Creating race-grounded (Mackey, 2021) was of being, knowing, and understanding higher education spaces allows for a shift beyond moments of interest convergence.
In this address Dr. Emdin highlights the present state of education and pushes us to imagine and then move towards a pedagogy that offers new possibilities. In an equal parts philosophical and practical talk, he merges theory and practice on the rights that each student has to move educators to examine where our passions lie, what our purpose should be and how teaching and learning can become a vehicle for societal transformation.
Have you ever wondered what students may be required to do in order to change their legal name? It’s more complicated than you would think. Based on personal experience, hear about the process in Colorado, along with the hurdles and associate expenses. You’ll also learn about local resources available to help in the process. We’ll also touch on how to update a gender marker on both state and federal documents.
Learning Outcomes:
The Community College of Denver’s EXCEL! Zone (tutoring and student learning support) provides services in multiple disciplines. We are uniquely able to contribute to institution-level assessment of Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) at CCD. EXCEL! Zone Director Ann McCalley, PhD, and Writing Coordinator Neecee Matthews-Bradshaw, PhD, will discuss a model of assessment for cocurricular programs. EXCEL Zone tutoring has collected assessment artifacts that demonstrate alignment with the CCD ISLOs.
In preparation for accreditation review from HLC, curricular departments are often the primary focus of the review. Oftentimes, it may be understated the role co-curricular programs have in institutional assessment and HLC accreditation. HLC defines this role as follows:
1.The institution provides opportunities for civic engagement in a diverse, multicultural society and globally connected world, as appropriate within its mission and for the constituencies it serves.
2.The institution encourages curricular or cocurricular activities that prepare students for informed citizenship and workplace success. (HLC, “What Does HLC Mean by Cocurricular?” 2020)
The presenters will demonstrate how they have designed and implemented co-curricular assessment around student engagement with tutoring services.
During the presentation, participants will be able to think about, discuss, and practice with potential approaches to conducting assessment outside the classroom. Participants will leave the workshop with an illustration of one methodology for co-curricular assessment.
In 2016 the Legislature designated funding to establish three Inclusive Higher Education (IHE) programs in Colorado: Arapahoe Community College, the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, and the University of Northern Colorado. Although there were nearly 300 programs across the nation, Colorado was one of only five states that did not offer opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to attend college. The Inclusive Higher Education experience encompasses access to fully inclusive academic courses, independent living supports, work‐based learning experiences, and social engagement with the broader campus community.
Representatives from ACC, UCCS, UNC, and IN!, Colorado’s Initiative for Inclusive Higher Education formed a Consortium early on to share best practices and collaborate with the intention of enhancing services and potentially expanding access across the state. Join our session to learn about inclusive higher education, the benefits that come with access to college, and the contributions that individuals with IDD bring to our workforce.
Presenters:
Jen Woegens, ACC Director of Elevate
Tracy Murphy, Executive Director of IN!
The rates of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum are increasing each year, and with that increasing numbers of transition-age young adults on the autism spectrum are attending college. However, these students still often experience discrimination in their college courses and are frequently the victims of implicit bias and misunderstandings. In this previously recorded panel presentation, professionals from Disability Support Services provide background information of students on the autism spectrum, including the importance of treating each person on the autism spectrum as an individual, discussing commonly co-occurring diagnoses, and reviewing the college statistics of autistic students. They then dive into implicit bias, ableism, and myths and misconceptions of students on the autism spectrum and provide a brief overview of intersectionality and the way other identities can impact/interact with their autism. Finally, the presentation concludes by hearing from four current college students who are on the autism spectrum about their lived experiences, what inclusion means, what they love about being on the spectrum, and more. The facilitators/presenters of this video-recording will be available following the presentation to answer questions from the audience.
Currently 4.38% of CCCS APT, classified, and faculty employees fall within the definition of Black Millennial. This presentation will explore the counternarratives of two Black Millennials who have served in various leadership roles within multiple professional spaces including Minority serving institutions and predominately white institutions. The presenters will share their experiences working in these spaces while engaging and leading equity-focused practices and navigating perceptions of their identities, their leadership, their advocacy, and pressures faced in their roles. Attendees will hear how Black millennials are leading with authenticity and may glean strategies to support Black professionals in their careers.
