REDWOODS COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Meeting of the
Multicultural and Diversity Committee

Of the Academic Senate
Eureka: 7351 Tompkins Hill Road, CA100
 Crescent City: 883 W. Washington Blvd.
 Arcata: 435 Crestwood Drive
 Bayside: 1501 Irene Street
 Eureka: 3841 D Street; 1314 E Street, Unit B
 Point Arena: 41341 Harris Ranch Road
Friday, February 8, 2013
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Minutes
1. Call to Order: Philip Mancus, George P, Michael Dennis, Vici Decker, Dana Maher, Ruth
Moon, Justine Shaw, Michelle Blecker (student visitor) and Geisce LeeLy, Deanna HerreraThomas
2. Introductions and Public Comments: Members of the audience are invited to make
comments regarding any subject appropriate to the Multicultural and Diversity
Committee.
3. Approve the January 25, 2013 Meeting Minutes
Minutes approval as written: motion George & 2nd Dana; minutes approved as written
4. Discussion Items
Philip leads discussion: Regarding the role of this committee. Committee chair has
looked into our documents & notes that we have. These include review curriculum
offerings which serve underserved students; which has been done for this year. Another
directive includes creating space for diverse workforce retention, assistance to develop
strategies which support cultural diversity among employees,; and expand
multicultural/diversity training for faculty; support diversity retention and needs of
diverse student population.
4.1 Diversity Training with Jessica Pettit: This work fits into the strategic equity and
hiring plan (Create and maintain diversity related web page in addition to our current
webpage. Waiting to hear from admin about what’s happening with this 2nd website.
Jessica has recommended a full day of training; if we are going to move forward this
needs to happen soon. Kerry Mayer recommends we put this forth to the faculty
development committee. Philip is prepared to do this.
Conversation regarding how to best utilize Jessica’s skill base to strategically engage
her in our campus community ensues. She can keynote for convocations & tailor
trainings per our needs. Committee discussion lends itself toward planning out into
the fall term so we can promote and work for attendance.
George reminds us that we had a national speaker keynote diversity a few years ago.
Takai came. George recommends to get her booked and work on specifics of what
she will do later.
Jessica is interested in working a pilot project on our campus which would involve a
semester of ongoing activities. The MDC suggests inviting Jessica for a convocation
keynote and session to kick off a semester of activities.
Deanna offers that basic communication boundaries as a first step are necessary.
Philip’s review of the materials indicates that Jessica is prepared in this regard.
Geisce says we might need a committee to address the impression that folks have
had in the past that we are failing in this regard and need someone to come show us
how to do this.
Deanna offers this is about getting up to speed to where other universities are in
regard to these issues (policy and procedures, etc).
Justine notes that our trainings in the past have gotten poor participation. Deanna
notes that people emailed after her last training saying they wanted to participate but
did not know how or when.
Dana recommends scheduling a calendar of diversity for the fall ahead of time so
everyone knows what they can anticipate participating in.
Deanna recommends administrative support is needed. A message from the president
would be appropriate.
Michael suggests approaching the president at the next student equity planning
committee. Philip discusses in classroom and out of classroom dynamics that
planning has no control over is a big part of our equity needs.
Deanna agrees to talk about this in the SEP committee is good. Community
awareness activities are important too. We should also seek a meeting with the
president. She suggests hitting it from all angles.
Philip mentions she is an ex officio member of our committee. We might invite her
to attend a specific meeting to cover a discussion item. The committee agrees that a
heads up to the president in the SEP meeting is a great precursor to inviting her to a
pointed discussion. Process is discussed and we think a special meeting might be
appropriate. Deanna points out that the president may have things to cover with us as
well. Michael meets with SEP next Weds, so he will have feedback for us after that.
Dana asks for a contingency plan, in case she doesn’t show up. Michael recommends
the chair of SEP could endorse the invitation for administration to a special MDC
meeting to support the specific points of the SEP being moved forward on.
Philip- we will invite administration to a meeting. The purpose is to discuss how to
best prepare to welcome Jessica to our campus for convocation. Philip is looking for
consensus so we can move forward to book Jessica. Convocation is Aug 22-23.
4.2 Diversity and Common Ground Requirement
Philip contacted Peter and invited him to the future meeting when curriculum
committee permits. He would like this in the future but is currently unavailable.
a- Diversity and common ground requirement
b- Diversity component on each course outcome of record
c- Changes to GE to be more explicit for diversity requirement
Philip reminds us of data we collected toward this end. Peter has that data. We are
looking for templates and models to follow here. Deanna reminds us that talking to an
HSU articulation person would be wise so that if we do come up with a global
requirement it will match with their common ground requirement. Philip mentions the
SEP common ground requirement would be modeled after HSU’s?
Dana asks to give a year end update to curriculum committee. George will bring this
discussion forth there. Deanna asks if this should be formalized? Should we be doing
formal year end reporting to the curriculum committee?
5. Reports
5.1 ASCR Update- Michelle in invited to give ASCR update. Gara Miner has stepped
down; we hope to appoint someone today. A new MDC committee member from ASCR
will be forthcoming.
They are considering putting an item on their ballot for a student fee to fund a
multicultural and diversity center. They are considering if this fee is something they want
to stand behind. This fee would be for a student center which would cover a student
center to house a multicultural and diversity center & an ASCR office. The passing
percentage would be 20% over last year’s ballot. They met with Lee Lindsey & Keith
Snowflamer and are just now bringing this about to their ASCR discussion. This would
be a rolling fee of $5 and would also improve Del Norte/Mendo student facilities. This
fee would be able to come out of financial aid.
