Equity Initiatives | President's Office
CALL TO ACTION
Invitation for Participation in Societal Education for Equity Challenge (SEEC)
Dr. Bill Scroggins
September 2020
Students who come to Mt. SAC bring with them attitudes and experiences derived from family, friends, neighborhoods, and the larger society. The influence of the larger society is shaped by the dominate American culture whose values include ideological principles such as competitiveness, individualism, free expression, materialism, and faith in freedom and democracy as well as moral principles stemming from Western European values of Judeo-Christian ethics and the Puritan work ethic.
The differences in these two worlds have created marginalized populations to which many of our students belong. They are systematically excluded from full participation in American society and thus lack the self-efficacy to improve their life situation and achieve their full potential.
The Call to Action for SEEC is to create a campus societal culture that values, celebrates, and empowers all populations and breaks down barriers by creating a new culture built on unity of purpose through recognizing the value of diversity for both Mt. SAC and for overall American Society. As an aside, I am a scientist and so know the value of ecological community diversity which enables a community to adapt effectively to environmental changes. So must we value American societal diversity to enable our country to adapt to societal evolutionary changes.
My appreciation to many of you for the dialogue on the evolution of the SEEC presidential initiative, the latest version of which is posted below. The next step is to constitute a group that will guide this initiative. This is not a group that is intended to be part of the college governance structure although it will impact many elements of the college. This group will guide the evolution of the campus society and environment envisioned in the above Call to Action statement. My own background does not prepare me to understand the direction this evolution will take. However, my advantages of being part of that dominant culture do make me appreciate the need for that evolution and that Call for Action. Those of you who choose to participate will have my full support.
As part of your expressing your willingness to be a part of SEEC, this Invitation for Participation will ask you to reflect on the four challenges of SEEC: Advocacy, Recognition, Unity of Purpose, and Transformation. The intent is to call together all of you who respond and share your reflections on these four challenge as a way to begin conversations about the work that you as a group and as individuals will carry out.
Response #1. How do you see Advocacy as important to our students in fulfilling their educational potential? What steps should SEEC advocate to enable students to effectively participate in advocacy for marginalized populations on campus and in the community?
Response #2. How do you see Recognition as important to our students in fulfilling their educational potential? What steps should SEEC support to create a campus which celebrates and recognizes our diverse student populations?
Response #3. How do you see Unity of Purpose as important in creating a campus societal culture that values, celebrates, and empowers all populations and breaks down barriers by recognizing the value of diversity for both Mt. SAC and for overall American Society? What steps should SEEC take to make this happen?
Response #4. What Transition in college policy and process should SEEC advocate to create a campus societal culture that values, celebrates, and empowers all populations and breaks down barriers by recognizing the value of diversity?
Response #5. Are you interested in being part of the group that will guide SEEC? If so how do you see your role?
