four female students

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Center for Inclusion and Diversity strives to create a climate of inclusion where students, faculty, and staff are supported and empowered in their personal journeys, through equity in access, developmental opportunities, and holistic education.

Red Rocks Community College is committed to diversity in its people and programs. The College is an equal opportunity educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, age, national origin, veteran status, ancestry, or any other category protected by applicable law. 

We also believe in going further. At RRCC we have a focus on equity and belonging. We strive to create a community in which everyone feels respected and valued for their unique talents and contributions, and where people from all backgrounds are able to achieve their goals.

The Center for Inclusion & Diversity is here to support you at Red Rocks, whether it is through your educational journey as a student or your employment as a faculty or staff member. Red Rocks Community College acknowledges that inclusion and equity are multifaceted and complex concepts, and that our efforts in these areas will require innovation, intention, and an institutional commitment to these principles, across our entire college community.

Inclusive Excellence drives our approach to engagement. Please review the information available here, and do feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We exist to serve you!

Mission: The Center for Inclusion and Diversity strives to create a climate of inclusion where students, faculty, and staff are supported and empowered in their personal journeys. Through equity in access, developmental opportunities, and holistic education, we will prepare all members of the RRCC community to actively engage in an increasingly diverse and global society.

Working Definitions

During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Equity and Inclusion Council developed the following definitions to guide our diversity, inclusion, and equity work within the college.

Diversity: the broadest spectrum of humanity which include individual differences (e.g., personality, prior knowledge, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations)

Inclusion:  Active, intentional, and ongoing efforts to create a culture of belonging where individuals feel welcome, valued, and supported

Equity: the creation of opportunities, systems, and structures which remove barriers and close gaps in outcomes for those from historically underrepresented groups[1]

Equity-Mindedness:  "The term 'Equity-Mindedness' refers to the perspective or mode of thinking exhibited by practitioners who call attention to patterns of inequity in student outcomes. These practitioners are willing to take personal and institutional responsibility for the success of their students, and critically reassess their own practices. It also requires that practitioners are race-conscious and aware of the social and historical context of exclusionary practices in American Higher Education."[2]

[1] In order to preserve the racial justice roots of the term equity, and because we know that our students of color experience gaps in outcomes as compared to our white students, our primary lens of equity analysis is through race.  However, we also are committed to ending other forms of inequity, such as inequity based on socioeconomic status, gender identity, etc.

Contact Information

Dr. Jen Macken
Executive Directory of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
jen.macken@rrcc.edu
303-914-6309
Room 1251 (Lakewood Campus | Inside the Hub)

Adriah Young
Center for Inclusion & Diversity Program Coordinator
adriah.young@rrcc.edu
303-914-6305
Room 1252 (Lakewood Campus | Inside the Hub)

Center for Multicultural Excellence
Room 1235 (Lakewood Campus | Inside the Hub)

LGBTQ+ Center
Room 1236 (Lakewood Campus | Inside the Hub)

To reach us:
RRCC.Inclusion@rrcc.edu

Carved wooden statues of two giraffes, a hand holding an egg, and a woman holding a water vessel on her head
Center for Inclusion and Diversity Red Rocks Community College
Moon Shot for Equity

Visit the RRCC Moon Shot Web Page

RRCC Proud member of:

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Denver since 1978
Student Learning Goals
  1. Students will develop a deeper understanding of their own cultures as well as those of others; they will develop skills in communicating across cultural differences.
  2. Students will gain knowledge in the ways that power and privilege affect the lived experiences of people from a variety of backgrounds.
  3. Students will be exposed to opportunities and resources that will support them as successful students and lifelong learners.

 

 
Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our current DEI strategic plan was developed by the Equity and Inclusion Council over the course of a year in 2019 and was finalized in spring 2020.  While we are still working on the goals outlined in that plan, we will also be developing an new and updated plan during AY 23-24.  To see the current status of our goals, click on the links below.

Center for Multicultural Excellence

This is a space for our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and multiracial students to find inclusion and build community at RRCC.  The physical space is located on the Lakewood campus in the Hub.   The space is intended to provide an atmosphere where all students, particularly students of color and other historically underserved students, can find support, build college connections, participate in intercultural dialogue.

LGBTQIA+ Center

LGBTQIA+ Center

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) Center at RRCC is a space for LGBTQIA+ community members and allies to come together to share resources, support, and discussion about topics relevant to the community. 

Student Clubs that Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Center for Inclusion and Diversity collaborates with faculty and staff across campus to provide spaces for students who may be underrepresented in higher education to find each other and build community.  Here are the meet ups for spring 2023:

Find Your People

We know college is a lot.  It also feels a little easier with a support system.  Pop into one of our meet-up groups to connect with others who may have similar experiences or identities.  These are spaces for you to listen, share, vent, encourage, and let our college know how we can best support you.  If there isn’t a group for you yet, talk to us about starting one!

Student Clubs

Student clubs and organizations pursue goals that support a variety of common interests and ideas among students. Organized through the office of Student Life, there are a number of clubs that may be of interest to you. Below is a list of existing student clubs that serve historically underrepresented students, and a full list of student clubs can be found on the Student Life website. 

