The Diversity Committee works to promote and foster a diverse, inclusive, and safe community. This is an all-inclusive committee involving the campus as well as surrounding community participants.
The Diversity Committee works to promote an inclusive community that embraces all aspects of diversity among administrators, students, faculty, and staff. In order to raise awareness toward this goal, the committee: A. Organizes events and participates in campus events B. Provides events, workshops and trainings on campus C. Funds faculty, staff, and students to diversity workshops off campus D. Makes recommendations to faculty, staff, and administration on diversity-related topics E. Represents the college in Outreach activities with the community by facilitating diversity workshops The committee is currently going through a reorganization phase with greater emphasis being placed on College-wide diversity initiatives that stress diversity data collection and monitoring, recruitment practices that enhance diversity. Below is a draft organizational plan for the committee.
Paritions in the MLR Shower Area
It created a safe environment and convienent access for members of our transgender community and for others as needed.
Gender Neutral Restrooms
It created a safe environment and convenient access to members of the transgender community and others as needed.
Diversity Chair Stipend
Provided recognition and assigned a token of value to the time, effort, and responsiblities that the Chair is required to undertake to fulfill their duties to the campus community.
Speaker fees for Diversity Days
These funds payed for keynote speaker fees and other Diversity Days activities including speakers, workshops, marketing, and outreach cost.
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The Diversity Committee organizes activities and events with emphasis on diversity and inclusion in order to create a safe and collaborative environment that contributes to the well being and the success of students. During the Spring 2015 Diversity Days the committee assisted in organizing 29 workshops. Facilitators included: students, professionals, community members, and national recognized experts.
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Strategy 1 - Appointment/Establishment of a Diversity Officer (Dean Level)
We propose that Butte College establish a position known as the Diversity Officer whose task is to provide focus and accountability for all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the College. This person would manage the organizational implications of diversity growth, and would work with diversity issues as a matter of first-priority. They would have a level of expertise in diversity matters and will be able to infuse understanding throughout the campus community.
The Diversity Officer should be appointed at least at the level of a Dean and should consist of no less than 50% of the individual’s time. There are a few alternatives on how this could be accomplished:
The Diversity Officer will be responsible for promoting and implementing all College mission and strategic initiatives with regards to diversity, inclusion and equity. This individual will oversee and/or liaise with:
Student Equity
Diversity
Human Resources
Programs That Foster Diversity
“Butte College fosters community by actively promoting an environment that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual. The campus climate is characterized by diversity, understanding, mutual respect, and inclusiveness. This includes deepening our awareness and support of diverse people and perspectives within our community through such efforts as:
· Implementation of the Student Equity Plan;
· Development and implementation of an EEO Plan to support student, staff and faculty recruitment;
· Professional development activities;
· Support of an active Diversity Committee;
· Support for the needs of minority populations in our service area.
· Maintenance and improvement of accessibility and success rate for those with disabilities.”
Equity, diversity and inclusion have had variety of forms at Butte College since its founding. Some years it has been in the forefront - such as in the 90’s when national and statewide movements such as affirmative action have required institutions to focus on equity issues. Butte College at the time hosted diversity conferences, attended diversity conferences, administered student and staff campus climate surveys as well as recognized individuals doing the work across campus. In the 2000’s we have struggled in keeping efforts consistent. In the more recent history we have found that resources have been scarce and so funding for equity, diversity and inclusion has diminished. This has resulted in burn out and loneliness for our campus community who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion.
The diversity budget has decreased significantly from 1996-1997 when it was $26,694, to a mere $10,000 today. In addition diversity among our permanent employees, especially faculty, has decreased and not kept pace with that of our students or our community. The table below shows our employees of color by numbers; information on additional equity and inclusion areas is not currently tracked and cannot be provided:
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Administration |
Academic Tenure Track |
Academic temporary |
Classified |
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Fall 2000 |
5 |
25 |
47 |
32 |
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Fall 2013 |
4 |
18 |
55 |
61 |
The proposed position would be a significant step for the College to take in achieving the goals outlined by the Mission and Strategic Initiatives.
In the long term it would be ideal is this position is transformed into a Chief Diversity Officer that reports directly to the President and has the same status as a Chief Financial Officer or Chief Academic Officer of the institution. A CDO is a common occurrence in corporations and is increasingly becoming common in academic settings as well. Chico State recently created a CDO position that is a member of the cabinet and reports to the President. More information of the qualifications and role of a CDO can be found on the website www.insidehighered.com.
