Broward College Selected for New Racial Equity Leadership Academy Offered by Achieving the Dream and University of Southern California Race and Equity Center
- Press Releases | 09 February 2021 | 3 min read
The College is one of ten selected schools and is the only institution from Florida
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (February 9, 2021) -- Broward College is one of ten institutions selected to participate in the Achieving the Dream (ATD) and the University of Southern California (USC) Race and Equity Center Racial Equity Leadership Academy (RELA). RELA is a year-long program designed to support teams of five individuals from each college to develop a bold, strategic racial equity plan with actionable solutions to implement at their institution.
“It is a true honor for our College to be selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of RELA,” said Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile, J.D. “This is an incredible opportunity to enhance the work on equity that we have already begun at Broward College. We are off to a good start, but there is still much work to be done.”
The Broward College team includes President Haile, Dr. Jeffery Nasse, interim provost; Janice Stubbs, vice provost, Student Services; Julia Philyaw, associate vice president, Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning; and Carmen Ludtke, assistant professor, Teacher Education Bachelor.
There was an overwhelming response to the application, and schools were selected based on a rigorous review process. The college teams selected for RELA will convene virtually for an initial orientation during DREAM 2021 on February 19. RELA has received financial support from The Kresge Foundation and Greater Texas Foundation. ATD leads a growing network of more than 300 community colleges from 45 states committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity.
“Achieving the Dream and our network colleges are facing an urgent call to action to address racial inequity on our campuses and in our communities. The Racial Equity Leadership Academy, delivered in partnership with the USC Race and Equity Center, will give colleges the tools needed to drive the transformation that is required to meet this moment,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president, and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “We are eager to work alongside these ten colleges as they develop a new vision for their campus equity work.”
The nine other participating Colleges are Anne Arundel Community College (MD), Austin Community College District (TX), Chattanooga State Community College (TN), Columbus State Community College (OH.), Kingsborough Community College (NY), Lee College (TX), Montgomery County Community College (PA), Mott Community College (MI), and Pierce College (WA).
“COVID-19 exacerbated longstanding racial inequities in higher education, and created new disparities that undermine success for community college students of color,” said Dr. Shaun R. Harper, founder and executive director of the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center. “Our partnership with Achieving the Dream will be a significant step in equipping college leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to address these challenges and other racial problems that confront their campuses.”
By the end of RELA, college teams will have identified a racial equity change effort, participated in coaching engagements, developed a new vision for their campus’s racial equity work, and launched the rollout of their racial equity change effort with a comprehensive, prioritized action plan. The overall expected outcomes are increased student persistence and completion through an intentional design to eliminate structural barriers to equity.
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About Broward College:
Serving more than 63,000 students annually, Broward College provides residents with certificate programs, two-year university-transfer degrees, two-year career degrees, and baccalaureate degrees in selected programs. The mission of the College is to provide high-quality educational programs and services that are affordable and accessible to a diverse community of learners. For more information, visit www.broward.edu.
About Achieving the Dream:
Achieving the Dream (ATD) leads a growing network of more than 300 community colleges from 45 states committed to helping their students, particularly low-income students and students of color, achieve their goals for academic success, personal growth, and economic opportunity. ATD is making progress in closing equity gaps and accelerating student success through a unique change process that builds each college’s institutional capacities in seven essential areas. ATD, along with nearly 75 experienced coaches and advisors, works closely with Network colleges in 45 states and the District of Columbia to reach more than 4 million community college students. Follow ATD on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
About the USC Race and Equity Center:
The University of Southern California is home to a dynamic research and organizational improvement center that works with professionals in educational institutions, corporations, and other contexts. We help our partners strategically develop and achieve equity goals, better understand and correct climate problems, avoid and recover from racial crises, and cultivate sustainable cultures of inclusion and respect. Evidence, as well as scalable and adaptable models of success, inform our rigorous approach.