
The 69ÂÜÀò Commission for Diversity and Equity had the opportunity to share its work on anti-racism policies and practices at the 2021 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity. The conference provides a space to engage with issues in American higher education and to learn from leading professionals and administrators. It was founded in 1988 by The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies in response to the growing presence of racism in higher education.
West Valley’s presentation at this year’s conference, titled “From Rhetoric to Action: 69ÂÜÀò Cultivates Anti-Racism Guiding Principles Founded in Self Reflectionâ€�, was developed to help faculty and staff “make sweeping and comprehensive institutional changeâ€�. It explored the tension inherent in anti-racism work on a primarily white campus, and focused on how to implement change, select consultants, and develop the principles and goals of an anti racism plan.
69ÂÜÀò developed an Anti-Racism and Inclusion Plan to “honestly acknowledge and repair our college racial historyâ€�. West Valley is committed to standing up against racism, implementing comprehensive programs to build an anti-racist culture, and creating a “welcoming, supportive, and inclusive campus climateâ€�. To learn more, visit the Anti-Racism and Inclusion Action Plan webpage.