Presenters:
Quill Phillips, ACC Chief Inclusive Excellence Officer
Javon Brame, ACC Dean of Students
Author, Lawyer and Community Activist Jeffrey Kass will explore one of the more difficult topics when it comes to equity and diversity. Unconscious bias. That part of our brains that controls most of our actions and about which we are largely unaware. This session will unravel that bias and provide real life solutions on how to address it, ultimately to move towards a more inclusive world. Questions and honest exchange of ideas are welcome.
Paul Weinrauch, RRCC Department Chair, Multigraphic Media, Photography, Journalism
As a healthy, white, cis male with a lifetime of privilege, I had been able to ignore questions of equity and the problems that face underrepresented students in my classroom. I do not know what it’s like to walk into a classroom and not be inspired, because I always saw inspiration and knowledge come from white people. But what about people that are not like me, not white or cis male? When I began my journey on diversity, equity, and inclusion in my professional field, something changed. I was opened to a different way of thinking. Today I have an obligation: a duty to learn, to be an advocate, and to absorb what it means to be an ally for people that are underrepresented. What am I willing to do for change? How do I analyze, reflect, and create action to change the lack of diversity, inclusion, and equity in my classrooms? Every day I must ask myself what I am doing in my classroom, in my department, in my school, and throughout Colorado to make change, so that underrepresented students know they are welcomed, find inspiration, and believe they can be our future leaders in their field of study and/or community.
Community College of Aurora has recently received Title V grant funding as a developing Hispanic-Serving Institution to democratize the classroom through the use of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogical practices in gateway courses. Our Title V grant work led to a reimagined vision of what an introductory composition class (i.e., ENG 121) can and should be in order to center students and engage their strengths, passions, and lived experiences. Drawing on tenets of Critical Race Theory and community cultural wealth (Yosso 2005), we developed a menu (i.e., a curated collection of culturally sustaining composition projects) and a “create your own path” curriculum in partnership with ENG 121 faculty and instructors. We use student-led writing groups and labor contracts to emphasize process over product, and we disrupt dominant norms by allowing projects to be submitted in a variety of creative genres. Students are encouraged to choose the assignment prompt and the genre in which they communicate and compose. Choice allows students to develop more autonomy, become more independent learners, better understand the role of process in composition, and better recognize the transferability of skills learned in the composition class. Rather than requiring “traditional academic essays,” students are encouraged to lean on their cultural wealths and celebrate the variety of skills, talents, and knowledges they already possess in the process of invention, creation, and revision. During our presentation we will share and explore the ways we developed our composition menu with the goal of supporting and sustaining students of color in our reimagined liberatory classrooms.
Presenters:
Jasmine Yap, PhD, CCA Title V Inclusive Pedagogy Instructional Coach
Brian Jackson, CCA Inclusive Pedagogy Coach
Mandy Geddes, CCA English Faculty
The Community College of Aurora was designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2016. In order to better support the Hispanic/Latinx and Black, Indigenous, and Student of Color population, CCA applied to and received a Title V Grant to meet goals and objectives over the course of 5 years. The Title V “Asegurando todo el potencial de nuestros estudiantes” Grant provides funding to CCA in order to democratize the classroom by developing inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogical practices, as well as Learning Communities for students to thrive in. Learning Communities support students by enrolling students into a 1-credit Advancing Academic Achievement 101 Course in addition to a partnered re-imagined English course where inclusive pedagogy has been applied to the curriculum. These courses work in tandem through the lens of Tara Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model to honor the lived experiences of the students and the knowledge that they enter the classroom with. Students are also offered additional support through wrap-around services such as co-curricular activities, financial literacy, celebration of cultural heritage, and leadership development, by collaborating with campus, community and national partners. Students are also connected to a professional mentor their entire time at CCA. The learning community is structured using a cohort model that allows students to embark on their first semester in a college setting together. By doing so, these students can build community with and among each other through a shared learning experience both inside and outside of the classroom.
