Safety Services recognized for fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion.

Safety Services was awarded a department recognition award at the Chancellor’s Achievement Award for Diversity and Community at a ceremony on Wednesday, Apr. 28. This award was created to honor those who have contributed to the development and well-being of our diverse and evolving community. Safety Services has embodied UC Davis’ mission to help advance a diverse and principled academic community with exemplary service in recruitment and development.

Award recognizes work of Safety Services staff

“Our educational journey in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion has been a true team effort, and we are all the richer due to our efforts.” – Becky Grunewald, EH&S Manager

The department has created an atmosphere of inclusion that fosters an open environment of sharing and safety for all. Some of Safety Services work includes publishing an internal newsletter with events that celebrate and discuss cultural diversity, offering lunchtime informational talks, with subjects such as the history of the UC Davis pow wow, as well as developing an online resource page to highlight diversity and inclusion within Safety Services.

The mission of the department is to support the five-year Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training roadmap created in conjunction with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Campus Community Relations.

“We’ve learned a lot together while implementing our DEI plan,” remarked Associate Vice Chancellor for Safety Services, Eric Kvigne. “This year’s focus on microaggressions will make us a stronger, kinder team more capable of advancing safety on campus.”

The five-year DE&I training roadmap for Safety Services comprises: 

• Year 1: Principles of Community debrief (2019)
• Year 2: Implicit Bias, with focused additional session focusing on recruiting/hiring for supervisors/managers (2020)
• Year 3: Microaggressions: Towards Greater Awareness and Understanding (2021)
• Year 4:  Cross cultural communication and conflict management (2022)
• Year 5: TBD (2023)

Safety Services is working tirelessly to create an effective change across its department and the UC Davis Community. They strive to create a culture of safety and inclusion and are being awarded for all their hard work and dedication to this movement of diversity and inclusion.