Chaffey CARES
Chaffey College Principles of Community
All members of the Chaffey College community deserve an inclusive environment that encourages openness, appreciation, respect, and empathy. The President’s Equity Council’s Principles of Community were designed to shape the College’s culture and norms to support our students through their educational journey.
These principles will guide our interactions, programs, committees, and processes to build an inclusive and cohesive college community.
- Listen to the experiences of students
- Affirm the experiences of historically and systemically underrepresented members of the community
- Use asset-based frameworks and language that are centered in strengths, resources, and capabilities
- Be transparent in communicating by making invisible processes and expectations visible whenever possible
- Practice self-focus and share from the “I” perspective when sharing experiences or feelings
- Engage in mindful feedback
- Respond to others in a timely manner (e.g., emails, phone calls, etc.)
- Acknowledge the effects of historical and systemic racism and oppression on higher education
- Address and serve the diverse needs of Chaffey College communities
- Engage in learning and growing by exchanging in productive feedback
- Build intentional feedback loops, holding ourselves accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice
- Own mistakes and take responsibility for repairing them
- Honor commitments and notify others when plans change
- Ensure our systems, policies, and practices put students first
- Create brave spaces for honest dialogue that challenges assumptions and promotes growth
- Treat others as individuals, recognizing and honoring their unique backgrounds, strengths, needs, and ways of learning
- Value all voices and empower historically and systemically underrepresented voices in conversations and decision-making
- Balance engagement by participating and making room for others to share
- Call others in to learning by engaging in civil discourse, collaborative communication, and respectful resolution
- Consider both the intent and impact of our communication
- Use equity as a lens in the decision framework
- Act deliberately to create a safe, inclusive, and anti-racist environment for students and employees
- Implement policies and procedures that foster a climate of equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and mutual respect
- Provide and adapt the appropriate resources and support needed for community members to engage successfully in the community
- Honor individual and group differences and leverage those differences for our growth and understanding as an educational community
- Seek to understand the unique needs of individuals and the intersectionality of their identities
- Recognize and acknowledge one another’s unique identities, strengths and efforts to create a sense of mattering
- Create conditions for connection and community building
- Build relationships to create a positive work and learning environment
- Check in with each other to create a sense of community care
- Develop a culture of compassionate action toward one another and our students
- Seek to give individuals the opportunity to be seen or heard
