Increasing Support
for African American Students

SDCCE’s Commitment and Action Plan

San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) is committed to creating a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for African American students.

We, as an institution, as faculty members, as classified professionals, as administrators, as members of the SDCCE family are committed to enhancing the success of African American students.

In 2020, SDCCE employees, students, and community members contributed a series of public conversations and planning meetings over a nine-month period to develop an ambitious plan for improving the experience of African American students at SDCCE. This document delineates the recommendations of stakeholders who participated in these convenings.

In 2021, we will host three community town halls to review data on disproportionately impacted student populations and to support the implementation of as many of the action items outlined below as possible. Some of the action items will be easy to put in place, but other goals will require supplemental financial resources, personnel, and strategic partnerships with community-based organizations. We hope you will join us in this important work to eradicate institutional racism and discrimination from SDCCE.

Awareness

Increase awareness amongst SDCCE employees about the experiences of African American students on campus.

  1. President’s Town Hall meetings will continue with a focus on African American students’ issues.
  2. We will continue to facilitate awareness and acknowledge the African American student experience at SDCCE.
    • Create opportunities for interaction amongst multiple SDCCE employee groups to discuss issues impacting African American students
    • Create and provide opportunities for marginalized voices to impact the direction of governance, communications, and create new systems that acknowledge and amplify the voices of students, faculty, and professionals across the institution
  3. Professional Development efforts will continue with specific opportunities that address equity and inclusion.
    • Continue and expand FELI (Five-Day Experiential Institute)
    • Engage in professional learning opportunities with experts in addressing African American student learning strategies, needs, and challenges
    • Continue to offer Flex credit for events to encourage attendance (e.g. Convocation and Spring Institutional Day)
  4. Supportive environments for African American students must be created and promoted.
    • Develop an African American Employee Association that can mentor and advocate for African American students
    • Continue to require student input and involvement in all aspects of shared governance
    • Organize presentations that may include both positive and/or negative aspects about African American culture (e.g. art, handicraft, music exhibits, shows) that emphasize, educate and focus on African American culture, life, perspectives, foods, and garments
    • Expose SDCCE employees to different facets of African American culture including linguistic patterns, customs surrounding birth, marriage, death, and the ongoing plight of living in fear of law enforcement
  5. Race conscious mental health resources will be made available to support student success.
  6. An Advisory Board and Culturally Relevant Curriculum Committee will be developed. These groups will provide advocacy for increased resource allocation through the SDCCE Foundation and non-traditional funding opportunities.
  7. A Select Committee on Racial Justice and Institutional Accountability will be established by SDCCE’s Classified Senate. The Committee’s goal is that the unspeakable tragedy of the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tamir Rice, and countless other Black men and women continue to be SDCCE’s continued reminder to focus on racial justice in our community and within our institution.

Research

Expand disaggregated data analysis for African American student access, retention, completion, and transition.

  1. African American student data will be requested from SDCCE’s Office of Planning, Research & Institutional Effectiveness (PRIE). This data will establish baseline data points and confirm the current state of affairs.
  2. A research agenda will be established that specifically addresses access, retention, and completion for African American students.
    • Establish measurable goals for admission and retention of male African American students
    • Conduct student surveys either in classes or digitally that address how to ask students about personal experiences or barriers to success
    • Determine how to ask the right questions and acknowledge that many answers are needed to address all generations and sectors of the community
    • Acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all approach will not address all issues
    • Direct questions to learn from African American students about how barriers have been overcome.
    • Use the learned data to identify interventions that will increase access, retention, completion, and transition for African American students
  3. African American Student Success data must be accessible and easy to understand. PRIE will create dashboards or other visual data reports that will be available on SDCCE’s website.

Community

Strengthen engagement with residents of San Diego’s African American community.

  1. Targeted outreach and marketing will continue, for example, participation in the Justice Summit and in other community events.
  2. African American faculty members will be highlighted in newsletters and other opportunities for showcasing specialized credentials and experience in high-demand career fields.
  3. An African American Community Advisory group will be established that engages members of the African American Community and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds in education, business, political and community-based programs.
  4. A career-college fair and tour of SDCCE will be established that can explain SDCCE offerings to students and the surrounding community.
  5. An African American student program, similar to the Umoja program, will be developed and will include counselors from SDCCE, San Diego City College, Lincoln High School, Morris High School, and others.
    • Hold after school or Saturday morning sessions
    • Establish specific liaisons between southeastern K-12 systems and SDCCE
  6. Create welcoming spaces on campuses for students similar to a Cultural Center for Black students at Malcolm X Library or Neighborhood House will be established.
  7. Establish new and strengthen current partnerships with local Black churches, local NAACP chapters, the Jacobs Center For Neighborhood Innovation, the Jackie Robinson YMCA, the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Urban League and other community based organizations serving African American communities.
Black Lives Matter

Mission: San Diego College of Continuing Education commits to student success and community enrichment by providing tuition-free, accessible, equitable, and innovative quality education and support services to diverse learners in pursuit of lifelong learning, training, career advancement, and pathways to credit college.read more about the SDCCE mission »