The Student Equity and Achievement Department (SEAD) works in collaboration with other campus programs to create the institutional conditions that support student learning and achievement and result in a fair, just, and welcoming campus environment. More specifically, the SEA department supports the following activities: developing the college�s Student Equity Plan, providing matriculation services, aiding with transfer-level math and English completion, supporting student educational planning, and helping with Guided Pathways implementation.
The Student Equity Program is established in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and outcomes for students and more specifically, to promote success for all student groups who experience disproportionate impact as indicated by data in the Student Equity Plan. The Student Equity Program aims to close the college�s equity gaps by increasing successful enrollment, retention, completion of transfer-level math and English, degrees, certificates, and transfer for disproportionately impacted students as measured by success indicators linked to the Student Success Scorecard.
Part-time, 10-month Culture and Community Center Special Programs Clerk
The benefit of having a full-time, 11-month Special Programs Clerk in the Culture and Community Center has been immense. The CCC is open longer, the student assistants have been better trained and supervised, and there has been a lot more cultural programming occurring than has in the past. Additionally, the CCC Clerk has been able to better coordinate with the overall SEA department and other programs on campus that serve marginalized student populations, including the QRC and the UndocuCenter.
Entrance and Exit Celebrations for Latinx Students
As a Hispanic-Serving institution, it is imperative for Butte College to be responsive to the needs of our increasing Latinx student population. These students have asked in focus groups for more culturally-relevant and family-oriented services and activities, and the Bienvenida and graduation ceremonies help the college meet this need.
LGBTQ Funding for Programming and Activities
Funding for LGBTQ activities has supported several projects this year: at least four Safe Zone trainings for faculty and staff to better understand and serve our LGBTQ students, conference travel for staff and students to attend the annual LGBTQ Summit, guest speakers, etc… These activities are designed to provide a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ students both inside and outside the classroom.
The Student Equity and Achievement Department develops and assesses its programmatic goals, activities, and outcomes through the Student Equity Plan process as designed by the Chancellor’s Office.
For the disproportionately-impacted student groups outlined in Butte College’s 2019-2022 Student Equity Plan, goal setting will primarily focus on reducing equity gaps by 40% by 2022 to align with these Vision for Success goals.
In order to meet these goals, activities and resource allocation in this SE Plan focus on providing disproportionately impacted student groups with the support they need to successfully meet their academic and career goals. The RP Group’s “Success Factors Framework” is helpful in understanding what minoritized students tell us they need in order to be successful in a post-secondary environment. In “Student Success (Re)Defined,” the RP Group concluded that students are more successful when they experience the following “six success factors:”
Both the personnel and student-centered activities outlined in this SE Plan are intended to help our disproportionately impacted students achieve each of the factors above, thus increasing their chances for success. The goal is to utilize equity funding to provide high-touch services to our disproportionately impacted student populations to support their success in a “high expectations, high support” learning environment. We believe that the high-touch support services for students outlined in this plan coupled with a persistent focus on and push toward equity when developing institutional policies, procedures, and practices will result in more equitable outcomes for our disproportionately impacted students.
Additionally, the 2019-2022 Student Equity Plan aligns with the goals outlined in the Vision for Success Balanced Scorecard. The goals for overall student success were developed in the Educational Master planning Committee in the areas of access, retention, transfer-level math and English completion, certificate/degree completion, and transfer, while equity goals for disproportionately impacted student groups in these same indicators are outlined in the Student Equity Plan.
The SEA Department supports all of the Strategic Direction themes, but the primary aim is to support the Strategy #5 “Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness” in the following ways:
1. Enhancing a Culture of Equity and Inclusiveness:
A. Enhance Access to Equitable Student and Academic Services:The Student Equity Program staff works continuously to leverage organizational structures to ensure an integrated focus on diversity and equity. For example, SE staff has worked to ensure that equity and diversity are included as college values and for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion senior-management position at the college.
B. Diversify Staff and Faculty to Eliminate Equity Gaps: The Student Equity Program staff is currently working through participation on the EEO Committee to do the following in order to hire and retain a more diverse workforce: 1) analyze hiring data from Butte College to get an accurate picture of hiring processes and practices, 2) develop and provide robust EEO trainings that includes unconscious bias components to all hiring committee members, and 3) ensure the activities outlined in the college’s 2019-2022 EEO Plan are completed.
Strategic Priorities:
The SEA Department supports the strategic priorities listed below in the following ways:
- Implementing AB 705: The SEA Program has funded almost all supports for AB 705 implementation and support services, and SE Program staff sit on the AB 705 Hub where decisions about funding, supports, and evaluation are made.
- Closing Equity Gaps: The sole purpose of the SE Program is to close equity gaps for disproportionately impacted student groups. All of the activities of current staff serve this purpose.
- Meeting student achievement goals: The SE Program works with SEAPAC to set the college’s achievement goals for disproportionately impacted student groups.
- Fostering a Culture of Inclusiveness: The SE Program staff provide regular professional development opportunities increase faculty and staff awareness around marginalized identities, including the Cultural Awareness Community of Practice, FAIR Classrooms, Safe Zone, etc… Additionally, SE Program staff also provide learning and networking opportunities for students around marginalized identities, including the Students of Color Retreat, annual Women of Color Luncheon, and the many workshop offerings from the Culture and Community Center.
- Strengthening Professional Development: The SE Program is the largest funder of conference opportunities, and supports Diversity Days, the Diversity Speaker Series, and several FLEX sessions per year related to equity issues and marginalized identities.
