Colorado College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

Colorado College does not discriminate in its treatment, access to, admissions to, employment in or administration of its educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletics programs, employment practices, or in any other College programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, caste, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or gender expression, perceived gender, sexual preference and sexual orientation), marital status, disability, veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local law. The College has instituted policies and procedures to ensure a safe environment free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation and to meet its legal requirements as an institution of equal educational opportunity that is subject to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and other applicable federal, state, and local laws; and as an equal opportunity employer that is subject to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act and other applicable federal, state, and local laws.

 https://www.coloradocollege.edu/basics/welcome/leadership/policies/colorado-college-notice-of-non-discrimination.html https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/antiracism-commitment/index.html

The discrimination response protocol includes conducting investigations and adjudications of, or otherwise resolving, complaints of discrimination or harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law. The College encourages all members of our community to participate in the process of creating a safe, welcoming, and respectful campus culture.

The Title lX Office responds to Title lX, Title VI, Title VII, ADAAA/Section 504, and Anti-Discrimination at Colorado College. The Title lX Office includes a Title lX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators who are charged with leading CC’s Title lX compliance and programming initiatives through strategic oversight. The extended Title lX/Anti-Discrimination Team is charged with monitoring, evaluating, and advising on Title lX programming and anti-discrimination compliance. As part of CC’s commitment to a supportive atmosphere for students, faculty, staff and community members of all backgrounds, the college provides resources tailored to a variety of groups on campus and off campus such as the Wellness Resource Center, Counseling Center, START, Butler Center, and local resource TESSA.

Support includes:

Counseling Center: The Counseling Center is available to all enrolled students. There is no fee for the first 6 sessions of counseling. If there is a financial demonstrated need, arrangements can be made to have the fees subsidized the Office of Student Life.

START: START stands for Student Title lX Assistance & Resource Team. This is a confidential peer-to-peer resource for students seeking Title lX –related support. START members are trained students to provide resources and information for fellow students and is under the supervision of the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC).

Wellness Resource Center: This past spring of 2019, the SARC position moved to the WRC. The SARC provides confidential support, information, and referrals to survivors and other whose lives have been affected by sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and other forms of gender and sexuality bias-motivated acts. Resources through SARC include obtaining medical attention, survivor-centered emotional support, safety planning options, and information regarding judicial options.

Butler Center: The Butler Center invests in cultivating an inclusive campus community where they host several Excel@CC courses about diversity and inclusivity. They have many programs and initiatives centered around first-generation students, women empowerment, international students, etc.

Education & Prevention: CC also provides numerous education and prevention opportunities such as the Bystander Intervention and Excel@CC Courses, including but not limited to NSO Title lX Training, Annual Title lX Partners & Stakeholders Training, Resident Assistant Mandatory Reporting. - Chaplin’s Office: Will provide confidential pastoral care. 

For Employees Only: There are specific support services for employees only such as the Ombuds Office and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The Ombuds Office is a confidential resource for faculty and staff to provide information about policies, procedures, services, and your rights and responsibilities. The EAP is a work-sponsored program that provides free, confidential short-term counseling, referral, and follow-up services at not cost. If an individual is navigating a situation involving or having witnessed a bias incident, act of discrimination or a hate crime, the response protocol and support depends on the nature of the incident reported.

If a situation is related to Sexual Assault, there are many paths to for response and support. If they want to talk to someone and it is a medical emergency: o Memorial Hospital ER for Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) o Call Campus Safety or the CO Springs 911 If they want to talk to someone internal to CC: o SARC, the CC Counseling Center, the Chaplain to the College, a Gender & Identity Development Specialist in the Butler Center, or START If they want to talk to someone external to CC: o Local: TESSA o National: RAINN or 1-800-656-HOPE If they want to report: o Associate Vice President of HR o Senior Associate Dean of Students o Assistant Director of HR – Deputy Title lX Coordinator o Any CC Employee o Campus Safety o Criminal Process through the CO Springs Police Department If they do not want to talk to someone: o That individual can seek assistance at any point, regardless of how long ago the incident occurred. If a situation is related to Title lX there are many paths to for response and support. It starts with a student or employee talking to someone (includes RA’s, FYE Mentors, CC Employees).

From there interim steps may be taken during the investigation to ensure safety of students/employee/community – This may include counseling, academic or housing accommodations etc. Then an Inquiry will be conducted to determine the course of action whether there is an informal resolution or formal investigation. Both scenarios described can be found on this flowchart that is available to all. In any of the above cases, CC works to support the individual in a prompt and equitable way through protocol and numerous avenues of support.

