1. DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
Diversity & Inclusion Council Committee Members
Brian Waddle
Chair
Coleman College for Health Sciences
Laurel Barker-Edwards
Vice Chair
District
John Reno
Member
Southeast
Dr. Joanne Hsu
Member
Northwest
Annette Lott
Member
Central
Linda Comte
Member
Northeast
Paul Garcia
Member
Southwest
Shantay Grays
Ad Hoc Member
District
David Cross
Ad Hoc Member
District
For more information, contact Cephas Archie, Program Coordinator
D&I Council, at cephas.archie@hccs.edu
Houston Community College
3100 Main St.
Houston TX 77002
2013–2014
Diversity
& Inclusion
Plan
Creating an environment
where differences, abilities
and beliefs are respected

2. Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Letter from the Acting Chancellor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Letter from D&I Council Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Thank you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
HCC Diversity Council/Committee Structure
HCC
Diversity &
Inclusion
Council
Central
College
D&I Committee
District
D&I Committee
Northwest
College
D&I Committee
Southwest
College
D&I Committee
Northeast
College
D&I Committee
Southeast
College
D&I Committee
Coleman
College
D&I Committee
Potential District
Constituency
Resource Groups
HCC is committed to a workplace and educational environment free of discrimination and
harassment based upon race, color, religion, age, sex, gender expression, gender identity,
national origin, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation.
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3. HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 5
GOAL 5: HCC will have a diverse, skilled workforce that strives to reflect the diversity of the
community that it serves, and it will provide opportunity and pathways for all employees to grow
and advance in their professions.
Introduction
In 2012, the HCC D&I Council, with the support of the Board of Trustees
and Chancellor, outlined the following Diversity & Inclusion Goals for
interpretation and implementation by the college district and local diversity
College
Objective(s)
Measurement
Central College
1) Assess the current faculty & staff hiring
pool statistics at Central campus.
- Conduct an audit to collect hiring
demographics for current faculty &
staff.
2) Recommend new policies and procedures
that would encourage non-exempt employees
to share expertise and skills broadly.
committee members:
• HCC will promote the exploration and understanding of culture,
District
Administration
diversity, and inclusion by providing in-depth training and
1) Provide a college-specific orientation for
both full-time and part-time employees that
will assist in learning and developing a
positive culture at the college.
- Percentage of new employees who
participate in the orientation program
will be measured against the number
of all new employees.
competency.
2) Participate in a veterans hiring initiative
with other Texas Medical Center® member
institutions.
Coleman College
- Establish a program designed to
strategically provide opportunities and
pathways for all employees to grow
and advance.
- Participate in a veterans hiring
initiative with other Texas Medical
Center® member institutions.
1) Develop a master list of professional
development and mandatory trainings for
3100 Main employees (by department).
- Master list will be developed.
2) Discuss and present all feedback from
employee forums related to succession
planning, hiring practices and equity.
- Feedback will be provided by District
employees.
1) Assist the District in accomplishing this
goal through its outreach in the community
to recruit underserved populations to enroll in
the workforce and academic programs.
- The measurement will be the number
of students from underserved
populations who enroll.
Northwest College
1) Strive to have a diverse, skilled employee
base that reflects the diversity of the
community at every sector of the college.
- More diverse employees hired for all
sectors of the college.
Southeast College
1) Recruit qualified faculty and staff to reflect
the diversity of HCC Southeast, Houston and
the world community.
2) Provide professional training and mentoring
to ensure career growth and promotion.
Southwest College
1) Review job posting outlets for SW college
positions; continue to participate in job fairs
that target diverse candidates, and review
current efforts for advertising in print and web
media targeting underrepresented groups.
2) All staff and faculty will be encouraged
to participate in all training and events to
enhance their professional growth. These
would include training through the TLR
department, the individual departments and
the college.
• HCC will support a process for the development of Diversity
Resource Groups (DRGs) that engage all stakeholders and affirm the
goals of the HCC D&I District Plan.
• HCC will be a champion of accessibility by establishing standards
that adhere to both the spirit and letter of the Americans with
Northeast College
2) Explore and develop more specific
professional development opportunities to
help employees grow (or broaden skill sets)
and advance in their professions.
experiences that promote skills development resulting in cultural
- Creation of more specific professional
development opportunities aimed at
growth and advancement.
