dates:
Winter 2025, January 9 – March 13
Thursdays, 9:30 am – 12 noon (Pacific Time)
The course will be held in-person at Mission Bay.

Course Credits: 4

Course Description

On students’ and postdocs' journeys toward leadership roles in research, teaching, administration, or industry, understanding the value and implications of centering justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) is key. In this unique 10-week service-learning course, students and postdocs will develop in-depth knowledge of JEDI principles, build leadership skills, and gain experience designing and implementing a JEDI project.

In the first seven weeks, students and postdocs will be exposed to terminology, history, and theories from the JEDI and leadership fields, and engage in self-reflection and critical discussion. In the final three weeks, students and postdocs will apply these principles and gain knowledge and skills in program planning and evaluation as they develop and present their project proposals. Students and postdocs will continue to receive mentorship as they implement and evaluate their projects over the course of the spring and summer.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, student and postdoc participants will be able to: 

  1. Define justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion terminology, theories, and histories, and describe its value in academic and institutional structures. 
  2. Define institutional racism and identify the role of power and oppression broadly and in academic settings. 
  3. Acquire knowledge and skills about structures of bureaucracy and how to navigate institutions to enact change. 
  4. Apply up to three leadership strategies to examine their role in serving as an academic justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion leader and practitioner. 
  5. Describe the expertise needed to lead JEDI efforts in diverse settings and understand the importance of balancing and prioritizing self-care and mental health. 
  6. Develop a capstone project to apply justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and leadership theories in an academic setting. 
Course Schedule

Winter 2025 Schedule (subject to change)

Week 1 (Jan. 9, 2025): Establishing and grounding oneself in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and anti-racism values; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Week 2 (Jan. 16, 2025): Combating systems of power and oppression in academic and scientific settings, and Understanding the Power of Healing; Lecture D'Anne Duncan, PhD; Guest Lecturers: Nicole Reinosa, PsyD

Week 3 (Jan. 23, 2025): Theorizing institutional systems of power and oppression; Guest Lecture by Jennifer James, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute for Health & Aging, UCSF 

Week 4 (Jan. 30, 2025): Understanding structures of bureaucracy and navigating institutions to enact change; Guest Lecture by Naledi Saul, MPM, Director, Office of Career and Professional Development, UCSF 

Week 5 (Feb. 6, 2025): Exploring and applying leadership theories; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Week 6 (Feb. 13, 2025): Bridging leadership theories to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and anti-racism values; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Week 7 (Feb. 20, 2025): Building your toolkit for program planning; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Week 8 (Feb. 27, 2025): Teachings from community organizers and receiving feedback on your capstone project; Guest Lecture by Geremy Lowe, MPH, PhD Candidate, History of Health Sciences, UCSF

Week 9 (March 6, 2025): Capstone project presentations; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Week 10 (March 13, 2025): Capstone presentations, self-assessment, and course evaluation; Lecture by D'Anne Duncan, PhD

Funding

Interested UCSF PhD students and postdocs are invited to apply to join the course. Students and postdocs selected for the course will receive a $1,000 stipend and up to $500 to cover project expenses. Students and postdocs should expect to dedicate approximately five hours per week to the course during the winter quarter. Projects will be implemented during the spring and summer.

Eligibility

  • Basic Science PhD students must have advanced to candidacy
  • Social and Population Science PhD students must have advanced to candidacy and defended their dissertation proposal
  • Postdoctoral scholars

Application Process

The course application has one main component and please choose the appropriate application.

  1. Online application to be completed by the student or postdoc (Includes two essay questions and CV upload.)

Essay responses in both forms are limited to 3,000 characters maximum.

Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following areas:

  • Prior JEDI experience
  • Commitment to advancing JEDI leadership skills and knowledge
  • Relevant project idea

Timeline

  • October 16, 2024: Applications open
  • November 18, 2024: Applications due (11:59 p.m. PDT)
  • November 20, 2024: Accepted students and postdocs notified
  • December 2, 2024: Deadline for students and postdocs to enroll in the course

Questions? Contact Geremy D. Lowe (course coordinator).