The University of Southern California Race and Equity Center is the nexus of interdisciplinary scholarship, resources, programs, and initiatives designed to address issues of racial equity within the University, other institutions of higher education, and broader society. The Center is the home of the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC), a quantitative survey instrument designed to assess structural and experiential inequities resulting from oppressive and discriminatory campus environments. In addition, the USC Equity Institutes, an 8-week professional learning and organizational development program to assist colleges and universities to take action in achieving their racial equity goals. Finally, the Center recently launched PRISM, a new tech platform designed to enhance the experiences of racially diverse professionals in higher education. PRISM also offers colleges and universities an opportunity to identify and recruit highly-skilled talent as well as improve outcomes related to achieving racial equity in hiring.
The Center’s strength resides in its interdisciplinarity, whereby USC faculty affiliates from across 19 academic schools conducting research, programs and initiatives, and other forms of public scholarship pertaining to race collaborate on the production of groundbreaking research in education, law and public policy, health and human services, the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Affiliated faculty also collaborate on grant proposals, publications and research reports, the production of digital media, colloquia, and other signature Center events.