NGP Climate Statement

The Neurosciences Graduate Program (NGP) recognizes that prejudice and discrimination are significant problems in academia and is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning and research environment for all members of our community. The NGP encourages diversity in the dimensions of race, ethnicity, nationality, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability, age, family educational history (first generation), and veteran status. We are committed to supporting and promoting the safety, well-being, intellectual freedom, and success of all in our community, through the collaborative efforts of faculty and students. 

Community guidelines

The Neurosciences Graduate Program expects that all of its members, including students, faculty and staff will adhere to the principles and practices set forth in UC San Diego’s Principles of Community. 

• We value each member of the UC San Diego community for his, her, or their individual and unique talents, and applaud all efforts to enhance the quality of campus life. We recognize that each individual's effort is vital to achieving the goals of the University. 
• We affirm each individual's right to dignity and strive to maintain a climate of justice marked by mutual respect for each other. 
• We value the cultural diversity of UC San Diego because it enriches our lives and the University. We celebrate this diversity and support respect for all cultures, as both individuals and the University as a whole. 
• We are a university that adapts responsibly to cultural differences among the faculty, staff, students, and community. 
• We acknowledge that our society carries historical and divisive biases based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs. Therefore, we seek to foster understanding and tolerance among individuals and groups, and we promote awareness through education and constructive strategies for resolving conflict. 
• We reject acts of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, and political beliefs, and, we will confront and appropriately respond to such acts. 
• We affirm the right to freedom of expression at UC San Diego. We promote open expression of our individuality and our diversity within the bounds of courtesy, sensitivity, confidentiality, and respect. 
• We are committed to the highest standards of civility and decency toward all. We are committed to promoting and supporting a community where all people can work and learn together in an atmosphere free of abusive or demeaning treatment. 
• We are committed to the enforcement of policies that promote the fulfillment of these principles. 

We commit to building and maintaining a community that upholds these principles and ensures that its members are accountable to them. We commit to building and maintaining a community in which all members of the program feel supported, know the relevant UC policies regarding discrimination, harassment and abuses of power, and are aware of what resources are available to support complainants. 

We commit to creating and maintaining a reporting system through which students, faculty, and staff can report cases of misconduct. All reports will be taken seriously, and reporters can expect (1) to be heard with respect and empathy, (2) to have violations of policy reported to campus authorities for action or kept in confidence to the extent that it is legally possible, and (3) to understand the next steps available to them, including whether they would like follow-up contact from the person they are speaking with, if allowable by university policy. 

We commit to maintaining a program resource webpage listing information relevant to our efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive community, which includes funding, networking, and career development opportunities for students, identity-specific institutional resources and organizations, and information on reporting or addressing issues of discrimination and/or bias. 

Signatory list

The undersigned members of the Neurosciences Graduate Program affirm our commitment to the foregoing principles.