Initiatives
African American Outreach and Retention
The Board of Trustees of Riverside Community College District has presented this Strategic Plan in Objective 3.1:
Strategic Goal 3: Equity
The district will work with community, workforce, and education partners to reduce and eliminate equity gaps.
- Objective 3.1: Decrease equity gaps by 40% in 5 years and eliminate within 10 years.
- Objective 3.2: Increase RCCD’s workforce diversity to better reflect communities served.
Soulful Circle
Soulful Circle is a supportive online community dedicated to fostering the mental well-being and academic success of African American women of the Riverside Community College District. We strive to create a safe, empowering space where members can share experiences, access mental health and other resources, and build meaningful connections. Through mentorship, peer support, and culturally relevant discussions, we aim to uplift one another as we navigate the challenges of higher education and personal growth, with a focus on resilience, self-care, and academic achievement.
Say My Name: Building a Culturally Competent Classroom
The Say My Name program aims to foster a sense of belonging and respect within the educational community by ensuring the correct recognition and pronunciation of every student's name. By leveraging technology to support this goal, the initiative emphasizes the critical role that software can play in enhancing educators' cultural competence and promoting inclusivity in the classroom.
Technology Solution:
Integration of Name Coach, a name-recording feature within the educational institution's Canvas LMS. This feature allows students to record their names as they wish them to be pronounced and attach these recordings to their profiles and email signatures.
Campaign Launch:
Officially introduce the campaign through a kickoff event during Fall Flex, highlighting the importance of cultural competency and the role of correct name pronunciation in fostering an inclusive learning community.
References:
- Why Getting Someone's Name Right Matters [Harvard Business Review]
- Getting it right; why pronouincing names correctly matters [TEDx]
- Why do names and how they're prononuced matter? [BBC]
- How Names Shape Our Identity [The Week]
Region 9 Collaboration
Our mission is to unite all community college campuses within Region 9 to create a collaborative environment for sharing expertise, cultivating innovative ideas, and advancing the quality of online education. By leveraging collective knowledge and resources, we aim to empower our diverse student body with accessible, inclusive, high-quality online learning experiences. Through this collaborative effort, we aspire to shape a visionary 2030 landscape that meets the evolving needs of our online students, equipping them for success in an increasingly digital world.
The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office will again be hosting a Black
Student Success Week in April. The focus will be on “building a better future together.” All Flyers for Black Student Success Week [PDF] Flyers preview: The Black Child Book Fair took place at Riverside City College Campus on February
24, 2024. RCC's Campus News documents the event in their article entitled Beyond Screens: Empowering RCCD’s Online Student Engagement through Literature at
the Black Child Book Fair. The Riverside Community College District (RCCD) Distance Education department organized
and hosted the Black Child Book Fair on Saturday, February 24th, at the Bradshaw Building
on the Riverside City College campus. This event was uniquely crafted to bridge the
gap between the virtual student population and campus engagement, offering RCCD students
enrolled in online courses a rare opportunity to interact with the campus community
alongside their families. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, over 100 individuals, representing
diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, converged to celebrate African-American-focused
literary resources and community engagement. The ASCCC OERI had a back-to-the-basics OER series in February. Faculty attended the
following topics:Black Student Success Week
Established by Darryl Harvey, the Black Child Book Fair serves as a guiding light
of advocacy, committed to enhancing the educational, emotional, developmental, and
social landscape for youth from diverse backgrounds. The fair boasted an array of
sixteen vendors, ranging from local bookstores like Cellar Door and Book Off to entities
such as the RCC Student Parent Club and The Allen Chapel AME Church of Riverside.
Notable independent authors such as Jennifer Ricketts, Edward Rice, Iman Hubbard,
and Vantavia were among the participants. Additionally, other notable vendors included
the Center for Social Justice, Scholastics, and the Riverside Public Library.
Attendees were offered many engaging activities and meaningful interactions with vendors
and community leaders. UMOJA volunteers curated family-friendly activities, fostering
an inclusive atmosphere. The contributions of the Student Parent Club, providing gently
used clothing, and JCSM Non-profit, distributing free books to children, showed the
event's commitment to nurturing environments.
Additionally, over 100 complimentary spaghetti dinners were funded by the church food
disparity grant, thanks to Allen Chapel AME Church of Riverside. Mama T’s Food for
the Soul was also present catering soul food. These contributions enhanced the familial
ambiance and ensured attendees departed with full hearts and stomachs.
Shawna Bú Shell, RCCD's Dean of Educational Services and Distance Education, reflected
on the event's impact, stating, "As we embark on fostering community engagement at
RCCD, the heartening presence of families at this academic event not only captivated
but also energized our online students, signaling the commencement of an exciting
series of interactive experiences for students in the future."
The overwhelming success of the Black Child Book Fair has inspired plans for future
events, with a commitment to offering even more opportunities for online students
to engage with the campus community. RCCD's Distance Education department remains
dedicated to ensuring that all students, regardless of their mode of learning, have
access to enriching experiences that foster a sense of belonging and support within
the RCCD community.