The Student Equity and Achievement Department develops and assesses its programmatic goals, activities, and outcomes through the Student Equity Plan process as designed by the Chancellor’s Office.
Student Equity Program Goals for 2020-2021:
Measurable Student Equity Plan goals for each of the five indicators (access, retention, transfer, transfer-level math and English completion, and certificate/degree completion) are provided in detail in the 2019-2022 Student Equity Plan.
Additionally, the SEA Program goals are aligned with the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Vision for Success goals, as well as Butte College’s Strategic Direction and Educational Master Plan goals.
Strategy 1 - Retention Specialist for Native American students
Full-time, 10 month Retention Specialist for Native American students
Native American students are the only population at Butte College with disproportionate impact in all five student success indicators: access (4.3% equity gap), retention (7.9% equity gap), transfer-level math and English completion (15.5% equity gap), transfer to a 4-year college (57% equity gap), and earned certificate/AA degree (62.2% equity gap). Additionally, equity gaps for our Native American students actually increased during our last reporting period between 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the areas of access, transfer, completion for transfer-level math and English, and earned certificates/AA degrees. Both the breadth and persistence of equity gaps for this population of students despite significant efforts to provide appropriate support suggest that a more targeted, intrusive intervention is necessary to adequately address the equity issues for Butte College’s Native American students. We believe that a retention specialist dedicated specifically to this population would drastically increase their access to services and supports on campus and in the local communities in order to improve student success and close equity gaps.
Butte College serves an average of 100-150 students annually who identify solely as Native American; we believe that there are at least twice this many students who identify as at least part Native American but who are counted as either Hispanic or multi-ethic students in our MIS reporting system. Our Native American students report that their success in college is compromised by housing issues, food insecurity, textbook costs, instructors’ lack of cultural awareness/competence, and having to navigate the complexities of higher educational bureaucracy. The retention specialist position is designed specifically to help students with these kinds of challenges with a case management approach. This position could also serve as a liaison between Butte College and local Native American tribal communities and support agencies, like Four Winds of Education and CSU Chico’s Tribal Relations Office to ensure collaboration and relationship building, which are key tenets for building rapport and trust between the college and Native communities. As the community college system moves to the student-centered funding formula, colleges are incentivized financially to provide more support to traditionally underrepresented groups, so the investment in this position will likely produce positive financial outcomes for the college. An operational budget of $5,000 is also requested, so the retention specialist can provide community outreach, sponsor Native-specific events, and support Native American students with textbooks and/or school supplies.
Strategy 2 - Full-Time, 11-month Culture and Community Center Special Programs Clerk
Full-Time, 11-month Culture and Community Center Special Programs Clerk
The goal of the CCC is to “create a sense of unity, understanding, and mutual respect among Butte College's diverse community. The Culture & Community Center advocates for and empowers Butte College's diverse community by providing educational programs and cultural events in a safe and interactive environment where people gather to learn about themselves and others.” The primary goal of the CCC aligns with Butte College’s values of diversity and equity and is one of the few departments on campus solely dedicated to sharing these values with students and staff. In order for the CCC to be a functional and productive space for students, we need a full-time, 11-month classified staff person to operationalize the activities and student use of the space.
The Culture and Community Center at Butte College has been in existence since 2011. In order to be fully operational, a full-time Special Programs Clerk is necessary to ensure adequate programming related to diversity and inclusion, management of student use of the space, and supervision of student assistants to support relevant diversity, equity, and inclusion activities for students, faculty, and staff. Our focus group data from disproportionately impacted student groups including African American, Native American, and Hispanic students suggests that these student groups need more visible demonstrations of their cultures represented on campus in order to feel connected, valued, and nurtured at Butte College. In order to meet the student equity goals as defined in the Student Equity Plan, we need more programming like Heritage Months on a consistent, sustained basis. The full-time CCC Clerk will give us the capacity to do so.
Strategy 3 - Men of Color (MOC) Initiative Funding
Men of Color (MOC) Initiative Funding
African American, Native American, Latinx, Asian, and multi-ethnic male students all have large equity gaps in at least one of the five student success indicators: access, retention, transfer-level math and English completion, transfer, and earned degree/certificate. Across the state, research suggests that male students of color are more likely than their peers to attend community colleges and are less likely to complete and transfer than their peers. In order to increase these students’ success, we plan to fund some Men of Color Initiatives that may include the following: hosting a luncheon welcome event, offering a Mentoring Program, hosting a Student Conference, attending a Men of Color Conference, and/or providing food for MOC Meetings.
Strategy 4 - Asian/Pacific Islander Council
Asian/Pacific Islander Council
Many of our Asian Pacific Islander faculty and staff have been interested in creating an official council to better support and serve faculty, staff and students on our campus. The purpose of the council will be to address any issues or concerns the community has as well as to create events geared towards moving forward the API community on campus. Our focus will also include leadership development and advancement of API students, staff, and faculty. Funding is needed for an API graduation, API Month events, and food for meetings.
Strategy 5 - Identity-Based Graduation Ceremonies for Disproportionately-Impacted Student Populations
Identity-Based Graduation Ceremonies for Disproportionately-Impacted Student Populations
A graduation/ceremony committee has been created to plan graduations for special populations every May. Currently the funds requested are for the following groups: Native American Graduation, African American Graduation, Asian/Pacific Islander Graduation (already in unit plan submitted by API Council), Undocu Graduation, LatinX (already in unit plan), LGBTQ Graduation (lavender). The plan is to create a template that can be replicated with small nuances, for each population that does not already have a graduation planning committee. These supplemental graduation ceremonies will be coordinated to take place consecutively, each day of graduation assigned to one group.
