SCC Statement on Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion
06/18/2020
The pain, fear and anger we are all feeling in the aftermath of recent events have again brought to light the tragic consequences of our nation’s struggle to truly overcome the evils of injustice and inequality.
Whether subtle microaggressions of unconscious bias or egregious crimes of overt racism, people of color – especially members of the Black community – have long borne the burden of this wrong.
This is a challenge for all Americans. We have a shared responsibility to address the misunderstanding, fear, and distrust perpetuated by the chasms between the us and the them. We must build bridges and together advocate for dignity and justice, pray for those who have suffered, and share the hopes for our children and dreams for our communities.
Racism and injustice run contrary to our college values of excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement and thus have no place at SCC.
As a Board of Trustees, we support SCC as an institution of higher education, as SCC strives to provide open access to lifelong learning for everyone seeking to improve their lives. We embrace diversity and inclusion and take seriously our role in building strong, vibrant communities.
We are encouraged by the cries for meaningful change that have grown louder as people of all walks of life unite to say that we must do more and we must do better.
So, too, we want us here at SCC to do the same.
We pledge that we will continue to do what we do best – engage our students and our communities. We will employ and expand upon existing efforts and initiatives at all levels of the institution to continue to drive positive change.
As part of our strategic goal to promote student success through embracing diversity:
- Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council regularly convenes to examine and implement diversity priorities, strategies, and initiatives.
- Our student government and student organizations provide all students opportunities to participate in activities that focus on inclusion, understanding, and engagement in our college and communities.
- SCC maintains an active role in civic leadership and community development across the region for the purposes of improving access to education and economic growth.
While we can certainly do more, these efforts have put us well on our way to becoming the institution that our community not only needs us to be, but the institution we want to be.
Dr. Ash’s mantra always has and always will be, “it’s about the students.” We pledge to continue to listen, learn and act so that we can deliver on our promise of fostering a safe and welcoming environment where everyone has a chance to grow and learn.
Landen Hillyard
Chair, Board of Trustees
Dr. Michael Ash
President
Southeastern Community College