Historic and systemic inequities pose barriers to traditionally underserved students. Removing these barriers and closing these gaps is an essential part of meeting the state’s educational attainment goals.

The NC SSC provides support to these efforts through its work directly with colleges and with the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS).

Diversity – Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles.

Equity – The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation in some groups.

Inclusion – The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate and bring full, authentic self.

 

The NC SSC and NCCCS are pursuing a comprehensive, holistic approach to closing equity gaps in North Carolina. The organizations aim to significantly narrow and then eliminate the equity gaps that exist in the state’s 58 community colleges. To do so, they are addressing — and measuring success in — three areas:

Culture and climate

With a focus on raising the collective consciousness among all stakeholders across the system about equity and related issues, such as poverty.

Faculty teaching and learning

 That includes: (a) delivering equity-focused professional development to full-time and part-time faculty; (b) strengthening educational pathways to ensure all students are learning and advancing toward their chosen credential or degree; and (c) providing faculty with disaggregated course-level data and the tools to enable in-depth understanding of the data.

Student financial stability efforts

 This (a) ensures that underserved students develop financial plans and are connected to resources that can help them address challenges and emergencies; and (b) are developed in partnership with state and regional organizations.

200 West Jones Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

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