Diversity & Inclusion

Minnesota West launched a new initiative to enhance the upcoming 2023-2026 Equity and Inclusion plan. The mission was to produce a plan that aligned the strategic goals and objectives of Minnesota West with the system-wide Equity 2030 effort. A fifteen-member DEI committee, consisting of administrators, faculty, and staff, was formed.

The DEI committee set the groundwork and developed consensus for a more unified and comprehensive DEI plan. This marked the beginning of a journey that will align with the system-wide Equity 2030 effort.

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Eight Goal Areas:

1. Curriculum 
   Integrate an inclusive perspective into all institutional curricula materials.
2. Event Planning & Management
   Create a universal and “culturally inclusive” event planning process.
3. Human Resources
   To encourage membership of search committees are representative of and applicable to
   the posted position.
4. Conflict Management &Resolution
   To develop and implement a protocol that instructs faculty, administration, and staff on
   how to resolve conflicts.
5. Marketing & Communication
   To create and disseminate inclusive and accurate marketing and communication materials that support the college's commitment to equity and inclusion.
6. Project Management
   To create and implement a process that will provide structure and guidance to enhance diverse representation when beginning major projects and initiatives.
7. Student Orientation & Advising
   To Integrate DEI into the current practices.
8. Budgeting
   To ensure that budgetary consideration is explicitly directed towards DEI projects and initiatives.

Seven Areas to Improve

1. Committee & Taskforce Formation
   To encourage that diversity of members is considered in the creation of all college taskforces and committees.
2. Culture
   Create a campus environment that reflects and celebrates inclusivity.
3. HR – Job Descriptions
   To include language in every job description that emphasizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in the role and the expectations for promoting these values in the workplace.
4. Measuring Progress
   Implement a comprehensive review of policies and procedures and strategic plan to ensure inclusive language and practices.
5. Policies and Procedures
   To Develop a checklist to evaluate all Minnesota West policies for equity and inclusion.
6. Professional Development
   To commit to professional development and review processes that ensure inclusivity.
7. Programs and Services
   To adapt programs and services that are inclusive and accessible across all institutional platforms.

Six Domains to Monitor - Low-need

1. Mission, Vision, and Values
   To integrate an inclusive excellence statement within Minnesota Wests Mission, Vision, and Values.
2. History
   To develop a historical perspective that promotes the cultural evolution of Minnesota West.
3. Leadership
   To ensure “inclusive leadership” that is accessible to students, faculty, and staff.
4. Climate
   Create a climate that is welcoming to members of all identities, backgrounds and experiences.
5. Physical Environment
   To maintain décor that is representative of our community.
6. Supervision
   To encourage supervisors to demonstrate openness to everyone

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Minnesota West plans to:

• Eliminate systemic and institutional barriers hindering student outcomes and success.
• Implement equitable hiring practices that attract a diverse pool of candidates and strive to foster an inclusive working environment.
• Offer and provide continuous and sustained professional development opportunities to faculty and staff toward diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Develop a collaborative relationship with local and community organizations to collectively identify needs and allocate resources to our community’s most pressing socioeconomic and sociocultural needs.
• Advance a civil, open, and transparent social dialogue that promotes cultural competency and collective ownership of our common future.

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2022: Laying the Groundwork

• Formation of the DEI Committee: In 2022, the foundation for the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) plan was laid. A fifteen-member DEI committee was formed, consisting of administrators, faculty, and staff.
• Drafting the Plan: The committee began drafting a comprehensive DEI plan aimed at aligning with the broader Equity 2030 initiative.

February 2023: Finalizing the DEI Plan

• Completion of the Plan: By February 2023, the DEI committee finalized the new DEI Plan for 2023-2026.
• Establishment of Goals: The plan included eight primary goals, each with short-term (1-2 years) and intermediate (3-5 years) outcomes, along with specific measures and indicators.

2023-2026: Implementation and Monitoring

• Timelines and Tasks: Detailed timelines and specific tasks were laid out for each of the eight goals, spanning from 2023 to 2026.
• Areas of Improvement: Seven areas for improvement were identified, each with associated variables and goals. These areas were given fully established timelines for monitoring and assessment.
• Low-Need Areas: Six additional domain variables were outlined for assessment as low-need areas, ensuring a comprehensive approach to DEI.

Ongoing Engagement

• Stakeholder Engagement: Key stakeholders were identified as points of contact for the DEI plan's main strategies, ensuring continuous involvement and accountability throughout the implementation period.

