Purpose: This Board will provide knowledgeable advocacy for the affirmative development of under-represented groups at Bellevue Community College. It will identify successful strategies that result in increasing enrollment, retention, academic performance, and graduation rates of students from under-represented groups across the socioeconomic spectrum and at all levels of educational attainment. The Board will also assist the College in diversifying its workforce by focusing on new ways to increase recruitment, hiring, development, and advancement of faculty and staff from diverse populations.

Tasks: Provide recommendations for increasing community-based partnerships and other linkages that will support the College’s diversity goals as well as those of the partnering organization. Develop and regularly update strategies for increasing the enrollment, retention, academic performance, and graduation rates of students from divers populations. Provide strategies for increasing the diversity of full- and part-time faculty, administrators, and staff. Serve as advocates and resources for the college in finding successful ways to promote pluralism.

Goals:

• Have members of the advisory board record public service announcements about BCC and its programs to be aired by the college radio station
• Plan and arrange a television show for Channel 28 that talks about the advantages and support BCC provides to under-represented populations
• Host informational breakfasts about BCC and its programs for targeted community leaders identified by the advisory committee members
• Solicit mailing list from advisory committee members in order to disseminate college pluralism program and activity information
• Identify and pursue ways to address parents on student choices that emphasize the direct transfer degree and its advantages
• Solicit support from the college foundation to help establish a student loan fund for books and tuition payments for financial aid students

Convened by: Jean Floten

Advisory Board Members:

• Kevin Henry, Cultural Diversity Coordinator, City of Bellevue
• Georgina Sierra, Attorney at Law
• Matt Mattson, Administrator, Snoqualmie Tribe
• Ruthann Kurose
• Johnnella E. Butler, Associate Dean and Associate Vice Provost, Graduate School Professor, American Ethnic Studies, Adjunct Professor, English and Women Studies, University of Washington
• Victor Valdez, Executive Director, Northwest Minority Business Council
• Habib Habib, CPA
• Jean Floten, President, Bellevue Community College

Ex-officio members: