A Sense of Doubt blog post #1436 - Diversity at LCC
I am proud to say that I teach at an excellent school, one of the best I have ever seen:
LOWER COLUMBIA COLLEGE in Longview, Washington.
I have given my students an assignment -- Essay One -- that targets issues of diversity.
Without permission (though I would suspect it's okay and the content may be freely available anyway), I have copied the Diversity Training I completed as an instructor, and I am sharing it here for you, the world, but mostly my students who are working on Essay One this weekend and may appreciate all of this content.
HUZZAH!!
WORD.
Welcome to our new course on Diversity & Equity!
Lower Columbia College celebrates and embraces diversity of all kinds, including differing beliefs, cultures, people, and experiences. We commit to institutional and individual changes that recognize, understand, and challenge patterns of social inequity and systemic disparities within our ever changing world. As part of this commitment, we strive to strengthen practices involving student success, cultural enrichment, diversity education, curricular transformation, and employee development. We are dedicated to promoting an accessible, inclusive, and safe environment that fosters cultural competency, educational equity, and social justice for all students, staff, faculty, and our local and global communities.
Purpose: This course compliments our diversity and equity initiatives. It was designed to further demonstrate the importance of diversity and equity at LCC and increase knowledge and skills in creating an inclusive campus environment.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Define diversity, equity, and other related terms;
- Understand the value diversity brings to LCC;
- Help build awareness about issues relating to diversity and equity;
- Develop skills and knowledge to help create an inclusive campus environment.
What is diversity anyway?
Differences among people may involve where a person was born and raised, the person’s family and cultural group, factual differences in personal identity, and chosen differences in significant beliefs. Some diversity is primarily cultural (involving shared beliefs and behaviors), other diversity may be biological (race, age, sex), and some diversity is defined in personal terms (sexual orientation, religion, gender identity). Perceiving others as different is also an aspect of diversity.
There are countless definitions for diversity and it can mean something different depending on the individual. Some of the dimensions of diversity include but are not limited to:
- Culture: culture refers to shared characteristics, language, beliefs, behaviors, and identity. We are all influenced by our culture to some extent. While ethnic groups are typically smaller groups within a larger society, the larger society itself is often called the “dominant culture.” The term is often used rather loosely to refer to any group with identifiable shared characteristics. A variety of sub-cultures can exist within a larger culture. For example: A sub-culture of the American culture is the Mexican-American culture. A Mexican-American individual may identify with aspects of both the Mexican culture and the dominant American culture.
For more information: National Education Association
Value of Diversity
Diversity brings significant value to Lower Columbia College. Here are just a few examples:
Diversity enhances our students’ educational experience at LCC. We learn more from those that have experiences, values, norms, and perspectives that differ from our own.
Diversity promotes personal growth and strengthens our community. It enables students to learn how to communicate and collaborate with people from different backgrounds and better prepares them for their careers.
Diversity builds a stronger and more efficient campus. It inspires faculty & staff to perform to the best of their abilities. It creates a more innovative and collaborative environment.
Changing Demographics
Demographics with regard to race and ethnicity are shifting in the U.S. Each new generation has a greater proportion of people of color. Older workers are retiring and younger workers are increasingly coming from underrepresented groups.
Already in many parts of the country, non-Hispanic Whites comprise less than 50 percent of the population, and by 2020 an estimated one in three Americans will be a person of color, as will be about half of all college students.
According the the U.S. Census Bureau, racial and ethnic diversity will continue to increase in future years. In fact, non-White populations are expected to become the majority by the year 2044.
We all need to continuously work on our own awareness and be conscious of our actions in order to work effectively across cultures to provide the best student, staff, and faculty experience.
As you'll see on the next two slides, the demographics in our community are shifting as well. At LCC, we have an opportunity to prepare for this shift by understanding how to best serve and support all students and enhance the experience of equity and inclusion for our entire campus.
