RCW 28B.50.920
Diversity, equity, and inclusion—Strategic plans—Student-based organizations—Outreach programs—Model faculty diversity programs.
(1) Beginning July 30, 2022, all community and technical colleges must submit, on a biennial basis, strategic plans to the state board for community and technical colleges for achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion of all races on their campuses.
(2) Colleges must create their strategic plans using an inclusive process of stakeholders including, but not limited to, classified staff, faculty, administrative exempt staff, students, and community organizations. Colleges are encouraged to use campus climate surveys to develop and update strategic plans for diversity, equity, and inclusion of all races.
(3) In addition to planning, each community and technical college shall include in its diversity program opportunities for students from historically marginalized communities to form student-based organizations, and to use community-based organizations, that permit students to work together to mentor and assist one another in navigating the educational system and to access trained mentors using evidence-based mentoring strategies.
(4) Each community and technical college shall establish a culturally appropriate outreach program. The outreach program may include communities of color, students with disabilities, neurodiverse communities, and low-income communities and be designed to assist potential students to understand the opportunities available in the community and technical college system. The outreach program may assist students with navigating the student aid system. Outreach programs may include partnerships with appropriate community-based organizations and use research and supports from the student achievement council.
(5) The state board for community and technical colleges shall develop a model faculty diversity program designed to provide for the retention and recruitment of faculty from all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. The faculty diversity program must be based on proven practices in diversity hiring processes.
(6) Each community and technical college shall conspicuously post on its website and include in the strategic plans, programs, and reports definitions for key terms including: Diversity, equity, inclusion, culturally competent, culturally appropriate, historically marginalized communities, communities of color, low-income communities, and community organizations.
[ 2021 c 272 § 3.]
NOTES:
Intent—2021 c 272: "The legislature recognizes that student completion rates for workforce training certification and degree programs at community and technical colleges are far lower than desirable to ensure that students may utilize the opportunities of postsecondary education to lift themselves and their families out of poverty and to meet our state's student achievement council road map goals, including for 70 percent of Washington residents to have a postsecondary certification or degree to meet workforce needs. The legislature recognizes that first-generation college-attending students, students with disabilities, and underrepresented minority students face far greater obstacles to apply, remain in school, and complete programs. This disparate impact greatly affects our state's commitment to equity.
The legislature recognizes that offering tuition financial support to first-generation and underrepresented minority students is necessary for students to enroll and attend college but must also be accompanied by proven supports for them to complete their degrees or workforce training programs.
The legislature recognizes that there are mentorship and advising programs based on strong evidence that have been proven to be successful in greatly increasing retention and degree or workforce training completion rates for first-generation students, underrepresented minority students, students with disabilities, and for all students at community and technical colleges. It is the legislature's intent that successful programs such as guided pathways be implemented at all community and technical colleges with the goal of doubling completion rates (as measured by completion in six years) for students in the next eight years. To accomplish this goal, the legislature intends to achieve full implementation of research-based programs to improve student outcomes, such as guided pathways. The legislature affirms that all students receiving Washington college grants, college bound scholarships, or federal Pell grants should receive the supports, including mentoring, that have been proven to increase completion rates.
The legislature further finds that research establishes that students from underrepresented minorities are far more likely to complete degrees or workforce training certification programs if the faculty and staff of the college reflect the diversity of the student body. Therefore, the legislature intends for the state's community and technical colleges to develop and implement plans to increase faculty and staff diversity." [ 2021 c 272 § 1.]
Findings—2021 c 272: "The legislature finds that there is a need to expand investments in community and technical colleges for the purpose of guaranteeing both equitable access and educational success for all residents of the state, particularly for students from communities of color and low-income communities. The legislature finds further that equality of opportunity for all students requires investments to support services that are critical to: The success of students of color and low-income students; provide systemwide equity initiatives intended to make community and technical college campuses welcoming, benevolent places; overcome the digital divide for all students; and provide qualified and available counseling throughout the community and technical college system. The legislature also finds that a more full-time, stable, fairly compensated, and diverse community and technical college faculty is necessary to enhance student success and to improve the mentoring available for a diverse student body. The legislature also finds that resources for student aid and workforce investment need to be adequate to meet the needs of all students in the state, particularly those from families of color and low-income families." [ 2021 c 272 § 2.]
Short title—2021 c 272: "This act may be known and cited as the our colleges our future act of 2021." [ 2021 c 272 § 11.]
Structure Revised Code of Washington
Chapter 28B.50 - Community and Technical Colleges.
28B.50.040 - College districts enumerated.
28B.50.050 - State board for community and technical colleges.
28B.50.070 - College board—Organization—Meetings—Quorum—Biennial report—Fiscal year.
28B.50.080 - College board—Offices and office equipment, including necessary expenses.
28B.50.085 - College board—Treasurer—Appointment, duties, bond—Depository.
28B.50.090 - College board—Powers and duties.
28B.50.091 - Board to waive fees for students finishing their high school education.
28B.50.092 - Program for military personnel—Restrictions as to high school completion program.
28B.50.093 - Program for military personnel—Limitation.
28B.50.094 - Program for military personnel—Costs of funding.
28B.50.095 - Registration at more than one community and technical college.
28B.50.096 - Cooperation with workforce training and education coordinating board.
28B.50.097 - Electronic job bank.
28B.50.098 - Appointment of trustees for new college district.
