Diversity

The GCC student body is as diverse as its surrounding community.  The college is committed to celebrating this diversity and ensuring that students coming into college receive equitable opportunities for success.  Two organizations on campus committed to the goal of diversity and equity across the campus are the Diversity Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DEI) Council.

Video - Celebrate Diversity

Diversity Videos and Audio

Celebrate Diversity!--  video by GCC Student Filmmaker Ryan Tran

Women in Higher Education Panel -- March 31st, 2021-- Women in higher education face an array of challenges. This virtual panel discussion brought several female leaders in higher education to share perspectives on navigating the academic terrain as a woman, how higher education has not prioritized the needs of women, and recommendations for solutions leaders can implement to support women in higher education. Panelists included Dr. Kathleen Iudicello (EMCC's Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs), Dr. Rosslyn Knight (District Direct of Developmental Education), and Gina Desai (GCC Reading and Mass Communication Residential Faculty).

DEI & Me: Students and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Audio Only)-- Let by Dr. L. Alexander Patrick (Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), this conversation talks about how GCC students can begin to engage in conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within campus clubs, organizations, and communities.

Eduardo Pagan, "The Enduring Significance of Race in the Post-Racial Age"-- In this talk, delivered at Glendale Community College on Monday, November 14th, Eduardo Pagan discusses "The Enduring Significance of Race in the Post-Racial Age".  Eduardo Pagan is a Bob Stump Endowed Professor at Arizona State University, host of History Detectives on PBS, and author of several books and published articles.
 

Additional Information about the Diversity of the GCC Campus

Clubs and Organizations

For more information, on clubs and organizations or getting involved on the GCC campus, please see our Student Clubs Page and the Student Leadership Center.
 

Classes to Help Improve Your Understanding of Diversity

There are a lot of different classes offered on the GCC campus that will help you better understand different diverse cultures and groups. Use Find A Class to learn more about them. To make it easier to find these classes, consider limiting to the General Education Designations:

  • Cultural Diversity in the US [C]
  • Global Awareness [G]
  • Historical Awareness [H]
  • Social-Behavioral Science [SB]
     

Achieving the Dream

At Glendale Community College we recognize the value in ongoing assessment of our efforts and outcomes as relates to diversity, equity and inclusion. In collaboration with Achieving The Dream (ATD), GCC participated in a college-wide assessment, which resulted in the GCC Equity Opportunity Assessment Report. The ATD report provides recommendations based on GCC's existing equity efforts both inside and outside of the classroom, focusing on engaging leadership around the conditions necessary for an impactful campus climate and equity-focused strategic actions, examining the core conditions necessary for addressing equity in teaching and learning and student supports, and identifying the foundation for building momentum for sustainable efforts in diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices. Within these areas, a number of core recommendations to improve equity at GCC were provided: 

1. Engage faculty as change agents in building an equity-focused culture

2. Intentionally design the student experience using a student-centered design approach and systems perspective

3. Develop an inclusive feedback loop with faculty, staff, and the community

4. Develop a transparent plan for democratizing student success data

5. Develop a comprehensive plan for recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, especially LatinX

6. Develop an equity statement with the support of a cross-functional team

While equity change work is not limited to one area or department, the impacts of inequities directly affect how GCC students, faculty, staff, community members, and administrators experience the college and feel supported.  As such, we all, in our various roles, are essential to closing equity gaps. We support our faculty commitment to culturally-relevant teaching and eliminating unconscious bias, as we support and leverage the strength of a diverse student population.

GCC chose to work with ATD because we continually strive to be agile and dynamic in addressing the diversity of student needs. On our campus will find no shortage of faculty, staff, and leaders who care deeply and passionately champion the removal of challenges in support of student success and a sense of belonging. GCC offers a plethora of services, programs, interventions, and supports to address identified equity needs within the general student population.