Palomar College has joined with 60+ institutions to participate in the California Community College Equity Leadership Alliance hosted by the University of Southern California Race & Equity Center. Over the course of a full year, a team of Palomar students, faculty and staff will explore a range of topics to develop a deep expertise on issues of racial inclusion and equity.
These monthly eConvenings will offer four-hour learning modules will be led by expert instructors who are well respected leaders of national higher education associations, highly-cited professors who study race relations and people of color, chief diversity officers and other experienced administrators, and specialists from the USC Race and Equity Center.
Our participation in the Alliance provides an opportunity for 5 attendees at each of the 12 monthly eConveninings. A campus-wide call to participate on June 11, 2020 resulted in 56 strong equity champions. Twenty were carefully selected to participate in the first eConvening on June 15, 2020 and they subsequently shared their experience and thoughts with the full group on June 22nd.
Moving forward, a subset of 5 Palomar participants will attend each monthly eCovening based on the topic to be addressed. Our teams will learn about strategies and practical approaches and return to work with shareable tools and resources. After each eConvening, there will be a full group digest and preparation of actionable goals.
In addition to the training session, Palomar College will benefit from access to a virtual equity resource portal for all employees 24/7. Our campus will also participate in three campus climate surveys one administered to students, another to all levels of staff and a final one to faculty. We will receive our institutional data as well as comparison data from participating institutions.
The student survey will assess belonging and inclusion, the frequency and depth of cross-cultural interactions, students’ appraisals of institutional commitment to diversity and inclusion, and other related topics. The workplace surveys will assess topics like employees’ perceptions of equitable opportunities for promotion and advancement; sense of belonging; how different groups of employees differently experience the workplace environment; employees’ encounters with racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other –isms at work; employee satisfaction with the College’s responses to reports of abuse, unfair treatment, and climate problems; and appraisals of the College’s commitment to equity.
Information will be shared campus-wide at every possible opportunity.
CC Equity Alliance Details:
Full List of Palomar College CCC Equity Leadership Alliance Applicants & eConvening Attendees
Sample eConvening topics