Advancements have been made in the organization of Delta’s Equity Action Task Force (EATF). Initially created in Summer 2023, EATF intends to continue the push to improve student and faculty equity on campus.
The EATF is divided into four different teams; Wellness and Campus Climate, Access and Connectedness, Policies and Procedures, and Curriculum and Instruction.
The EATF has three main objectives, according to its charter: to significantly reduce equity gaps, meeting students’ basic needs, and to promote students’ health, wellness and safety.
The Wellness and Campus Climate plans to focus on several different topics, according to the group’s prioritization project list: mental health and physical wellness services, assessing and enhancement of campus safety, spaces and compliance and resources, evaluating campus naming and cultural representation, and assessing data collected.
The Access and Connectedness team is working on a project titled “First Year Experience.” The purpose, according to the project charter, is to “develop a culturally infused First-Year Experience program,” and “systemize the onboarding process and remove unnecessary barriers to students across all demographics.”
The project also plans to create videos and handouts for first year students.
“(The videos) can be shown to student groups assuring them that they belong at Delta College and making them aware of all of the resources that are available to them here,” said Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler in an email interview.
The Policies and Procedures team will work on a project titled “Policies and Procedures Data Collection.” The project’s purpose is to create a standardized policy on collecting data to better inform school policy on equity. The three areas that the Policies and Procedures plan on improving equity on are faculty and staff hiring, employment results and employee recruitment practices.
The Curriculum and Instruction team project is focused on what training faculty can go through in order to create a more accepting atmosphere on campus. Several of the training courses mentioned were FLEX. There was also a focus on how faculty curriculums can be translated for non-English instruction.
The three original task forces the Black Faculty Task Force (BFTF), Chicanx/Latine Faculty Task Force (CLTF) and the Faculty Caucus for Asian Pacific Equity (FCAPE). The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the three task forces ended on June 30, 2023. These task forces that preceded the current EATF discussed with Delta’s administration over issues of equity on campus, and recommended actions to improve student equity. The name change of the forums was one of the accomplishments of the three original task forces.
Delta administration will have a retreat on May 21 and 22 to go over the EATF in the 2023-2024 year, and review any changes to be made going into the next year.