NEWS RELEASE

December 4, 2001

Media Contact:
   Troy Anderson (858) 822-3075, tdanders@ucsd.edu

Jacobs School Dean's Office Commended for Commitment to Diversity

The Jacobs School of Engineering dean's office has been honored with the UCSD Academic Affairs 2000-2001 Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action & Diversity Award for its commitment to and celebration of diversity in the workplace. Shelly Karkosky, human resources manager, accepted the award on behalf of the dean's office. The selection was based on numerous factors, including recruitment and hiring, staff development and retention, and community outreach.

This year, the dean's office filled 36 staff positions. Seventy-six percent of these new hires were women, and 37 percent were individuals of color. It has effectively used the School's website as a tool to enhance recruiting efforts by creating a job market page, and to promote diversity and tolerance to departments, staff and candidates with a Diversity Initiatives page.

To further improve recruiting practices, the School has also developed a generic applicant pool to provide a diverse, continuous group from which to select. By keeping the names of interested parties on file, filling positions should be much more efficient. And with regards to staff development, the Jacobs School offers $500 matching grants to provide professional training and development to let its departments to build staff skills and knowledge.