Strategy 6 - Senior-Level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Senior-Level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The need for a senior-level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is undeniable when one considers that since fall 2006, Butte College’s population of students of color has risen from 23% to 41%. All indications suggest that this trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future. In order to meet the needs of the “now” student, whom our college President has described as racially diverse, sexually diverse, and gender non-conforming, the college must be positioned to consider issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all decision making and to be proactive in response to national, state, local, or college-level discourses, events, or policies related to diversity and equity. This position would work with colleagues across the institution to create a campus climate that affirms the values of diversity and equity as vital aspects of the learning environment while also articulating the importance of actively engaging diversity as part of the intellectual development of students who will compete in a global marketplace. Ultimately, this position would be in charge of developing and implementing a strategic vision and plan for diversity and equity efforts across the whole institution. More specifically, the Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion would work with faculty, staff, and student leaders to help the school actualize its diversity and equity objectives. This senior-level position could also be responsible for creating a strategic, intentional professional development program for faculty and staff around diversity and equity issues.
While the population of students of color has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, our faculty of color has increased by 1% in that same time period and remains woefully behind at just 12%. At the Strategic Planning Retreat in January 2017, the senior-level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was identified as the top priority for supporting student success and creating an inclusive campus environment. These efforts should focus on eliminating barriers to student success, preventing the recurrence of concerns expressed by students, and remedying the impact of these concerns on individual students and the campus community. In order to ensure a safe and welcoming environment that provides equal opportunity for success to all students, our college needs to 1) address hiring issues including unconscious bias training, 2) provide professional development for faculty and staff on cultural competency/cultural humility and privilege, and 3) strategically plan our college-wide efforts to close equity gaps and educate all students, faculty, and staff on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This position could provide leadership on all these issues.
Strategy 7 - BC Bloom Student-Run Equity Magazine
BC Bloom Student-Run Equity Magazine
Strategy 8 - Cultural Awareness Community of Practice
Cultural Awareness Community of Practice
The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is a workshop series seeking to give faculty and staff the concepts to better understand and the practices to more fully meet culturally diverse students where they are at. The program aims to close equity gaps at Butte by fostering a culture of inclusiveness, which understands that institutional change must happen in the context of reducing intersectional—not isolated—oppressions (race, gender, sexuality, ability and class). The goal of the program is to create a more welcoming campus environment for students of color, disabled students, queer students, and for all those living in the intersection of these identities. Individuals who go through the program will have an increased capacity to witness and an increased capacity to disrupt/question micro-aggressions, and an increased awareness of exclusionary campus spaces and the ways to make them more inclusive. Individuals will also feel more empowered to continue knowledge and skill building, capacity, and community development.
“In an educational system where whiteness is normalized, independent research has shown that teachers tend to make assumptions about behavior and achievement of students of color. These assumptions are often processed through a deficit model; teachers tend to attribute behavior issues or low achievement to deficits in a student‘s race, culture, socio-economic status, parental involvement, intelligence, self-esteem, the value of education in the family, drug use, home language, and/or the capacity to function in an educational environment with high expectations. As a result, the expectations of students of color at school are lowered (McKenzie & Scheurich, 2004; Chapman, 2007; Rocha & Hawes, 2009; Miller, Kerr, & Ritter, 2008; Quiroz, 2013; Marx, 2004). Because of these assumptions, educators plunge into conversations about socioeconomic status, language differences, and immigration and nationalism without recognizing how race filters through these topics and influences our perspectives, experiences, and outcomes? (Singleton G. E., 2013, p. 39).” (quote taken from Kristen Miles’ “To Serve All Students: The Case for Race Equity Professional Development for Public School District Central Office Staff”). The reason why the Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is necessary at Butte College is because faculty and staff need to understand how whiteness (and sexism, ableism, heterosexism, cis genderism, etc…) are normalized in their own attitudes and behaviors and the ways that these attitudes and behaviors affect the performance of those students who don’t fit these norms.
Strategy 9 - Culture and Community Center (CCC) Support
Culture and Community Center (CCC) Support
The goal of the CCC is to “create a sense of unity, understanding, and mutual respect among Butte College's diverse community. The Culture & Community Center advocates for and empowers Butte College's diverse community by providing educational programs and cultural events in a safe and interactive environment where people gather to learn about themselves and others.” The primary goal of the CCC aligns with Butte College’s values of diversity and equity and is one of the few departments on campus solely dedicated to sharing these values with students and staff. Our focus group data from disproportionately impacted student groups including African American, Native American, and Hispanic students suggests that these student groups need more visible demonstrations of their cultures represented on campus in order to feel connected, valued, and nurtured at Butte College. In order to meet the student equity goals as defined in the Student Equity Plan, the CCC must be supported with both student assistant and programming funding.
Strategy 10 - Entrance and Exit Celebrations for Latinx Students
Entrance and Exit Celebrations for Latinx Students
The Student Equity Program is requesting funding for an on-boarding event and a special graduation ceremony for Latinx students. The on-boarding event for Latinx students, hereby referred to as Bienvenida (Welcome), is a by-invitation celebration for students who identify as Latinx. This event will be organized and hosted by Butte College professionals who identify as Latinx and will take place within the first 3 weeks of the fall and spring semesters. The purpose of the Bienvenida is formally welcome new Latinx students to Butte College and to connect them with staff and resources.
