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

• ELCAP faculty member, Dr. Ahmed Farad was selected to serve as the  EDT Equity Research Faculty Fellow, this position will pilot Winter and Spring by implementing new and existing evidenced based transformative qualitative research strategies to better understand the unique experiences of Highline students, faculty, and staff.  

• Psychology faculty member Dr. Samora Covington PsyD will serve as the faculty fellow for Restorative Justice practice. In this role, Dr. Covington will research and conduct the implementation of restorative justice practices here at Highline as a promising practice to increase black student student success.   

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

• In partnership with Title lll, Dr. E.T. Elwin was selected to serve as the Black Student Success Faculty Lead and will focus on Black student success data and strategies. 

• Political Science faculty, Salma Silva-Lincon, was selected to help conduct student focus groups to better understand the student experience. This work will begin Feb 2025. 

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

• The Mariners Corporation & Starbucks partnered with United Way of King County (UWKC) for their annual Big Day of Giving and the Bridge to Finish program was selected as the beneficiary of the day. Highline College Benefits Hub was honored as a special guest at the volunteer event held at T-Mobile Stadium. We also received additional gifts! 

Gifts included:  

• 100 winter kits (quality hats/gloves, Starbucks instant coffee, Starbucks tumbler, breath mints, reusable bag, hand written note, and a $10 Starbucks gift card) 

• $1,000 donation to Benefits Hub 

• Branded Mariners gear such as winter blankets, slippers, pajama pants, pillows and socks 

• 25 additional $10 Starbucks cards reserved for Highline Support Center staff 

Students actively experiencing homelessness and housing instability were gifted these items as well as the 17 families of the Women’s Program’s Holiday Giving Tree. 

You can find the UWKC article here 

Photos of Highline staff and students involved in the annual Big Day of Giving 

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

Faculty Staff of Color group (FSOCG) hosted the 2nd Annual Brown Elephant Social & Potluck and ugly sweater contest. Faculty & Staff of color gathered in community to celebrate the holidays over themed food boards, games and creative gift-giving. 

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