Yes. Every year the law school sponsors current students to attend the LGBT Bar Association’s Lavender Law Conference.

“Inclusive Faculty & Staff Recruitment and Hiring
Advancing inclusive excellence is a campus-wide goal reflected in Santa Clara’s Jesuit values and traditions.  As stated in the Fundamental Values of the University’s Strategic Plan, “We cherish our diverse and inclusive community of students, faculty, staff, administrators, and alumni, a community that is enriched by people of different backgrounds, respectful of the dignity of all its members, enlivened by open communication, and caring and just toward others.”  To further this value, Goal 5 of the Strategic Plan prompts the University to “recruit and graduate a broadly diverse community of highly talented students.”  Simultaneously, the University recognizes that simply admitting more diverse students is not enough.  Research has emphasized the importance of faculty composition in maximizing the benefits of racial diversity in higher education for all students (Milem, 2001). Such an effort also furthers the University’s commitment to inclusive excellence.  As such, the University seeks to “recruit and retain outstanding faculty members whose teaching, research, and life experience enrich the diversity of Santa Clara’s academic community with respect to race, ethnicity, and gender” (Strategic Plan, Objective 5D).

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) is available as a resource for any campus unit in administering both faculty/staff recruitment and hiring processes. ODI works collaboratively with Human Resources (HR) on the staff components. ODI has compiled a robust summary of best practices and effective strategies for inclusive faculty/staff recruitment and hiring based on a review of current initiatives and practices at Santa Clara, activities at other universities, and practices identified within the research literature. ODI is available for consultation at any time.

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) provides support for search committees, department chairs, hiring managers and deans engaged in faculty and staff searches. ODI works collaboratively with Human Resources (HR) with the staff components.

ODI support includes:

• Consultation on best practice strategies for inclusive searches
• Formal Inclusive Search training workshops for departments, search committees
• Demographic statistics, availability analysis, and utilization/underutilization reports for area of search
• Research into potential candidates from underrepresented groups (recent and forthcoming PhDs from targeted graduate programs, etc.) who could be contacted regarding upcoming or current searches
• Assistance drafting proposals for Faculty searches (tenure, adjunct)
• Assistance drafting inclusive search and recruitment plans
• Participation in portion of interview process on request
• ODI will work with academic units and Deans to support potential funding for the following initiatives:
• informal visits to campus of potential candidates from underrepresented groups (e.g., bringing potential candidates to campus for research talks in years prior to searches)
• sending additional faculty to conferences to attend talks by potential candidates from underrepresented groups (cost shared with dean)
• bringing additional candidate to campus to enhance inclusion within the search (cost shared with dean)
• other funding in support of inclusive searches may be available”

(https://www.scu.edu/diversity/inclusive-hiring-and-recruitment/)

“Regular full-time employees are eligible for benefits. An eligible employee is a member who works a minimum of 20 hours per week for the University. Your Benefits begin on the first date of the month coinciding with or following the 1st day of employment. Benefit plans currently include:

• Medical Plan
• Dental Plan
• Vision Plan
• Flexible Spending Plan (Section 125 Plan)
• Employee Assistance Plan
• Basic Life Insurance Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• 401(a) and 403(b) Retirement Plans

For Eligible Dependents

Employees must complete and return their benefits enrollment paperwork to the Human Resources Department within 31 days of their eligibility for benefits. Please note, if you or your eligible dependents do not enroll in the plans within 31 days of your eligibility date, you will not be able to enroll until the next Open Enrollment Period. Please refer to the Summary Plan Document for more details.

Effective June 1, 2010 and due to the recently enacted health care reform measures, Eligible Dependents include your:

• Spouse or Registered Domestic Partner
• Dependent children, regardless of student status and marital status until they reach age 26
• Unmarried dependent child of any age who is incapable of self-sustaining employment due to a mental or physical handicap.

For more detailed information, see the U.S. Health Care Reform Update (PDF 92KB).

Note: A child includes your adopted child, stepchild or recognized natural child.”

(https://www.scu.edu/hr/maintain-benefits-info/eligibility/)

“All Graduate, Law and Jesuit School of Theology students in a degree seeking program who are enrolled in at least halftime in their school or college are automatically enrolled in this insurance plan at registration, unless proof of comparable coverage is furnished. . . Eligible students who do enroll may also insure their Dependents.  Eligible Dependents are the student’s legal spouse or Domestic Partner and dependent children under 26 years of age.  . . “

(2018-2019-Santa-Clara-University-Student-Health-Insurance-Plan-Summary-GRAD.LAW.JST.pdf)

Waiting for complete answer from HR. Kaiser offers some services including transportation and housing when a surgery has to be performed outside of their service area. We are waiting to find out what Blue Shield offers. Will forward separately.

The school sponsored UnitedHealthcare insurance plan provides the same benefits and coverage for everyone enrolled in the plan regardless of student, dependent or partner.  Please note, enrollment into the insurance plan is not automatic for dependents.  Those students who are enrolled in the school’s plan must request the enrollment and pay the premium for their dependent or partner.

Transgender services are a covered benefit under the school sponsored UnitedHealthcare plan.

https://www.uhcprovider.com/en/search-results.html?i=1&q=gender+dysphoria&q1=California&search=gender+dysphoria&view=xml&x1=state

Charney Hall, our only law school building, has 2 All-Gender Restrooms located on the 1st floor of the building.

• Gender and Law
• Sexuality and the Law

(https://law.scu.edu/course-listing/)

“In response to student concerns about the University’s past response to bias and hate-motivated incidents, the Office of Student Life worked with students and staff to identify ways to improve the reporting of such incidents. Creating an improved reporting mechanism and developing an advocate program are the first steps in maintaining a respectful environment free from all forms of harassment, hostility, and violence.

What is a Bias Incident?

Santa Clara University defines a bias incident as any speech, act, or harassing action that targets, threatens, or attacks an individual or group because of its actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religious creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, citizenship status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military or veteran status, or other status protected by law.

Report an Incident

The University needs you to report incidents of bias and hate-motivated behavior on campus in order to respond appropriately. For data collection purposes and to ensure full compliance with the Clery Act, you are encouraged to report all incidents, including graffiti, defaced posters or property, and verbal and physical attacks.
More information about the University’s Clery Act Compliance efforts can be found here.

Reporting Process

If a hate crime is in progress or just occurred, call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4444. Officers are available 24 hours a day.
Hate crimes are any incidents of larceny-theft, assault, intimidation, or destruction/damage/vandalism of property that were motivated by bias.

Report bias incidents in one of the following ways:

• Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., contact the Office of Student Life at (408) 554-4583, and ask for a member of the Dean’s staff, or go to the Benson Memorial Center, Room 205.
• Contact Campus Safety Services at (408) 554-4444. Any campus safety officer can take a report and forward it to the Office of Student Life.
• If you are designated as a Campus Security Authority at the University under the Clery Act, you may also report a Bias incident that is NOT in progress or just occurred via the CSA Reporting form that can be found at www.scu.edu/clery
• EthicsPoint (www.ethicspoint.com) is an online incident reporting tool that is available to Santa Clara University students, faculty, and staff to file incident reports of bias, discrimination and harassment.

(https://www.scu.edu/diversity/initiatives-and-reports/bias-incident-reporting/)