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 since its creation 1.5 months ago.
Core Theme 1: ACCESS, Reduce Barriers and close equity gaps to access for all community members
The EDT Division is partnering with the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence (CCIE) to connect with student leaders for envisioning and strategizing how to intentionally include students in institutional equity work toward closing gaps and reducing barriers.
Dr. Jimenez, along with Dr. Penn and VP Gertsman, is collaborating with leaders from the Highline Public Schools, Federal Way Public Schools, Tukwila Public Schools and the Puget Sound ESD to submit a grant proposal that, if granted, would allow us to focus on investing in our current employees through professional learning that would lead to reducing barriers for our underserved student populations.
Core Theme 2: STUDENT LEARNING, Increase educational success, collaborate to improve
EDT, in collaboration with Title III, worked with all divisions to put together a team to represent Highline College at the ESCALA Moving Towards Serving Program in Pasco, WA. This program will help us build institutional capacity for the work ahead to become a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). The collaboration between all of the divisions will be key for recruiting and enrolling Latine/x identified students as we inch closer to reaching the 25% Latine/x identified students needed to become a federally designated HSI. A representative group of 15 HC folks will attend the retreat at Columbia Basin College on Nov. 2-4.
Institutional Research (IR) which previously lived under Academic Affairs is now housed under the EDT division. The IR team is led by Emily Coates and collaborates with all areas of campus. Some examples include partnership with Title III leaders to offer data literacy for the campus community. IR is also working and collaborating diligently with leaders in Academic Affairs and executive cabinet towards a successful mid-cycle accreditation visit.
Core Theme 3: COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, Create a more inclusive working environment and a more valued, visible relationship with communities we serve
Dr. Jimenez, along with Dr. Tanya Powers (Associate Dean of BAS programs) attended the Government to Government Summit hosted by Renton Technical College to gain deeper understanding of culturally appropriate ways to build relationships and partnerships with local tribes, recruit and retain Indigenous/Native students, and work toward cultivating belonging amongst Indigenous/Native faculty, staff, and students. One big takeaway from the Summit was the importance of representation of more Indigenous/Native faculty, staff, and students.
Dr. Jimenez represents Highline College on the Diversity Equity Officers Commission at the state board level. She attended the first meeting on August 30 in downtown Seattle. The DEOC is focused on ways to support the annual Students of Color Conference that brings together over 1000 students of color from all 34 community and technical colleges of Washington.
Dr. Jimenez is collaborating with El Centro De La Raza in Federal Way to strategize ways to partner around Financial Aid Literacy.
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 EDT Division is facilitating the recruitment, registration, and logistical support for 40 Highline staff members to attend the Faculty and Staff of Color Conference in Vancouver, WA on Oct. 25-27.
Dr. Jimenez, in collaboration with Dr. Penn, led the Student Services division leadership team in various activities focused on radical envisioning, collective ideal culture, and identifying and disrupting white supremacy culture characteristics during their summer retreat.
Division Honors and Achievements
Dr. Jimenez was nominated to serve as the DEOC liaison to the Multicultural Student Services Directors’ Council (MSSDC) for the 2023-2024 academic year. MSSDC is a council under the Washington State Student Services Commission (WSSSC) and is made up of Multicultural Center Directors from the 34 community and technical colleges of Washington. MSSDC has been planning and executing the annual Students of Color Conference (SOCC) for over 30 years. Our very own Edwina Fui, director of the CCIE mentioned above, is serving as this year’s SOCC co-chair.
Report submitted by Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Transformation, Dra. Maribel Jimenéz