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

• Under the leadership of Director Krystal Welch and the Cultural Learning Communities team, UMOJA, King County Promise, and Juntos students participated in orientation and the first day of the quarter breakfast.
• The inaugural JUNTOS learning community is full and off to a great start.

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

• The EDT division, including the Institutional Research and Dr. Jimenez, collaborated with the Assessment Committee to pilot a tool with faculty to analyze class pass rates from the new data dashboard created under the leadership of Director Emily Coates.

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

• EDT is bringing together leaders of Federal Way Public Schools, the Outreach and Recruitment team, Workforce Recruitment, and Cultural Learning Communities to develop a comprehensive affinity based outreach and recruitment plan to pilot with FWPS.
• The King County Promise partnership held the Phase 2 kick off at the Puget Sound ESD. The goals for Phase 2 are to continue to engage with Black and Brown men and grow the number of Promise Scholars.

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

• During Opening Week 2024, EDT hosted and sponsored Highline Olympics and Loteria as a way to build community among all employees. We had over 150 employees participate in both activities and we had overwhelmingly positive feedback and will likely make this event an annual or bi-annual part of Opening Week.
• EDT sponsored part of this year’s annual Faculty and Staff of Color Group Kick Off. Faculty and Staff of Color were able to be in community and get hyped for the 24/25 school year. The event was full of joy and vibes with Vibe Bingo.

Division Honors and Achievements

The EDT division continues to grow. We were able to host a divisional meet and greet as well as prepare for an EDT retreat scheduled for Oct. 7, 2024.

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