DAC Professional Development Report for Academic Year 2012-2013
Membership: Aryana Bates, Karen Stuhldreher, Karina Sternin, Sharon Simes, Betty Williams, Chilan Ta,
and Lisa Jones (joining as of fall 2013)
1. DAC Book Reads Report – Participation continues to be strong with participants from all aspects
of the campus community. Fall Quarter book The Girl Who Fell From the Sky, as has been typical
since we started the book reads, had the strongest participation with 78 people signing up and 42
attending the discussions (2- OCEE, 6-admin, 11-classified, 12-faculty, 11-students) For the Winter
Quarter book Zeitoun we had 25 out of the 57 signed up actually attend. (0-OCEE, 2-admin, 6classified, 14-faculty, 3-students) For the Spring Quarter Book Read book -The Immortal Life of
Henrietta Lacks we had 27 of the 46 people signed up attend. ((1-OCEE, 6-admin, 5-classified, 9faculty, 6-students) The notes and recommendations from the book read discussion is available in
a separate document.
2. The subcommittee has decided on books for next year. The choices made tie in with YOL theme
of bodies and relate to the Pacific NW. They are: Fall – The Hustle: Ten Lives in Black & White by
Doug Merlino, Winter – Looking Like the Enemy by Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, and Spring –
Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection by Matt Dembicki. We plan to bring the
author of Winter Quarter’s book to speak on campus and have a Native American Storyteller
present during Spring Quarter. Chilan Ta will facilitate the discussion for Fall and Winter
Quarters, and Aryana Bates will facilitate the Spring Quarter discussion.
3. We had good participation at the White Privilege Conference and a summary of the
recommendations of those who attended is available in a separate document.
4. The Spring Quarter Religious Culture Student Panel had 4 students from Muslim, Buddhist and
Hindu cultural backgrounds presenting their perspectives. The audience included 23 people,
including 11 faculty, 9 admin, and 4 classified staff. Key recommendations discussed were:
 to increase the visibility of the current Meditation Room, and consider a way to separate
the room with a curtain perhaps so that it is possible for Muslim women and men to follow
their cultural practice of praying separately. There was also a question about whether the
new Tech building might provide a better, more centrally located space for a Meditation
room on campus.
 Another key recommendation was that the college offer a Comparative Religion Class.
 A third recommendation was to find some ways to increase visibility and understanding of
differences to reduce stereotypes relating to religious culture. Ideas included starting an
Interfaith Student Club, which could support student sponsored events to help everyone
better understand different cultural holidays and traditions such as Ramadan, Lunar New
Year, Holi and Rosh Hashanah.
 There was a recommendation that instructors be encouraged to talk with students and put
on their syllabi that students are welcomed to talk with the instructor about aspects of their
culture that may impact their participation in the class, and instructors can consider ideas
such as avoiding setting up big tests on major holidays, such as Lunar New Year, when
many international and immigrant students may want to take that day off to connect with
their families in their home country.
5. The Cracking the Codes film event on March 15 had excellent attendance including 53 people
from around the district. The film was shown again on Collaboration Day, May 10, to a much
smaller audience. The group discussed the goals of the film as being –
 Changing the Culture of Racial Inequity through
o understanding history/systemic racism
o sharing our stories/building relationships to increase connections across
race/ethnicity
o Healing the wounds – “Becoming fully human helps with every area of your life.”
o Movement building to make institutional changes
o Develop strategy that is small, scheduled, and specific
 Additional showings of the film Cracking the Codes are also being considered. One
suggestion is that the TOF Cadres work with the AFT Seattle Human & Civil Rights
Committee, which purchased the film, to arrange for showing of the film and a facilitated
discussion quarterly.
6. The Subcommittee would like to work with the DAC members who attended NCORE to present
their learning & resources during the fall, as well as work with the TOF Cadres to help facilitate
diversity workshops on the quarterly Collaboration Days.
7. Budget Request for 2013-2014
 Quarterly Book Reads – Stipends for facilitation and coordination - $660, Books - $750, light
refreshments - $150, Supplies - $40 = $1600 each quarter x 3 = $4800
 Speakers for Winter & Spring Quarters, related to the book reads – estimated $200 speaker
fee + $100 light refreshments = $300 x 2 = $600
 Spring Quarter Indigenous Culture Student Panel – Stipends for facilitation and coordination
- $660, student stipends - $300 ($50 x 6 students), $140 refreshments and supplies =
$1,100
 TOTAL request - $6,500