Disabilities Act (ADA).
• HCC will promote a learning culture that insures teamwork,
communication, appreciation and accountability.
• HCC will have a diverse, skilled workforce that strives to reflect
the diversity of the community that it serves, and it will provide
opportunity and pathways for all employees to grow and advance in
- Provide documentation of Faculty to
Student ethnic ratio and Staff to
Student ethic ratio at Southeast by
Dec. 19, 2013.
- Documentation by May 15, 2014.
of the number of faculty and staff
receiving or who received training and/
or mentoring to ensure career growth
and promotion.
- Generating lists of job posting outlets
reaching underrepresented groups.
- HR identifies diverse resources which
create diverse pools for each position.
- HR approves screening committees
that represent a diverse group of
instructors.
their professions.
In the spring of 2013, each college was asked to develop supporting
objectives (action items) to be implemented that address each of the five
district goals. Students, faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged
to review the following plan, highlighting your campus-identified objectives.
To view all goals and supplemental objectives for each campus, please visit
the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity.
To view the full diversity plan, visit the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity
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4. Letter from the Acting Chancellor
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 4
GOAL 4: HCC will promote a learning culture that insures teamwork, communication, appreciation
and accountability.
College
Objective(s)
Measurement
Central College
1) Improve the utilization of the president’s
cabinet as a forum for sharing employee concerns
and contributions (feedback).
- Department surveys on attitudes of the
openness of administration to employee
feedback (pre/post).
2) Increase the executive team’s physical visibility
throughout the college.
- Number of employees requesting to meet
with the cabinet.
- Employee survey about attitudes on the
physical visibility of the executive team
(pre/post).
Dear HCC Family,
Houston Community College’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths. Located in the most
diverse city in the country, HCC is a model for how a community with a wide range of different life
experiences, religious beliefs, cultures and abilities can come together to take advantage of the
opportunities that come from having many points of view from which to learn. Students at HCC
should leave at the culmination of their studies prepared to be successful, productive citizens who
understand that knowing how to work with people who are different is an asset that will carry them
far in their chosen careers. Providing our students with cultural competency skills and experiences
will help them build bridges of understanding that span across Houston’s many communities and
cultures. These skills better prepare our students for life after graduation in an increasingly complex
and interactive world.
Coleman College
The 2013-2015 District Diversity and Inclusion Plan supports the HCC Strategic Plan and HCC’s
mission to be an open-admission, public institution of higher education offering a high-quality,
affordable education for academic advancement, workforce training, career and economic
development, and lifelong learning to prepare individuals in our diverse communities for life and
work in a global and technological society. HCC’s diversity is reflected in our students, faculty and
staff who represent the wide range of cultures indigenous to our region, state and country as
well as a large contingent of international students and faculty who bring cultural experiences and
knowledge from all points on the globe.
Through the work of the HCC Council for Diversity and Inclusion, the diversity goals in this plan
have been forged by listening to many courageous conversations from within our college. The goals
and objectives in this plan are starting points for the inclusive discussion that must be pursued in
order to expose our students to educational programming that reflects thought and practice. HCC
students, faculty and staff should work and learn in an environment that fosters freedom with
responsibility, a commitment to excellence, respect for the person, and sound stewardship. These
are HCC’s guiding principles that inspire and guide us in our interactions with each other and the
communities we serve. We embrace diversity at HCC because it is the right thing to do. We work
to foster inclusion to capitalize on the strength of our differences, the depth of our experiences and
the opportunities to expand our learning to new heights.
Sincerely,
Renee Byas
Acting Chancellor
1) Include employee appreciation and recognition
in the 2012-2015 strategic plan.
2) Organized in six health science discipline teams
that promote collaboration and interdisciplinary
education.
District Administration
− The strategic plan calls for a 50%
increase in recognition of employees from
2012 during 2013-2015.
- The number of health science programs
that collaborate as teams on HCC Coleman
College Simulation Day will be measured
against the total number of existing
programs.
1) Demonstrate “walk-around” leadership; have
Chancellor engage and meet & greet employees
on each floor.
- A survey instrument will be
distributed to assess the effectiveness of
each objective.
