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Equity at Kish
We are committed to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, focused
on respect and fairness, in all aspects of the College experience.
Equity
Kishwaukee College’s values of equity and support are indicative of our commitment to ensuring all learners know they are welcomed and
valued members of the Kish community. We believe everyone deserves an affordable,
quality education, and any barriers or completion gaps must be addressed. For the
College’s efforts, Kish was recognized with the 2022 Equity and Diversity Award by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.
In the spring of 2019, Kish joined the Illinois Equity in Attainment Initiative (ILEA),
the signature initiative of the Partnership for College Completion (PCC). Kish committed along with 27 other colleges and universities to one goal — eliminating the achievement gap for students of color and low-income
students.
As part of joining the ILEA, the College created an equity statement to reflect its
goals and commitment to all students. In 2022, the statement was updated as part of
Kish's new Strategic Plan. The statement reads:
Kishwaukee College is committed to a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,
focused on respect and fairness, in all aspects of the College experience.
The Kish Data Book provides disaggregated data by year related to current enrollment, retention, persistence,
graduation, dual credit enrollment and success, etc.
Equity in higher education ensures all learners have what they need to complete their
program. For some, financial assistance is needed. For others, it’s fulfilling basic
needs like food or transportation support. Whatever the barrier, Kish has a host of
resources to help students facing obstacles to completion. These include:
The Champions Fund— provides emergency financial assistance to students facing hardship.
Kody’s Cupboard— helps fight food insecurity for students in need.
Workforce Investment Opportunity Act (WIOA)— a grant-funded program that provides resources like career counseling, travel reimbursement
and financial support to those who qualify.
TRIO Student Support Services — a federally-funded program designed to increase college retention and graduation
rates.
TRIO Upward Bound — serves qualifying DeKalb High School students with academic college preparation.
Kishwaukee College serves all learners and continues the great work to reduce barriers
and to close the gap. We continue to execute our Equity Plan and implement the best
strategies to support all students who choose Kish. You can find more of our current
data and plans in the following:
Joined the Partnership for College Completion Illinois Equity in Attainment Initiative
with 27 other Illinois colleges and universities
All college Inservice to introduce equity commitment and professional development
on closing the equity gap at the college
Development of a college equity statement:We are committed to a sustainable culture of equity, focused on respect and fairness,
in all aspects of the Kishwaukee College experience.
Equity Statement displayed prominently across campus
Equity webpage created
Created Kishwaukee College Equity Plan
Accepted into the PCC/Aspen Institute Equity Academy for Presidents and Cabinets Members
Hired Associate Dean, Office of Instruction with 50% time for diversity, equity, and
inclusion leadership
Perkins Grant activities focusing on closing equity gaps in Career Technical Education
Applying for Department of Education Title III Grant with focus on closing equity
gap through Quality Online Instruction; Guided Pathways; and Expansion of Financial
Literacy, Embedded Tutors, and Course Success Coaching
Data disaggregation by special populations in Office of Institutional Research
members of Kish’s PCC team
Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President Dr. Michelle Rothmeyer, Vice President of Student Services Barbara Leach, Vice President of Instruction Matthew Crull, Director of Research and Data Management Dariana Lee, Director of Student Success Graciela Horta, Coordinator-Student Outreach Dominica Blalock, Associate Professor Joseph Przybyla, Associate Professor
The Kishwaukee College Continuing Education department will offer five short-term training programs during the Summer 2024 semester. Kish short-term programs provide students with the skills and training needed to meet local workforce demands.
With the men’s and women’s basketball seasons coming to a close, the Kishwaukee College programs have several accomplishments to celebrate this season.