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, the College established a Cultural Diversity Committee (CDC) to continue and expand 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 became an All-College Committee bringing together employees from all areas of camput 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 College community related to diversity, inclusion, culture, and equity. The committee plans and sponsors related programs by other campus groups and creates its own original programming to support its goals. Additionally, DICE both maintains the Cultural Diversity Plan, approved by the BOT every three years, and writes the annual report submitted to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).
Initiatives
DICE works on several initiatives including:
- Annual Book Club: DICE sponsors book club discussions around its selected book.
- Country of Focus: Each academic year, a country is selected to be the focus of programming on campus and in the curriculum.
- Educational Programming: DICE offers employee, student, and community educational programming, including guest speakers.
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.
Progress Reports
Harford Community College 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
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 Harford for more than 18 years bringing a wealth
of knowledge in regard 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.”
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 College's 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 Harford Community College.
Dr. Iris 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