Raritan Valley Community College
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Raritan Valley Community College Diversity Council Purpose: To develop and implement initiatives that promotes diversity and inclusion within our campus community. Valuing diversity is part of our college mission and serves as a core value at RVCC. Program goals include recruitment, retention and campus climate. Office of Multicultural Affairs - The Office of Multicultural Affairs(OMA) seeks to increase access and equity for historically underrepresented groups, improve campus climate by fostering an inclusive and civil community and cultivate diversity awareness and appreciation. In this role the Office sponsors educational training and programs that are responsive to the changing demographics and growing diversity; implements recruitment and retention strategies for employees and students and coordinates community outreach. OMA works collaboratively to develop programs that support an inclusive community among all students and employees and promote the academic mission and strategic plan of the College.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (partial listing): Cross Cultural Competency training (Campus Security staff - annual) • To identify ways in which human diversity impacts communication and builds collaborative relationships. • To overcome obstacles that hinders communication and collaboration. • To become good facilitators for cross cultural communication. Justice League: Inclusion, Advocacy and Leadership (students) · To identify the college’s institutional core values. · To combat intolerance and cultural assumptions such as bias, prejudices, and stereotypes. · To increase understanding of cultural differences and campus resources. Understanding Students of Color: Holders and Creators of Knowledge (Faculty and Staff) · To understand how educational institutions are connected to the conditions under which students learn. · To increase knowledge about RVCC’s students of color and the importance of cultural competence pedagogical practices. From DNA to Diversity (series of two workshops – faculty, staff and students) · “Why Didn’t I learn This Before?: Unlearning Myths of Race and Racism” with Dr. Karen Gaffney · “Conversations on Race, Privilege, Activism and Allies” with Dr. Anita Foeman WEBINARS for faculty, staff, and students: Inclusive Excellence: “The Cheetah & the Wolf: Crisis is Inevitable - Don't React... Respond!” Description: Racist messages, homophobic tweets, Confederate monument challenges, controversial speakers, confrontations with campus law enforcement, conservative boards and political dynamics, the impact of hip-hop culture on white students who have lived racially homogenous lives, and a rising tide of student unrest, are all ingredients that are shaping the perfect storm dynamics of our campus communities. Dr. Damon A. Williams, Chief Catalyst, researcher, and scholar from the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership & Social Innovation, and the University of Wisconsin's Equity & Inclusion (WEI) Laboratory, as he talks about the shifting energy on our campuses and the need for leaders to have a wolf, and not cheetah-like response to the inevitable crisis dynamics that you will face at your institution. Some of the topics that will be covered during the webinar include: • CRISIS ready framework • Free Speech & Inclusive Community Planning meeting best practices • Knowing who to put on your response teams • Empowering allies and readying students & diversity champions • Creating evidence based diversity and inclusion educational programs for students, faculty, and staff that create a more inclusive campus community. Immigrants Student Success Workshops learning objectives: Integrate immigration into curriculum and teaching practices. Describe and manage immigrant trauma, inform teaching strategies with best practices. Confront and construct the role of the teacher in the learning and development of foreign-born students. Learn how to foster relationships with immigrant students, families and communities in a hostile, anxious environment toward academic success, community empowerment, individual leadership and wide-ranging advocacy. Workshop #1: Taking Back the Immigration Narrative Federico Salas-Isnardi, Literacy Texas Denzil Mohammed, The ILC Public Education Institute Learn how to retake the immigration narrative to better empower and advocate for immigrants in your classrooms and communities using research-based messaging and framing strategies. Workshop #2: Immigrant Student Trauma Claire Tesh, LMNO Educational Consulting Federico Salas-Isnardi, Literacy Texas Denzil Mohammed, The ILC Public Education Institute (moderator) A discussion on what immigrants nationwide are currently experiencing, how that stress, anxiety and trauma manifest themselves and affect learning and development, and how to make classrooms safe spaces for all students. Workshop #3: Escaping War and Conflict: Sharing, Learning and Healing Claire Tesh, LMNO Educational Consulting Telling stories, healing through art integration, and learning about cultures and histories through story cloths with both historical and contemporary/personal views. Workshop #4: Critical Consciousness: Five Things Teachers Can Do Lisa Dorner, University of Missouri/Missouri Dual Language Network Centering critical consciousness – or fostering among teachers, parents and children an awareness of the structural oppression that surrounds us and a readiness to take action to correct it – can support increased equity and social justice in America’s schools. Four elements will be described: Interrogating power; Historicizing school and policy contexts; Critical listening; Engaging with discomfort; embracing discomfort. Workshop #5: How to Cultivate Immigrant Parents’ Leadership Skills for Engaging in Advocacy Laura Gardner, Gardner and Associates: Immigrants, Refugees and Schools Learn the importance of immigrant parent leadership through examples of programs that develop the capacity of immigrant parent leaders. Explore the relationship between family engagement initiatives and community organizing. Workshop #6: How Immigration Impacts Our Schools: Building Alliances and Allies Laura Gardener, Gardner and Associates: Immigrants, Refugees and Schools Lisa Dorner, University of Missouri/Missouri Dual Language Network Denzil Mohammed, The ILC Public Education Institute How immigration penetrates the classroom and what teachers and schools can do to take control and reframe the conversation toward greater understanding and empowerment. Workshop #7: Policy Update: What the What? Sarang Sekhavat, JD, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition Get clarity on the most recent immigration actions and policies, who is affected, and what we can expect in the near future. Implications for students and their families as well as school districts. Updates include the travel ban, DACA, TPS and imminent “public charge” rule changes with wide-ranging implications. Workshop #8: Creating a Pipeline of Hope: One Immigrant Student’s Journey David Aguayo, PhD, University of Missouri Learn what contributes to the success of immigrant students from the perspective of an immigrant who has been through the entire U.S. school system. How teachers and schools can create a “pipeline of hope” even in the most challenging situations. Workshop #9: How Teachers and Schools can Respond Eileen Kugler, Embrace Diverse Schools Alaisa Grudzinski, LCSW-R, Molloy College David Aguayo, PhD, University of Missouri Denzil Mohammed, The ILC Public Education Institute (moderator) How does this story resonate with educators, administrators and social workers, and how can teachers and schools be better equipped to create a “pipeline of hope” for immigrant students. Workshop #10: How Teachers’ Pasts Impact Students’ Futures Alaisa Grudzinski, LCSW-R, Molloy College How do teachers’ implicit biases impact students’ abilities to learn? What are the ideological underpinnings that affect their teaching and how do these manifest themselves? How are students affected? Step-by-step guidance on what teachers can do to ameliorate this situation. Workshop#11: Building Welcoming Schools Teaching and Lesson Activities Claire Tesh, LMNO Educational Consulting Step-by-step guidance through two activities from the Building Welcoming Schools toolkit: “Welcoming Book” and “Where Does Your Name Come From?” Workshop#12: Creating Empathy in the Classroom Dawn E. Duncan, PhD, Concordia College / Narrative 4 Using the power of personal stories to create empathy in the classroom: teacher training and classroom curriculum ideas. Workshop#13: Relationship-building in the Classroom and Community Eileen Kugler, Embrace Diverse Schools The basics and importance of building relationships in perilous times among students, parents and communities. What teachers and schools can do in the current climate. Emphasis on undocumented immigrants. Access to resources.

Info from the Office of Multicultural Affairs (Richeleen Dashield)