For more information: U.S. Census Projections
Cowlitz County Demographics- Students of Color
The snapshot below shows the proportion of Students of Color population by age group compared to LCC.
Proportion of Students of Color: LCC compared to K-12 District (2014-2015)
The total elementary school population in our service district has a 4.0% higher proportion of Students of Color than LCC.
Source: Link to OSPI Data Source for K-12 Data, LCC Fact book for LCC data. Note: Data for Wahkiakum elementary and middle schools are combined and counted in elementary school category and middle school category. Kalama Jr Sr High data is combined and included in “Total Middle Schools” and “Total High Schools.” Data not available for Toutle Lake Junior High School.
Cowlitz County Demographics - Hispanic Students
The snapshot below shows the proportion of the Hispanic population by age group compared to LCC.
Proportion of Hispanic Students: LCC compared to K-12 District (2014-2015)
The total elementary school population in our service district has a 6.2% higher proportion of Hispanic Students than LCC.
Source: Link to OSPI Data Source for K-12 Data, LCC Fact Book for LCC data. Note: Data for Wahkiakum elementary and middle schools are combined and included in “Total Elementary Schools” and “Total Middle Schools.” Kalama Jr Sr High data is combined and included in “Total Middle Schools” and “Total High Schools.” Data not available for Toutle Lake Junior High School.
Equity
What is equity in higher education?
"The U.S. Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access." 1 Equity means to create opportunities for equal access and success in higher education among underrepresented student populations, such as students of color and low-income students.
Why is equity so important in higher education?
The changing demographic composition of our workforce, the increase in veteran student enrollment, initiatives for people with disabilities, and the creation and expansion of rights for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) individuals has and will continue to change our country, state, and college. We must continue to evolve as well so that we ensure we are serving all students to the best of our ability.
Here are a few examples of the negative social and economic impacts of inequity:
- Higher unemployment rates
- Increased poverty
- Welfare costs
- Income disparities
- Access to Healthcare
For more information, please check out this report from the Brookings Institute
1. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development and Office of the Under Secretary, Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education. Washington, D.C., 2016.
Equality vs. Equity
Now, that we’ve defined equity, we need to go a step further and acknowledge the difference between equality and equity.
Equality = sameness. Giving everyone the same thing. This only works if everyone starts from the same place.
Equity = fairness. Giving everyone what they need to access to the same opportunities as everyone else. This must come before we can reach equality.
Diversity at LCC
So what does diversity and equity look like at LCC?
We are here to serve our students by providing a high-quality education to all students and support their success during their time at LCC. In order to achieve our mission, we must be an institution committed to equity and inclusion for our campus community.
As demographics shift, our responsibility to create and provide equitable opportunities becomes increasingly vital. Each of us, regardless of our role on campus, have the potential to influence our campus culture by creating greater awareness and supporting a more equitable environment. A campus commitment to diversity and equity requires engagement at all levels, and starts with an understanding of our own perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors.
As part of this commitment, we aim to foster an environment at LCC that:
- Is inclusive and welcoming;
- Promotes equity;
- Is socially just;
- Engages all students, faculty and staff;
- Is free from microaggressions.
Microaggressions
What is a microaggression?
A microaggression is a subtle but offensive comment or action directed at a minority or other non-dominant group that intentionally or unintentionally reinforces a stereotype. According to Sue et al. (2007) "perpetrators of microaggessions are often unaware that they engage in such communications when they interact with racial/ethnic minorities."
While microaggressions are usually unintentional, they still make others feel uncomfortable and/or unsafe. Microaggressions are a barrier promoting an equitable and inclusive campus environment.
The following video will illustrate an example of a microaggression.
For more information: Microaggression
Examples of Microaggressions
According to Sue (2010), in many cases, microaggressions convey "hidden messages may invalidate the group identity or experiential reality of target persons, demean them on a personal or group level, communicate they are lesser human beings, suggest they do not belong with the majority group, threaten and intimidate, or relegate them to inferior status and treatment" 1.
