Diversity and Equity

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges supports efforts to increase student access to high-quality open educational resources and reduce the cost of course materials and supplies for students in course sections for which open educational resources may not be available to accomplish zero cost for students and encourages colleges to implement a mechanism for identifying course sections that employ low-cost course materials (Fall 2017, Resolution 13.01);

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted resolution 06.04 in spring of 2016, which urged “local senates to advocate for the improvement of and access to mental health services at their local campuses” and “support consistent resourcing and funding to enable the expansion of and improve access to mental health services for community college students;”
Whereas, The global pandemic starting in 2020 and continuing into 2021 has exacerbated and increased the need for mental health awareness, support, and education;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has published the paper “Building Equity Driven Systems” that calls for equity-minded practitioners;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has multiple resolutions supporting the success of students in math; and

Whereas, Racial justice practices have been called for in 2020 by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, California Community College Chancellor’s Office, and the Student Senate for California Community Colleges to address systemic racism;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges’ Inclusivity Statement

Whereas, The California Community Colleges system has prioritized inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism (IDEA) work—including through the CCCCO Call to Action, the DEI Task Force Recommendations, and the Vision for Success goals—to eliminate equity gaps;

Whereas, Local academic senates have an integral role in advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism through academic and professional matters; and

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted resolution 3.03 F19, which approved a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement that acknowledges institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist and “Our commitment to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to equity and that we act deliberately to create a safe and inclusive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community”;

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted Resolution 3.02 F19, Support Infusing Anti-Racism/No Hate Education in Community Colleges;

Whereas, Recognizing the national history of discriminatory laws and history of racial diversification and equity efforts in the California Community Colleges system informs current faculty diversification and anti-racism efforts; and

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges adopted a new inclusivity statement in fall 2019—Resolution 3.03 F19, Replacing the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges Inclusivity Statement—that aligns with the Board of Governor’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement; [1]