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Skill Building for the Inclusive Professional

A Certificate Program for Rady School and Global Policy and Strategy School Communities

In today's global and dynamic world, managers and employees need a diverse skill set that includes subject matter expertise, analytical abilities, and strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

UC San Diego’s professional schools, the Rady School of Management (RSM) and the School of Global Policy and Strategy (GPS), have partnered to offer this academic year program to complement curricular offerings by delving into a range of contemporary diversity topics. By participating in this program, participants will gain essential insights into the value of inclusivity and acquire practical skills that can be applied in both educational and professional settings. The program will empower participants to develop a skill set for personal growth, professional excellence, and societal benefit.

Drop in on topics of interest to you or complete the requirements to earn the certificate.  This program is flexible!

Questions? Feel free to contact Greg Figueroa (g3figueroa@ucsd.edu), RSM's EDI Program Manager.

 

Register Here!

 

Program Information

Participants meet twice monthly.  One session is a one-hour interactive lecture led by a professional with real-world experience on the topic.  Then, one to two weeks later, there is an experiential learning unit to provide students the opportunity to practice skills and explore professional scenarios related to the month’s topic. 

Capstone Experience:  Putting what you've learned into practice, those pursuing the certificate will be put into small teams in April to work on a presentation for the final session of the program.  

Certificate Eligibility: There are no grades associated with this program. However, in order to receive the certificate of completion, students must:

  • Attend the first session in October
  • Attend the final Capstone session 
  • Attend 8 additional sessions (for a total 10 sessions throughout the year)

In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. 

Monthly Schedule 2025/26

Sessions for the 2025/26 academic year will be held on Tuesdays at 5pm.  Locations will rotate between the Rady School and the School of Global Policy and Strategy.

The below schedule is subject to change based on speaker availability.

OCTOBER - Understanding Your Intersectionality and Privilege
NOVEMBER - Addressing Gender and LGBTQIA+ Inequality
DECEMBER - Building Generational Intelligence
JANUARY - Interrupting Implicit Bias at Work
FEBRUARY - Navigating Crucial Conversations
MARCH - No sessions 
APRIL - Advancing from Bystander to Ally
MAY - Cultivating Anti-Racism in the Workplace
JUNE - Capstone: Strategies for Inclusive Team Building

Program Learning Outcomes

The program is designed to accomplish three primary outcomes:

  1. Acquaint students with the issues that are germane to working in a diverse global work environment.  Lecture sessions will identify and explore a selection of topics changing cultural perceptions and influencing our day to day activities around inclusion in the workplace.

  2. Build skills to effectively navigate these issues.  Experiential units will include candid conversations, real-world scenarios and focus on building skills that can be used as we move towards a more equitable and inclusive professional community.

  3. Connect learning to each individual’s leadership journey.  Taking the awareness achieved and paired with the skills gained, participants will be asked to reflect on their professional identities and values, and project ahead in their leadership journey.

Those who complete the program will have begun the process of understanding the need for an equitable professional environment and have basic skills to address inclusivity issues as they arise. They will have been given opportunities to learn and practice key concepts presented, including, but not limited to, engaging in crucial conversations, acknowledging and disrupting microaggressions, and modifying processes and procedures to protect against implicit bias.  Additionally, participants will be able to create greater cultural awareness and inclusivity by enhancing understanding around gender identity, generational and cultural differences and recognizing racist, sexist and ableist expressions in our campus environment, and beyond.

Core competencies obtained from the program:

  • Self-Reflection: Participants will receive structured support to explore their own feelings and behavior. They will grow an understanding of who they are, what their values are, and why they think, feel, and act as they do.

  • Teamwork & Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Through longitudinal engagement with their learning cohort, participants will have meaningful opportunities to share diverse perspectives and life experiences. Workshops will provide participants with practical training on crucial conversations, civil discourse, and conflict management.

  • Leadership: By engaging in this cohort experience, participants will be better equipped to take initiative and demonstrate effective decision-making. They will be encouraged to work with others towards a shared purpose and vision.