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 Mariela Barriga, Highline had ensured a new partnership with the Jeannette Rankin Foundation resulting in $30,000 worth of scholarships for eligible WISH Program students this quarter. Eligible students can receive funds twice per year ($1,250 each time). Another round of scholarships will be awarded in spring! This partnership includes Rankin Foundation, Highline College, Highline College Foundation & King County Housing Authority. Scholarship flyer
• King County Housing Authority selected the WISH program for a feature in their annual report. KCHA Annual Report (p. 12)

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

• Faculty member Dr. Christie Knighton is conducting a research study aimed at understanding more about why our ELCAP Latinx-identified students in level 3-5 are not transferring into college-credit courses. This study is being funded through the Office of Equity Diversity, and Transformation and Title lll to support our college goal of becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Student interviews are underway and the findings are expected by spring 2025.
• Under the leadership of Program Manager of Latinx Student Success, Gabriela Osorio, over 30 students and their families participated in Noche en Familia, an event geared toward educating parents and families about supporting their students in their academic journey. This event was the first of a series aimed at engaging parents and families.

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

• The Institutional Research team worked with the University of Washington’s Community College Research Initiative and SBCTC’s policy research arm to help develop a standardized process for data collection in community college and university transfer partnerships, building on work that already occurred in Highline’s partnership with UW-Tacoma’s engineering program to benefit future partnerships.

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

• Highline has been awarded the Neighborhood Grant from Starbucks ($1,000) which is a nomination-based award: Starbucks received more than 33,000 nominations from Starbucks partners and alumni across the U.S. and Canada. Thanks to their advocacy, we are proud to recognize and support your organization as one of 2,800 nonprofits selected to receive a Neighborhood Grant. 
• Highline has been selected for the Nourishing Neighbors of Washington campaign. Our Safeway stores raise funds to help provide meals to families in need. Those funds will be donated to Highline College Community Pantry in the form of grocery store gift cards ($50 ea) and can be used for anything in the store including gas! (no tobacco, alcohol)

• Under the leadership of Director of Institutional Research, Emily Coates, the team collaborated with Student Services to offer the first in a three-part data training series for Student Services Leadership Team (SSLT) aimed at increasing data capacity and institutional effectiveness planning. Additional sessions will occur in Winter and Spring 2025.
• For Professional Development Day, Highline hosted Dr. Melissa Salazar, the CEO of ESCALA Educational Services to continue the conversation about how to integrate becoming an inclusive HSI that is integrated with also being an Minority Serving Institution (MSI). The Office of EDT will be hosting a series of Lunch and Learns to continue the conversation campuswide.

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