This summer Dr Kahn presented a Prop-M proposal to the board for a Guided Pathways success project that would include a Welcome Center & Retention center. The Retention center is described as a place where student organizations could find a permanent home (Umoja, Puente, Undocumented student space etc). More information to come!
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Antiracism
PCTV to Document Antiracist Actions at Palomar College
PCTV Antiracist Video Project
As we continue to build an antiracist culture at Palomar College, we want to capture the incredible work, impactful testimonials, and active collaboration that is going on all over our College. To do so, our award winning PCTV crew will be producing a documentary on our progress, challenges, and achievements.
First, we know that some really transformational meetings, sessions and conversations have taken place already and we are hopeful that these sessions may have been recorded on Zoom, and can be shared with the PCTV team. But first, we’d like to make sure that we have the agreement of participants through a signed release form. So, we have two asks:
- If you have recordings that you would like to share, please ask participants to sign the attached release.
- Send your recorded files and the releases to the PCTV Dropbox and note if there are individuals who did not sign the release – these individuals won’t be included in the film, unless we are able to gain a release from them directly.
Second, we know that as we continue this work, we are going to have some really great conversations, sessions, and meetings. When these are scheduled, please let the participants know that the session will be recorded for potential inclusion in the documentary, and a release is required (unless they have already signed the PCTV Antiracism documentary release).
Lastly, if you know of individuals who are willing to share their stories individually, the PCTV team is very interested in connecting with them. With their permission, please send the contact information for these important stories directly to Bill Wisneski (Bwisneski@palomar.edu) or Jim Odom (Jodom@palomar.edu) via email.
The form can be found here.
Summer 2020 Updates For The Police Academy
Please see the Police Academy Diversity statement for more detail as to work that has been done on these issues through the years . Summer Updates Include:
Palomar College Police Academy has banned all forms of training on the use of the carotid restraint (choke hold). A decision accepted, received, and supported by executive and senior management. Now followed and implemented by the POST accrediting agency.
Effective January 2021, a component of the Palomar College Police Academy Orientation Course will now include a cultural diversity exercise as part of the requirement for eligibility to enter the academy.
Our recruits will now receive vital training consistent with other police academies in our geographical boundaries. We have formed a consortium among our local community college partners , where diversity training will be paralleled in San Diego County, and conform to POST standards in the State of California.
All future academy classes will include a town hall discussion that will include panel members of various racial, cultural, and gender groups that have faced discrimination, and who have varying experiences interacting with law enforcement.
We will continue our communication with our advisory board, local law enforcement agencies and POST, to develop and implement new training curriculum for our county mental health workers, social workers and law enforcement to deal with responding to critical incidents of diversity and mental health.
Cultural Diversity training remains critical and an important priority so we will partner with the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California, to offer a variety of Tools for Tolerance programs designed for the police academies and all other levels of law enforcement personnel.