Equity and Inclusion

MiraCosta has an institutional commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. From individual faculty to the Board of Trustees, our community’s charge is reflected in our teaching practices and our institution’s DEI Statement

• Language is important. To incorporate more equity-minded practices in your classroom, you may want to adopt some of MiraCosta’s Suggested Language templates 
  • MiraCosta Pronoun Guide
  • Pronouns and why they matter
  • Personal Pronouns in Canvas
• Each instructor strives to build community in the classroom. The process starts when the class does, and we can continue the semester-long process with some Community Building Activities
• Involving students in co-creating the classroom experience is essential to cultivating a welcoming and inclusive environment

• Our faculty are our greatest resource in learning about and adopting DEI pedagogy/andragogy, MiraCosta’s Diversity Equity Cultural Competence Committee’s website and Canvas repository (you will have to self-enroll in this course using your MiraCosta credentials) are excellent resources for the equity instructor/practitioner

• Student Services and the talent professionals who lead this area provide us with insight into how our students can thrive both in and out of the classroom. Our Student Equity Department are advocates for social justice and student success at the college
• For events, programming, and opportunities for our students to learn more about social issues and how they can get involved in causes they care about, the Social Justice and Equity Center provides a wealth of resources and support that is truly transformative
• As always, learning more about our students – as well as learning from them – is necessary for us to reverse historical and contemporary injustices deeply embedded in our higher education system. The Academic Success and Equity Programs are pillars of the campus community and welcome your involvement

Creating a welcoming environment for our students starts with our own education on various student populations. These programs offer us specific professional learning on the communities we serve:

• • PRIDE Inclusion Training 
  • UnDocuAlly Training
  • BCAT (Black Community Ally Training) 
  • Military Ally Training offered through Military and Veterans Services
  • SAS (Student Accessibility Services)

• For more information on how MiraCostans are engaging in DEI efforts, you can review the Student Equity Plan and Student Equity Resource Document
• The Office Of The President provides an thorough list of DEI resources – both internal and external
• Making education affordable for our students is a key equity practice. MiraCosta’s OER (Open Educational Resources) & ZTC (Zero-Textbook Cost) initiative will help you help your students by reducing class material costs
• Our CARE (Campus Assessment, Resources, and Education) Team is committed to a holistic approach to student learning and success. Refer students to the team for emergency grants, technology needs, farmer’s market and food pantry information, and other vital resources