This structured timeline ensures that Minnesota West's DEI plan is not only comprehensive but also actionable, with clear objectives and regular assessments to track progress and make necessary adjustments.

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To ensure progress in our DEI plan:

• Conduct Surveys: Regularly gather feedback from students, faculty, and staff.
• Engage Stakeholders: Involve the Cabinet, Administration, Faculty, and Staff in the DEI process.
• Integrate Daily Operations: Make the DEI plan a part of everyday activities.
• Cultural Awareness Training: Require annual training for all staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Increase Diversity: Set and monitor goals to increase the diversity of staff and faculty.
• Update Mission and Values: Create new mission, vision, and value statements highlighting "inclusive excellence."
• Review Materials: Regularly update educational materials to ensure inclusivity.
• Observe Holidays: Recognize and respect multiple religious holidays and celebrations.

These steps will help us create a more inclusive and equitable environment at Minnesota West.

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The college's Affirmative Action Plan focuses on addressing barriers to hiring and enhancing recruitment efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. After reviewing past challenges, the college has identified strategies and processes to address the underutilization of certain groups. Actions have been taken to improve recruitment practices, with a focus on increasing the number of qualified female candidates, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals with disabilities in the applicant pool. This plan demonstrates the college's commitment to creating a more diverse workforce and providing equal opportunities for all applicants.

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We are committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination for all students and employees. This policy applies to all individuals affiliated with the Minnesota State System and protects their rights while ensuring privacy and preventing retaliation. While the institution values free speech and academic freedom, harassment and discrimination are not protected under these rights. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary or corrective action.

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To improve recruitment and increase diversity in its applicant pool, the college takes several actions, including advertising job opportunities on the State of Minnesota Career site, considering qualified female, racial/ethnic minority, and disabled candidates for all positions, and promoting the Connect 700 program for individuals with disabilities. The college also ensures that job postings include an EEO tagline, uses inclusive recruitment media, reviews job descriptions for non-inclusive language, and explores alternative posting locations such as places of worship and ethnic grocery stores, sometimes in multiple languages. Key personnel responsible include the Vice President of Human Resource Officer, Human Resources Business Partners, and supervisors with hiring authority.

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The Affirmative Action Officer is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring the college’s affirmative action plan, ensuring compliance, and fulfilling reporting requirements. They will also keep the President informed about progress and potential issues. Individuals who believe they have experienced prohibited conduct under Board Policy 1B.1 should report the incident to the designated officer as soon as possible. Additionally, students, faculty, and employees who become aware of or receive complaints about discrimination or harassment are strongly encouraged to report this information to the designated officer. Additional inquiries can be made to the Vice President of Human Resources.

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Minnesota West Community & Technical College was selected for review in 2021 based on Minnesota State’s targeting plan, which requires review of sub recipients with the highest disparities between their total enrollment and their CTE enrollment on the bases of race, sex, and disability.

This letter of findings (LOF) summarizes Minnesota State OCR Review Team’s findings in the nine major areas of review.

Review the most recent Letter Of Findings report

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The purpose of the on-site review was to determine the college's compliance with the Guidelines and the following federal laws and regulations:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 100, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin;
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulations at 34
  C.F.R. Part 106, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex;
• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 104, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability; and
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and its implementing regulations at 28 C.F.R. Part 35, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.

The LOF describes any findings of noncompliance for which corrective action is required. All required corrective action will be included in Minnesota West Community & Technical College's Voluntary Compliance Plan (VCP).

The VCP should address every item of noncompliance, describe the corrective action that Minnesota West will take to remedy each item, the target completion date (month and year), and a statement of how completion of the corrective action will be reported and verified to Minnesota State.

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Grievance Procedures
These procedures appear in the student handbook and the student code of conduct. The procedure is also posted under policies.
The Minnesota State OCR Review Team reviewed both sets of procedures under the “prompt and equitable” requirements set forth in the Title IX, Section 504, and Title II regulations.

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In addition to interviewing instructors and administrators, the Minnesota State OCR Review Team reviewed Affirmative Action Plans, Personnel Action Reports (PARs) and documents for accommodations for employees with disabilities. All of these postings contained the proper nondiscrimination notice and policies. The Minnesota State OCR Review Team also reviewed the college’s salary policies (determine by bargaining contracts). There was no evidence of a violation.

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Any questions or comments can reach out to the Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Student Development.

