IDEA Statement and Mission
October 2020, the College launched the DEI Task Force, and “its members are dedicated to integrating the concepts of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access into the College’s operations. The Schoolcraft community has come together to address the difficult conversations that have come center stage in the world.”
– Dr. Glenn Cerny, President.
As our Nation grapples with structural and systemic inequities, Schoolcraft College set out to develop a strategy to ensure that equity, diversity, and inclusion are hallmarks of this transformative institution for generations to come. This strategic initiative is rooted in the traditions of Schoolcraft and provides a framework to support every member of the Schoolcraft community. This initiative includes strategic goals, new investments, comprehensive metrics and outcomes, and an institutional commitment to accountability to equity, diversity, and inclusion are entrenched in every aspect of Schoolcraft College.
This strategic initiative, focused on the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion is the culmination of a strategic process that included voices and input from individuals across the entire college. This process was informed by months of committee meetings, input from countless constituents, and led by a cross- sectional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force. The DEI Task Force was charged with enhancing an appreciation for, and an understanding of, the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion across the College. Director for Equity and Engagement, TaQuilla Kusero, will be collaborating with students, faculty, staff and community members to implement the IDEA strategic goals and objectives.
IDEA Strategic Plan Objectives
To create and promote an equitable, diverse, and inclusive Schoolcraft College, every member of the College community will do their part to ensure that these values are promoted in every aspect of our educational enterprise. We will accomplish this through five (5) key objectives:
Objective 1: Enhance Access and Success
Enhancing access and success for students, faculty, and staff belonging to historically excluded populations (e.g., – developmental education reform, closing the achievement gap, focus on hiring faculty from an historically excluded population, etc.).
Objective 2: Inclusive Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship
Devote resources, promote, and incentivize practices that further enhance the teaching, learning, and scholarship to ensure that the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential components of a Schoolcraft educational experience.
Objective 3: Cultural Engagement and Competency
Promote active social and academic engagement to ensure that we center and amplify students’ needs and voices by continuously elevating cultural and intercultural responsiveness in and out of the classroom setting.
Objective 4: Accountability and Responsibility
Develop mechanisms to continuously assess institutional climate and promote responsibility to a socially responsible Schoolcraft College.
Objective 5: Fostering Community
Engage in practices that build relationships and partnerships to ensure the sustainability of Schoolcraft College within the greater Livonia community.
What is IDEA?
Inclusion: The act of creating involvement, environments, and empowerment in which any individual is welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to in pursuit of a goal.
Diversity: Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; including but not limited to race, color, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, veteran status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, genetic information, and learning styles.
Equity: Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Strives to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.
Access: Creating the necessary conditions so that individuals and organizations desiring to, and who are eligible to, are able to use our services, facilities, programs, and employment opportunities.
Other Definitions
Anti-Racism
The active process of identifying, challenging, and confronting racism in educational systems, organizational structures, policies, practices, behaviors, and attitudes.
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Culturally responsive teaching means using students’ customs, characteristics, experience, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction. Helps students to see themselves and their communities as belonging in academic spaces leading to more engagement and success.
Culturally Responsive Leadership
Leaders who promote a campus culture of inclusion particularly to those who have been historically excluded and marginalized. Leads professional development to ensure staff, faculty and the curriculum are responsive to marginalized and underrepresented students.
Deficity-Thinking
Involves making assumptions that the challenges students face are a direct result of the student, the student’s family, or the student’s culture, due to their own weaknesses, decisions, or intrinsic work ethic. Most likely used when working with students of color, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Consequences of this thinking include:
- lowered expectations for students,
- dismisses structural policies and practices that need to be changed in the educational setting, and
- leads to the assumption that nothing can be done to help the student.
Historically Excluded Populations
Alternative to the use of the term “Minority”, refers to any group of people that has been historically excluded from full rights, privileges and opportunities in a society or organization.
Intersectionality
Framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage.
Justice
To act in seeking a just society where all people have a right to fair and equitable treatment, support, and resources.
Marginalization
Treatment of a person, group, or concept as insignificant or pervasive and places them outside of the mainstream society.
Underrepresented
Group identities whose numbers are fewer than the majority groups in an environment.