Strategic Plan 2024-2034

Seattle Colleges is committed to promoting equity, diversity, inclusion, and community and to ensuring just and equitable policies and practices. It is a moral and social justice imperative.

We work to ensure our systems, processes, and practices are equitable for all identities including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, culture, creed, religion, spirituality, non- spirituality, social and economic status, sex, sexual orientation and identity, gender, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, disability, citizenship, and immigration status.

Equity Is the Foundation of Our Work 

We define equity as the presence of justice and fairness within policies, practices, and distribution of resources by institutions and systems. We commit to equity as a core value to advance our charge to adopt and implement the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) Vision Statement: Leading with racial equity, our colleges maximize student potential and transform lives within a culture of belonging that advances racial, social, and economic justice in service to our diverse communities.

An Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Institution and Framework 

We explicitly and unequivocally denounce racism and discrimination because they undermine the well-being and vitality of our communities. We acknowledge structural racism, ethnic discrimination, and other forms of oppression have contributed to disparities that have existed in the past and persist in the present.

Anti-racism is an active and conscious effort to work against all aspects of overt and systemic racism. We commit to becoming an anti-bias, anti-racist institution where all students and employees receive the access, resources, and services needed to achieve their educational, career, teaching/learning, and personal goals.

We use the Framework for Advancing Racial Equity and Anti-Racism Strategy on Campus, developed by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, to focus our work—both in achieving our strategic goals and in the recruitment, support, retention, and completion of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) and other historically underserved, under-supported groups.

Commitment to Change 

We commit to continued professional development and the unlearning of racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression, biases, and anti-blackness operating at the personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels. As we understand the depth and history of inequitable, racist policies and practices in higher education in the United States, we commit to addressing and correcting these wrongs.

We acknowledge that these commitments will take intentional action both immediately and over time. Meaningful and effective change requires a fully engaged commitment throughout the organization and adequate time to develop capacity for change. We as individuals and as employees must change, in order for the system to change. We are not separate, and students can only have a more effective experience at our colleges when we are also willing to make changes in our teaching and the ways we serve our students. Our institutional success is measured by the success of our students, those who face the greatest systemic barriers to completion.

May this statement manifest to be more than words. May it guide us and be reflected in our strategic plan, goals, strategies, and outcomes. Our commitments hold space for all voices.

We use anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks to offer culturally relevant, inclusive, and accessible teaching and learning; and evolve programs to include community and industry needs preparing students for personal, academic, and professional success in a changing economy. 

• Consistently implement training programs focusing on anti-bias, anti-racist teaching and learning standards and
  practices for faculty and staff that is accessible and inclusive.
• Implement anti-bias, anti-racist focus to all employee professional development plans that are built on a mutually
  agreed upon process.
• Provide a wide range of learning opportunities, instructional programs, and curricula in various modalities and scheduling.
• Integrate anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks into all instructional assessment practices and systems.
• Strengthen the comprehensive review and assessment process that analyzes industry and community needs that are specific to existing and potential programs.
• Improve accessibility for academic resources.
• Foster strong partnerships with community and industry to ensure our academic programming meets the needs of our community and students. 

We use anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks to create a student experience that supports a diverse community; fosters a sense of belonging among our students, especially People of Color (BIPoC) and other historically underserved, under-supported groups; and ensures equitable access to services and essential resources that meet student needs. 

• Leverage the Guided Pathways framework to proactively support students’ pathways, in a clear and structured journey.
• Implement and offer programs and services such as disability services and services for BIPOC students that alleviate students’ personal and financial barriers.
• Establish a comprehensive student feedback loop that gathers insights and informs actionable improvements to enhance the overall student experience.
• Create additional affinity groups on each campus to provide space for conversations and support.
• Develop and implement initiatives and support services that foster a strong sense of belonging for all students.
• Implement targeted outreach programs; and streamline and align admissions and financial aid processes for all students.
• Foster strong community-based partnerships that provide wrap-around services for our students. 
   

We use anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks to create a sense of belonging for our employees, especially our People of Color (BIPoC) and other historically underserved, undersupported groups; promote professional development; and increase morale and retention to cultivate an inclusive and safe environment where our employees thrive and contribute to our students’ success, our mission, and our community’s needs. 

• Implement a comprehensive supervisor training using anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks.
• Create a new employee onboarding system that integrates new employees into the college’s culture and their role.
• Create additional affinity groups on each campus, including the district office, to provide space for
  conversations and support.
• Develop and implement initiatives that foster a strong sense of belonging for all employees.
• Build the infrastructure to support all employees in ongoing training and professional development opportunities.

We use anti-bias, anti-racist frameworks to address systemic barriers faced by students and employees and to create equitable policies and procedures; strengthen operations in environmentally and fiscally sustainable ways; modernize physical and technology infrastructure; and promote transparency and accountability. 

• Establish a well-defined, shared, and collaborative governance structure that is committed to the improvement of policies and procedures.
• Implement strategies for communicating decision making between employees and leadership.
• Implement a multi-year budgeting process that supports the college’s mission, strategic priorities, long-term goals and financial resilience.
• Create and implement a plan to modernize the physical and technological infrastructure that prioritizes environmental sustainability.
• Enhance external relations and community partnerships for revenue opportunity and growth.