Butte College’s Student Equity Program is committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and equity while promoting a campus learning environment that encourages and supports all students in persisting toward their educational goals by increasing their retention and graduation rates. The Student Equity Program champions the rights of all students to meaningful educational opportunities and works to define and secure the full range of resources, supports, and services necessary to provide these opportunities to disproportionately impacted students.
The Student Equity Program also provides leadership and accountability to resolve systemic inequities for all Butte College students through engaged research, community outreach, professional development, and by expanding pathways for access and success and promoting a healthy and engaging campus climate.
Students can secure student equity funding to attend academic conferences. Some of the conferences that students have attended in the past include the Immigrant Youth Empowerment Conference, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities tour, the Afrikan Black Conference, the California Conference on American Indian Education Conference, and the African American Male Education Network and Development (A2MEND) Conference. If a student is interested in attending an equity-related academic conference, they should contact IDEA Office secretary Ashley LaCroix at lacroixas@518331.com.
The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is a year-long professional development program designed to assist faculty and staff in better understanding and fully meeting the needs of culturally diverse students and colleagues. The seven once-a-month sessions focus on 1) exploring critical concepts related to race, gender, sexuality, ability, and class, and 2) providing practical strategies for supporting students and colleagues at the intersections of marginalized identities. The program aims to foster a culture of inclusiveness and to create a more welcoming campus environment for students of color, disabled students, and queer students. Individuals who go through the program will increase their awareness of histories of oppression, build capacity to engage in social justice work, and examine their own beliefs and identities. The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice meets once a month for an academic year beginning in September. Please contact Laura Rapozo-Davis at rapozo-davisla@518331.com if you are interested in joining the next Cultural Awareness Community of Practice cohort.
Staff are encouraged to apply for student equity funds to attend equity-related conference opportunities. Some of the conferences that are eligible for funding include the following:
The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) addresses issues and concerns affecting Hispanics, with a focus on higher education.
Advocate for academic excellence and educational opportunities for Native American families, educators, tribal leaders, and board members.
HSI/Title V Best Practices Conference: Building and Sustaining Powerful Partnerships for Student Success at HSIs
Equity-Minded Counselors Conference focuses on the role counselors play in the student equity initiative and provides information on best practices and strategies aimed at improving outcomes for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.
HACU’s Annual Conference provides a unique forum for the sharing of information and ideas for the best and most promising practices in the education of Hispanics.
Teaches participants hands-on, practical skills for building cultural competency, welcoming diversity, and increasing unity and inclusion.
National Conference of Diversity, Race & Learning offers a multi-leveled examination of "diversity" as a concept and its implementation within institutions of higher education, the corporate world, the religious community, the larger community, including public service.
A dynamic annual conference held over five days that builds a community of inclusion; it is a place for building skills, alliances, and knowledge about issues of race and ethnicity in higher education.
The Strengthening Student Success Conference provides a unique opportunity for a wide cross-section of people to gather and brainstorm ways to strengthen institutional effectiveness and student learning.
Explore mind science concepts such as implicit bias and racial anxiety to help us understand and ameliorate racism in all its manifestations.
Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills for Diversity Trainers Educators & Therapists: Five Day Intensive
All of our students come to us with life-changing hopes, dreams, and goals, and we want to believe that all of our students leave our classrooms one step closer to achieving them, but that is not always the case. System-wide and college-level data suggests that our institution does not offer the same opportunities to all student groups. The FAIR Classrooms Program provides a unique opportunity for faculty to:
Access data about how different groups of students are performing in your specific courses
Develop and use inquiry processes to improve student engagement and completion
Learn equity-minded classroom practices used by other educational leaders
Build a community of support with like-minded faculty
Participation in FAIR Classrooms requires a commitment to four four-hour Friday sessions during the semester. Full time faculty who participate are eligible for .5 units of longevity credit, or a stipend, or 17 hours of FLEX (your choice). Here are a few comments from Butte college faculty currently going through the program:
“Really enlightening discussion at today’s gathering! I was especially blown away with the information and discourse regarding the syllabus. Over the years with all the ‘legalistic’ language faculty has been required/strongly encouraged to incorporate into our syllabus (often from administration or from past challenging student behavior), I feel the humanity has been scrubbed from my syllabus! My syllabus is up for a radical re-design next semester!”
“The conversations about specific student populations and specific aspects of our practices have been inspirational. My notes are filled with concrete new ideas for assignments and activities I may use that are oriented towards achieving equity-related goals. There is also a very valuable level of motivation within this group and during our sessions. Rejuvenating, exciting, purposeful.”
If you are interested in participating in the FAIR Classrooms Program, please contact Student Equity Director Monica Brown via email at brownmo@518331.com or by phone at (530) 893-7737.
The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice is a year-long professional development program designed to assist faculty and staff in better understanding and fully meeting the needs of culturally diverse students and colleagues. The seven once-a-month sessions focus on 1) exploring critical concepts related to race, gender, sexuality, ability, and class, and 2) providing practical strategies for supporting students and colleagues at the intersections of marginalized identities. The program aims to foster a culture of inclusiveness and to create a more welcoming campus environment for students of color, disabled students, and queer students. Individuals who go through the program will increase their awareness of histories of oppression, build capacity to engage in social justice work, and examine their own beliefs and identities. The Cultural Awareness Community of Practice meets once a month for an academic year beginning in September. Please contact Laura Rapozo-Davis at rapozo-davisla@518331.com if you are interested in joining the next Cultural Awareness Community of Practice cohort.
Faculty are encouraged to apply for student equity funds to attend equity-related conference opportunities. Some of the conferences that are eligible for funding include the following:
The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) addresses issues and concerns affecting Hispanics, with a focus on higher education.
Advocate for academic excellence and educational opportunities for Native American families, educators, tribal leaders, and board members.
HSI/Title V Best Practices Conference: Building and Sustaining Powerful Partnerships for Student Success at HSIs
Equity-Minded Counselors Conference focuses on the role counselors play in the student equity initiative and provides information on best practices and strategies aimed at improving outcomes for all students regardless of race, ethnicity, or socio-economic background.
HACU’s Annual Conference provides a unique forum for the sharing of information and ideas for the best and most promising practices in the education of Hispanics.
Teaches participants hands-on, practical skills for building cultural competency, welcoming diversity, and increasing unity and inclusion.
National Conference of Diversity, Race & Learning offers a multi-leveled examination of "diversity" as a concept and its implementation within institutions of higher education, the corporate world, the religious community, the larger community, including public service.
A dynamic annual conference held over five days that builds a community of inclusion; it is a place for building skills, alliances, and knowledge about issues of race and ethnicity in higher education.
The Strengthening Student Success Conference provides a unique opportunity for a wide cross-section of people to gather and brainstorm ways to strengthen institutional effectiveness and student learning.
Explore mind science concepts such as implicit bias and racial anxiety to help us understand and ameliorate racism in all its manifestations.
Cross-Cultural Facilitation Skills for Diversity Trainers Educators & Therapists: Five Day Intensive
Content editor:
Monica Brown
(530) 895-2256
