<div dir="ltr"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Dear Faculty and Staff,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="color:black">On behalf of UCOP and the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, we write with an opportunity for you to participate in a brief focus group (via zoom) on May 20th, 4-5 pm. <b> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><br></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Our campus has been asked by UCOP to partner with the nonpartisan National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago to better understand how the campus community experiences antisemitism and how campus policies and practices may affect such experiences</span></b><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="color:black"> </span><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">The Center wishes to explore employees’ sense of belonging, cross-cultural interactions, treatment of Jews, expression of Jewish identity, and experiences with antisemitism. We want to hear from employees of all backgrounds, political perspectives, and experiences. This important work will provide critical insight into the experiences of Jewish students and employees on our campus and is part of our commitment to understand, identify and address any challenges facing our Jewish communities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">You’re invited to join a <b>virtual, hour-long focus group</b> with up to seven other faculty and staff at UCR, led by NORC researchers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="color:black">This initiative is driven by a University of California Office of the President (UCOP) collaboration with NORC and Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative (CCI) in offering focus groups at all UC institutions to understand the experiences and perspectives of Jewish students and employees. NORC will conduct all focus groups and prepare institution-specific reports of findings. Hillel International’s CCI program</span><span lang="EN" style="color:black"> will review each report to analyze patterns of student and employee meaning making and explore findings with campuses</span><span style="color:black">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">What to expect:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color:black"></span><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span lang="EN">A small group discussion via Zoom, guided by a NORC researcher.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span lang="EN">A chance to share your experiences and opinions to help inform school decisions.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Your privacy matters:</span></b><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span lang="EN">NORC handles all registration and securely stores all recordings.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span>No names or identifying details will be shared with your institution, Hillel International, or any other institution.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span>All focus group participants can review findings before they’re shared to ensure accuracy and protect confidentiality.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span style="color:black">Interested?</span></b><span style="color:black"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span><span lang="EN">Register here:</span><span lang="EN"><a href="https://norc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehRrJ8ljLUAfsx0" target="_blank" style="color:blue"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"> </span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><a href="https://norc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHMlWot7FpZ3B6C" target="_blank">https://norc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cHMlWot7FpZ3B6C</a></span><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span>Only NORC will see your form responses.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Screening employees:</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color:black"></span><span lang="EN"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0in 0.75in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="line-height:13.8px;font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">●<span style="font-variant:normal;font-size-adjust:none;font-kerning:auto;font-feature-settings:normal;font-stretch:normal;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">      </span></span>NORC carefully screens all prospective employee participants for employee type, department or unit, position or rank, and length of time at the institution, identifying potential issues that may influence what is shared in and after focus groups.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;line-height:16.8667px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Questions?</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color:black"> Contact Alicia Taylor, Research Director at NORC: </span><span lang="EN" style="color:black"><a href="mailto:UC-Hillel-NORC-Partnership@norc.org" target="_blank" style="color:blue"><span lang="EN-US">UC-Hillel-NORC-Partnership@norc.org</span></a></span><span lang="EN" style="color:black"></span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div>Thank you,<br><br></div><div>Daniel Jeske, Vice Provost of Academic Personnel</div><div>Alex Najera, Associate Vice Chancellor/CHRO</div></div></div></div></div>