Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This is a living document. As we undertake new efforts we will add them to this list. Here are some of the steps we are taking so far:

Acknowledgement

Transportation policies and investments have played a significant role in creating and perpetuating the deep inequities that exist in America today. Access to affordable, safe, clean and equitable transportation has systematically, by design or lack of understanding of societal diversity, been a barrier across race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, abilities, experience and more. Inequitable access to transportation has limited opportunities related to work, education, health and others, affecting overall quality of life for marginalized and vulnerable communities. As the world’s leading university center on sustainable transportation, ITS-Davis is committed to advancing the goals of sustainable transportation that is diverse, equitable and inclusive, built on principles of environmental and social justice, through its research and higher education programs.

Commitment

Acknowledging this history, ITS-Davis and the Policy Institute are taking action to create a more accessible and equitable transportation future—one that serves all people–and to instill the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the core values of our organizations, in our research, education, and outreach programs, and our workplace.

• Building a diverse and inclusive work, teaching, and research environment
  • Publicizing staff and faculty/research job opportunities beyond our traditional audience
  • Emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in job announcements and interviews
  • Developing a staff training program around these principles
  • Holding staff events that celebrate diversity
  • Pursuing more diverse voices in our leadership positions
• Building a strong mobility justice research program
  • Directing internal research funding to academic and research faculty proposing mobility justice projects
  • Making permanent the Transportation Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Group (TEEJAG), comprised of representatives from EJ and community groups, with funding allocated to compensate the members–to participate in, support, and advise mobility justice research initiatives
  • Recruiting faculty members, post-doctoral scholars, and graduate students with interest and expertise in mobility justice
  • Evaluating research proposals through an equity lens
  • Providing financial support for equity-focused organizations to participate in research partnerships
  • Attracting more diverse perspectives to review research proposals
• Sharing our work through accessible and inclusive events and outreach
  • Attracting more diverse participants to speak at and participate in our events
  • Identifying funding to provide financial support for event attendance by members of community-based organizations and other equity-focused groups
  • Including more diversity in the perspectives we promote on transportation through our communication materials
• Supporting a student-led Mobility Justice Working Group across the UC Davis campus
• Launching a student-led Transportation Equity Reading Group across the UC system
• Launching an Environmental and Social Justice Fellowship program for members of community-based organizations and environmental justice groups
• Joining with the three other Institutes of Transportation Studies within the University of California system to form an Equity Committee to assess transportation equity research, teaching, and engagement activities across the four ITS branches.

Institute of Transportation Studies

University of California, Davis

1605 Tilia Street, Davis, CA 95616

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