Faculty and staff diversity affinity groups foster cross-departmental social interaction, professional networking, cultural competencies, recruiting and mentoring.  Diversity affinity groups also offer the UCI community at large an opportunity to consult with group members as an information resource.

The following is a list of faculty and staff diversity affinity groups at UCI:

• Asian American Faculty and Staff Association
  Contact: Daniel Park, danielkp@uci.edu
  Mission: To raise awareness of the unique opportunities and challenges facing Asian American and Pacific Islander students, faculty, and staff; sponsor cultural events and professional development activities; promote opportunities for community engagement; and administer student scholarships.
  
  
• Black Faculty and Staff Association (sites.uci.edu/bfsa)
  Contacts: Gerald Parham, gparham@uci.edu; Veronica Wilson vwilson@law.uci.edu; Adrienne Grayson, agrayson@uci.edu
  Mission: To promote a sense of kinship for BFSA members and the Black community at the University of California, Irvine.
  
  
• Chicano/Latino Staff Association
  Contacts: Ramon Muñoz, rrmunoz@uci.edu; Graciela Fernandez, graciela.fernandez@uci.edu
  Mission: To create a network and to work with administration on issues relating to the Chicano/Latino community on campus.
  
  
• Native American Faculty and Staff Association
  Contact: Nikishna Polequaptewa, nikishna@uci.edu
  Mission: To sponsor and co-sponsor Native American cultural and social activities on campus; to grow and support a Native American community of faculty and staff on UCI’s campus.
  
  
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Staff and Faculty Network (www.clubs.uci.edu/lgbtsfn)
  Contact:Kitt Carpenter, kittc@uci.edu; Justin Stewart, j.stewart@uci.edu
  Mission: To address LGBT concerns on campus and to organize activities to meet the needs of UCI’s LGBT faculty and staff.
  
  
• Faculty and Staff Veterans (Prospective)
  Contact: OEOD (c/o Gwen Black), gwen.black@uci.edu;
  Veterans and other members of the UCI community interested in forming an affinity group to support the recruitment, retention, and networking of veterans in the UCI workforce are encouraged to contact Gwen Black in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.
  
  
• Academic & Professional Women of UC Irvine (www.apw.uci.edu)
  Contact: Amy Ruth, aruth@uci.edu;
  Mission: To develop awareness by faculty, staff and other campus constituencies of the contributions of women to the mission of UCI; To provide activities and to support other campus constituencies that contribute to the advancement of women at UCI; To serve as a networking and communications channel among women employees at UCI; To serve as an enabling body for women to input collectively to the decision-making process on campus and community issues affecting women at UCI.
  

Faculty and staff interested in joining any of the groups above are encouraged to email the contact(s) for the organization directly. Faculty and staff interested in forming a new diversity affinity group are encouraged to contact Gwen Black at (949) 824-5594 or gwen.black@uci.edu.

The Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity is available to support faculty and staff diversity affinity groups* that are registered as campus organizations at UCI. Diversity affinity groups are independent campus organizations that may or may not choose to affiliate with OEOD. Faculty and staff diversity affinity groups are eligible for limited administrative and financial support, including listing on the OEOD website.

* Students interested in joining or forming a diversity-related affinity group are encouraged to contact Sherwynn Umali, Director of Campus Organizations, at sumali@uci.edu or (949) 824-7741.