The Bridge Scholars program presents accepted students with multiple opportunities to engage with student and faculty mentors, attend personal and academic growth events, and create life-long friendship with their peers. The curriculum of the two week intensive course is designed specifically to motivate students with diverse interests and strengths, while assisting their transition from high school to college life. When recruiting students, the Bridge Scholars program takes in to account if the student is among the first in their family to attend college, if the student is a member of the QuestBridge program, other community programs, or the CC fly-in program, and the educational resources, enrichment opportunities, and mentoring resources available at the student's high school.

The Experience Colorado College (ECC) fly-in program, prospective students will have the opportunity to - Observe the Block Plan in action - Tour campus - Explore Colorado’s beauty - Stay on campus overnight with a student host - Interview with an Admission Fellow - Connect with faculty and staff - Complete the CSS Profile - Participate in essay writing workshops - Engage in the Affinity Conversation to explore diversity, inclusion and equity at CC Experience Colorado College is open to high school seniors, gap year students, or transfer students in the US who self-identify as a student of color, are eligible for a Pell Grant, qualitfy for free/reduced lunch, are a DACA or undocumented student, or identify as a first generation student.

The Short Term Research Experience for Underrepresented Persons is an internship that is federally funded by the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination (OMHRC) in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). STEP-UP is particularly interested in increasing the participation of students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research on a national basis, including individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with disabilities.

The Diversity and Equity Advisory Board serves as an advisory group to the President of the College and the Cabinet on all matters related to diversity and equity regarding staff and faculty. The board promotes and nurtures an inclusive campus culture that values different backgrounds, experiences, ideas, and opinions, recognizing the various intersections of identities that make up the CC community. Its work helps ensure that the College addresses on a continuing basis all of the possible implications of the protections as stated in our anti-discrimination policy statement. The Diversity and Equity Advisory Board promotes the development of a campus climate that values diversity and equity in hiring and retention across all departments and levels of the college. Thus, the Diversity and Equity Advisory Board works to ensure that diversity is a focus when hiring both academic and non-academic staff.

The Riley-Scholars program serves as the post-doctoral program to recruit and focus on scholars of underrepresented groups. The program provides opportunities for these scholars to experience working at a liberal arts institution. It works to mentor scholars from doctoral programs through the process of their dissertation and gives them the opportunity to teach at CC for a few blocks, with the goal of helping them ultimately pursue careers in academia. The Riley-Scholars program targets scholars to hire as staff that come from historically marginalized groups. This ensures that CC has a more diverse staff population, which enhances the college’s ability to tackle racialized issues of equity and inequality.

The Butler Center offers a peer education program which focuses on topics such as: -Microaggressions & Macroaggressions -Implicit & Explicit Bias -Identity Exploration -Identity Development -Exploring Positionality as it relates to identity. -LGBTQ+ Identity: Safe Zone training -Cultural Capital for BIPOC community members -ADEI efforts within the workplace/summer internships -Inclusion & Access in Outdoor Spaces These workshops are offered in classes, sports teams, and other student organizations/clubs. The Butler Center also offers peer mentoring for international students, first generation, and queer and trans students. All students are also offered 6 free mental health counseling sessions per a year, and can receive additional sessions at a subsidized rate. They can also receive 24/7 access to mental health support through the Virtual Care Group.

Academic and non-academic staff have access to numerous programs that support those from underrepresented groups. Employees at the college have access to the following workshops, programs, and support groups: 

• Institutional Equity and Belonging Workshops: These workshops are hosted throughout the academic year addressing topics such as privilege and positionality, understanding implicit and explicit bias, addressing microaggressions and micro affirmations, antiracism 101, and goal setting for ADEI capacity, and cultural identity development. 


• Antiracist Book Club: This books club identifies different books each semester and the program is open to all staff, however, the books chosen address different perspectives of underrepresented groups on campus. The group hosts quarterly book meet-ups to have an open dialogue about the readings. 


• Antiracist Community of Action: This is a peer support group for people from underrepresented groups to come together and develop awareness, gain knowledge, and build confidence through guided practice and discovery around ADEI, focusing on psychological safety, discussion of a wide range of ADEI topics, and allows for constructive feedback


• LACRELA: This is a resource for staff and faculty to access professional learning around ADEI. 

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/offices/adei/ < For staff and faculty