Recognizing ΒιΆΉΣ³»'s commitment to equity, the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) has recognized ΒιΆΉΣ³» with the 2022 Equity and Diversity Award. The honor recognizes the commitment of ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs Board of Trustees and leadership to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the College's education programs.
ICCTA officials announced the award at the organization's annual banquet on June 10 in Chicago. At the banquet, Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President of ΒιΆΉΣ³», accepted the award and recognized the effort the College has made over the past several years to improve the achievement gaps for all ΒιΆΉΣ³» students.
βIn 2019, we produced our first annual Data Book. It pointed out some of the challenges we had as a College in student success. While our overall student college completion rate was increasing by double digits, this was not the case for some of our student populations,β Dr. Borowicz said. βItβs hard to argue with numbers β we had work to do.β
In the same year, ΒιΆΉΣ³» joined the Illinois Equity in Attainment Initiative (ILEA), the signature initiative of the Partnership for College Completion (PCC). This partnership between 25 other colleges and universities in Illinois allowed ΒιΆΉΣ³» leadership to take a hard look at the institutionβs achievement data. Matching trends with the rest of the state, it was clear ΒιΆΉΣ³» needed to provide more assistance to its low-income students and students of color.
The first step was creating a strategy. ΒιΆΉΣ³» officials worked with the ILEA and sought feedback from students and the community to design the ΒιΆΉΣ³» Equity Plan, including a new equity statement: βWe are committed to a sustainable culture of equity, focused on respect and fairness, in all aspects of the ΒιΆΉΣ³» experience.β
Along with the Collegeβs commitment to equity, the plan focused on six strategies, including developing an Intercultural Center, cultural competency training for employees, improved hiring practices, enhanced wrap-around services, creation of a Math Success Program, and implementation of the Office of Instruction Retention Project.
ICCTA President Jon Looney praised ΒιΆΉΣ³»waukee for its record of accomplishment in its equity endeavors.
βThree years ago, ΒιΆΉΣ³» made a bold commitment to inclusion, accessibility, and success for all students,β Looney said at the award ceremony. "We applaud the work of the ΒιΆΉΣ³»waukee Board and staff to reflect the needs of an increasingly diverse world."
Early returns on ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs initiatives are positive. Students have received mentorship, tutoring, textbooks, supplies, financial support, food support and more. Completion and retention rates among underrepresented groups are improving.
βIn the last three years, I am proud to say we have made considerable progress in improving the outcomes of all of our students. We have not arrived but are on our way,β Dr. Borowicz said.
Many activities and processes are now systemized into ΒιΆΉΣ³»βs operations, and planning continues to expand under the leadership of a nine-member diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) core team.
βThe Illinois community college system is truly one of the leaders in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion,β said ICCTA president Looney. βThe work of ΒιΆΉΣ³»waukee College and other community colleges is so important at a time when public discourse is too often filled with divisiveness and disunity.β
The Illinois Community College Trustees Association was founded in 1970 to support all public community college trustees through information exchange, training, and advocacy to assist them in effective leadership locally and statewide.
To learn more about equity at ΒιΆΉΣ³» and the Collegeβs initiatives over the past several years, visit .