The Latinx graduation ceremony is a celebration that will be culturally relevant and highlight the accomplishments of graduating Latinx students at Butte College. This event will take place at the end of the spring semester and will include a cultural ceremony, which will be in both English and Spanish. Family members of the graduating students will be invited. As a new Hispanic Serving Institution, it is imperative that Butte College recognize and celebrate its Latinx students, who now represent over 27% of our total student population. Additionally, our Latinx students have major equity gaps that need to be addressed. Hispanic students report more than any other group a desire to involve family in their college experience: “So, I feel like, when they come to college, getting their parents involved, I understand that coming to college is an adult thing, you’re supposed to do it on your own. But I just feel like for those first-generation, fresh out of high school students that are Hispanic, it would be amazing for their parents just to be involved, and to know what their kids are doing, and be able to have a say, kind of. I feel like that would be awesome, and helpful, really helpful for the students, because its, you know, they’re just barely getting responsibility, and they’re just getting used to the adult world so, yeah.” On-boarding Latinx students with a family-friendly Bienvenida can be an important tool for student success and retention, as has been shown at Chico State. The Bienvenida is a tool for retention by connecting students and their families to staff in order to create a community of support and networking for student success.
Celebrating student successes, especially those with wide equity gaps, is important for the campus community. It affects the students graduating, their families, and the staff who supported them, and it provides an opportunity for students who are still enrolled or potential students who attend the ceremony to see others from their communities graduate from college. Identity-based graduations are common in higher education.
Strategy 11 - Faculty and Staff of Color Council Support
Faculty and Staff of Color Council Support
Butte College has recognized for some time that there is an underrepresentation of racially minoritized faculty and staff working for the college. This underrepresentation not only suggests that our current hiring policies and procedures are racially biased, but it is also partially responsible for the large racialized equity gaps we see in success rates among students. Studies like “A Community College Instructor Like Me” prove that a student’s performance improves when the race and gender of their instructor matches their own. This data has been replicated at Butte College. Studies have also confirmed the persistent cultural taxation and burn out that occurs among our faculty and staff of color who take on the obligation to show good citizenship towards the institution by serving its needs for ethnic representation on committees, or to demonstrate knowledge and commitment to a cultural group, which, though it may bring accolades to the institution, is not usually rewarded by the institution on whose behalf the service was performed. The Faculty and Staff of Color Council at Butte College provides an outlet for faculty and staff of color to process what it means to work at a predominantly white institution and to coordinate efforts to increase equity across the campus. The funds would cover supplies, food for meetings, and a retreat.
Strategy 12 - FAIR Classrooms
FAIR Classrooms
FAIR (Faculty Alliance for Inquiry and Research) Classrooms is a professional development opportunity that will provide a brave space for instructors to focus on accessing classroom-level data about how different groups of students are performing in their specific courses, developing and using inquiry processes to improve student engagement and completion levels, and building a community of support with like-minded faculty who are also seeking to improve opportunities for all our students. This program approaches gaps in student success as an institutional problem rather than a problem caused by deficits in student preparation or motivation. Facilitators provide a practical set of tools and processes to help faculty understand where they may need more professional development to help disproportionately impacted students succeed. The FAIR Classrooms Program approaches student equity as a data-driven inquiry process and gives faculty the opportunity to become invested in equitable outcomes for all of our student populations.
USC’s Center for Urban Education defines what it means for faculty to be equity-minded in their approach to education: “‘Equity-minded’ practitioners question their own assumptions, recognize stereotypes that harm student success, and continually reassess their practices to create change. Part of taking on this framework is that institutions and practitioners become accountable for the success of their students and see racial gaps as their personal and institutional responsibility.” The FAIR Classrooms Program provides the brave space for faculty to do this difficult, but necessary, work. Without an opportunity for individual instructors to access, process, and work to improve the equity gaps in their individual classrooms, large-scale institutional equity gaps will continue to exist.
Strategy 13 - Flex Speakers
Flex Speakers
In order to both meet the Strategic Direction priority of strengthening professional development and to close equity gaps, the SE Program offers multiple FLEX workshops for faculty and staff during Institute Week. When possible, we invite diverse community members to educate our faculty and staff on the history and lived experience of minoritized identities. In the past, we have paid Native American community members and Hmong community members to present FLEX sessions and we would like to continue to offer these types of FLEX sessions in the future.
Strategy 14 - Identity-Based Club Support
Identity-Based Club Support
The Student Equity Program plans to increase the student engagement of disproportionately impacted student groups by funding programming and travel for multiple identity-based clubs: Black Student Union, Native American Club, MEChA, Pacific Islander Club, PHO2 (Practicing Healing, Overcoming Obstacles), RISE (Regional Immigrant Scholars for Equity), and GSA. The Student Equity Program will support club meeting catering, campus events, community field trips, and conference/university travel for these clubs.
Increasing the opportunities for students of color to engage in the campus community is critical for supporting their academic success. Our African American, Native American, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Asian, and LGBTQ students are disproportionately impacted at our college, and focus group data tells us that students need more opportunities to interact together and engage with the campus. The clubs are a great way of making student groups feel valued, nurtured, and connected.
