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Equity and Inclusion

The Office of Equity and Inclusion at Montgomery College upholds a culture that values civil discourse, a safe environment for sharing, and one that observes, measures, and rewards success so that we can create an extraordinary educational institution. Montgomery College’s Board of Trustees adopted an Antiracism Goal, which will “Promote social justice, radical inclusion, and racial equity within the College and the broader community and continue the Board focus on the journey to being an antiracist institution.”

We will promote and create a working and learning environment rooted in the basic tenets of fairness, diversity, and inclusiveness.

Read our Roadmap to Success (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) , and the new Roadmap Addendum (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) .

What We Do

The charge of the Office of Equity and Inclusion is to build a program that addresses ten critical areas of work:

  1. Student Access, Inclusion, and Equity around the Student Completion Agenda
  2. Climate and Culture Assessment, Responsiveness, and Action
  3. Planning, Benchmarking, and Best Practices
  4. Staffing Resourcing and Succession Planning
  5. Recruitment and Hiring
  6. Promotion and  Retention of Employees
  7. Faculty Teaching, Research, and Curriculum
  8. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programming and Policies
  9. External Community Engagement, Collaboration, and Linkages
  10. Business Practices, Workforce/Career Pathways, and Procurement
We operate under the IDEEALS conceptual framework:

Inclusion
Diversity
Engagement
Equity for Students, Employees, Business Partners
Access and Achievement
Leadership
Social Justice
  1. We aspire to be welcoming, equitable, inclusive, and culturally competent.
  2. We are polite in our interactions by:
    • greeting and acknowledging others;
    • saying please and thank you;
    • respecting others’ time, space, and individuality;
    • being direct, sensitive, and honest.
  3. We listen for common ground.
  4. We treat each other with respect by:
    • welcoming feedback with an open mind and giving others the benefit of the doubt;
    • acknowledging the contributions of others and recognizing successes;
    • acknowledging the impact of our behavior on others with a caring heart.
  5. We Address incivility in a polite, courteous, and responsible manner.

Inspired by Mastering Civility by Christine Porat

Download our Civility Norms Flyer. (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window)

The Office of Equity and Inclusion works through a Presidential Advisory Committee and several subcommittees.

Social Justice Inclusive Leadership Institute for Students

The SJILI was created to help students become social justice leaders in their communities. It is also very personal. SJILI staff will create safe spaces that will facilitate sharing but we must also be prepared to deal with possible traumatic experiences that may resurface as a result of a trigger from our discussions. Mindfulness and meditation activities will be used to help students regroup after each session. Each week students will have a few goals and learning objectives to focus on and will meet weekly by Zoom. There will be some weeks that an additional session will be devoted to one-on-one/small group meetings. Teams will be used to keep students updated on important dates and assignments.


Equity Week and
Excellence in Equity Awards 


Senior Vice President Liaisons for the Office of Equity and Inclusion

Andrea Foster, Professor, Business Administration
andrea.foster@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-7847

Terrence Evelyn, Campus Director of Facilities
terrence.evelyn@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-1638

Sophia Mason, Director of HR Business Services
sophia.mason@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-9040

Stacey Gustavson, Enrollment and Student Access Director
stacey.gustavson@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-1909

La Verne Gordon, Development Associate Director
laverne.gordon@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-4023

Yanira Rodriguez David, Community Engagement Manager
yanira.rodriguezdavid@montgomerycollege.edu 
240-567-9074

Zenobia Garrison, Administrative Associate
zenobia.garrison@montgomerycollege.edu
240-567-1968


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What People are Saying
Pass the baton ... equity and inclusion is a long game requiring multi-generational action. This symbolizes the work is never done and the race is always being run and that we are all connected to the work of those before us.
Ramon De La Cruz, Montgomery College staff member