BTC seeks to create an educational experience that prepares all students to live as critical thinkers and engaged members of a global world. Our graduates will be prepared to enter their careers as leaders who honor the importance of diverse communities. BTC is dedicated to the ongoing training and education of our students and employees around topics of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. 

BTC is engaged in reducing institutional barriers and harm that students of historically underrepresented groups are experiencing daily. BTC is committed to supporting our Black, Indigenous and People of Color community (BIPOC) members and working to define, identify, and dismantle inequitable structures of power, privilege and oppression that have and continue to hinder the education of historically underrepresented peoples.

Dear BTC Community,

At Bellingham Technical College, we are committed to ensuring that every student and employee has an equal opportunity to thrive. Achieving this requires collective effort and dedication. BTC seeks to create an educational experience that prepares all students to live as critical thinkers and engaged members of a global world, with graduates prepared to enter their careers as leaders who honor the importance of diverse communities. The college is dedicated to the ongoing training and education of our students and employees around topics of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

BTC stands in solidarity with our Black, Indigenous and People of Color community. To live those values, we must be actively anti-racist, and we must educate ourselves and our community about systemic oppression in all its forms. As President of BTC, I urge our community to come together to critically examine the practices and structures on our campus that may perpetuate racism.

While equity is an important part of everyone’s work on campus, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and the DEI Committee at BTC set and monitor the college’s diversity and equity agenda. The committee advocates for consistent and inclusive processes, policies and procedures for all employees and students. Committee members worked with key stakeholders this past year to build BTC’s DEI Strategic Plan, which serves as a thoughtful guide and accountability tool for campuswide work on issues of equity and racism, including student access, success and retention, safety, campus climate, and more.

BTC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage offers resources and information around a variety of DEI topics, include bias incident reporting, relevant anti-discrimination laws and more. The DEI page houses BTC’s work to meet the requirements of RCW 28B.50.920 and 28B.10.147, including the results of BTC’s most recent DEI listening sessions and Campus Climate Survey.

I am proud of the work happening to make BTC a safe, equitable, and inclusive campus, but I also know that there is much room for growth and improvement. As President, and as a campus, we are committed to standing with our Black, Indigenous and People of Color community and continuing to work toward antiracist equity.

BTC President James Lemerond

Tribal Land Acknowledgment

In spoken word:

"Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are here today within the usual and accustomed lands of the Lummi Nation and of the Nooksack Tribe of the Coast Salish peoples, and the original territory of the Samish Indian Tribe. Please join us in respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, whose care and protection of the land and water continues to this day."

On printed materials:

Bellingham Technical College would like to acknowledge that our service area today is within the usual and accustomed lands of the Lhaq’temish or Xwlemi (Lummi) Nation, and of the Noxws’a’?aq (Nooksack) Tribe of the Coast Salish peoples, as well as the original territory of the sʔémǝš (Samish) Indian Tribe. Our respect and gratitude go to our indigenous neighbors, whose care and protection of the land and water continues to this day.

Why do we acknowledge the land? 

We acknowledge land to recognize the Indigenous stewards of the lands we reside on. Land acknowledgements are an important act of honoring Indigenous people who have been living and caring for these lands since time immemorial. It is vital that we know the history of the land and the Indigenous communities around us as the BTC community moves toward a more equitable future.

List of Local Tribes

Bellingham: Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe

Anacortes: Samish Indian Nation and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Everett: Tulalip Tribes, the Snohomish, the Stillaguamish Tribe and the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe

Kitsap Peninsula: Suquamish Tribe and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

Olympic Peninsula: The Hoh Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Makah Indian Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and the Skokomish Tribe.

Seattle: Duwamish, Suquamish, Nisqually, Snoqualmie and Muckleshoot tribes

Resources:

Treaty of Point Elliott

"What About Those Promises?" A performance about the Treaty of Point Elliott 1855, Lummi Nation.

Ferndale Schools Lummi Land Acknowledgement Produced by Ferndale School District, Children of the Setting Sun, and the Lhaqtemish Foundation. 

• 2020 Black Lives Matter Statement

  Dear BTC Community Members,

  BTC stands with Black people. We recognize and acknowledge that Black Lives Matter, and that Black people have been targeted, brutalized and murdered through systematic racist violence. Trayvon Martin in Florida, Michael Brown in Missouri, Sandra Bland in Texas, Eric Garner in New York, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, George Floyd in Minnesota and now Rayshard Brooks in Georgia are just the latest names in a long list of names of Black Americans targeted over the past 400 years because of their race.