Strategy 15 - ROOTS Orientation
ROOTS (Realizing Opportunities, Optimizing Traditions to Success) Orientation
ROOTS is a half-day orientation designed specifically for those who identify as first generation, minority students. ROOTS gives first generation minority students the ability to successfully integrate into the intellectual, cultural and social climate at Butte College just before the semester begins. The purpose of ROOTS is to welcome first generation, minority students to campus; get them connected with fellow students, faculty, and staff; and help them learn how to navigate the many campus resources available to them.
Strategy 16 - Student Equity Conference Funding
Student Equity Conference Funding
The Student Equity Program provides a large fund for attendance at equity-related conferences. The purpose of this is to expose faculty and staff to equity-related issues and topics in order to better support the success of disproportionately impacted student groups. In 2018-19, for example, student equity funds were used for 62 faculty and staff and 34 students to attend 20 different conferences. In addition to sharing what was learned at various FLEX sessions, the SE Program hosts a Conference Sharing Forum each spring to share new knowledge gained from conference participation.
Strategy 17 - Students of Color Retreat
Students of Color Retreat
The Students of Color Retreat is a three-day, overnight, off-campus event for students of color that is facilitated by faculty and staff of color. The purpose is to close equity gaps by giving students the opportunity to:
1. Participate in self-exploration exercises and develop trust amongst diverse peer group members
2. Articulate awareness and understanding of one's attitudes, values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and identity as it affects one's work with others
3. Describe community as a complex process of relationship building and networking within and outside one's identity group
4. Describe a personalized definition of leadership and active ally-ship and its personal application
5. Articulate a shared definition of diversity that includes an understanding of systems of oppression
The goal of the program is for students to feel valued and nurtured at Butte College and be engaged in the campus community upon return from the event as a means to improve students’ overall academic success and personal development.
Strategy 18 - Women of Color Event
Women of Color Event
African American, Native American, Asian, Filipino, Pacific Islander, and multi-ethnic female students all have large equity gaps in at least one of the five student success indicators: access, retention, transfer-level math and English completion, transfer, and earned degree/certificate. In order to increase these students’ success, Butte College offers the Women of Color Luncheon/Dinner toward of the end of spring semester that serves to honor the strength and resilience of identified Women of Color while also acknowledging past, current, and future struggles. This event provides education and connection building opportunities for our students. This is also a chance for faculty and staff to join together and build a network of support for each other and our students. The event includes keynote speeches and a catered meal.
None at this time
Student Equity and Achievement Program funding from the CCCCO will support most Student Equity Program requests.
| 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 | Student Equity | Personnel | $0.00 | $83,942.00 | ||
| Full-time, 10 month Retention Specialist for Native American students | Native American students are the only population at Butte College with disproportionate impact in all five student success indicators: access (4.3% equity gap), retention (7.9% equity gap), transfer-level math and English completion (15.5% equity gap), transfer to a 4-year college (57% equity gap), and earned certificate/AA degree (62.2% equity gap). Additionally, equity gaps for our Native American students actually increased during our last reporting period between 2016-17 and 2017-18 in the areas of access, transfer, completion for transfer-level math and English, and earned certificates/AA degrees. Both the breadth and persistence of equity gaps for this population of students despite significant efforts to provide appropriate support suggest that a more targeted, intrusive intervention is necessary to adequately address the equity issues for Butte College�s Native American students. We believe that a retention specialist dedicated specifically to this population would drastically increase their access to services and supports on campus and in the local communities in order to improve student success and close equity gaps. Butte College serves an average of 100-150 students annually who identify solely as Native American; we believe that there are at least twice this many students who identify as at least part Native American but who are counted as either Hispanic or multi-ethic students in our MIS reporting system. Our Native American students report that their success in college is compromised by housing issues, food insecurity, textbook costs, instructors� lack of cultural awareness/competence, and having to navigate the complexities of higher educational bureaucracy. The retention specialist position is designed specifically to help students with these kinds of challenges with a case management approach. This position could also serve as a liaison between Butte College and local Native American tribal communities and support agencies, like Four Winds of Education and CSU Chico�s Tribal Relations Office to ensure collaboration and relationship building, which are key tenets for building rapport and trust between the college and Native communities. As the community college system moves to the student-centered funding formula, colleges are incentivized financially to provide more support to traditionally underrepresented groups, so the investment in this position will likely produce positive financial outcomes for the college. An operational budget of $5,000 is also requested, so the retention specialist can provide community outreach, sponsor Native-specific events, and support Native American students with textbooks and/or school supplies. |
|
|
|||
| 2 | Student Equity | Personnel | $0.00 | $29,001.00 | ||
| Full-Time, 11-month Culture and Community Center Special Programs Clerk | The goal of the CCC is to �create a sense of unity, understanding, and mutual respect among Butte College's diverse community. The Culture & Community Center advocates for and empowers Butte College's diverse community by providing educational programs and cultural events in a safe and interactive environment where people gather to learn about themselves and others.� The primary goal of the CCC aligns with Butte College�s values of diversity and equity and is one of the few departments on campus solely dedicated to sharing these values with students and staff. In order for the CCC to be a functional and productive space for students, we need a full-time, 11-month classified staff person to operationalize the activities and student use of the space. The Culture and Community Center at Butte College has been in existence since 2011. In order to be fully operational, a full-time Special Programs Clerk is necessary to ensure adequate programming related to diversity and inclusion, management of student use of the space, and supervision of student assistants to support relevant diversity, equity, and inclusion activities for students, faculty, and staff. Our focus group data from disproportionately impacted student groups including African American, Native American, and Hispanic students suggests that these student groups need more visible demonstrations of their cultures represented on campus in order to feel connected, valued, and nurtured at Butte College. In order to meet the student equity goals as defined in the Student Equity Plan, we need more programming like Heritage Months on a consistent, sustained basis. The full-time CCC Clerk will give us the capacity to do so. |
