Caitlin Patler awarded UC Davis Diversity & Inclusion Grant
Patler's project aims to contribute to diversity and equality at UC Davis by developing an approach for further inclusion and integration of undocumented immigrant students and their communities. In partnership with the University of California Undocumented Legal Services Center (the “Center”), this project will focus on the experiences of undocumented young adults and their families. It will examine how the precariousness and perceived stigma associated with immigrant legal status informs and influences their daily lives and experiences at and with UC Davis.
Our goal is to enhance the Center’s effectiveness in supporting the undocumented community, in alignment with the UC principles of promoting and enhancing diversity and inclusion. Underscoring the role of the Center as a driver of immigrant integration in California, and understanding the urgent need of such institutions in the light of the present political environment, the project aims to systematically evaluate the Center’s programs and to build capacity to spread awareness and understanding on the UC Davis campus. Specifically, we will document the Center’s current and potential impacts at three levels: individual, household, and community or statewide impacts.
Based on this evaluation, we will partner with students, faculty and staff to implement a community outreach and education plan. The overarching goal is to ensure that UC Davis continues to solidify itself as a leader in access and inclusivity for immigrant students and their communities, and to help foster an environment of diversity and safety where all students, faculty and staff can thrive and succeed.
The Diversity and Inclusion (DI) Innovation Grants are designed to support the ideas of UC Davis students, faculty, and staff that promote and enhance diversity and inclusion at the University. The funding program is the result of a collaborative partnership between the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, the Campus Council on Community and Diversity, the Office of Campus Community Relations, and the Staff Diversity Administrative Advisory Committee.