South Seattle College
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

South Seattle College is a member of the College District VI.

South Seattle College is committed to the concept and practice of equal opportunity for all its students, employees, and applicants in education, employment, services and contracts, and does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, color, age, national origin, religion, marital status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran or disabled veteran status, political affiliation or belief, citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or presence of any physical, sensory, or mental disability, except where a disability may impede performance at an acceptable level. In addition, reasonable accommodations will be made for known physical or mental limitations for all otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.

http://www.southseattle.edu/campus-information/equal-opportunity.aspx

The Bias Incident Response/Support Team (BIRST) addresses campus climate and advocacy for persons affected by bias motivated incidents at South Seattle College. BIRST consists of a team of campus employees who are standing members or appointed by campus employees and trained in identifying, addressing, and documenting incidences of bias on campus. In cases where an offender can be identified, there are existing campus procedures to follow; however, instances in which the offender is unknown, the BIRST acts as the primary point of contact and advocate. BIRST works closely with other campus departments to ensure the appropriate documentation and reporting of all bias incidences.
Making every effort to contact person affected within 24 hours and, while respecting whatever decision they have made, encourage them to pursue some type of assistance. The role of BIRST includes:
-Provide advice on the college's discrimination complaint procedures, and academic assistance
- Provide advocacy for the person affected in other proceedings
- Provide appropriate counseling referral to the person affected
- Provide appropriate medical referral

The Seattle College District recognizes its responsibility, described in Policy 419, for investigation, resolution, implementation of corrective measures, and monitoring the educational environment and workplace to stop, remediate, and prevent all manners of discrimination. To this end, the Seattle College District has enacted Policy and Procedure 419, Discrimination and Harassment, prohibiting discrimination against and/or harassment of any employee, student, applicant or visitor, and legally defined members of a protected class. Any individual found to be in violation of Policy 419 will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the College or from employment.

Any employee, student, applicant, or visitor who believes that he or she has been the subject of discrimination or harassment should report the incident or incidents to the College’s, or District’s Title IX / EEO Coordinator identified below. All District employees (faculty, staff, student employees and administrators) are designated as “responsible employees” and must report actual or suspected discrimination or harassment immediately, subject to limited exceptions for employees who are statutorily barred from reporting. All details of the reports they receive must be shared promptly. If the complaint is against that Coordinator, the complainant should report the matter to the president’s, or Chancellor’s office for referral to an alternate designee.

http://seattlecolleges.edu/district/policies/policies.aspx?policyID=pro419

Additionally, depending on the severity and details of the case, there are different groups that may respond to a bias incident, act of discrimination, or hate crime. For example, our BIRST team may respond to a student. When HR is involved with faculty and staff, they ensure they have access to support through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free, confidential program created to promote the health, safety, and well-being of public employees. More than 100,000 public employees have access to EAP services to help them address work and personal concerns. In addition, the EAP offers services to assist employees with legal and financial concerns. HR also works with the person on specific needs as a result of the incident(s). For example, accommodations such as temporary work assignments, moving to a different location, etc. are explored. Lastly, the college's EDI staff and HR regularly send out announcements and reminders on support available to the greater college community, like EAP, safe space discussions, and affinity groups.

POLICY
The Seattle Colleges are committed to recruiting faculty, staff and students who reflect the cultural diversity of the Puget Sound Region and who will support its values of teaching, learning, students, diversity, and partnerships.
http://seattlecolleges.edu/HR/

FACULTY/STAFF
Seattle Colleges posts all positions to HigherEdJobs, and at the request of the search committee, will post to Diversity Jobs, use Search Advocates, other specific sites to help recruit talent we may not find otherwise. Job pools are often recast if a pool is not diverse. Seattle Colleges posts all positions to HigherEdJobs, and at the request of the search committee, will post to Diversity Jobs, use Search Advocates, and other specific job sites to help recruit talent we may not find otherwise. Job pools are often recast if a pool is not diverse. Seattle Colleges’ Inclusion Advocate program, developed with permission from and modeled after Oregon State University’s Search Advocate program, is designed to create a standardized, anti-biased search process to build a rich and diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of our students and community. Inclusion advocates are existing Seattle Colleges employees who volunteer. Employees who wish to serve, apply and receive two full days of training followed by twice quarterly districtwide meetings and trainings. Trained Inclusion Advocates participate in all levels of the hiring process as non-voting members to guide committee members to recognize and avoid unconscious bias. Inclusion Advocates work in conjunction with the search committee chair, hiring manager, and human resources to affirm the college’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

STUDENTS
Seattle Promise Scholarship increases access to higher education for our community's students, particularly those from underrepresented groups (e.g. students of color, low-income students, and first-generation college students). The scholarship is open to all graduates from participating high schools, regardless of GPA, income or other factors. All participating students are guaranteed to have one year of in-state tuition covered through a combination of need-based financial aid and scholarship funds. Once enrolled as full-time students, participants can pursue the program that best fits their interests, including academic transfer degrees to prepare for transfer to a four-year college or university, and professional/technical career training for a fast-track into the workforce.