|
|
|||
| 3 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $5,700.00 | ||
| Men of Color (MOC) Initiative Funding | African American, Native American, Latinx, Asian, and multi-ethnic male students all have large equity gaps in at least one of the five student success indicators: access, retention, transfer-level math and English completion, transfer, and earned degree/certificate. Across the state, research suggests that male students of color are more likely than their peers to attend community colleges and are less likely to complete and transfer than their peers. In order to increase these students� success, we plan to fund some Men of Color Initiatives that may include the following: hosting a luncheon welcome event, offering a Mentoring Program, hosting a Student Conference, attending a Men of Color Conference, and/or providing food for MOC Meetings. |
|
|
|||
| 4 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $12,000.00 | ||
| Identity-Based Graduation Ceremonies for Disproportionately-Impacted Student Populations | A graduation/ceremony committee has been created to plan graduations for special populations every May. Currently the funds requested are for the following groups: Native American Graduation, African American Graduation, Asian/Pacific Islander Graduation (already in unit plan submitted by API Council), Undocu Graduation, LatinX (already in unit plan), LGBTQ Graduation (lavender). The plan is to create a template that can be replicated with small nuances, for each population that does not already have a graduation planning committee. These supplemental graduation ceremonies will be coordinated to take place consecutively, each day of graduation assigned to one group. |
|
|
|||
| 5 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $7,000.00 | ||
| Asian/Pacific Islander Council | Many of our Asian Pacific Islander faculty and staff have been interested in creating an official council to better support and serve faculty, staff and students on our campus. The purpose of the council will be to address any issues or concerns the community has as well as to create events geared towards moving forward the API community on campus. Our focus will also include leadership development and advancement of API students, staff, and faculty. Funding is needed for an API graduation, API Month events, and food for meetings. |
|
|
|||
| 6 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $43,522.00 | ||
| Culture and Community Center Support | The goal of the CCC is to �create a sense of unity, understanding, and mutual respect among Butte College's diverse community. The Culture & Community Center advocates for and empowers Butte College's diverse community by providing educational programs and cultural events in a safe and interactive environment where people gather to learn about themselves and others.� The primary goal of the CCC aligns with Butte College�s values of diversity and equity and is one of the few departments on campus solely dedicated to sharing these values with students and staff. Our focus group data from disproportionately impacted student groups including African American, Native American, and Hispanic students suggests that these student groups need more visible demonstrations of their cultures represented on campus in order to feel connected, valued, and nurtured at Butte College. In order to meet the student equity goals as defined in the Student Equity Plan, the CCC must be supported with both student assistant and programming funding. |
|
|
|||
| 7 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $25,000.00 | ||
| Identity-Based Club Support | The Student Equity Program plans to increase the student engagement of disproportionately impacted student groups by funding programming and travel for multiple identity-based clubs: Black Student Union, Native American Club, MEChA, Pacific Islander Club, PHO2 (Practicing Healing, Overcoming Obstacles), RISE (Regional Immigrant Scholars for Equity), and GSA. The Student Equity Program will support club meeting catering, campus events, community field trips, and conference/university travel for these clubs. Increasing the opportunities for students of color to engage in the campus community is critical for supporting their academic success. Our African American, Native American, Latinx, Pacific Islander, Asian, and LGBTQ students are disproportionately impacted at our college, and focus group data tells us that students need more opportunities to interact together and engage with the campus. The clubs are a great way of making student groups feel valued, nurtured, and connected. |
|
|
|||
| 8 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $5,000.00 | ||
| Faculty and Staff of Color Council Support | Butte College has recognized for some time that there is an underrepresentation of racially minoritized faculty and staff working for the college. This underrepresentation not only suggests that our current hiring policies and procedures are racially biased, but it is also partially responsible for the large racialized equity gaps we see in success rates among students. Studies like �A Community College Instructor Like Me� prove that a student�s performance improves when the race and gender of their instructor matches their own. This data has been replicated at Butte College. Studies have also confirmed the persistent cultural taxation and burn out that occurs among our faculty and staff of color who take on the obligation to show good citizenship towards the institution by serving its needs for ethnic representation on committees, or to demonstrate knowledge and commitment to a cultural group, which, though it may bring accolades to the institution, is not usually rewarded by the institution on whose behalf the service was performed. The Faculty and Staff of Color Council at Butte College provides an outlet for faculty and staff of color to process what it means to work at a predominantly white institution and to coordinate efforts to increase equity across the campus. The funds would cover supplies, food for meetings, and a retreat. |
|
|
|||
| 9 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $26,883.00 | ||
