Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity

DICE Committee

History

Harford Community College has a history of promoting diversity and creating an environment that is open and inclusive to students and employees. In the fall of 2012, HCC established a Cultural Diversity Committee (CDC) to continue and expand the college’s diversity efforts. In 2018, the CDC decided to expand its mission further to embrace the goals of equity and inclusion, and the name of the committee changed to DICE (Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity). In 2022, DICE was named an All-College Committee and brings together members of the faculty and staff, from all areas of HCC, to work towards our common goals.

Purpose

The purpose of DICE is to advise appropriate committees on campus about trends, issues, or opportunities for the HCC community related to diversity, inclusion, culture, and equity. The committee both sponsors related programs by other campus groups and creates its own original programming to support its goals. Finally, DICE both maintains the Cultural Diversity Plan that is approved by the BOT every three years and writes the annual report submitted to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).

Subcommittees

DICE works on several projects and programs via subcommittees, which include:

• Country of Focus: Every academic year, a country is selected to be the focus of programming on campus and in the curriculum.
• Training and Education: Creates and administers training to HCC employees about diversity and equity.
• Survey: Creates and administers a survey to assess students’ views on diversity and equity at HCC.
• Website: Maintains the DICE web presence on HCC’s homepage.
• DEI Summit: Organizes a one-day professional development event, open to all campus members and the general community, to be held on the HCC campus every two years.

Equity and Inclusion Statement

As the anchor institution for higher education in Harford County, Harford Community College embraces equity and inclusion as guiding principles in our mission to best serve ALL of our students and ALL Harford County residents. Collectively, we benefit from the collaborative learning environment that is fostered when everyone’s unique voices and life experiences are welcomed, shared, and valued. Our policies, practices, and pedagogies are designed to create a pluralistic environment that is free from intolerance, that honors our College’s values, and that includes all voices and viewpoints. We believe that such a diverse, inclusive environment contributes to student success by providing equitable access to education and learning opportunities. It is our goal and responsibility to eradicate barriers to student success to ultimately ensure our students’ needs are addressed and positioned at the forefront of all that we do. Through education, awareness, and equity-mindedness, we empower members of our community to contribute to the advancement of social justice in our global society.

2022 Equity Summit

DICE hosted an Equity Summit on campus on June 2, 2022. The event features a guest speaker as well as panels for discussions on issues of diversity, equity, and/or inclusion.

As part of the Summit, three awards were given to celebrate outstanding and substantial diversity, equity and/or inclusion work done by a member of the faculty, a member of the staff, and a member or group of the community. Recipients included Sharoll Williams-Love, Nena Craven, and Dr. Iris Barnes.

Progress Reports

Harford Community College (HCC) is a two-year college that believes in providing an open and inclusive environment to all students and employees. Provided here are the Progress Reports on the Plan for a Program of Cultural Diversity submitted to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

2023  |  2022  |  2021  |  2020  |  2019  |  2018  |  2017  |  2016  |  2015  |  2014

Award for Staff: Sharoll Williams-Love

Ms. Sharoll Williams-Love hails from Boston MA, where she first began working with youth and young adults. She earned a BA from Emmanuel College and MA in Museum Studies from Morgan State University. Her passion lies in learning and understanding history and how it shapes our world; she adds, "I have a desire to lead students to the faces and places of history makers. What encourages me is envisioning better tomorrows represented by the young adults that attend this institution." Love directs the Soar2Success Program, which helps students of color succeed in their studies and in college life. Ms. Love organizes a variety of engaging and impactful diversity programs for the campus and wider community. Ms. Love has also served on the Hosanna School Museum Board of Directors for over fifteen years and has been at HCC for over 18 years bringing a wealth of knowledge in regards to Diversity issues and African American History to our community. Sharoll Williams-Love was nominated by many colleagues for this award. Here is what one nominator said about her: “Sharoll has worked to advance diversity and promote equity and inclusion through the Rites of Passage and Soar 2 Success programs. Before conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion were widely discussed in Harford County, Sharoll facilitated conversations on campus and sponsored events to further the discussion. As a result, the campus community and the citizens of Harford County benefit from Sharoll's work.”

Award for Faculty: Nena Craven

Nena Craven is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and previously served as the Department Coordinator for Behavioral and Social Sciences. She serves on the DICE and Safe Zone Committees and is a faculty advisor to the HCC student Rainbow Alliance. Here is what one nominator said about Nena: “This semester, Nena was sent a notification that she would have a student in her course who was deaf. Nena did her own research on deaf culture, reached out to OA for more resources, and reached out to the student. Nena made changes to her syllabus to create a more inclusive culture for all students. She reached out the interpreting agency we work with and the interpreter prior to class to make sure everyone was on the same page and ask for any suggestions on how she could make her class more inclusive. Nena advocated for her student throughout the semester connecting them with clubs on campus as well as other resources. In many conversations with students on campus, I have heard that Nena's classroom is a safe place and that at the beginning of class she checks in with all of her students to see where they are at (mentally, emotionally, etc.). Nena is also the advisor to the Rainbow Alliance. Nena has been a strong advocate of students with disabilities consistently, not just this semester, and helps connect students who disclose their disability to the appropriate resources. I appreciate Nena in all efforts and support that she provides to the students at HCC.

Award for Community: Dr. Iris Barnes

Dr. Barnes is an award-winning historian, educator, and museum professional, with more than twenty years of experience. Her scholarship interests range from Civil War to Civil Rights with a particular focus on the tenacity and resilience of African Americans who survived and thrived against the odds. In her words, "I am particularly engaged with the current movement to reveal the voices of people of color in new interpretations of mainstream narratives. This approach towards a more inclusive American history discourse demonstrates the agency and humanity of extraordinary people." Among her many contributions, Dr. Barnes has been the Executive Director of Hosanna School Museum from 2012 – present. She is the chair of The Harford County Committee of the MD Lynching Memorial Project tasked with working to advance the cause of racial reconciliation in our state through research, documentation and advocacy. She is the Associate Director of the Lillie Carroll Jackson Civil Rights Museum and serves on the Harford County Historic Preservation Commission