Advancing Equity at SPSCC

South Puget Sound Community College is a learning community which embodies social justice, equity, and inclusion. The college continues to have a commitment to diversity by empowering students, faculty, and staff to fully participate in a society of increasingly diverse identities and experiences. The SPSCC Foundation continues this work by reflecting the communities we serve and prioritizing equity work. In 2020, the Foundation formed an Equity Action Team (EAT) to promote new ideas and more proactively integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and practices into Local high school students at the 2020 Fire Summit. all the Foundation’s work. The team consists of board member, staff, and student voices. Anna Sutherland, Student Senator of Diversity & Equity Affairs (featured on the cover), joined EAT to be a voice for students across campus and to participate in not just the decisions which are made but how they are made. EAT will be running an equity audit on the Foundation’s internal practices and looking to provide targeted funding to students to ensure access, retention, and completion is fair and just. While the Foundation continues to look inward in its practices, further partnerships across the campus and community have been formed. Several programs for student support have been established to foster inclusiveness at our campuses, honor diversity, and encourage compassion for individual expression. The Foundation has worked with the A. Barbara Clarkson Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center (DEIC) to support its two newest programs. IGNITE, launched in 2018, helps students who are low income, students of color, students with disabilities and first-generation students complete their college program. Following IGNITE’s success, the Black Scholars program was launched in 2020 to help Black and African American students successfully meet college graduation

by offering mentorship, community, and support services tailored to unique needs around racial identity. Community partner TwinStar Credit Union, has stepped up to support SPSCC students with funds and mentors as they work to achieve their educational goals in each of these programs. Additionally, TwinStar staff members have provided professional mentorship to students in the DEIC’s Black Scholars and IGNITE programs by helping them with resume building and interviewing skills. “We’re grateful for the TwinStar staff’s willingness and readiness to engage with the 32 students enrolled in these programs in order to make a difference,” said Parfait Bassalé, SPSCC’s Executive Diversity Officer. ♦

The SPSCC Foundation is actively engaging community partners in this work to address racial justice and equity. If you are interested in giving to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives please visit spscc.edu/foundation/give-now or contact our office at 360-596-5430.

Board members, staff, and students join the Equity Action Team (EAT) to support student voices.