Strategy 2 - Supporting Diversity Days and Related Events: Speakers, Workshops, Trainings, and Initiatives on Campus
The Diversity Committee requests support to enhance and increase its current activities on campus. We request additional funding for keynote speakers, secondary speaker honoraria, travel costs and other costs associated with Diversity Days and related events.
Butte College’s Strategic Initiative 6 - Enhancing a Culture of Inclusiveness – emphasizes community “by actively promoting an environment that celebrates the uniqueness of each individual. The campus climate is characterized by diversity, understanding, mutual respect, and inclusiveness.” The Diversity Committee supports four vital aspects of this initiative: 1) Educating the campus and community that diversity is shaped and informed by many characteristics including but not limited to ability, age, culture, education, ethnicity, gender identity, language, religious beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status; 2) Assisting in Hiring and retaining a diverse workforce; 3) Creating and sustaining programs, projects, and events that promote a greater understanding of diversity; 4) Developing annual reports that describe the results of diversity efforts and ensuring campus discussion of college progress.
The Diversity Committee is intimately involved in all aspects of this strategic initiative including, including EEO planning and implementation, outreach to minority populations, and providing the members of the campus community exposure to a myriad of diversity related issues via activities during Diversity Days and throughout the year.
Here, we request additional funding to support our current activities. Our present budget is $10,000. With this budget we typically have one or two keynote speakers, several events throughout the year as well as costs associated with t-shirts, travel, honoraria, meals, etc. And while the this year AY 15/16 the Committee was successful in receiving additional fundig this funding is not guaranteed in future.
It is very difficult to get a quality speaker with our current funding. Many speaker fees are in the thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars. These fees are also rapidly increasing – for example, This year, Diversity Days Keynote speaker, Jeffery Duncan-Andrade's fee was $9500 but we were able to negotiate it down to $7500, that may not always be possible. If we are to continue our activities on campus, it is imperative that we increase funding.
One of the most effective ways to effect change is to send college employees to diversity training workshops and conferences – or to organize such workshops at Butte. However the budget we currently have does not allow us to do this or many of the other activities the Committee needs to be effective.
Strategy 3 - Gender Neutral Bathrooms on Campus
Short-term Recommendations:
Longer-term Recommendations:
The lack of gender-neutral bathrooms at Butte College is a pressing issue and every day students in transition face a constant dilemma of whether to try and make it to one of the two lockable bathrooms we currently have and be late to class or risk the possible health effects of holding it for their entire school day. Some try to use the third floor library, LRC or SAS bathrooms, since these get a lot less student traffic and as such present less risk for these students. And while some progress has been made, with the installation of three gender-nuetral bathrooms, there is still work that needs to be done. Currently, the campus is looking at additional possibilities such as, the LRC and SAS buidings. In addition to supporting those efforts, the committee would emphasize that consideration be given to installing gender-nuetral bathroom in all buildings on campus in the near future.
A Committee meeting room
Student Equity Funds
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Diversity Committee | Personnel | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $0.00 | $150,000.00 | |
| Diversity Officer | To support the Mission and Strategic Initiatives, Butte College needs a Diversity Officer of a Dean or higher rank. See Strategy 1 for additional details. |
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| 2 | Diversity Committee | Personnel | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $0.00 | $20,000.00 | |
| Speaker Fees for Diversity Days | Bringing in high-quality speakers - a key aspect of Diversity Days - is very expensive. Limiting ourselves to local or very inexpensive speakers, prevents us from exposing our students to exciting and inspiring speakers. |
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| 3 | Diversity Committee | Personnel | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $0.00 | $22,000.00 | |
| Diversity Days Other Speakers & Events | In addition to the primary keynote speaker, costs associated with a second keynote and other invited speakers. |
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| 4 | Diversity Committee | Personnel | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $0.00 | $12,000.00 | |
| Diversity Workshops & Training | In the past we have regularly sent faculty and students to diversity training workshops and found it to be a very productive activity and a good use of funds. However, with the budget cuts, we have not been able to do this for a couple of years. Having this funding would also allow us to participate in the annual Diversity Conference: Strategies for Change organized by the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges Education Institute (FACCC EI). |
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| 5 | Diversity Committee | Personnel | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $0.00 | $3,000.00 | |
| Individual Activities & Events | Supports year-round (non-Diversity Days) activities and events. |
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| 6 | Diversity Committee | Facilities | 11_099_110_1_676000 | $30,000.00 | $0.00 | |
| Gender-neutral Bathrooms on Campus | To support the establishment of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. |
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