Area Report for Board of Trustees

The Equity, Diversity, and Transformation (EDT) Division is charged with embedding equity in everything we do at Highline College. Below are updates of the ongoing work.

Core Theme 1: ACCESS, Reduce Barriers and close equity gaps to access for all community members

• IR staff visited the Entry Advising annual retreat at the MaST center to guide a departmental exploration of quantitative and qualitative student feedback in order to strategize areas for improvement in the student onboarding experience next academic year.

Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve

• A member of the IR staff visited students in C SCI 180, our introductory data science course, to discuss careers in data.

Core Theme 3: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, Create a more inclusive working environment and a more valued, visible relationship with communities we serve

• The Highline Community Pantry hosted Unkitawa for a site visit to begin conversations about our efforts and community and how we can begin to build an intentional partnership. The Unkitawa First Foods Access Pantry is dedicated to reestablishing communal connection to traditional food and diets in an urban setting.
• The Highline Community Pantry partnered with United Way King County and Nordstrom for a donation drive benefiting students who are experiencing or recently experienced homelessness. Additionally, Nordstrom invited Associate Dean, Mariela Barriga, to their corporate offices to speak at their employee giving event where they made hundreds of meal kits that were delivered to our campus the following day. Photo below from campus visit.

• IR supported King County Promise in the development of a data tracking system including an intake survey for Promise students in order to improve alignment between high schools and post-secondary institutions as the partnership grows.
• On April 26, Leaders from the Equity, Diversity, and Transformation (EDT) Division (Rickitia Reid, Mariela Barriga and Krystal Welch), alongside campus partners and the Highline College Foundation, co-hosted a brunch fundraiser in support of the Young Educated Ladies Leading (Y.E.L.L.) Summit. For over eleven years, the Y.E.L.L. Summit has served thousands of Black and Brown young women. The program empowers participants, fosters community connections, and supports their pursuit of higher education. Proceeds from the fundraiser will directly support the continued success of our annual summit, ensuring this impactful work can continue to grow and thrive.

Core Theme 4: CULTURE & CAPACITY: Promote a campus culture which fosters equity and inclusivity supporting employee growth and development, and institutional capacity for transformation

• The Highline Support Center hosted an Eid celebration potluck open to anyone on campus to share in the special tradition.
• The Highline Community Pantry created gift bags for students the week of Eid with celebration cards and organic dates.
• IR collaborated with faculty and CCRI (Community College Research Initiatives) staff to develop and analyze a student survey used to understand engineering students’ challenges while in the engineering program and during the transfer process. IR was also involved in gathering qualitative input from former students about improving mentorship and the transfer process.
• The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion hosted its inaugural Spring Quarter Showcase, providing an opportunity to engage and connect with the campus community. The event highlighted the impactful work taking place across the division and offered attendees a closer look at current initiatives that advance our shared commitment to equity and inclusion at Highline College.

Report submitted by Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Transformation, Dra. Maribel Jimenéz