College of Lake County
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

The College of Lake County is committed to maintaining an environment free from harassment and discrimination for everyone and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status. Further, the College does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any educational, employment, or extracurricular activity.

Sexual misconduct, as described in this policy, is a form of sexual harassment, which is a form of discrimination and is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Domestic Violence, dating violence and stalking are also prohibited conduct as defined by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013.
http://www.clcillinois.edu/aboutclc/who-we-are/consumer-information/nondiscrimination

CLC is invested in maintaining the well-being of the campus environment and ensuring a safe and respectful campus for everyone. If anyone experiences any incidence of bias or discrimination they are encouraged to report it. CLC has procedures for reporting on its website and staff available for assistance. Reports can be made by calling the Student Development Office, Human Resources, or the Campus Police. Persons may also report through the CLC Cares Form, which is available for students and faculty/staff through their web portal. Reports can be made anonymously. The college then must share the information with the Title IX office to determine what has happened and how to develop a plan to proceed. Campus police handle all complaints of potential hate crimes. Human Relations is prepared to handle any complaints and address them with any staff or faculty members. In order to help stop the misconduct and prevent re-occurrence, information is kept private but not confidential.

The Behavior Intervention Team (BIT) responds to health and safety emergencies with a set of procedures to follow in reviewing and addressing student health and safety complaints. The Title IX Coordinator (Dean of Student Life) addresses and adjudicates complaints of sexual and gender-based misconduct. The Judicial Officer (Student Conduct Office in Student Development) addresses and adjudicates non-sexual and gender-based misconduct.

Supportive services are available for those who have witnessed or been victims of bias or discrimination. Counseling services are available for staff through the EAP and students through on-campus Counseling and Psychological Services. The Women's Center, Multicultural Center and LGTBQ Center are available for those who might identify as constituents with supportive resources. These affiliated centers provide a safe place to relax and meet with others and provide a variety of activities and services.

Additional supportive services are available. Students are referred to Counseling and Psychological Services on campus, which will respond to calls for assistance within 24 hours. CLC staff and faculty are referred to an Employee Assistance Program with a full range of counseling and supportive services.

https://www.clcillinois.edu/student-services/student-behavior
/per/Employee%20Discrimination%20and%20Harassment%20Information%20and%20Complaint%20Procedures.pdf

All recruitment policies take into consideration an outreach and effort that deliberately focuses on increasing and maintaining the diversity support within the organization. The College also targets diversity websites and organizations by posting in a wide variety of places including but not limited to: local unemployment job board(s), websites, publications, list serves, email blasts, community boards, service agencies, newspapers, associations and organizations. We continue our efforts to directly market underrepresented groups both nationally and locally to help increase our diversity employment recruitment efforts. Based upon voluntary applicant information, Human Resources staff assesses the diversity of each applicant pool to ensure a diverse applicant and interview pool. Those involved in recruiting, sourcing, interviewing, and screening of applicants are required to complete and attend the interview training program offered by Human Resources in order to serve in this capacity. Human Resources monitors candidate pools for diversity. The College of Lake County is an equal opportunity employer with a diverse workforce.
The Diversity Council at the College of Lake County provides direction to evaluate and promote institutional priorities related to diversity in the college community. Advisory recommendations support the implementation, achievement, and maintenance of the diversity objectives set forth in the College's Strategic Plan. This council works to assure that the CLC community practices institutional integrity in all aspects of diversity in our community, both on campus and off.
CLC works closely with high schools across the district with the help of its recruitment officers. Recruitment officers work to reach out to students from Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion-Benton, Mundelein and Round Lake which host larger numbers of students from underrepresented groups. Students from these areas are more likely to be racial minority, limited English proficiency, and first generation to attend higher education. Supportive services help with the recruitment and retention of these valued students. Recruiters tend to be residents of Lake County and graduates from local high schools. 3 out of 5 are bilingual Spanish-speaking.

CLC offers support services specifically for minority, limited English proficiency and first generation students. CLC offers student centers and social clubs to help students from underrepresented groups to feel comfortable and welcome.
The mission of the Multicultural Student Center is to provide programs and services to encourage educational, personal, social and cultural growth among the College of Lake County’s diverse student population. The Multicultural Student Center currently supports seven Multicultural Student Clubs and two student organizations.
The CLC Women’s Center is dedicated to the success of CLC students, regardless of their personal and financial circumstances. We offer a safe, caring place where students can come to access services and support to achieve success at college, work, and in their everyday lives.
We support special student populations, including single mothers, returning students, displaced homemakers, nontraditional career seekers, victims of sexual assault, stalking and dating and domestic violence, women in cultural transition and LGBTQ+ individuals. Many of our workshops, resources, referrals and programs are open to CLC staff, faculty and community members as well.
CLC also has a Professional Women of Color Resource Group that meets monthly on campus for employees to create community, seek support and mentorship, advance opportunities of its numbers, and be a voice advocating for an inclusive and equitable college environment for all.

The college offers Teacher Education classes and an AA degree, but not specific training for future college faculty.