Diversity Theme 2022-24

Project Statement

• The Diversity Council selects a campus-wide common theme to encourage diversity awareness for the NIC community. This awareness is achieved through shared conversations on campus, the incorporation of diversity into curriculum, guest speakers, panel discussions, a common read, etc.
• Common Ground: Strength, Resilience, and Community is the common theme for 2022-24.
• Creating awareness across campus and providing education concerning the structural causes of discrimination and overall social inequality supports an understanding of diverse populations. The NIC student population and larger community of North Idaho benefit from understanding a variety of cultural perspectives of underrepresented populations including how strength and resilience impact community and student success.

Purpose

1. Prevent discrimination toward disadvantaged groups who are commonly marginalized.
2. Develop a common learning experience connecting community constituents with the goal to help increase student retention and a sense of belonging.
   
3. Strengthen community partnerships with organizations related to multiculturalism to fulfill the college mission and vision of community engagement.
4. Encourage cultural competency by educating college community members about the impacts of the common theme as it affects student learning and student success.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students, faculty and staff will understand how the common theme influences student learning and student success.
2. Students, faculty and staff will understand how the common theme shapes interactions with fellow members within the college community.
3. Faculty and staff will be able to identify at-risk populations to connect with institutional supports established within the college community.
4. Students, faculty and staff will develop a greater understanding of the structural forces shaping experiences related to the common theme to reduce individual discrimination.