Sierra College is committed to eliminating the achievement gap in all student populations with pro-active student centered practices and policies that fully engage the college community.
Mission Statement
The Division of Student Equity facilitates and promotes—through various collaborative programs, initiatives, and services—an equity minded academic, cultural and social environment that contributes to the overall mission of the district in its commitment to academic excellence and student success.
Strategies for Success
Planning with the end in mind, Sierra College encourages students to begin their educational journey with a career exploration and college success focused first year experience that allows students to earn a degree or certificate that leads to a fulfilling career trajectory.
The Division of Student Equity brings instructional and student service programs together to provide intentional high touch support services that advance academic and career success for students.
Student Equity Plan
The Student Equity Plan outlines college success from an equity lens. It recommends policy, procedure and resource changes. The SEP also defines the effective implementation of programs and ensures that professional development opportunities are available and aligned with student equity outcomes.
Support Programs
TRIO
Helping first generation students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.
Umoja
Designed to increase the retention, success rates, and the graduation and transfer rates of African ancestry students.
Current Initiatives
- Acceleration in Math, English and ESL
- Basic Skills Coordination
- Visits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities for Students who Wish to Transfer
Collaborative Initiatives with Other Department
- Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS)
- Veterans – success and retention of veteran students
Student Equity Outcomes
Student Equity improves all phases of the student experience, starting with high school academic readiness through transfer assistance and career advice. Student Equity outcomes are measured by five equity success indicators from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office:
Professional Development and Training Resources
Faculty
Classified and Management
- Intention to Action in Building Diverse Inclusive Teams
- Project Implicit
- Harvard University has a series of tests that you can take on implicit bias—race, gender, disability, age, religion, sexuality, and more.
- Interaction Institute for Social Change
- The Unequal Opportunity Race
- A 4 minute animated video that uses metaphors to describe the opportunity gap.
- Media Education
- This site has on demand media based free previews. Purchase option available for those who want to own a copy.
General Research and Reading
- African American Male Education Network & Development (A2MEND)
- Assessing Underserved Student Engagement in High Impact Practices
- Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3)
- National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE)
- California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
- California Community Colleges: Student Success Scorecard
- Lumina Foundation: America’s Call for Higher Education Redesign
- Guide to Increasing Student Completion in Community Colleges