Employee Resource Groups/Affinity Groups are voluntary, employee-led groups whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the organizations they serve.
These groups create a welcoming, affirming, and inclusive environment for all staff employees through networking, mentoring, advocacy, professional development, and social gatherings. ERGs/Affinity Groups will be housed within the SCU Staff Senate. All staff employees who have membership in the Staff Assembly* are eligible to participate in an ERG/Affinity Group in which they self-identify.
The immediate goals of ERGs/Affinity Groups at SCU are to:
- Help marginalized groups and remote workers feel connected through a shared identity or interest.
- Bring employees together in a brave place where conversations can flow freely and everyone can feel comfortable sharing their experience.
If there is an identity that is not captured by the current slate of ERGs, submit your idea to the Staff Senate Interim ERG Liaison Ray Plaza at rplaza@scu.edu.
*The membership of the Staff Assembly shall consist of all Santa Clara University employees whose primary purpose is staff rather than faculty or student and who are not represented by a collective bargaining unit. (Staff Senate Bylaws, Article II)
- The purpose of the Black/Pan-African ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring and advocacy for Black/Pan-African staff.
- Lead: Marqus Koranteng, Marketing and Program Coordinator, LEAD Scholars Program
- The purpose of the Indigenous/Native American ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring and advocacy for Indigenous/Native American staff.
- Lead: Kathy Kale, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations
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The purpose of the Latinx ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring and advocacy for Latinx staff. This is our "Carne Asada," the "Tamalisa," the "Comadre, Compadre Time" to share en confianza the needs of our community as we aspire to abrir brecha or caminos for those that will join, are with, and will continue at SCU. We look forward to meeting you.
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Co-Leads: Amanda Chavez, Off Campus Area Coordinator for Off Campus Living (OCL), Office of Student Life (OSL), and Lorenzo Gamboa, Senior Associate Director of Undergradute Admission
- The purpose of the APISA ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring and advocacy for Asian Pacific Islander and South Asian staff.
- Lead: Melissa Thiriez, Associate Director, Industry & Employer Connections
- The purpose of the MENA ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring and advocacy for Middle Eastern and North African staff.
- Lead: Judy Anderson-Hamed, Customer Service Supervisor, ACCESS Card Office
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The purpose of the Rainbow Alliance ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcome space of support, networking, mentoring/co-mentoring and advocacy for LGBTQ+ staff. We also support the greater SCU community as a resource pertaining to issues that impact the LGBTQ+ community
- Co-Leads: Alejandra Ruiz, Marketing Operations Manager,University Marketing and Communications and Elise Dubravec, Campus Minister, Christian Life and Spiritual Formation, Campus Ministry
- The purpose of the Multifaith ERG at SCU is to foster community by providing a welcoming space of support, networking, and companionship for staff who would like to share their faith and/or spirituality with one another in fellowship. It is open to people of any or no faith tradition.
- Co-Leads: Maureen Burnham, Kids on Campus, and Lina Awadallah, Kids on Campus