Portland Community College
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination

The Office of Equity and Inclusion provides leadership to facilitate, manage and coordinate College policies, procedures and programs related to diversity, inclusion and equity. The Office of Equity and Inclusion focuses both on compliance with Nondiscrimination and Non-harassment law through PCC’s Civil Rights and Responsibilities Policy, and strategic Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives across PCC.

This includes strategic priorities to align the College's diversity and inclusion efforts, affirmative action, and education and training. The Office of Equity and Inclusion provides education and training in the areas of diversity, understanding oppression and conflict negotiation across world views.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is a resource for advice and consultation on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion in college hiring practices and personnel recruitment. In addition, this office provides coordination and leadership for the District Leaders of Diversity Council. There are also four Diversity Councils with co-chairs at each of the comprehensive campuses.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is also sponsoring affinity groups for people in various identity affinities. These include Black/African American, LGBTQ+ of color, and Managers of Color. There are also groups for white allies. The Office of Equity and Inclusion and President Mitsui are also sponsoring quarterly lunches for Faculty and Staff of Color.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) with Human Resources provides an online training and in person training related to Diversity, Preventing Workplace Harassment and Employment Discrimination. OEI and the District Leaders of Diversity Council (DLDC) provide cultural competency training and Critical Race Theory training to departments and committees upon request. OEI has also hosted two iterations of Social Justice Trainings for managers and faculty. These are two day-long educational sessions with Dr. Kathy Obear and Dr. Jamie Washington. Social Justice Training was offered November 2015, November 2016, November 2017, and April 2019. Each of the Social Justice Trainings had over 100 attendees and the 2019 training was expanded to have a third day for members of the DLDC to identify and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the college. Moreover, the campus-based Diversity Councils, Professional Development, Illumination Project Student Educators and Student Activities Programs provide training and education opportunities for staff and students.

We sent over 200 staff faculty and students to the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) when it was in Portland in 2019. To help continue critical discussions related to diversity, equity and inclusion among staff and faculty’s experience at NCORE, PCC convened an NCORE Congress that we had 100-150 people expanding experience of NCORE. This provided an opportunity for staff and faculty who presented at NCORE to present again to folks who were unable to attend the their sessions at NCORE. The topics included: Seeing the Invisible: Training Our Awareness to See Our Privilege; Critical Race Theory in Instruction and Decision-making; Opening Doors for Students with Justice System Contact; White Fragility; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Anti-Racist Practice in Hiring, and #MeToo:Celebrity, Race, Gender Identity, and Survivorship and the Confluence of Title IX. The NCORE Congress’ Key Note Speaker was author, scholar, and anti-racism activist, Tim Wise. We later brought Tim Wise to the college so more people could attend.

In May 2018, PCC’s Office of Equity and Inclusion had a Faculty Summit on Culturally Responsive Teaching and Critical Pedagogies with over 100 attendees. The topics included: Theatre of the Oppressed; Embodiment, Kinesthetics, and Arts Based Pedagogies; Dialogue Across Difference; and Peer-to-Peer Pedagogies.

In November 2019, PCC held a Professional Development workshop in social justice, with Dr. Shakti Butler as key note speaker.

In September 2018, PCC held a training on Restorative Circles for Community Building and Improving Campus Climate.

In November 2019, renowned climate activist, poet, and 2019 NCORE keynote speaker Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner spoke at PCC. There was a special student-focused session, followed by an open Talanoa Session (Keynote).

In October 2020, PCC held a workshop on Navigating Amidst Overwhelming Times: Becoming a Trauma Informed Community that had over 200 attendees.

In February 2021, Ericka Huggins provide a workshop called “A Brave Space for Conversation – Creating a Racial Justice Discussion for Everyone".

PCC provides Tuition Waiver (for PCC classes) and Tuition Reimbursement (for other accredited institutions classes) for PCC eligible employees taking classes, which includes classes that teach about cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion.

PCC also has a Transforming White Privilege in Leadership cohort that has been convening for the past year that focused on Commitment, Accountability, Theatre of the Oppressed, Critical Race Theory, and Characteristics of White Supremacy Culture.

Since 2016, PCC has held Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards and ceremonies to recognize the leaders in DEI in the PCC community, the awards are presented to one staff member, faculty member, and one student in the categories of Curriculum/Teaching/Facilitation, Advocacy, Activism, and Climate Impact.

One of our professors has historically offered Continuing Education Units in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in two courses: Discovery, which is learning to explore the beginning stages of DEI self awareness, look at how to develop the lens for awareness of the ways it impacts work or teaching, and identify strategies for engaging in dialogue about DEI issues; and DEI Understanding which explores the next stage of DEI issues, discussing structural and institutionalized racism, dominate and subordinate groups, and how power and privilege informs our lives and impacts our behavior professionally. The last time this course was offered was in the fall of 2019.