Your Voice, Your BHCC
In the Spring of 2018, under the direction of President Pam Eddinger, members of the BHCC community volunteered to form an Equity Working Group (EWG) in order to lead the efforts around working toward a more equity-minded culture at the College in the hopes of improving our interactions with one another as colleagues, and with our students. The EWG has been engaged in this work, along with supporting the reimagining of the leadership of the future Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CEDIO).
An essential part of this work in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion is to begin an assessment of the College’s culture by conducting the first campus diversity and equity climate survey in February. This survey is one of the tools being utilized to support an inclusive, engaging, and supportive environment for our students, faculty, and staff. We also want to continue to build on our best practices and learnings from our equity journey to date, such as our current efforts around the Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth (CECW), Halting Oppressive Pathways through Education (H.O.P.E Initiative), Asian American Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPISI) grant, Open Educational Resources (OER), Undocumented Student Working Group, Summit Voices of Hunger and The DISH food pantry.
After reviewing multiple survey instruments during 2018 and 2019, the EWG as well as other stakeholders at BHCC selected the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey.
Why was the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey selected?
This survey provides the College with an opportunity to use a statistically validated survey instrument to not only understand our baseline in terms of our equity culture, but also to benchmark against other, similar institutions. Topics covered in the survey include:
- Perceptions of the climate at BHCC
- Perceptions of how BHCC supports diversity and equity
- Experiences with harassment and discrimination at BHCC
What is the timeline for the survey?
Faculty, staff, and students will be invited to complete this survey via an online invitation beginning February 11, 2020. An estimated timeline of data collection and analysis is outlined below:
- The survey will remain open for all stakeholders to complete though March 24, 2020.
- BHCC expects to receive results from HEDS sometime during the Summer of 2020.
Why is this survey important?
It is important to understand the perspective of students, faculty, and staff members on campus with regard to campus climate, which may include campus members experience with discrimination or harassment, and to develop a better understanding of the level of support for diversity and equity.
What will happen with the data?
The data will be compiled and reviewed by HEDS with an additional analyses conducted by the BHCC Office of Institutional Effectiveness, in conjunction with the CEDIO and other key stakeholders prior to mid-Fall semester 2020. In addition, the results of the survey will allow for subsequent planning which focuses on areas such as:
- BHCC’s strategic goals, strategies and major college initiatives such as advancing, diversity, inclusion and equity;
- Preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct;
- The curriculum and the co-curriculum;
- Instructional practice;
- Student support;
- Workplace equity;
- Facility Improvements; and
- Professional and Student Leadership Development
EWG appreciates your time in supporting this critical effort.