DAC Meeting Minutes
Oct. 13, 2015; 2:00-4:00pm
Attendance: Betty Williams, Paul Kurose, Sara McCullough, Belinda Tillman, Toni Stankovic, Marlon De Couto,
Pam Racansky, Rodolfo Franco, Jeffrey Vasquez, Cassie Lopez, Carianya Napoli; OCEE representatives - Herbie
Martin
1. Paul acknowledged the difficult start to the quarter due to the impact of the bus accident on our campus.
He shared the value of meditation practices. He led us in introductions.
2. Paul gave out a form for us to all share our vision of DAC. One key aspect of the discussion focused on the
importance of having all of the diversity efforts known and coordinated, perhaps through our Diversity
Director and DAC, bring folks together to coordinate and organize a more clear vision and communication
pathways about our campus. Carianya suggested that DAC create a binder with information and history. Toni
shared about the ICT report from the past summer to give an overview of diversity efforts for the e-team to
review. Pam shared that she has the report and it was agreed that DAC should see this document. Pam also
shared that Edmonds CC has an excellent model for an advisory group. It would be good to include some
community members. Many people shared that now is a time to look at new ways to work together to create
a more welcoming campus for students of color and other underrepresented students.
3. Ideas of what DAC can do:
a. Collaborate with DIF to facilitate difficult dialogues; DAC coordinate the logistics to make the
conversations happen.
b. Student involvement with DAC
c. Read a book set in Seattle – Gang of Four, to learn about local activists; may be a film as well?
Can learn about coalition building in the history; recommend it be used as a book read for the
campus to engage in the discussion
d. Increase awareness of the increasing diversity, greater population growth of people of color and
the state needs to make sure we are doing a better job supporting education and leadership for the
future
e. Bring the “Sing Our Rivers Red” Earring exhibit to raise awareness about murdered and missing
Indigenous People to our campus. Cassie is working on trying to organize this coming to the campus.
Cost is $200.
f. Indigenous Hip Hop artist Frank Waln would be a good person to bring to campus. Cassie
provided a handout. Performance with hoop dancers also; will be in Puget Sound in February, we
could perhaps share costs with another college or university. Cassie has the fee information – his
costs is $2000-3000; dancers are also about $1000 each. There is a feature from youtube of MTV
Rebel Music’s Native American segment.
g. Pam is organizing different events to celebrate different cultural/ethnic celebration months. DAC
can work on coordinating events with her. She will send it out to us.
h. Use the webshare to share information about conferences and other resources.
i. Seattle Race Conference focused on “Implicit Bias” with excellent local presenters. Would be
great to bring some of those presenters; including Leticia Nieto, our inspiration for the Beyond
Inclusion learning community and the Student Panels/Book Reads; workshop on “Microaggressions”
was excellent one that would be great to have here as well.
j. Bring community leaders, such as Bob Santos, to connect us to the larger community in stronger
ways. Building relationships with various sectors of our community to build respectful, mutual
relationships.
k. Website updates with all the information, values and goals; along with events, is important to
have so the students can easily find the information.
l. DAC could have its own book to read, such as the “Gang of Four” or something on critical
conversations to build our own skills.
m. Integrate other departments and areas of campus so that there is more integration and
connections to make the work stronger together; engage student clubs, other ways to get students
more involved.
n. We might be able to get Pedro Noguera when he comes to Seattle in November; he is nationally
known and could be pricey.
o. We could set up our own conference at the college, with payment of those attending from the
larger community to be able to partner and get well known people to come.
p. We should create a space for students, such as a diversity center, or as it is currently being called
equity center. The supportive relationships equal retention and we need such a welcoming space. We
need to change the institutional practice to provide supportive space. There are unwelcoming places
on our campus at times that we need to address also. We need to know more about who our
students are, such as 35% of students existing at a homeless level of income; 80% are working.
Students need to know that they are a part of a community that cares. We need to have a channel or
means for students to know who to talk to, someone that will listen in a caring way and provide the
information about resources to address their needs. Maybe a comments box that DAC reviews
regularly and addresses concerns.
4. DAC meeting time for the future – proposed 3rd Tuesdays, 3:00-4:30pm; next dates Nov. 17 and
Dec. 15
5. Paul encourages everyone to work on how the goals we discussed today; would be good to move
quickly in organizing events, taking initiative like Cassie has done in terms of bringing specific
proposals to DAC to support.
6. Herbie mentioned that the efforts to overturn Initiative 200 are taking off. He will email us the
information.
Minutes prepared by DAC Secretary, Betty Williams