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Title IX protects people from disc​rimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive financial assistance from the federal government. This includes protection for students, educators and school employees against all forms of sex or gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence, other forms of sexual misconduct, stalking and retaliation.

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Students, faculty, or employees at a Minnesota State college or university who have experienced sexual assault or violence can contact their campus Title IX Coordinator. Always call 911 in an emergency.

Students Coordinator

Employee Coordinator

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Support Resources

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Training and Professional Development

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Students Coordinator

Employee Coordinator

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Policy 1B.1

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities are committed to providing equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in employment and education, fostering a diverse and inclusive environment. Discrimination and harassment based on protected classes such as race, sex, religion, disability, and more are prohibited in both employment practices and educational programs. The policy also upholds academic freedom, allowing for free expression, but makes clear that discriminatory or harassing behavior is not protected under free speech or academic freedom principles.

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Individuals who believe they or others have been or are being subjected to conduct prohibited by Board Policy 1B.1 are encouraged to make a report of the incident to a designated officer. Reports should be made as soon as possible after the alleged conduct occurs.

Any student, faculty member, or employee who knows of, receives information about or receives a report/complaint of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation is strongly encouraged to report the information or complaint to the designated officer of the college, university, or system office.

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For any policy history or updates, refer to Policy 1.B1

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Policy 1B.3 

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities have a firm stance against sexual violence, recognizing it as a serious violation of personal rights. The institution is committed to eradicating sexual violence by taking appropriate action against violators, whether through internal procedures or criminal or civil proceedings. The policy applies to students, employees, and others, whether incidents occur on or off system property. Each college within the system must develop clear sexual violence policies in line with the overarching standards, ensuring that prevention, reporting, investigation, and disciplinary measures are in place.

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Sexual Violence Prevention and Education: Minnesota West offers a mandatory Sexual Violence Prevention Course to promote awareness and prevent discrimination/harassment. 

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Sexual Violence - File a Report

Minnesota West encourages the prompt reporting of sexual violence to preserve evidence for potential legal or disciplinary proceedings. Complainants are advised to seek support from local victim services, counseling, healthcare providers, Title IX coordinators, or campus security. Students and employees are urged to assist complainants in reporting incidents to local law enforcement or relevant campus authorities. In appropriate cases, Minnesota West may pursue legal action based on applicable conduct standards for students or employees.

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Sexual Violence - Resources

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The Bias Incident Response Protocol is designed to provide a comprehensive framework for Minnesota West Community and Technical College to effectively respond to bias incidents within the campus community. The protocol aims to ensure that incidents of bias are addressed promptly, support affected individuals, and foster an inclusive and respectful environment for all students, faculty, and staff. A bias incident refers to any act or behavior that targets an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity,national origin, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic. Bias incidents may include but are not limited to offensive language, derogatory comments, slurs,harassment, intimidation, vandalism, or any other form of discriminatory behavior.

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Online:

Minnesota West provides an online reporting form. This form offers a user-friendly platform where individuals can provide detailed information about
the bias incident, they witnessed or experienced. The online reporting form allows individuals to confidentially document essential details, such as the date, time, location, incident description, and the involved parties’ identities if known. This option offers a straightforward and efficient way to report bias incidents.

In-person:

Directly communicate with faculty, staff, administrators, advisors, etc.

Minnesota West encourages individuals to directly communicate with Minnesota West personnel to report bias incidents. This can be done by reaching out to individuals in the college community
who will assist in documenting and addressing the incident. The staff or faculty member is responsible for accurately documenting the incident by filling out the online form on behalf of the student, capturing all pertinent details such as the date, time, location, and
nature of the bias incident.

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Minnesota West Community and Technical College takes bias incident reports seriously by promptly acknowledging the receipt within 24-48 hours, ensuring the reporting individual feels supported. The college's bias response team promptly documents all relevant details, maintaining confidentiality and adhering to privacy laws, which helps preserve evidence and provides a foundation for investigation. Following the initial acknowledgment, an assessment is conducted to determine the severity and necessary response, often in collaboration with various campus stakeholders. The college is committed to conducting a thorough, fair, and impartial investigation, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and ensuring objectivity, with a focus on timely resolution.

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Our college prioritizes the well-being of individuals affected by bias incidents by offering comprehensive care and support. This includes connecting them with counseling services to address emotional distress, providing resources to promote mental health and resilience, and offering academic support such as assignment extensions and tutoring. Additionally, the college ensures access to support systems like student organizations and advisors to help individuals feel supported and connected within the community during challenging times.

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