This past spring, the senseless killing of George Floyd, along with so many others, ignited a call to action for race and equity at all institutions of higher education. It is devastating that so many of our students and fellow employees at El Camino have experienced racism, bigotry, and discrimination. As a college community, we realize that we need to immediately address systemic racism in all its forms and develop strategies to create meaningful change for students, employees, and our communities. Work is already underway to achieve this goal, with the newly established President's Advisory Committee on Race and Equity leading the college's response. The committee's first monthly meeting in September included a conversation about purpose, organizational matters, and a review of data. The committee is focusing on five areas:
- Curriculum and Faculty Professional Development
- Campuswide Professional Development
- Police and Community Relations/Policies
- Student Experiences
- Employee Experiences
The committee will continue to meet monthly and will generate a calendar of activities through the remainder of the academic year. Potential partnerships and events designed to further the committee's work to ensure an equitable, welcoming, and inclusive campus are in the planning stages.
Activities and actions already accomplished include:
- This past summer, El Camino joined the USC Center on Race and Equity "California Community College Racial Equity Leadership Alliance." Teams of five will attend more than a dozen e-convenings on a variety of topics important to students and employees. Open forums sponsored by the President's Advisory Committee on Race and Equity will offer participants the opportunity to share what they learned, best practices going forward, and tips for implementation. The first e-convening focused on "Fostering and Sustaining Inclusive Classrooms for Students of Color."
- More than 30 members of our campus community are also part of the USC Center for Race and Equity series "Equity Now!" a four-part seminar this fall. Discussion topics will be presented by nationally recognized speakers.
- A recent A2Amend Conference was attended virtually by about 100 El Camino students, faculty and staff who discussed institutional racism and the road ahead for reform or dismantling racist systems. The conference was sponsored by the African American Male Education Network and Development (A²MEND), a nonprofit organization comprised of African American male educators who utilize scholarly and professional expertise to foster institutional change within the community college system to increase success of African American male students.
- As part of our membership to the USC Center for Race and Equity, El Camino College students will be asked to participate in a survey that assesses their impression of the racial climate on our campus and within their communities. This short survey will be administered by the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (the "NACCC") beginning October 19, 2020.
There are many approaches toward being equity-minded, and great work is already occurring among our faculty and staff. Check out this slideshow and video to see just a few examples.
President's Advisory Committee on Race and Equity Members:
Faith Adams
Stacey Allen
Keiana Daniel
Giancarlo Fernandez
Melissa Fujiwara
Edith Gutierrez
Iris Ingram
Nailah Lee
Arturo Martinez
Darcie McClelland
Brian Mims
Analu Josephides
Jane Miyashiro
Ross Miyashiro
Veronica Palafox
Jean Shankweiler
Jeremy Smotherman
Erika Solarzano
Ana Souto
Michael Trevis
Jamisyn Williams
Erika Yates