September 11, 2024
Dear SRJC Community,
We are now in full swing with the Fall 2024 semester, and I’m encouraged by the commitment and work happening across the District to shift the norms of our workplace and create a more equitable and welcoming environment for all.
This month, I am pleased to share updates across several initiatives as part of our IDEAA: Institutional and Workplace Culture Initiatives priority.
- Operational Assessment & Changes: Board Policy (BP) and Administrative Procedure (AP) Reviews: We have identified more than 60 policies and procedures for review, prioritizing those aligned with the cultural and operational shifts needed to address the change we wish to see in our District. Completed drafts of some of these policies are now going through the review process within College Council, in preparation for the Board of Trustees review in October.
- IDEAA Taskforce: On September 6, the IDEAA Taskforce, a District advisory group, held their first meeting. The Taskforce, consisting of members from constituent groups across the District, aligned on their areas of focus, discussed needs and go-forward meeting processes, as well as identifying upcoming IDEAA activities and programs.
In September, members of the Taskforce are attending two key events:- African Diaspora Educational Summit (ADES) in Ghana, Africa – A small cohort of the SRJC community will attend this summit on the “Future of Educating the African Diaspora – 2022-2032.” Summit attendees include K-16 teachers/faculty, classified professional, administrators and policymakers, and educational equity advocates who work on behalf of Black Students.
- California Community Colleges DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in Action) Institute in Irvine, CA. This event is designed to support institutions in equitable solutions outlined in the Vision 2030 and enhancing DEIA efforts, alongside anti-racism strategies, policies, and promising practices. Participants are expected to “gain practical tools to strengthen DEIA practices within their colleges.”
- Fostering Open Dialogue and Community Engagement:
- Individual Listening Sessions: We recently concluded a series of Individual listening sessions with colleagues from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and Shone Farm Community. We are in the process of aggregating the data and working with the leadership to identify themes to create an operational action plan.
- Facilitated Discussions: We launched a series of facilitated discussions for faculty and students across the District. Throughout September and October, these sessions are an opportunity to engage in open dialogue as a community to create a more welcoming and supportive community. These sessions are available in-person or on Zoom. We also have an online form for individuals who may prefer to share their individual contributions instead of attending a group discussion.
If you have not done so already, please register for a session. For more details, see my message from August: Invitation: Fostering Open Dialogue Facilitated Discussions | News (santarosa.edu).
To sign-up:
- In-person/Zoom Session: https://signup.com/go/cbVKuYo
- Online Form: https://santarosa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9wCFUcFIhm1XAa
Finally, a critical aspect of creating a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace environment is ensuring that all employees are in compliance with mandatory harassment prevention training. The management team has achieved 100% completion for the Sexual Harassment training. We will continue to support and ensure that all employees complete mandatory training programs that contribute towards our Institutional and Workplace Culture initiative efforts.
I appreciate the ways in which many of you are committing to our SRJC community by engaging in these efforts. I look forward to sharing more details on the outcomes and actions throughout the year.
In Community,
Dr. Angélica Garcia, Ed.D.
Superintendent/President
707-527-4431, angelicagarcia@santarosa.edu