Presenters:
Susan Hua, ACC Learning Community Coordinator
Alli Jackson, ACC Learning Community Coordinator for Title V
Monica Paez, ACC Project Director for Title V
Sumner Lamner, ACC Data Specialist for Title V
The Dakota Promise Program is a place-based promise program that covers the full tuition, fees, and books at PPCC for graduates from Harrison School District 2 which launched in Fall 2020. 75% of HSD2 identify has students of color, 78% qualify for free and reduced lunch, and college matriculation has historically been well below 50% of graduating students. Dakota Promise is a game changer for students and families by covering all educational expenses through a last-dollar scholarship and intensive academic/wrap-around support from a success coach to help students overcome barriers and stay on track to graduation. In this session PPCC administrators and Dakota Promise Success Coaches will cover:
Presenters:
Kevin Hudgens, PPCC Director of Admissions, Recruitment, and Enrollment, PPCC
Selinea Moore-Allen, PPCC Academic Resources Specialist
Rhonda Johnson, PPCC Assistant Director of Financial Aid for Compliance and Fraud
Mission:
Red Rocks Community College’s Dream Team’s mission is to break down barriers to education and empower our student population to be successful in navigating the systems of higher education.
The RRCC Dream Team was established as a direct response to support the non-citizen/immigrant students attending our institution. We advocate for RRCC to provide the necessary and comprehensive support services for this student population.
Our Vision:
To create and implement systems to increase access and provide a streamlined process for students of all immigration backgrounds at RRCC.
Workshop Goal: We will share the timeline and tools we utilized to establish our network of support for our non-citizen/immigrant students and how we continue to support potential and current students at RRCC.
Workshop Summary:
The Dream Team has been able to establish a foundation of resources for both students and staff as they begin to navigate the process of attending community college in Colorado and more specifically Red Rocks Community College; regardless of immigration status. We will share the timeline, the tools and best practices of our collaborative efforts. Whether you are beginning this work or a seasoned staff member, we welcome you to come learn, share your experience and offer the opportunity to build a more robust network of student support.
Workshop Presenters:
Lorely Sanchez, RRCC Program Coordinator for Inclusion & Diversity
Gina Jimenez, RRCC Manager of Student Success, Arvada Campus
Shannon Webber, RRCC Director of Financial Aid
Ana Carolina, RRCC International Student Specialist and DSO
Debora Stefani, RRCC Academic Advisor
Drop in session to meet the CCCOnline Student Affairs team and ask any questions you may have about CCCOnline.
John Schmahl, Dean of Student Affairs
Emily Perry, Access & Equity Services Professional
Beth Kitts, Digital Media Coordinator/Webmaster
Lisa Brown-Roberts, Manager of Enrollment Services and Student Success
Debra Miller, Enrollment Specialist
Zoë Levitt, Student Retention Specialist
Deisy Rosales, Student Success Specialist
Thoughts-Language-Action
Ralph Waldo Emerson is quoted as saying, “Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.”. How we think about people with disabilities often leads to the language we use and the way we act.
The purpose of this session is to challenge participants to think about attitudes they may have, language they may use and actions they may take or not take with people with disabilities. The goal is twofold, to challenge the way we think and the language we use, and to provide concrete etiquette information.
In this remote session a PowerPoint presentation will act as a road map with discussions and activities to keep participants engaged.
Upon completing this session, participants will either have renewed confidence in how they think, speak and act with people with disabilities and/or walk away with challenges for new ways to think, speak and act.
COVID 10 has exacerbated challenges faced by many, including underserved community college students.
Dr. Gooch-Grayson will provide tangibles for participants to utilize in their work with historically marginalized, disenfranchised student populations, including first-generation students, students of color, those who are economically disadvantaged; single student parents; and veterans.
Additionally, Cynthia will lead a discussion of strategies for self-care with attendees of this session.
Create awareness surrounding the common occurrence of micro-aggressions and explore the impact of micro-aggressions on targeted groups. Discover techniques to minimize the occurrence of microaggressions and identify scenarios of microaggressions to respond and correct.
Several colleges and CCCOnline have been using Signal Vine as a two-way student texting tool for a year or longer. This session will highlight the approach 3 college’s (PPCC, FRCC, and CCD) have taken to using Signal Vine as a complimentary tool to improve communication with students. Colleges will share their individual approach to Signal Vine implementation, which departments use it for texting and how, success stories, challenges, outcomes, and plans for future use.
Presenters:
Gustavo Rivas, Associate Director of Enrollment Communication, CCD
Darian Sparks, Operation & Data System Manager, CCD
Krista Boddy, Lead Enrollment Advisor, FRCC
Cynthia Farmer, Director of Admissions & Outreach, FRCC
Kevin Hudgens, Director of Admissions, Recruitment, & Enrollment, PPCC
Hannah McNamee, Student Services Communication Coordinator, PPCC