DEI Helpline

The DEI helpline is a confidential feedback system for students to provide feedback and share concerns regarding equity and inclusion in the SCA community. SCA values your input and always take your comments, reports, and suggestions seriously. Please see the overview and FAQs below for more information.

Steps to use the DEI Helpline:

1. Login to SCA Community (https://scacommunity.usc.edu/login/)
2. Select "DEI Helpline" from the right column
3. Provide feedback (name and email are not required)
4. Click "Submit"

DEI Helpline FAQs 

 

What categories fall within the parameters of diversity & inclusion? Race and ethnicity, gender and gender identities, sexual orientation, spiritual and political beliefs, class, age, disability, parenting, family status, place of origin, and other forms of difference that are underrepresented or marginalized within SCA.

What qualifies as feedback?

• Comments: General feelings about your experiences at SCA. The Council needs to know about problems to address, and what IS working to improve inclusion throughout the School.
• Reports: Specific incidents that should be documented and acted upon.
• Suggestions: Your ideas about how we can make SCA more equitable and supportive. 

Who can use the system? Any student enrolled in a SCA course may use the DEI Helpline; SCA Community login required.

What about my privacy? This online feedback and reporting system is confidential and your contact information will only be collected if you opt-in by providing details. The system, however, is not completely anonymous because information is collected with your SCA Community login. Please know that SCA Council on Diversity & Inclusion will not collect or use any identifying information unless you opt-in or the information you provide relates to a crime or indicates that self-harm might be inflicted. Please email diversity@cinema.usc.edu if you have further questions.

What will be done? The SCA Council on Diversity & Inclusion advocates on behalf of students, staff, and faculty, and provides a layer of oversight. The Council Review Committee provides recommendations to Vice Deans about best practices on a course of action to resolve the issue or practice. 

What is the role of the Council? SCA Council on Diversity & Inclusion is a coalition of faculty, staff, and students who provide oversight and advocate for SCA DEI standards and best practices. The Council provides recommendations to Vice Deans on a course of action to address DEI concerns and make necessary changes. The Council cannot take disciplinary action against students, faculty, staff, academic divisions or non-academic units; this is the role of SCA Vice Deans. 

Who will see my comments? The Council Review Committee will review all feedback submitted. The Committee is made up of Diversity Liaisons from each division, Assistant Dean on Diversity & Inclusion, and a staff representative, and a graduate student representative. The Committee reports directly to SCA Vice Deans.

Will I know how an incident is resolved? Respondents have the option to leave their name and contact information to receive updates from their Division Liaison. If the behavior continues, we encourage the filing of an additional report marked urgent so the Committee can make further recommendations to Vice Deans.

What is the timeframe? Council Review Committee members meet every other week to discuss all new DEI feedback; recommendations to Vice Deans are guaranteed within two weeks or less.  If feedback is marked urgent by the individual logging the incident, it will be reviewed within 48 hours. It’s important to note that each situation is unique and resolution will vary depending on circumstances.

Under what circumstances do I report to the Office of Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX)? We encourage you to report any problematic behavior or incidents related to diversity, equity and inclusion to the helpline so that SCA is aware of what happened. The Council on Diversity & Inclusion are mandated reporters for any information that may constitute prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. SCA Council on Diversity & Inclusion will automatically report these incidents to the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX (EEO-TIX) on your behalf as required by the University.

Faculty/Staff FAQs

It is imperative that SCA faculty, staff and students uphold and promote diversity and inclusion as core values of the SCA community.  Please remember that the goal of the CDI is educational not punitive and seeks to enhance the experiences of faculty, staff and students.

A student has reported a concern/complaint, what do I do?
Discuss the concern with the student.  If the student wants to file a complaint send written notification of the incident to the SCA student’s DIL.  Complaints from non-SCA students can go to any SCA DIL.

What do I do about a student concern/complaint  in my division or department?
You should discuss your concerns with the division DIL.  The Liaison will address your concerns with the Division Chair and the Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion.

What do I do about a concern/complaint in another SCA division/department?
You should report this complaint to the DIL in the SCA student’s home division. If the student is not a SCA major, minor or graduate student, report the complaint to any DIL.

What do I do about a student concern/complaint if I work in a SCA non-academic division?
You should report this complaint to the DIL in the SCA student’s home division. If the student is not a SCA major, minor or graduate student, report the complaint to any DIL.

What happens if a concern is reported about me?
Your Division Chair will contact you and work with you to resolve the concern.

Are there SCA resources available to learn about diversity and inclusion in the classroom and SCA community?
The CDI is a great place to start. Please contact anyone on the CDI for information and suggestions.

When does a concern go to the Diversity and Inclusion Review Board?
If a reported issue cannot be resolved at the Chair’s level or if there is a repeated complaint, a more formal complaint will be brought to the SCA Diversity and Inclusion Review Board.  

Who is on the Diversity and Inclusion Review Board? Can I participate?
The Diversity and Inclusion Review Board consists of the liaison from each academic division, the Assistant Dean of Diversity & Inclusion, the Vice Dean of Faculty, a SCA Diversity and Inclusion Council staff person and a SCA graduate student representative.  The Diversity and Inclusion Review Board will discuss the case and make a recommendation for further action to the SCA Dean.
While you may not be able to participate on the Diversity and Inclusion Review Board, you can inquire about how to participate in the CDI. Please email <diversity@cinema.usc.edu>

How can I become a SCA Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Liaison?
If you would like to be considered for a SCA DIL position, please inform your Divisional Chair of your interest. At this time, Division Chairs are asked to designate a faculty member as a SCA DIL.