| Cultural Awareness Community of Practice | The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is a workshop series seeking to give faculty and staff the concepts to better understand and the practices to more fully meet culturally diverse students where they are at. The program aims to close equity gaps at Butte by fostering a culture of inclusiveness, which understands that institutional change must happen in the context of reducing intersectional�not isolated�oppressions (race, gender, sexuality, ability and class). The goal of the program is to create a more welcoming campus environment for students of color, disabled students, queer students, and for all those living in the intersection of these identities. Individuals who go through the program will have an increased capacity to witness and an increased capacity to disrupt/question micro-aggressions, and an increased awareness of exclusionary campus spaces and the ways to make them more inclusive. Individuals will also feel more empowered to continue knowledge and skill building, capacity, and community development. �In an educational system where whiteness is normalized, independent research has shown that teachers tend to make assumptions about behavior and achievement of students of color. These assumptions are often processed through a deficit model; teachers tend to attribute behavior issues or low achievement to deficits in a student�s race, culture, socio-economic status, parental involvement, intelligence, self-esteem, the value of education in the family, drug use, home language, and/or the capacity to function in an educational environment with high expectations. As a result, the expectations of students of color at school are lowered (McKenzie & Scheurich, 2004; Chapman, 2007; Rocha & Hawes, 2009; Miller, Kerr, & Ritter, 2008; Quiroz, 2013; Marx, 2004). Because of these assumptions, educators plunge into conversations about socioeconomic status, language differences, and immigration and nationalism without recognizing how race filters through these topics and influences our perspectives, experiences, and outcomes? (Singleton G. E., 2013, p. 39).� (quote taken from Kristen Miles� �To Serve All Students: The Case for Race Equity Professional Development for Public School District Central Office Staff�). The reason why the Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is necessary at Butte College is because faculty and staff need to understand how whiteness (and sexism, ableism, heterosexism, cis genderism, etc�) are normalized in their own attitudes and behaviors and the ways that these attitudes and behaviors affect the performance of those students who don�t fit these norms. |
|
|
|||
| 10 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $33,786.00 | ||
| FAIR Classrooms | FAIR (Faculty Alliance for Inquiry and Research) Classrooms is a professional development opportunity that will provide a brave space for instructors to focus on accessing classroom-level data about how different groups of students are performing in their specific courses, developing and using inquiry processes to improve student engagement and completion levels, and building a community of support with like-minded faculty who are also seeking to improve opportunities for all our students. This program approaches gaps in student success as an institutional problem rather than a problem caused by deficits in student preparation or motivation. Facilitators provide a practical set of tools and processes to help faculty understand where they may need more professional development to help disproportionately impacted students succeed. The FAIR Classrooms Program approaches student equity as a data-driven inquiry process and gives faculty the opportunity to become invested in equitable outcomes for all of our student populations. USC�s Center for Urban Education defines what it means for faculty to be equity-minded in their approach to education: ��Equity-minded� practitioners question their own assumptions, recognize stereotypes that harm student success, and continually reassess their practices to create change. Part of taking on this framework is that institutions and practitioners become accountable for the success of their students and see racial gaps as their personal and institutional responsibility.� The FAIR Classrooms Program provides the brave space for faculty to do this difficult, but necessary, work. Without an opportunity for individual instructors to access, process, and work to improve the equity gaps in their individual classrooms, large-scale institutional equity gaps will continue to exist. |
|
|
|||
| 11 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $200,000.00 | ||
| Student Equity Conference Funding | The Student Equity Program provides a large fund for attendance at equity-related conferences. The purpose of this is to expose faculty and staff to equity-related issues and topics in order to better support the success of disproportionately impacted student groups. In 2018-19, for example, student equity funds were used for 62 faculty and staff and 34 students to attend 20 different conferences. In addition to sharing what was learned at various FLEX sessions, the SE Program hosts a Conference Sharing Forum each spring to share new knowledge gained from conference participation. |
|
|
|||
| 12 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $30,000.00 | ||
| Students of Color Retreat | The Students of Color Retreat is a three-day, overnight, off-campus event for students of color that is facilitated by faculty and staff of color. The purpose is to close equity gaps by giving students the opportunity to: 1. Participate in self-exploration exercises and develop trust amongst diverse peer group members 2. Articulate awareness and understanding of one's attitudes, values, beliefs, assumptions, biases, and identity as it affects one's work with others 3. Describe community as a complex process of relationship building and networking within and outside one's identity group 4. Describe a personalized definition of leadership and active ally-ship and its personal application 5. Articulate a shared definition of diversity that includes an understanding of systems of oppression The goal of the program is for students to feel valued and nurtured at Butte College and be engaged in the campus community upon return from the event as a means to improve students� overall academic success and personal development. |
|
|
|||
| 13 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $20,007.00 | ||
| BC Bloom Student-Run Equity Magazine | The BC Bloom is a student-run magazine that celebrates diversity on our campus, provides a platform for underrepresented students to express themselves, encourages intercultural communication, and further informs �dashboard� students of the resources and involvement opportunities at Butte College and in the surrounding communities. The overarching purpose of the magazine, as founder and former student Feven Mebrahtu put it, is to �subvert the dominant paradigm that trivializes and undervalues the narratives of so many, including ethnic and gender minorities, and students living with various levels of disability, disenfranchisement, or poverty.� For students who contribute to The BC Bloom, the goal is to increase a sense of engagement through participation in an extracurricular activity, connection to like-minded peers on campus, and a feeling of being valued for their unique backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Students who contributed to the inaugural issue of The BC Bloom were asked to complete a brief survey about the magazine, their experience, and their interest in further involvement with either The BC Bloom or other campus activities. Contributors giving feedback have reported high levels of interest in further involvement, strong levels of connection to the campus and their peers, and a sense of appreciation for the experience of being able to share their own voice. |
|
|
|||
| 14 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $20,000.00 | ||
