Diversity and Inclusion
One GCC
One GCC is a campaign to showcase what each ONE of us is doing to promote Inclusive Excellence on campus. Are you mentoring ONE underrepresented student or a new employee? Are you using more culturally-themed materials in your curriculum or expanding the visual representation of people of color in your materials? Are you and your work buddies participating in ONE of the many cultural competency professional development opportunities? Are you a student embracing inclusion and making new friends?
If so, please Follow Us on Facebook and share the wonderful things that you are doing. Remember, even though we are individually unique and special, we are all here to form ONE supportive and inclusive educational community.
About Inclusive Excellence
Strategic Plan
Genesee Community College is committed to celebrating diversity, ensuring equity, and creating an environment where all of our students, faculty, and staff feel valued and included. With a promise to focus on these efforts, one of the five priorities of our Strategic Plan (2023-2028) is to “Nurture a community that fosters respect and values global citizenship and social justice. Reinforce our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and wellness throughout all endeavors.” The specific objectives we hope to achieve are as follows:
Core Objective 3.1: Expand current efforts to increase recruitment, retention, employment, and success of underrepresented populations within the college community.
Core Objective 3.2: Foster an environment of belongingness by broadening opportunities to better understand, embrace, and celebrate our individual differences.
Core Objective 3.3: Evaluate and improve upon services that support the wellness of the campus community.
Inclusive Excellence Committee
The Inclusive Excellence Committee (IEC) (formerly known as the Diversity Council) is comprised of voluntary members of faculty, staff, and students who seek to support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the college. It was created by Joanna Barefoot in 2011, with her dream of opening a multicultural resource center on campus.
If you would like to join the Inclusive Excellence Committee or request resources, please contact Madeline Reichler at mereichler@aotai-tech.com.
LGBTQ+ Resources
“All Gender” Bathrooms
Here at Genesee Community College, we recognize that having a bathroom where one feels safe and comfortable is of high importance to many of our students. A 2021 SUNY policy declared that all public single-occupancy bathrooms on SUNY campuses must be designated as gender neutral. GCC’s Batavia campus has five all-gender bathrooms. One can be found in the lobby of the Stuart Steiner Theatre, one in the Wellness Center, one on each floor of the Student Success Center, and one in the Richard C. Call Arena.
How to Change Your Chosen/Preferred Name in Banner Self-Service
- Log into Banner Self-Service from MyGCC
- Select View/Update Personal Info from the Student Records Menu:
- Select “Personal Information” Button:
- Click the Edit symbol in the upper right hand corner:
- Type in your Chosen/Preferred First name and click “Update”:
- An electronic workflow will begin sending this information to Records, Computer Services, and Online Learning. Your chosen/preferred first name may take up to 72 hours to display across all eligible campus services.
Open Door Internship Program
The Open Door Internship Program is a one-semester program created to provide opportunities for professionals from historically underrepresented communities to explore teaching at the college level. Once accepted into the program, individuals will receive their own class, full adjunct pay, and an experienced mentor to help guide their first semester teaching. If you like the idea of working in community college education and hope to empower students through your own experiences and expertise, we hope you consider this opportunity!
Requirements:
Background
- Must be a member of a historically underrepresented population.
Education
- Master’s Degree in the subject area or a Master’s Degree in a related area required.
Special Skills
- The ideal candidate displays a strong interest in higher education and possesses great knowledge of their academic area. They must interact and communicate effectively (verbally and in writing) with students and colleagues and possess a willingness to embrace technology. This person must be a friendly, enthusiastic team player with a strong work ethic and demonstrate a commitment to diversity and to the practice of student development theory
Application Instructions:
To be considered, applicants must apply through The Open Door Program position listed on the Employment Opportunities Website. Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest, resume or CV, and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references, along with copies of your transcripts. If hired, official transcripts must be submitted to the Human Resources Office.
If you have questions regarding this opportunity or the status of your application, please contact Human Resources at hr@aotai-tech.com or (585) 345-6808.
Resources
Cultural Competency
- Self-awareness is the consciousness of one’s own social identities, cultures, biases, and perspectives.
- Understanding and valuing others is the knowledge of and appreciation for others’ social identities, cultures, and perspectives.
- Knowledge of societal inequities is the understanding of how social identities and forms of oppression affect people’s experiences and access to power, resources, and opportunities.
- Skills to interact effectively with diverse people in different contexts is the ability to adapt to and work collaboratively with different cultural groups, in a range of situations.
- Skills to foster equity and inclusion is the ability to identify and address inequities in order to create environments, policies, and practices that ensure diversity and fairness.
Developed by Diane J. Goodman, Ed. D. ©2014 Available at her website.
Resources for Cultural Competency and Understanding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Campus Pride – Education and resources geared specifically for LGBTQ+ college students.
DoSomething – An online hub for young people interested in volunteering and making positive social change. Learn about a cause that’s meaningful to you, join the campaign as an individual or group, and make a difference in your community! Members can also earn scholarships and volunteer credits.
ACLU: Know Your Rights – Everyone has basic rights under the U.S. Constitution and civil rights laws. Learn more here about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and what to do when your rights are violated.
How to Tell Someone They Sound Racist – Jay Smooth shares a useful technique to combat racist actions.
If the World Were 100 People – Consider your life compared to others in this world.
Project Implicit – These quick online tests may help you to see whether you have implicit bias towards certain groups of people and how strong this bias is. Try it – you may be surprised!
TED: Bridging Cultural Differences – This is one of many collections of Ted Talks related to diversity. There are hundreds of presentations related to cultural competency and diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you want something specific, I bet they have it!
– Peggy McIntosh, in her seminal work on privilege stated, “I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was “meant” to remain oblivious.” Most white Americans fail to realize the extent to which privilege impacts their lives. This article and the SEED project help us understand white privilege and more importantly, what to do with this privilege.
