Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has recognized the benefits to students, faculty, and the California Community College System gained from the variety of personal experiences, values, and views of a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds in its Inclusivity statement of June 1, 2012;
Whereas, Oftentimes colleges collect demographic data through tools that limit choices and therefore provide an incomplete and distorted understanding of their campus culture(s);
Whereas, A growing awareness and understanding of the complexity of identity can be a powerful tool for planning inclusive activities and programs; and
Whereas, Many stakeholders do not recognize themselves in a “choose one” box for race, ethnicity, or gender-related demographic categories and therefore feel excluded from the campus community and may, in fact, be excluded by programs that are not designed with them in mind;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge that all demographic data collection instruments in the California Community College System provide expanded categories for identity on race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender demographic questions and allow students to declare multiple identities so the colleges can use those demographic realities to inform planning;
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges encourage local senates to inform all students, faculty, and staff of their options to claim multiple identities or to decline answering; and
Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges work with the Chancellor’s Office in developing a crosswalk from previous categories to expanded categories and transitioning to a broader scope of data collection throughout the system and its publications.
MSC