  At BTC we must strive towards the goal that every BTC employee and student has an equal opportunity for success. For this to happen, we also recognize that every BTC employee and student needs to be safe in their identity in our community and psychologically safe in their person in order to achieve their best outcomes. We have work to do to achieve that together.

  As BTC’s president, I ask that our campus community come together to rise to the challenge of examining ourselves and our structures for ways that we internalize and perpetuate racist ideas and systems. In addition, we will work to educate ourselves and our campus community in the ways that systemic oppression occurs, from microaggressions to overt racism.

  BTC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) is a deliberative governance body that sets the diversity and equity agenda for the college and monitors its progress towards achieving its goals. DEIC also serves in an advocacy capacity to maintain consistency of major college diversity, equity and inclusion processes and procedures for employees and students.

  DEIC will be facilitating work with our Black employees and students to address bias, to support Black students in their studies by being aware that they may need flexibility and considerations to complete their course work due to the current violence and protests, and we will keep aware and honor that all students have different needs during this time, and to take extra time to communicate grading options.

  Resources available on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion web page include Identity-Based Virtual Lounges for students across the 34 community and technical colleges; Governor Inslee’s Juneteenth Proclamation; and the Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges Board of Presidents Resolution Denouncing Violence against Black Students, Faculty, Staff and Communities and Resolution Denouncing Anti-Asian Discrimination Caused by COVID-19 Pandemic in support of Asian American and Pacific Islander Students, Faculty, Staff and Communities.

  I recommend reading "White Fragility", by Robin DeAngelo. "So You Want to Talk About Race", by Ijeoma Oluo—a graduate of Western Washington University—is a guide to how we can begin and carry on the conversation about race in America. The Bellingham Racial History Timeline documents the history of racism here in Bellingham.

  At BTC we will work to do a better job at standing in solidarity with the Black community.

  Sincerely,

  Kimberly Perry (she, her, hers)
  BTC President

   

  Washington Association of Community and Technical Colleges Board of Presidents Resolution Denouncing Violence Against Blacks in America in support of Black Students, Faculty, Staff and Communities

BTC’s DEI and Anti-racist Student Program 

In alignment with state law RCW 28B.10.149, all degree seeking students attending a Washington state community or technical college in the academic year 2024-25 and all new and transfer students from this academic year going forward are required to take a DEI and Anti-racist program. To fulfill this legal requirement while causing the least disruption and barriers for students, the DEI Office and Office of the VP of Instruction have collaborated to put together a short video which all classes/programs must show to all students throughout this academic year. 

BTC DEI and Anti-racist Program Video Outline:  

• Equity and Non-discrimination statement  
• Student Responsibilities 
• Definition of bias incidents and how to report incidents on campus 
• Information about the Get Inclusive Training that all students are asked to take and that students can find in their email
  

BTC Employee DEI Professional Development

In alignment with state law RCW 28B.10.145 all BTC employees are require to take module 1 and 2 to stay in compliance with state law.

Training Outline

Modules 1 & 2 are one hour trainings focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism. This program was developed in partnership with the institution's administration, faculty, staff, and student leadership groups.

Definitions

In accordance with RCW 28B.50.920 Bellingham Technical College utilizes definitions based on the DEI-Glossary of Equity-Related Terms that was created by Washington State Department of Enterprise Services in an effort to keep BTC aligned with larger state agencies and work around DEI initiatives.

Diversity: Describes the presence of differences within a given setting, collective, or group. An individual is not diverse – a person is unique. Diversity is about a collective or a group and exists in relationship to others. A team, an organization, a family, a neighborhood, and a community can be diverse. A person can bring diversity of thought, experience, and trait, (seen and unseen) to a team — and the person is still an individual.

Equity: The act of developing, strengthening, and supporting procedural and outcome fairness in systems, procedures, and resource distribution mechanisms to create equitable (not equal) opportunity for all people. Equity is distinct from equality which refers to everyone having the same treatment without accounting for differing needs or circumstances. Equity has a focus on eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of historically and currently oppressed groups.

Inclusion: Intentionally designed, active, and ongoing engagement with people that ensures opportunities and pathways for participation in all aspects of group, organization, or community, including decision making processes. Inclusion is not a natural consequence of diversity. There must be intentional and consistent efforts to create and sustain a participative environment. Inclusion refers to how groups show that people are valued as respected members of the group, team, organization, or community. Inclusion is often created through progressive, consistent, actions to expand, include, and share.

