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CSUSB Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Bronze Award

California State University San Bernardino, Department of Physics and Astronomy Earns Award from Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Program

SEA Change Bronze Award logo
 

California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB) Department of Physics & Astronomy has earned a Bronze Award from the Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Committee (P/A SEA Change) for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse, and supportive physics department.

Commenting on this award Katy Wimberly, Assistant Professor, CSUSB Department of Physics and Astronomy said, "We are honored to be recognized with the Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Bronze Award. This exciting milestone highlights our department’s dedication to meaningful, data-informed transformation to assess and improve our departmental climate and our ongoing commitment to removing barriers and creating pathways for success in physics, astronomy and beyond. We are energized by this recognition and remain committed to advancing our action plan, continuing to foster a more inclusive and supportive environment where all members of our community can thrive.”

“CSUSB Physics & Astronomy’s Bronze recognition is well-deserved for their careful work to tightly link the action plan to the self-study, truly seeking out to improve the department via data-informed self-reflection. Their action plan aims to address various facets of the departmental experience for students, faculty, and staff- truly embracing the SEA Change approach of addressing the entire ecosystem strategically." said Alexis Knaub, Director of P/A SEA Change.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) SEA Change Awards program aims to advance institutional transformation that supports success for all in STEMM — science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine — fields. SEA Change Awards recognize institutions and their academic units for interrogating the policies, processes, culture, programs, and practices that promote or impede success for all. For more, see https://seachange.aaas.org.

The P/A SEA Change process is a non-trivial undertaking during which the participating department first undergoes a comprehensive self-assessment, critically examining its demographics, policies, procedures, culture, and climate. Next, the department creates a five-year action plan with measurable outcomes to address some of the structural and systemic challenges identified. A review panel evaluates the department’s self-assessment and action plan and provides feedback, and then the P/A SEA Change Committee decides whether to award the department a Bronze Award that is good for five years. Finally, P/A SEA Change continues to provide check-ins and guidance on the action plan as it is implemented across the next five years. 

Physics and Astronomy SEA Change

PA/SEA Change empowers participants to identify and address barriers that will enhance student and faculty retention, and foster resilience aligned with each institution's unique mission and goals. Participants join a supportive community of peers where they complete a self-assessment and create bespoke action plans rooted in data and the realities and opportunities of context. The Physics and Astronomy focuses on postsecondary physics and astronomy contexts. P/A SEA Change is a collaboration of professional physics and astronomy societies: American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Astronomical Society (AAS), American Institute of Physics (AIP), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American Physical Society (APS), AVS (Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing), National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP), the Physics and Astronomy Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research, Optica, and the Society of Physics Students (SPS).