The primary purpose of the TRiO programs is to prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds to successfully enter, persist, and complete a post-secondary education. In general, these programs identify low-income, first-generation, and students with disabilities and provides them the assistance, support, and encouragement necessary to enter and complete a college education.

The Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion provide programs to support students, staff, and faculty from underrepresented groups, including leadership training opportunities, multicultural events and programs, textbooks and diversity books/films.

The Bias Incident Response/Support Team (BIRST) responds to any concerns about bias towards underrepresented groups on campus, both for students, faculty, and staff.

STUDENTS
In addition to a variety of other clubs, the Student Life Club Center continues to promote student led clubs that offer ethnic-specific support for student club members. Ethnic specific clubs include the Black Student Union and Latinx Club.

The Cultural Center, Women's Center, and Veterans Center all have student leaders that provide programming and activities for these groups. There are student leaders to represent various ethnic groups as part of the Cultural Center.

The Center for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity supports students to attend the Annual Student of Color conference, as well as other leadership and skill-building conferences.

Through the Undocumented Students Support Team, several resources are made available. Students will find information on funding their education, the DACA program, and other resources at South, while faculty and staff will find resources to support undocumented students, including the guide, "Immigrants Rising: Top 10 Ways to Support Undocumented Students." https://southseattle.edu/undocumented-students

Seattle Promise Scholars do not just receive a scholarship, but also a host of support services to help them make the transition from high school to college. Known as the Readiness Academy, services include: 1) Seattle Promise program staff works with high school students to apply for the scholarship, apply for FAFSA/WASFA, and apply to South Seattle College, 2) College 101 sessions are offered for students and their families, covering what to expect when they start college and an overview of program of study options, 3) Placement test workshops and intensive Math/English workshops for those who place below college level in those areas, 4) Taking Care of Business Field Trips to learn more about registration, advising, ID cards, campus tours, etc., 5) Week-long Summer Bridge Program prior to a fall start focused on classroom and personal success, and higher education navigation skills, 6) Seattle Promise coordinator (staff) acts as a single point of contact for Seattle Promise Scholars if they have questions during their first year.

FACULTY/STAFF
As part of the Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the "District and the AFT (i.e. faculty union) share a mutual interest in hiring and retaining a diverse full-time and part-time faculty that reflects diversity of our students and our community. The District and the AFT are committed to increasing the numbers of faculty members in under-represented groups inclusive of, but not limited to, factors such as race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, veteran status and disability. The District and AFT seek to provide leadership and best practices in advertising faculty positions, conducting search committees, and supporting faculty who bring diversity to our colleges." Seattle Colleges posts all positions to HigherEdJobs, and at the request of the search committee, will post to Diversity Jobs, use Search Advocates, and other specific job sites to help recruit talent we may not find otherwise. Job pools are often recast if a pool is not diverse. Seattle Colleges’ Inclusion Advocate program, developed with permission from and modeled after Oregon State University’s Search Advocate program, is designed to create a standardized, anti-biased search process to build a rich and diverse workforce that reflects the diversity of our students and community. Inclusion advocates are existing Seattle Colleges employees who volunteer. Employees who wish to serve, apply and receive two full days of training followed by twice quarterly district-wide meetings and trainings. Trained Inclusion Advocates participate in all levels of the hiring process as non-voting members to guide committee members to recognize and avoid unconscious bias. Inclusion Advocates work in conjunction with the search committee chair, hiring manager, and human resources to affirm the college’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

South Seattle College actively participates in the University of Washington's Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Project. Administrators and faculty from South Seattle assist with panels and workshops that focus on students from underrepresented groups wanting to learn more about going into a teaching or education administrator role. Specifically, GO-MAP helps SSC create systems to support and prepare future faculty members according to the following 3 areas:
1. Outreach, recruitment, and retention
2. Enhancing scholarship and research
3. Building community, on and off campus

"As a unit of the UW Graduate School, the Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) is committed to serving the needs of students of color and students from other underrepresented groups, while simultaneously fostering an educational and social environment in which all students can learn and develop through experiences rich in cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity.

The Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program, or GO-MAP, has been an integral part of the University of Washington for over 40 years, taking very seriously our efforts to establish and maintain campus, local, national, and international networks for students in our program. Members of our staff work closely with faculty, staff, and graduate students currently on campus to enhance academic and funding opportunities and to encourage scholarship and research that explores and supports cultural diversity."

https://grad.uw.edu/diversity/go-map/

https://southseattle.edu/undocumented-students
https://southseattle.edu/south-men-color
https://southseattle.edu/student-resources/birst
https://southseattle.edu/student-life/student-clubs
https://www.seattlecolleges.edu/where-we-stand
https://southseattle.edu/maps-directions/gender-neutral-restroom-map