Culturally Appropriate: Not to be confused with cultural appropriation, in the educational context, culturally appropriate describes school practices that foster congruence between the home cultures of historically marginalized students and the dominant culture of the schools they attend. In a broad sense, such practices, also described as culturally congruent, relevant, or responsive, are designed to ensure that teachers and other school staff understand the cultures of the students they serve and draw upon students’ cultural strengths to enhance their learning and empowerment (Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Yosso, 2005). (Definition Source Website)

Cultural Competence: An ability to interact effectively with people of all cultures and understand many cultural frameworks, values, and norms. Cultural competence comprises four components:

• Awareness of one’s own cultural worldview
• Attitude towards cultural differences
• Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews
• Cross-cultural skills

Community Organizations: Community organizations, or community-based organizations, refers to nonprofit or grassroots organizations that operate in and for the benefit of a specific community. (Definition Source Website)

Low Income communities: A student or community member who is eligible for need-based financial aid. (As defined by BTC Data & Research Office)

Marginalization: The social process of relegating a particular person, groups or groups of people to an unimportant or powerless position. This use of power prevents a particular person, group, or groups of people from participating fully in decisions affecting their lived experiences, rendering them insignificant or peripheral. Some individuals identify with multiple groups that have been marginalized. People may experience further marginalization because of their intersecting identities. (historical marginalization is based on the historical context of marginalization as defined above). 

People of Color or Communities of Color: Collective term for referring to non-white racial groups.

Bellingham Technical College (“the College”) is committed to maintaining a welcoming, safe, and accessible campus environment by strengthening the diversity, equity, and inclusivity of its campus community. The College recognizes this commitment as essential to a healthy educational climate.

The College considers bias incidents to be incompatible with a healthy educational climate. The College will respond in a timely manner to bias incidents involving individuals affiliated with Bellingham Technical College.

 The College defines a bias incident as any act, behavior, conduct, or communication, regardless of intent, reasonably understood to be an act that, in whole or in part, demeans, intimidates, degrades, threatens, or harasses an individual, members of a group, and/or community, based on an actual or perceived characteristic, including but not limited to any race, color, creed, religion, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or national origin, citizenship or immigration status, or genetic information under any of its programs, activities and services.

Incidents may be reported using the Incident Form

Bellingham Technical College (BTC) in alignment with Washington State RCW 28B.10.147 (Diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism— Campus climate assessment), is required to conduct a campus climate survey every 5 years and listening sessions in between survey years. BTC initiated its inaugural campus climate survey in spring of 2022 and listening sessions in spring of 2023 and 2024. 

Spring 2024 Campus Climate Listening Sessions 

In Spring 2024, Bellingham Technical College’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with Institutional Planning and Assessment, conducted listening sessions for the entire campus community with the goal of gathering qualitative data from students and employees about the campus climate relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. The 2024 sessions sought to deepen understanding of what is needed to support and retain all members of the BTC community.
Campus Climate Listening Sessions Executive Summary and Key Findings

Spring 2023 Campus Climate Listening Sessions 

As part of a continuing commitment to create a more equitable, safe, and just campus environment,
BTC  convened the 2023 Listening Sessions to deepen understanding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)-related experiences and perceptions at BTC’s campus. The sessions emphasized input from the respondent and demographic groups facing greater exclusion, discrimination, or lack of personal safety, based on the Spring 2022 Campus Climate Survey findings.
Campus Climate Listening Sessions Report

Spring 2022 Campus Climate Survey 

In spring 2022,  BTC surveyed students and employees with the goal of developing a baseline understanding of perceptions, experiences, and perspectives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.  

These reports show survey results segmented by respondent groups, including faculty, staff and students, as well as by demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity and gender identity. By studying these results, we are able to see where BTC’s strengths lie as well as opportunities for growth. 

We held several in-person and online forums to invite employees and students to join us to learn more about the DEI Campus Climate Survey, its results and next steps.

This past spring quarter, we hosted listening sessions with stakeholders throughout campus to help further inform how we will use these results to build a stronger and more supportive campus climate.  

Campus Climate Survey Report Links:
Campus Climate Survey Executive Summary 

Campus Climate Survey Executive Summary and Full Report