2) Establish a series of interactive workshops
and lunch seminars that promote teamwork,
communication, appreciation and accountability at
3100 Main.
- The series will be offered once per long
semester (Fall and Spring).
Northeast College
1) Promote a learning culture that ensures
teamwork, appreciation, and accountability through
an on-going celebration of the “richness” of
cultural diversity.
- The measurement will be a
questionnaire that will be disseminated
after each activity/event to assess the
participants’ responses.
Northwest College
1) Provide educational, cultural, and social
opportunities for students that expose them to
a well-rounded variety of cultural experiences
through campus events and programming
activities.
- Attendance at events.
2) Implement a student support system comprised
of “Safe Zone” for LGBTQ students.
Southeast College
- Comment cards will be collected from
participants.
- Feedback will be collected at the end of
each event.
- Establishment of “Safe Zones” on
campus.
1) Expand current Multicultural Programs, Mexican
American, African American, Women’s and Gender
Studies, the Male Minority Initiative, Hispanic Male
Initiative, and the inclusion of Others across lines
of gender identities, sexual orientations,
ethnicity, abilities, disabilities, age differences,
belief systems, nationalities, race, socio-economic
conditions, language constructs, and Veteran
status.
- Documentation indicating that
students, faculty, staff, administrators and
members of the community have attended
one or more of the seminars or workshops pertaining to multicultural programs
(Mexican American, African American,
Women’s and Gender Studies, Hispanic
Male initiative, GLBT, ADA, Veterans, etc.)
by Dec 19, 2013.
2) Build diversity into the curriculum, activities and
events at SE College.
- Promote more enrollment of students in
courses germane to multicultural programs
and diversity studies by July 15, 2013.
- Documentation in syllabi that includes
the tenets of respecting diversity in the
classroom by Fall 2013.
Southwest College
1) Establishment of Multicultural association/group
within the establishment of a Diversity and
Inclusion group. The group focus would include
welcoming events at the beginning of the
semester, activities promoting diversity awareness
throughout the semester and recognition of
accomplishments by individuals and departments.
- Committee members will be selected.
- Association will meet.
- Recognition of faculty and staff who
encourage cultural awareness.
2) Faculty and staff development will be continued
throughout the year to encourage cultural
awareness. Departments will be challenged to
create recognition opportunities, which highlight
the accomplishment of staff and faculty.
To view the full diversity plan, visit the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity
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5. HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 3
Letter from D&I Council Chair
GOAL 3: HCC will be a champion of accessibility by establishing standards that adhere to both the
spirit and letter of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
College
Objective(s)
Measurement
Central College
1) Inquiry/audit of ADA offices to assess daily
challenges, student concerns, etc.
- Obtain feedback from ADA offices.
2) Implement a system of accountability for
students.
- Codification of a statement of
student responsibility (to be used
district-wide).
- Implementation of software training
seminars for students.
Coleman College
1) The design of the expansion of HCC
Coleman College will maximize accessibility
for students and employees and use universal
design where feasible and fiscally
responsible.
2) HCC Coleman College websites adhere to
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications).
- The Diversity and Inclusion Council
will be updated by the HCC Coleman
College representative as progress is
achieved.
- All websites designed and developed
by HCC Coleman College will be
tested to insure maximum
compatibility with assistive technology
devices.
District Administration
1) Conduct an ADA study (third party) to
assess accessibility at 3100 & 3200 Main.
- Study will be conducted by
Spring 2014.
Northeast College
1) Support the recruitment and retention of
all students through an inclusive culture that
leads to positive results for all students.
- ADA guidelines will be reviewed and
staff will be trained to comply with
standards and guidelines that help lead
to student success.
Northwest College
1) Provide in-depth training to faculty and
staff regarding barriers to education and
accommodation requirements.
- Documented attendance of college
faculty and staff who attend one of
3 sessions or seminar offered by
December 13, 2013.
2) Provide information about Universal Design
in the classroom as well as throughout
Northwest campuses.
Southeast College
1) Comply with the ADA guidelines regarding
students, employment practices, accommodations, discrimination or harassment based
upon disability.
