San Bernardino Valley College Adopts Anti-Racism/ No Hate Education
San Bernardino Valley College is committed to treating all students equally, and is
giving employees the anti-racism resources necessary to ensure this happens.
In the wake of the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, San
Bernardino Valley College President Diana Z. Rodriguez held an open discussion with
faculty and staff on Black Lives Matter and actions SBVC can take to support the movement
going forward. Faculty and staff members have also been invited to participate in
online workshops and trainings on unconscious bias, micro-aggressions, and ways to
better connect with students of color, as well as discussions on thought-provoking
books like Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's How To Be An Antiracist.
In late June, the SBVC Academic Executive Committee passed an emergency resolution
outlining the infusion of anti-racism/no hate education into the curriculum. Formal
curriculum changes may include adding diversity and multiculturalism to degree requirements,
but it will take time to implement these modifications, and they are not expected
until Fall 2021 or Fall 2022.
"There is definitely much work ahead," Academic Senate President Dr. Amy Avelar said.
"The Academic Senate, as a body, will be directing and completing that work with input
and feedback from constituents, staff, and community."
Virtual events will continue, and could include "Professional Development activities
that help us as educators learn how systemic racism has occurred on our campus and
what we can do to change it," Avelar said. "We can even reflect on how we were taught
and what was excluded. There could be activities on learning different techniques
to incorporate anti-racism/no-hate education within disciplines that may have previously
been thought as difficult or impossible to incorporate."
Additionally, the San Bernardino Community College District invited employees to participate
in a forum, "An Open Conversation About Race, Healing, and Action," with five separate
sessions so everyone interested could take part. The district has an equal opportunity
employment plan, student equity strategies, and policies affirming the importance
of diversity, and the forum's goal was to let the Chancellor's Cabinet hear directly
from employees on ways the district can ensure students and workers feel safe, respected,
and valued.