If you don’t see a club that serves a need for you, we’d love to help you start one!

Cultural Diversity Club

President: Ginger Rose
Email: rrcc.cultural.diversity.club@gmail.com (link sends e-mail)

Rainbow Alliance

President: Nico Gambone
Email: rainbowalliancerrcc@gmial.com (link sends e-mail)
Advisor: Jeremy Savage

Veterans Club

President: 
Email:  rrccvetclub@gmail.com (link sends e-mail)
Advisors:  Merri Mattison—303.914.6635, Paul Gallagher—303.914.6123

Land Acknowledgment Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC recognizes the significant contribution of Indigenous cultures in our State, within our communities and within the land on which we are privileged to gather, live, learn, and work today. We recognize the vital importance of honoring these beginnings and the dedication and importance of Indigenous voices who courageously bring the truth of our history as a state.

The theft of Indigenous land occurred alongside vicious brutalities that were inflicted on Indigenous Americans, and culminated in a senseless atrocity, known as the Sand Creek Massacre in November of 1864 (site located in Eads, Colorado). This massacre resulted in the deaths and bodily mutilations of upwards of 200 innocent Arapaho and Cheyenne people, two-thirds of whom were women and children. RRCC acknowledges that the racist aggressions, systemic injustices, and blatant murders committed by the US government and settlers against the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Ute and all peoples of the Americas, have yet to be satisfactorily addressed or acknowledged through adequate actions of restorative justice. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado as they seek equity and reparation in their ancestral homelands.

Suggested Use- Shorter Email Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado.

Suggested Use- Syllabus Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC recognizes the significant contribution of Indigenous cultures in Colorado, within our communities and within the land on which we are privileged to gather, live, learn, and work today. We recognize the vital importance of honoring these beginnings and the dedication and importance of Indigenous voices who courageously bring the truth of our history as a state. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado.*for more information please reach out to our department.

Equity and Inlusion Council

Red Rocks Community College is thrilled to launch a 5-year partnership with EAB in our Moon Shot for Equity.  In order to best work in alignment and ensure a collaborative and intentional approach to our work, the role served by the Equity & Inclusion Council has shifted to the Moon Shot for Equity Teams.  More information is included below.  If you are interested in joining the Moon Shot project, email jen.macken@rrcc.edu

Best Practice Teams

The core of the Moon Shot framework is the implementation of the 15 best practices for equity as identified by EAB.  We have prioritized four practices for our first year based on our diagnostic results as well as conversations with the Moon Shot Steering Committee and college leadership.  They are:

  1. Audit registration holds and revise policies (Hold Reform)
    Participate in registration hold audit of to eliminate or revise those that are unnecessary, obsolete, or burdensome holds that prevent student progression and completion
  2. Offer retention grants for in-need students (Retention Grants)
    Help students stay in school and on path to graduation by offering retention grants.
  3. Create pathways for transfer students (Transfer Pathways)
    Streamline transfer pathways to ensure a seamless and successful transfer between institutions.
  4. Make student care a coordinated effort (Coordinated Care)
    Create a Coordinated Care Network across offices such as financial aid, career advising, support services, and counseling centers to easily coordinate and collaborate on appropriate next steps for student support.

Best practice teams will come together to collect data, analyze it, make recommendations for changes in our practices, and assist in the implementation and scaling of the improved practices.  These teams are intended to meet over the course of one year, with the goal of putting sustainable changes in place and then turn over monitoring to the guiding teams (see below). If you are interested in participating on any of the best practice teams, please use the interest form and the team lead will be in touch.

Moon Shot Guiding Teams

In addition to the Best Practice Teams, we are looking for individuals to serve on the overarching Moon Shot Guiding Teams.  These teams will serve for the duration of the project (5 years) and provide feedback, thought partnership, and general support to our overall goal of closing equity gaps at RRCC.  In addition to Moon Shot, these teams will collectively serve as an advisory board to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department at the college.

  1. Equity-Mindedness Development Team
  2. Leadership Development Team
  3. Outcomes Assessment Team
  4. Marketing and Communications Team

Programs and Development Opportunities

If you would like an event publicized on our shared Inclusion calendar, please create the event in Outlook and invite rrcc.inclusion@rrcc.edu.  Please include a brief description and event details as available.

Events

Diversity Resources

Community Resources for Students | Red Rocks Community College (rrcc.edu)

Please check out the following resources as we navigate the tragedies of racial violence that have occurred in the past weeks in the United States.

Informed Immigrant

Financial Aid for non-U.S. Citizens

Application Process | Red Rocks Community College (rrcc.edu)

United We Dream

Educators for Fair Consideration

College In Colorado

Together Colorado

My Undocumented Life: Up-to-date information & resources for undocumented immigrants

Please see this resource from the Colorado DREAMer Ally Network, "Recommendations & Resources for Informing & Supporting DREAMers" for guidance on actions to take in light of the uncertainty around various immigration statuses.  The same document in Spanish is available here.