2) Create an ADA Council and Liaisons or an
organization of campus leaders, including
students and employees with disabilities, to
receive and share information and training
related to ADA issues, to stay abreast of
relevant issues, and to engage in mutually
meaningful dialogue based on mutual respect
and dignity, and the promotion of good will.
To make recommendations on how to build a
culture of mutual understanding.
Southwest College
- Assist faculty with classroom
strategies of Universal Design.
- Ensure that Southeast’s policies
and procedures germane to ADA
regulations protecting students’ rights
and employees’ rights -- with regards
to reasonable accommodations, discrimination or harassment based upon
disability – are in place by
Dec 19, 2013.
- Documented attendance indicating
that 80% of college faculty, staff and
instructional leadership attended one
of the ADA workshops offered by SEHR and SE-ADA reps by Dec 19, 2013.
- Documented attendance indicating
that SE students, student
organizations, college faculty, staff and
instructional leadership attended at
least one of the dialogues sponsored
by SE-ADA Counselor along with
HCC-ADA Council and HCC’s EEO/
Compliance Office by May 15, 2014.
1) All students will have accessibility to
the ADA counselors at Southwest College.
Students will receive individualized counseling
and assistance in areas of:
- ADA contact information will be on
all syllabi.
- ADA accommodations in compliance to ADA
policies
- Create posters to bring awareness to
our ADA policies at SW College.
- Degree planning
As the 2012-2013 Chair of the HCC Council for Diversity and Inclusion, I am pleased to present
HCC’s first Diversity and inclusion Plan.
The HCC Council for Diversity and Inclusion was created in March 2010 in response to a
request from the HCC Board of Trustees and, upon inception, was charged with developing
a comprehensive diversity and inclusion plan that is aligned with the District’s Strategic Plan.
Its primary role is to advise the Chancellor and the Board regarding issues of diversity, equal
opportunity and inclusion and to facilitate programs and services that meet the changing needs of
HCC’s students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.
The D&I Plan was developed through an inclusive process that allowed many voices through
volunteer employee engagement groups and student presentations to participate in the discussion.
Still, we want to increase the voices, so we are asking, “Who are we missing?” To that end,
the Council has developed goals in the plan that can be expanded and interpreted to meet the
specific needs of each college and the District. To encourage a broader continued discussion of
‘’welcomeness” and opportunities for success with regards to diversity and inclusion, the Council
has provided a structure for the development of local college diversity committees as well as
district-wide special interest groups.
In addition to rolling out the D&I Plan this fall, the Council will implement and assess the
Institution’s progress towards achieving the plan’s goals.
If HCC is to succeed in the future, the Institution must recognize the role of diversity in fulfilling its
mission and provide the required support for diversity and inclusion initiatives. The Institution must
capitalize on its wealth of diversity by ensuring inclusion of all in order to create an environment
conducive to learning in a global sense.
As a member of the Council from its inception and the Chair of the Council for the past two years,
it has been my privilege to work with the other members of the Council and many others as we
have developed this plan. It is my hope that the broader HCC community will embrace the plan,
take ownership of it, and help HCC become a known leader in the world of diversity and inclusion.
Best regards,
- All students will receive information
concerning the ADA office.
- Course selection
To view the full diversity plan, visit the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity
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To the HCC community:
Linda Comte, Chair
Council for Diversity & Inclusion, September 2011 through August 2013
Director, College Educational Technology Services
HCC Northeast College
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6. HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 1
GOAL 1: HCC will promote the exploration and understanding of culture, diversity and inclusion
by providing in-depth training and experiences that promote skills development resulting in cultural
competency.
HCC Diversity & Inclusion Plan Goal 2
GOAL 2: HCC will support a process for the development of Diversity Resource Groups (DRGs)
that engage all stakeholders and affirm the goals of the HCC D&I District Plan.
College
Objective(s)
Measurement
College
Objective(s)
Measurement
Central College
1) Provide a diversity and inclusion
workshop for HCC Central faculty and staff.
- Attendance totals
Central College
1) Establish a standing Diversity & Inclusion
Committee in accordance with the guidelines
established by the HCC D&I Council Charter.
- D&I Committee will convene by
October 1, 2013.
Coleman College
1) Establish a college diversity and inclusion
committee.
- The committee will be created according
to the specifications set forth in the
diversity and inclusion council charter.
