Social, legal and cultural issues arise from time to time that the Board of Trustees feel compelled to address via a statement. Some examples are support of the DACA program and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues. These statements have been compiled and listed below.
Reaffirmation of Support of Social Justice (approved by the Board November 22, 2021)
In 2020, The MCC Council was formed with the purpose to maintain employee and student success at Mott Community College by strengthening policies, procedures, processes, practices and actions with College-wide inclusion. The MCC Council promotes systemic inclusiveness and ensures that the College’s strategic vision, mission, priorities and foundational beliefs are achieved through current policy, operations, and College actions.
In March 2021, The Council unanimously approved a measure to recommend to the Board, through the President, amendments to Board Policy 5814 (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) that provide expanded definitions of equity and inclusion. In addition to representing the College’s foundational values, the rationale for the expanded definitions was to further demonstrate the significance of equity and inclusion to College policy, and to enforce the idea that the two concepts are equally weighted with diversity.
The Board of Trustees continues to embrace and prioritize its belief in DEI, recognizing the efforts of the College President, the Executive Cabinet, and the College’s faculty and staff, particularly the members of The MCC Council, for their conscious work to ensure that the College actively addresses the issue of social justice in education through the creation of teaching and learning environments that support all students and staff equitably. The Oxford dictionary defines social justice as: “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.”
Based on the preceding information, the following resolution is recommended.
Be it Resolved, That
The Charles Stewart Mott Community College Board of Trustees
Reaffirms its commitment to taking necessary and appropriate steps to dismantle barriers to ensure all individuals have access to resources and opportunities. The Board will remain uncompromising in its support of providing students, employees, and the community at large a diverse, equitable, and inclusive college environment, which includes continuing to ensure civil liberties and constitutional rights, and
Be it Further Resolved, That
The Board embraces opportunities for all identity categories as identified within Board Policies 5200 (Equal Educational/Employment Opportunity (EEO)/Non-Discrimination), 5814 (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and 7008 (Student Success), with the understanding that it means building a vibrant, intellectual community that offers and respects a broad range of ideas and perspectives for all individuals. The Board approves and stands with all who constructively protest racism, social injustice and all forms of inequity, and will continue to promote and advocate for inclusion, creating an environment where all individuals are valued for who they are and what they offer. The Board respects and values the differences in our students, faculty, staff, volunteers and community and fosters a welcoming environment of openness and appreciation for all.
Mott Community College Board of Trustees Statement on Black Lives Matter (approved by the Board June 29, 2020)
The mission of Mott Community College is to provide high quality, accessible, and affordable educational opportunities and services that cultivate student success and individual development and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural community. In addition, the Board of Trustees has established as its primary institutional priority that the College serves as the community college leader for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
It is in this spirit that, as well as a reaffirmation of the Board’s and the College’s commitment to remaining an institutional leader in Flint and Genesee County, that the Board recognizes the need to provide a formal statement in response to the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, as well as the subsequent demonstrations of nonviolent civil disobedience in Flint, Genesee County, and around the world, designed to bring further awareness of issues of systemic racism and calls for police reform.
On the basis of the preceding information, the following resolution is recommended.
Be it Resolved, That
The Charles Stewart Mott Community College Board of Trustees
Issues the following statement:
The Mott Community College Board of Trustees stands firmly with the Black Lives Matter Movement. We also stand in solidarity with those in the greater Flint community and across the country who encounter the often life-threatening impacts of systemic racism every day. We will remain steadfast in our work to dismantle any forms of systemic racism, and we commit to working with our residents, partners and other organizations in eradicating this horrific disease.
Resolution in Support of Congressional Legislative Action to Protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) (approved by the Board October 23, 2017)
On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, providing a six-month window to begin winding down the program for nearly 800,000 affected recipients, (including students at Mott Community College) who came to the United States as children, passed background checks, and received permission to live, study and work in America. State and federal leaders have attacked DACA and called for the administration to repeal it within the next 30 days, meaning that DACA could be gone, putting 800,000 Dreamers at risk of immediate deportation. With DACA, our students have advanced their education, started small businesses, and more fully established themselves as integral members of our society, and this action taken by the President serves as a contradiction to his earlier statements pledging to protect Dreamers.
The ramifications of this decision have impacted community colleges across the nation, who exist as open-access institutions, and whose collective mission is to educate and empower all students to achieve their academic and career goals.
Per policy, the Board may take official positions on legislative issues; in this instance, the Board has an opportunity to make a formal statement acknowledging the issues and concerns affected students may be facing, and emphasizing and encouraging the continued success of all students.
On the basis of the preceding information, the following resolution is recommended:
Be it Resolved, That
The Charles Stewart Mott Community College Board of Trustees
Affirms its commitment to stand by its students, including immigrant youth and those students, in particular, who are currently protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, and consequently affected by the rescission of the program, and
Be it Further Resolved, That
The Board formally opposes any federal action that would rescind or tamper with the DACA initiative and requests that the federal administration extends the dates on the temporary protected status countries, and
Be it Further Resolved, That
The Board of Trustees endorses actions and initiatives taken by the College Administration to provide resources to DACA-affected students, and
Be it Finally Resolved, That
A copy of this resolution will be forwarded to the offices of U.S. Congressmen Dan Kildee, Mike Bishop, Paul Mitchell, and John Moolenaar, and the offices of U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, with the understanding that the Board encourages and supports Congressional action to protect DACA-affected students nationwide.