We must recognize microaggressions and the messages that they send to others.
Here are a few more examples:
Theme- Alien in own land: when Asian Americans and Latino Americans are assumed to be foreign-born.
Microaggression – “Where are you from or where were you born?”
Message – You are not a true American.
Theme - Second-class citizen: occurs when a White person is given preferential treatment as a consumer over a person of color.
Microaggression – To a faculty of color, "Excuse me, those supplies are only for faculty"
Message – People of color are servants to Whites. They couldn’t possibly be in a high-status position.
Theme - Ascription of intelligence: assigning intelligence to a person of color on the basis of their race.
Microaggression – To an Asian person, “You must be good at math, can you help me?”
Message – All Asians are intelligent and good in math.
Theme - Criminality/assumption of criminal status: a person of color is presumed to dangerous, criminal, or deviant on the basis of their race.
Microaggression – A white woman clutches her purse as a Black or Latino person approaches.
Message – You are a criminal.
Theme - same sex displays of affection are not okay.
Microaggression - Two gay men hold hands in public and are told not to flaunt their sexuality.
Message - Same-sex displays of affection are abnormal and offensive. Keep it private and to yourselves.
Theme - People with disabilities are assumed to be less competent.
Microaggression - A blind woman reports that people often raise their voices when speaking to her.
Message - A person with a disability is defined as lesser in all aspects of physical and mental functioning.
Theme - Denial that restrictive gender roles and sexism exists.
Microaggression - An assertive female manager is labeled as a "bossy," while her male counterpart is described as "a forceful leader."
Message - Women should be passive and allow men to be the decision makers.
As you can see, microaggressions can be simple questions you ask, behaviors you exhibit, or simple statements that are hasty generalizations. Regardless, they are still offensive to the person.
Social Justice
A socially just environment is one in which the following values are present:
- Engagement, exploration, and examination of the dynamics of people’s differences;
- Inclusion;
- Empowerment;
- Visibility;
- Equity;
- Access;
- Advocacy;
- Shared responsibility, accountability, and leadership.
What can you do?
Next Steps
As an employee of LCC, you also play a major role in our success at promoting an inclusive environment on campus.
Here are some suggestions for ways you can contribute:
- Develop a greater understanding of who you are. This will help you see which of your identities put you into dominant groups, which afford you opportunities and privileges that others may not have. You’ll also see which of your identities put you into subordinate groups that may create barriers for you and make you feel like you don’t fit it.
- Be aware of stereotypes and make an intentional effort to avoid stereotyping;
- Acknowledge personal bias, both conscious and unconscious, and make deliberate efforts to ensure your biases don't negatively impact your interactions and decision making;
- Expand your knowledge of microaggressions, and avoid expressing them both physically and verbally;
- Consider what equal access and social justice would look like to underrepresented groups. What does privilege look like for our dominant groups? Understanding both sides and work to promote equity;
- Engage and respect differences. Listen, ask questions, pay attention, recognize, and learn from the differences we all bring;
- Build relationships that foster commitment and trust;
- Embrace diversity.
How to Get Involved
We have a Diversity & Equity Committee on campus that includes faculty, staff, and student liaisons from the Multicultural Club, the Diverse Sexualities & Genders Club, and ASLCC. The Diversity & Equity Committee has developed initiatives to ensure that we are prepared and able to serve our changing student population. Some of the initiatives include:
- Institutional strategic planning and development
- Providing training on Diversity & Equity topics;
- Promoting inclusive language and environments;
- Advocating for student equity in their academic experience
Some ways you can get involved are to attend events, trainings, workshops on campus, and participate in community events to gain knowledge and skills, meet new people, and expand awareness. Examples of campus events include Safe Zone Training, Pride Day, International Festival, film screenings, and other trainings.
Resources at LCC
Bias Response Team - webpage coming soon!
For questions or additional information, please visit the Diversity & Equity webpage.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1901.26 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1302 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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