3-5 p today this ASCR meeting is taking place.
This year the ballots will have fliers and pamphlets with additional information about the
initiatives students will be voting on. Additionally an email will be going out to all
students to update them.
They also have a raffle going.
5.2 Academic Senate Update
Philip- senate has approved our bylaw changes which we approved. This reflects the
changing of old language so we are inclusive at a grassroots level of students an
community members.
5.3 Equal Employment Opportunity Committee Update
Deanna, who stood in for Dana, reported: some issues came up, questions she had the
answers to because she worked on the strategic hiring plan. It was good she was there.
HR stepped up to engage some of these initiatives; HR has developed an online training
on Equity hiring law for anyone who will be on a hiring committee… this is almost up
and running. There has been a lot of work on a webpage & there are questions about
workload for upkeep of this website. The strategic hiring plan says updating diversity
related events should be part of this webpage for faculty recruitment. It looks like the
strategic hiring plan is coming together very well. The whole EEO plan is something the
MDC committee members should look up; the report also covers classified side & breaks
down numbers by gender and ethnicity. On the faculty side, we are predominantly white
male. These numbers give a mapping sense of numbers. Start increasing academic
employment outreach is important but this is a fine line with Prop 209 (the affirmative
action abolition). More awareness in terms of announcements, placement of
announcements, etc. The next meeting proposed is for April. The senate had appointed a
representative who didn’t show up & this was an issue. This committee only meets three
times a year.
Dana asks Deanna if she would like to replace her on the EEO committee. Ruth chimes in
that she is the CRFO representative to the EEO committee as well.
Philip reminds us that the high context, low context culture communication training will
be offered for managers soon. High context culture communication is about shared
symbolic meaning among group members. Low context is direct statements. We have
high and low context cultures in the same societies. Keeping this in mind helps to
increase communication cross culturally.
Deanna reminds us that with training, the model she was trained is that when conducting
a diversity training, it’s important not to be the only facilitator but to have diversity with
the trainers too. Deanna asks for an MDC committee member to join her in the training.
George offers to facilitate with Deanna; the date is unspecified.
The MDC can forward local cultural programming to Ahn through Philip as the website
develops. They will need information to link to this website. Deanna thinks the MDC
web page is way to imbedded for people to find.
5.4 Student Equity Plan Oversight Committee Update
Micahel- 3 biggest things discussed were
- relative roles of MDC vs. SEP committee. People through MDC should focus on ASCR
collaborative activities to work on campus climate. Things like the Latino film festival.
Katie mentioned the outreach Latino health festival nursing does. Also MDC should
continue to focus on curriculum type issues. The SEP committee would oversee more
planning things. This was the SEP committee’s feeling about the appropriate division of
work.
- discussion took place about whether we needed two separate committees. Should
student opportunity, SEP & MDC really be one committee? This was a question
discussed. Michael did not thing we should go this direction. One over arching committee
with very strong sub committees might make sense; but we have separate roles. For
example, when it comes to curriculum, this is a faculty conversation and faculty work. It
appears the idea of committee collapse was sidelined.
-SEP started to look at everything in the SEP plan and realized resources are becoming
scarcer and scarcer, so clearly the list will need to be narrowed down by highest priority.
If people on the MDC have strong feelings about which initiatives the MDC really wants,
now is the time to tell Michael so he can take it next week. How should the SEP
oversight committee prioritize their work?
The MDC will take another look at the SEP plan to discuss this prioritization.
George points out that our decision making today is an assertion of prioritizing.
Michael recommends looking at pages 13 and 14 for achievables.
-What is the committee’s membership and charge was a big area of discussion. There was
a lot of discussion on whether there should be ex officio nonvoting members, etc. The
charges of the committee were discussed about whether they are achievable or not.
Perhaps some of these charges are more appropriate for a planning committee. Philip
relates that this was brought up at Senate as well. Philip pointed out to Senate that MDC
is a senate subcommittee; MDC does not preclude the SEP oversight committee from
carrying out its committee as a district charge. There was one senate vote against, but the
vote at Senate was that the two committees should be separate.
5.5 Latino Film Festival
3 films have been chosen from Spain. Julie Reich and Francisco are festival director.
March 5, 6, and 7th are when the dates are. George cannot be a panelist. Rachel, Julie and
Rosamel are working to secure funding. Dana will represent CR as well.
5.6 Diversity Data for Ongoing Course Recommendations
Course level data by ethnicity is being prepared by Angelina for the entire college.
Gender data is not included but ethnicity data is there. This data will help us make
committee recommendations.
6. Announcements/Open Forum
There is a Freedom Riders event at Del Norte being hosted by a student club
“Community Enrichment film”. March 1st at 6p at Del Norte
Student of social action group are meeting from 3-5 on Tuesdays in the Lakeview room.
They are working on WTBN. A few ASCR representatives were involved and no longer
are. Gara has stepped down & Valerie has left ASCR as well. There have been ASCR
resignations. They were removed from ASCR.
7.
Adjournment
Dana motion to adjourn at 12:50; Michael 2nd. Meeting adjourned at 12:50p.
Public Notice—Nondiscrimination:
College of the Redwoods does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, religion, age, gender,
sexual orientation, color or disability in any of its programs or activities. College of the Redwoods
is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Upon request
this publication will be made available in alternate formats. Please contact College of the
Redwoods Academic Senate, 7351 Tompkins Hill Road, Eureka, CA 95501, (707) 476-4259, 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday—Friday.
Next Meeting:
Friday February 22, 2013