28B.50.100 - Boards of trustees—Generally.
28B.50.102 - Boards of trustees—Student trustee.
28B.50.130 - Boards of trustees—Bylaws, rules, and regulations—Chair and vice chair—Terms—Quorum.
28B.50.140 - Boards of trustees—Powers and duties.
28B.50.141 - Credits—Statewide transfer policy and agreement—Establishment.
28B.50.142 - Treasurer of board—Duties—Bond.
28B.50.143 - Vendor payments, advances or reimbursements for.
28B.50.145 - Community or technical college faculty senate.
28B.50.150 - Out-of-district residence not to affect enrollment for state resident.
28B.50.195 - Intercollegiate coaches—Minimum standards encouraged.
28B.50.196 - Intercollegiate coaches—Training to promote coaching competence and techniques.
28B.50.205 - AIDS information—Community and technical colleges.
28B.50.215 - Overlapping service areas—Regional planning agreements.
28B.50.242 - Video telecommunications programming.
28B.50.248 - Effect of child care subsidy eligibility expansion—Use of existing resources.
28B.50.259 - Program for dislocated forest products workers—Waiver from tuition and fees.
28B.50.271 - Opportunity grant program.
28B.50.274 - Opportunity partnership program.
28B.50.282 - Evergreen jobs training account—Grants.
28B.50.286 - Opportunity express account.
28B.50.295 - Emergency assistance grant program.
28B.50.305 - Seattle Vocational Institute—Findings.
28B.50.306 - Seattle Vocational Institute—Mission—Advisory committee to advise.
28B.50.307 - Seattle Vocational Institute—Funding.
28B.50.320 - Fees and other income—Deposit—Disbursement.
28B.50.409 - Bonds—Committee advice and consent prerequisite to issuance.
28B.50.463 - Use of false academic credentials—Penalties.
28B.50.465 - Cost-of-living increases—Academic employees.
28B.50.468 - Cost-of-living increases—Classified employees.
28B.50.484 - Health care service contracts—Transferred employees of vocational-technical institutes.
28B.50.489 - Part-time academic employees—State-mandated benefits—Definitions.
28B.50.4891 - Part-time academic employees—State-mandated benefits—Reporting eligible employees.
28B.50.4893 - Part-time academic employees—Sick leave.
28B.50.510 - State purchasing and material control, community college purchases.
28B.50.520 - Federal funds, receipt of authorized.
28B.50.522 - Office for adult literacy.
28B.50.528 - Contracts with adjacent college district for administrative services.
28B.50.532 - Completion of industry certificate or credential—Agreements with skill centers.
28B.50.535 - Community or technical college—Issuance of high school diploma or certificate.
28B.50.551 - Leave provisions.
28B.50.553 - Attendance incentive program.
28B.50.789 - Online course descriptions—Required materials' cost information—Reports.
28B.50.795 - Bachelor of science in nursing program—University Center of North Puget Sound.
28B.50.810 - Applied baccalaureate degree programs.
28B.50.815 - Associate degree education for incarcerated adults.
28B.50.825 - Bachelor of science degree in computer science.
28B.50.835 - Exceptional faculty awards—Intent.
28B.50.8351 - Exceptional faculty awards—"Foundation" defined.
28B.50.839 - Exceptional faculty awards—Guidelines—Matching funds—Donations—Disbursements.
28B.50.843 - Exceptional faculty awards—Determination of award—Collective bargaining.
28B.50.850 - Faculty tenure—Purpose.
28B.50.851 - Faculty tenure—Definitions.
28B.50.855 - Faculty tenure—Written agreement embodying terms of employment furnished faculty.
28B.50.859 - Faculty tenure—Tenure retained upon reduced work load assignment.
28B.50.860 - Faculty tenure—Tenure retained upon administrative appointment.
28B.50.861 - Faculty tenure—Dismissal only for sufficient cause.
28B.50.862 - Faculty tenure—Certain grounds constituting sufficient cause.
28B.50.863 - Faculty tenure—Review prior to dismissal—Scope—Recommendations of review committee.
28B.50.864 - Faculty tenure—Appeal from decision for dismissal—Procedure.
28B.50.868 - Faculty tenure—Faculty members currently employed granted tenure.
28B.50.871 - Faculty tenure—Number of tenure-track positions—Report.
28B.50.872 - Periodic posttenure evaluation.
28B.50.8742 - Technical colleges—Employee option to reenroll in public employees' benefits trust.
28B.50.8744 - Technical colleges—Payment to public employees' and retirees' insurance account.
28B.50.877 - Technical colleges—Purchase of support services from school districts.
28B.50.880 - Apprentices—Recommendations of the state board for community and technical colleges.
28B.50.890 - Apprentices—Associate degree pathway.
28B.50.891 - Apprenticeship programs or certificate programs—Transferable course credits.
28B.50.895 - Apprentice education waivers.
28B.50.902 - Centers of excellence.
28B.50.916 - Homeless and foster care students pilot program.
28B.50.925 - Guided pathways—Implementation—Reports.
28B.50.930 - Mental health counselor pilot program.
28B.50.935 - Faculty counselors—Minimum standards.
28B.50.940 - Student aid outreach and completion initiative pilot program—Outreach specialists.
28B.50.980 - Construction—Chapter applicable to state registered domestic partnerships—2009 c 521.