Green Mountain College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Diversity Committee at Green Mountain College was established in January 2011 to “strengthen, coordinate, and promote programs and activities that support diversity across a range of characteristics.” Comprised of faculty, staff, and student members, the three key areas of the committee’s charge are: o To assess campus attitudes, procedures, and programs with respect to their impact on diversity and to make recommendations to cabinet for changes that would enhance diversity and a culture of inclusion o To create and promote campus events, workshops, and programs aimed at building intercultural competence among faculty, staff, and/or students o To coordinate and document the college’s diversity programs

Safe(r) Zone training is offered to all students, staff, and faculty at least once per year during the fall orientation and at other select times. Safe(r) Zone is a visible, voluntary support system for LGBT and queer GMC community members. Safe(r) Zone also acts as an educational resource for the GMC community on topics surrounding sex, gender, and sexuality. Participants in the program can become Safe(r) Zone certified and take home packets of information to help them navigate the topic and access additional resources. Additionally, offices can become certified and place stickers in prominent locations to display that the office is a safe(r) zone. Faculty training on diversity has been provided as part of the annual faculty training offered during the late summer prior to start of the academic year. An additional diversity training for faculty and staff are available periodically. The most recent training for both faculty and staff was provided in May 2015, titled "From monoculture to multicultural Institutions: The beginning of a transformative process of becoming an inclusive college" and was led by educator Charles Virga. Students are reguarly offered cultural competence training and activities. These activities include orientation sessions on engaging in difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion and SaferZone trainings as described above. Additional training and activities are offered throughout the year. During the fall of 2017, the Theater of the Oppressed came to Green Mountain College to offer a 2 day workshop and performance that focused on oppression and marginalization GMC community members experience on campus and in the surrounding community. Students and staff participated in the two- day workshop and additional students, administration, and staff engaged in the topics as part of the performance put on by the workshop participants.