| Entrance and Exit Celebrations for Latinx Students | The Student Equity Program is requesting funding for an on-boarding event and a special graduation ceremony for Latinx students. The on-boarding event for Latinx students, hereby referred to as Bienvenida (Welcome), is a by-invitation celebration for students who identify as Latinx. This event will be organized and hosted by Butte College professionals who identify as Latinx and will take place within the first 3 weeks of the fall and spring semesters. The purpose of the Bienvenida is formally welcome new Latinx students to Butte College and to connect them with staff and resources. The Latinx graduation ceremony is a celebration that will be culturally relevant and highlight the accomplishments of graduating Latinx students at Butte College. This event will take place at the end of the spring semester and will include a cultural ceremony, which will be in both English and Spanish. Family members of the graduating students will be invited. As a new Hispanic Serving Institution, it is imperative that Butte College recognize and celebrate its Latinx students, who now represent over 27% of our total student population. Additionally, our Latinx students have major equity gaps that need to be addressed. Hispanic students report more than any other group a desire to involve family in their college experience: �So, I feel like, when they come to college, getting their parents involved, I understand that coming to college is an adult thing, you�re supposed to do it on your own. But I just feel like for those first-generation, fresh out of high school students that are Hispanic, it would be amazing for their parents just to be involved, and to know what their kids are doing, and be able to have a say, kind of. I feel like that would be awesome, and helpful, really helpful for the students, because its, you know, they�re just barely getting responsibility, and they�re just getting used to the adult world so, yeah.� On-boarding Latinx students with a family-friendly Bienvenida can be an important tool for student success and retention, as has been shown at Chico State. The Bienvenida is a tool for retention by connecting students and their families to staff in order to create a community of support and networking for student success. Celebrating student successes, especially those with wide equity gaps, is important for the campus community. It affects the students graduating, their families, and the staff who supported them, and it provides an opportunity for students who are still enrolled or potential students who attend the ceremony to see others from their communities graduate from college. Identity-based graduations are common in higher education. |
|
|
|||
| 15 | Student Equity | $0.00 | $5,000.00 | |||
| ROOTS | ROOTS is a half-day orientation designed specifically for those who identify as first generation, minority students. ROOTS gives first generation minority students the ability to successfully integrate into the intellectual, cultural and social climate at Butte College just before the semester begins. The purpose of ROOTS is to welcome first generation, minority students to campus; get them connected with fellow students, faculty, and staff; and help them learn how to navigate the many campus resources available to them. |
|
|
|||
| 16 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $4,000.00 | ||
| Women of Color Event | African American, Native American, Asian, Filipino, Pacific Islander, and multi-ethnic female students all have large equity gaps in at least one of the five student success indicators: access, retention, transfer-level math and English completion, transfer, and earned degree/certificate. In order to increase these students� success, Butte College offers the Women of Color Luncheon/Dinner toward of the end of spring semester that serves to honor the strength and resilience of identified Women of Color while also acknowledging past, current, and future struggles. This event provides education and connection building opportunities for our students. This is also a chance for faculty and staff to join together and build a network of support for each other and our students. The event includes keynote speeches and a catered meal. |
|
|
|||
| 17 | Student Equity | Operating Expenses | $0.00 | $1,000.00 | ||
| FLEX Speakers | In order to both meet the Strategic Direction priority of strengthening professional development and to close equity gaps, the SE Program offers multiple FLEX workshops for faculty and staff during Institute Week. When possible, we invite diverse community members to educate our faculty and staff on the history and lived experience of minoritized identities. In the past, we have paid Native American community members and Hmong community members to present FLEX sessions and we would like to continue to offer these types of FLEX sessions in the future. |
|
|
|||
| 18 | Student Equity | Personnel | $0.00 | $100,000.00 | ||
| Senior-Level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | The need for a senior-level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is undeniable when one considers that since fall 2006, Butte College�s population of students of color has risen from 23% to 41%. All indications suggest that this trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future. In order to meet the needs of the �now� student, whom our college President has described as racially diverse, sexually diverse, and gender non-conforming, the college must be positioned to consider issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all decision making and to be proactive in response to national, state, local, or college-level discourses, events, or policies related to diversity and equity. This position would work with colleagues across the institution to create a campus climate that affirms the values of diversity and equity as vital aspects of the learning environment while also articulating the importance of actively engaging diversity as part of the intellectual development of students who will compete in a global marketplace. Ultimately, this position would be in charge of developing and implementing a strategic vision and plan for diversity and equity efforts across the whole institution. More specifically, the Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion would work with faculty, staff, and student leaders to help the school actualize its diversity and equity objectives. This senior-level position could also be responsible for creating a strategic, intentional professional development program for faculty and staff around diversity and equity issues. While the population of students of color has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, our faculty of color has increased by 1% in that same time period and remains woefully behind at just 12%. At the Strategic Planning Retreat in January 2017, the senior-level Officer of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion was identified as the top priority for supporting student success and creating an inclusive campus environment. These efforts should focus on eliminating barriers to student success, preventing the recurrence of concerns expressed by students, and remedying the impact of these concerns on individual students and the campus community. In order to ensure a safe and welcoming environment that provides equal opportunity for success to all students, our college needs to 1) address hiring issues including unconscious bias training, 2) provide professional development for faculty and staff on cultural competency/cultural humility and privilege, and 3) strategically plan our college-wide efforts to close equity gaps and educate all students, faculty, and staff on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This position could provide leadership on all these issues. |
|
|
|||