In April of 2015, a workgroup of the Student Equity Committee inclusive of students, staff, faculty, and administrators from both Student Services and Instructional divisions met to begin crafting a statement around diversity, equity, and inclusion at MiraCosta College. The committee engaged in a year-long process of inquiry reviewing statements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from over 50 community colleges and universities in addition to reviewing campus-wide qualitative and quantitative equity data. Observations were made regarding language, actions, outcomes, intent, meaning, and the student experience to inform the drafting of a statement that posed three critical questions around diversity, equity, and inclusion that the statement would be designed to address: what does this mean to us? what are we doing/will we do? what are the outcomes?
From this foundation, MiraCosta College’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement was created and after input from governance committees and constituent groups, was approved in April 2016 by the Board of Trustees as Board Policy 3400. The statement reads as follows:
MiraCosta College is committed to providing a strong, supportive, and authentic environment where difference is valued, respected, encouraged, and honored; where all faculty, staff, and students experience a sense of belonging and the freedom to express themselves; and where their experiences are recognized and valued.
MiraCosta College strives to be a model for equity and inclusion. The college is committed to providing opportunities for engagement both across the campus and within the communities the college serves. The college seeks to remove barriers to learning, participation, and success, with a focus on changing procedures and practices that disproportionately affect certain groups.
Anchored in a culture of evidence, MiraCosta College promotes increased awareness and appreciation of individual, collective, and intersecting identities within our diverse community.
