Sixteen institutions are featured in Diverse’s 2020 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges (MPPWCC), highlighting their focus on recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse faculty and staff as well as inclusive campus policies and initiatives.
Among this year’s schools, seven were also recognized in last year’s MPPWCC list, including the Community College of Allegheny County, Garden City Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Montgomery County Community College, Northeast Lakeview College, Pierpont Community and Technical College and South Seattle College.
“We are just honored to be recognized,” says Wendy Walden, associate vice president of executive affairs at Greenville Technical College. “Being recognized that we are doing something right. We will continue to offer new programs and new opportunities for people to come together more and have intentional conversations about topics and issues that are important to them.”
Dr. Bill Pink, president of Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), says this type of recognition means that an institution is showing it is “trying, on the right track and are paying attention” to those needs on campus.
“I think that’s what the key is here,” he says. “Making sure that, as an institution, you’re paying attention. Because if you do not pay attention, the possibility of gaps across your campus is just so much more prevalent. Gaps in terms of people who may just not feel like they belong.”
In general, campus diversity brings both a richness in background and experience, according to Pink. He says that student demographics should be the driving factor of the school’s faculty and staff diversity.
According to GRCC’s website, in 2019, 330 of 637 faculty and staff were women and 137 were considered minority. On the other hand, 62% of students were White, 15% were Hispanic, 9% were African American and 4% were Asian.
