Diversity & Equity Action Council

Diversity

Diversity enriches our learning. We embrace diversity in all of its contexts, including strengths, perspectives, and people. We seek to increase our capacity to understand issues of difference, power, and privilege and to constructively resolve conflict.

Statement of Purpose

To ensure that the college’s value of diversity is held as a reference point in all our work.

Goals

• Nurture a diverse learning community that encourages individual and collective responsibility for diversity objectives.
• Identify ways in which we can improve "our preparedness to be allies, advocates and diversity change agents dedicated to the creation of a more welcoming and inclusive institutional environment." (Steve Michael, Aug. 2006) ie: provide opportunities/support for faculty and staff to expand their understanding and competency to infuse diversity into our learning community.
• Recommend policies related to diversity issues.
• Provide resources and manage a budget to support curricular and co-curricular programming and diversity initiatives throughout the college community.
• Periodically assess the college climate as related to diversity.
• Maintain an Affirmative Action sub-committee that will provide a pool of knowledgeable members from which to pick hearing panel members if needed.

Objectives

• Involvement and input on search committees to support diversity goals.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff and students on programming and curriculum.
• Establish an annual agenda and additional objectives once it has convened in this new form with the following being some possibilities:
  • Implement strategies that will support diversity learning in the classroom.
  • Enhance recruitment of underrepresented students.
  • Ensure higher levels of underrepresented student retention.
  • Study the concerns for safety and support of GLBT students, students of color and students with disabilities.
  • Provide calendars with multicultural events for planning purposes and list events on college-wide calendars.

Membership

Council membership will consist of a minimum of:

• Three administrators
• Three classified staff
• Three faculty members, at least two of whom are teaching faculty
• Director of Human Resources
• Director of Multicultural Services

These individuals will serve a two-year renewable term. People who serve as chair will have their term extended to one year beyond chairmanship for purposes of continuity.

• Students
• Community members

These individuals will have a one-year renewable term.

Members will be appointed by the President.

Leadership

A Chairperson and Vice Chairperson will be selected by the group. The role of the Chair will include but not be limited to the following:

• Acts as a liaison with other groups and committees and delegates liaison roles to members as appropriate.
• Schedules council meetings.
• Works with the council members to set the agenda and to record minutes.
• Attends Board meetings regularly and reports to the Board of Trustees periodically.
• Coordinates efforts with the Director of Multicultural Services.
• The Chair will be compensated with a 3 credit reduction in load or the equivalent.

The Vice Chair will serve as Chair when needed and will support all leadership functions.