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

• Overview of progress of work from the Moving Toward Serving Team since November 2023
  • Hosted quarterly events: Conchas Con La Comunidad for current students and had over 70+ participants at each event.
  • Implemented a Cultural Learning Community for Latine students:

• Recruited three Latine identified faculty to teach the cultural learning community in the fall 2024: Dr. Diego Luna, Dr. Laura Sorraco, and Salma Silva-Lincon
• Recruited 5 student advisors for the work
• Increased the number of team members 
• Hosted Reyna Grade, Mexican Author
• Partnered with Federal Way Public Schools to recruit Latine identified seniors
• 23 students submitted interest forms for Juntos
• Held two financial aid sessions in Federal Way and one in Burien, both in Spanish

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

• The EDT Division collaborated with Entry Advising and High School Programs to streamline processes and remove barriers of holds for students.

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

• The Equity, Diversity and Transformation Division partnered with Alimentando Al Pueblo to host financial aid sessions in Spanish. Thanks to the financial aid team for collaborating with us to make this happen. The sessions were hosted at the Federal Way HUB and in Burien. 
• We hosted the Horizon partners to finalize the implementation plan and budget for the Gates Horizon grant. Moving forward, we will host all meetings for Horizons at HC.

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

• Director Krystal Welch and her team hosted the End of the Year Celebration for the Cultural Learning Community. Students were celebrated and received awards.

Division Honors and Achievements

• As of July 1, 2024, Director Mariela Barriga and all of her areas in Student Success have transitioned to the EDT Division. We would like to welcome Mariela and her team to the division.
• Dra. Jimenez has been selected to participate in the 2024/25 National Community College Hispanic Council’s Dr. Ted Martinez, Jr. Leadership Fellows Program. This competitive national program is designed for community college educators whose career interests focus on assuming increasingly responsible administrative positions, with the ultimate goal of becoming a president of a community college. 

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