Affirmation of Inclusion

Whatcom Community College is committed to maintaining an environment in which every member of the College community feels welcome to participate in the life of the College, free from harassment and discrimination. We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, ages, genders, sexual orientations, marital statuses, veteran statuses, abilities and disabilities. Toward that end, faculty, students and staff will:

  • Treat one another with respect and dignity.
  • Promote a learning and working community that ensures social justice, understanding, civility and non-violence in a safe and supportive climate.
  • Influence curriculum, teaching strategies, student services and personnel practices that facilitate sensitivity and openness to diverse ideas, peoples and cultures in a creative, safe, and collegial environment.

 

WCC Campus Climate Survey and Listening Sessions 

In alignment with Washington State RCW 28B.10.147, WCC is required to conduct a campus climate survey every five years, together with listening sessions for the years in between the climate surveys. For information on WCC’s recent campus climate survey (HEDS DEI survey, Winter 2023, student and employees), together with a summary of key themes from the DEI student listening sessions (Spring 2023) and IDEA-focused listening sessions (2023-24 and Spring 2025), and see the Office of Assessment & Institutional Research (AIR) website on college surveys and focus groups.

What is IDEA?

At Whatcom Community College (WCC), we believe that belonging is a collaborative endeavor. Whatcom’s Affirmation of Inclusion emphasizes civility, safety, and support, welcoming all into the life of the College. So we use the acronym IDEA—inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility—to emphasize a comprehensive approach to inclusion, from facilitating student success to providing professional development for employees.

As outlined in Washington state law (see RCW 28B.50.920), community and technical colleges must post on their website definitions for key terms related to inclusion. Below is a brief glossary of terms:

Inclusion: Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decisions or policy making in ways that share power. An “inclusive” space is thus the felt experience of diversity, as we pay attention to who is in the room, who might be missing, and whose voices are lifted up or routinely silenced. Climate surveys and listening sessions are often designed to measure these experiences in an organization (as required by Washington state law; see RCW 28B.10.147).

Diversity: This term typically refers to all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the many characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. These personal and social categories of identity and group membership may include: race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, age, dis/ability, national origin, citizenship, religion, education, language, and so on. “Diversity” can also involve differing ideas, perspectives, and values.

Equity: Equity in education means that personal or social circumstances such as gender, race, ethnic origin, or family background are not obstacles to achieving educational potential (definition of fairness), and that all individuals reach at least a basic minimum level of skills. In equitable education systems, the vast majority of students have the opportunity to attain high-level skills, regardless of their own personal and socioeconomic circumstances.

Accessibility: “Accessible” means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability. The person with a disability must be able to obtain the information as fully, equally and independently as a person without a disability (i.e., in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use).

Marginalized/Minoritized: A social group that is devalued in society. This devaluing often encompasses how the group is represented, what degree of access to resources it is granted, and how the unequal access is rationalized (explained, justified) and/or rationed (pace of change is dictated by majority/dominant groups rather than marginalized/minoritized groups).

Intersectionality: This term was developed by women of color to explain their lived experience of belonging to more than one group facing structural oppression. (For example, Black women may experience intersecting racial discrimination and gender discrimination.) “Intersectionality” helps us to recognize that social categories of identity and group membership are mutually dependent, and oppression can compound in unique ways for those who belong to multiple marginalized/minoritized social groups. However, this term can be useful for historically dominant social categories, as well, because we all belong to multiple communities and experience many facets of identity.

Cultural Competence: An ability to interact effectively with people of all cultures and understand many cultural frameworks, values, and norms. Cultural competence comprises four components:

  • Awareness of one’s own cultural worldview,
  • Attitude towards cultural differences,
  • Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and
  • Cross-cultural skills.

A key component of cultural competence is respectfully engaging others with cultural dimensions and perceptions different from our own and recognizing that none is superior to another. Cultural competence is a developmental process that evolves over an extended period. (Definition Source Website)

People of Color / Communities of Color: Collective term typically referring to non-white racial groups (in U.S. contexts). For more on the history of this phrase, see the NPR podcast CODE SW!TCH.

We strive to avoid the exclusion, trivialization, or distortion of social groups by recognizing that not all terms work for everyone, and that the language we use may shift over time. Nevertheless, having a shared vocabulary allows us to be in dialogue with one another, even as we acknowledge power dynamics. For more information on important equity-related terms as they are used by state employees, please see the Washington State Glossary for Inclusive & Equitable Workplaces. Everything from 2SLGBTQIA+ to Xenophobia can be found in this glossary, and it is updated periodically.

For more information on terms related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, see the GLAAD Media Reference Guide.

Social Justice as Core Learning Ability

WCC cultivates crucial academic skills through dynamic courses, thoughtful program outcomes, and attention to the educational environment, so that all students can thrive. From Latine Studies to diversity or global studies category courses, students will find a range of engaging classes to choose from. 

As explained in the Office of Assessment & Institutional Research page, one of the Core Learning Abilities (CLAs) taught and reinforced throughout the curriculum at WCC is: 

Social Justice: The ability to reflect on one’s intersecting identities and roles in society, identify patterns of individual and institutional injustice (and the historical roots of such injustice), and explain potential strategies for change. 

Together with critical thinking, effective communication, quantitative reasoning, and other skills, WCC students learn how to navigate information and identities in the real world. And when they need additional support, WCC students benefit from comprehensive advising and career services, success coaching, tutoring, and Access and Disability Services. 

All students also have the chance to increase their communication skills, social knowledge, and cultural competence through interacting with their peers via Associated Students of Whatcom Community College (ASWCC) clubs and unions and programming sponsored by the Simpson Intercultural Center. Everyone is welcome to attend events and find community!

Indigenous Acknowledgement

Land Acknowledgement is a way of honoring and showing respect to the Coast Salish Peoples, who have long inhabited this land.This does not need to be done at every meeting and gathering at WCC but should be done when it is meaningful or appropriate to do so.

How to do a Land Acknowledgement:
Resources:

Sample Acknowledgement:

The following are common phrases that can be used by an emcee or host to acknowledge WCC’s presence on *** (tribe) traditional territory prior to introducing the tribal representative.

“I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered today on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Coast Salish people specifically the Lhaq’temish, the Lummi People and NuxWsa’7aq, the Nooksack People and I will now ask *** to bring a welcome on behalf of the _____.”

On June 15, 2021, the Lummi Indian Business Council adopted Resolution#2021-060 Title: "Land Acknowledgement" statement for Lhaq’temish People to be utilized by a) school districts, b) government agencies, c) townships, d) organizations, and e) any other party(ies).

Incident Reporting

Whatcom Community College is committed to creating a dynamic learning atmosphere rich with opportunities for freedom of expression and the pursuit of educational growth for students, faculty and staff.  The College will act swiftly and effectively when hate crimes and bias incidents are reported. The College’s responses are governed by the Discrimination and Harassment Policy, Student Rights and Responsibilities Policy (Student Code of Conduct), Civility Policy and the Affirmation of Inclusion, as well as local, state or federal civil rights laws and regulations.

Click here for more on Bias Incident Reporting
Click here for more on reporting an Incident / Accident / Issue of Concern
Click here for more on Title IX Policies, Procedures, and Resources