District Administration
1) District D&I Committee will engage the
employees of 3100 Main in the core principles of
the institutional strategic plan.
- A survey instrument will be distributed to
assess the effectiveness of each objective.
Northeast College
1) Request a representative from each Divisional
Area of the College to serve as the team leader of
the group in their respective division to continue
the engagement of smaller teams in diversity
initiatives.
- The activities of the divisional teams of
the college.
Northwest College
1) Establish Northwest College Diversity and
Inclusion Committee in accordance with the
guidelines established by the HCC Diversity and
Inclusion Council Charter.
- Committee established and meets at
least twice by December 15, 2013.
Southeast College
1) Invite local and nationally recognized speakers
to lecture on contributions of different people and
cultures to our region, nation, and globe.
- Documented attendance indicating that
80% of college faculty, staff and
instructional leadership has attended HCC
workshop/lecture by an invited locally or
nationally recognized speaker on various
cultures, ethnic groups, nationalities, belief
systems, and peoples of the globe by
Dec 19, 2013.
2) Promote use of the HCC Employee
Assistance Program (UTEAP) module entitled
“Valuing Diversity” accessed via the UTEAP
web site.
Coleman College
- Obtain feedback on the effectiveness
of the event via evaluation instrument.
- Obtain feedback from chairpersons/
supervisors who utilize the module for
meetings or training sessions.
- Attendees will participate in a
pre- and post-workshop survey.
2) Monthly employee gatherings will be open
to the HCC Coleman College Diversity and
Inclusion Committee for programming and
participation.
District
Administration
1) Host a Diversity and Inclusion training day
in Fall 2013.
- Percentage of participation by
employees at the events will be
measured against the college FTE
count.
1) Establish a series of interactive workshops
and lunch seminars that promote cultural
exchange and engagement.
- A survey instrument will be
distributed to assess the effectiveness
of each objective.
- Feedback will be collected via
evaluation forms at the end of each
event.
Northeast College
1) Establish a Diversity and Inclusion
Committee that will meet on a semester
basis to review diversity goals and evaluate
the success of the college in meeting the
goals.
- The measurement will be the
meetings held and the outcomes
established.
Northwest College
1) Organize “Empowering Women: We All
Belong” series. Providing comprehensive
workshops to address issues concerning
minority women in the context of social and
cultural gender roles, opression, and violence
against women, in order to promote growth
and self-agency.
- Attendance of monthly interactive
workshops by female minority
students.
- Feedback will be collected at the end
of each workshop.
- Attendance at events.
2) Provide a window into the worlds of others
through the viewpoint of books. This is made
possible by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities as part of
the program, “Bridging Cultures, Muslim
Journey.
”
Southwest College
1) Provide diversity training workshops,
forums,and dialogue for and between
Southeast faculty, staff, administration, and
students.
2) Diversity Activity Day
Southeast College
- Feedback will be collected at the end
of each book discussion session.
- Documented attendance indicating
participation of invited community partners,
students, faculty, administration and staff
to form Southeast Diversity Resource
Group (DRG) by Dec 19, 2013.
Southwest College
1) Establishment of the Southwest College
Diversity and Inclusion Committee as directed in
the D&I plan, consisting of 7 members: 2 faculty
members, 2 staff, 2 members of the student body
and the College D&I council representative. The
committee will reflect the diversity of the college.
- Selection of committee members will be
finalized and meeting times and dates for
the fall will be decided.
- Documented attendance indicating
that 80% of college faculty, staff and
instructional leadership has attended
one of three sessions offered by
Dec 19, 2013.
1) Activities showcasing various cultures and
celebrating the diversity of our college will be
provided for all students, faculty and staff.
2) Recruit and invite community partners, students,
faculty, administration, and staff to participate in
the development of Diversity Resource Groups.
- International Festival will be open to
all students and showcase at least 5
diverse cultures.
To view the full diversity plan, visit the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity
- Documented attendance indicating
that SE students, student
organizations, college faculty, staff and
instructional leadership attended
Diversity Activity Day by May 15, 2014.
- At least four events will be offered
celebrating diversity in 2013-2014.
To view the full diversity plan, visit the D&I webpage at www.hccs.edu/diversity
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