Success for All at NECC
Equity Statement
Statement of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Our Strategic Plan seeks to remove structural barriers, and create a more equitable, more diverse, and inclusive college
Northern Essex Community College (NECC) is a positive and supportive learning environment of cultural inclusion, which challenges prejudice, celebrates differences, embraces all identities, and inspires all students, staff, and faculty to succeed. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, we place particular emphasis on closing racial equity gaps and ensuring the success of Hispanic members of our college and community.
This ongoing work is foundational and at the core of the strategic plan. Our Strategic Plan seeks to remove structural barriers, and create a more equitable, more diverse, and inclusive college that reflects the cultures and identities of the people who are part of the NECC community.
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Principles – NECC uses the following definitions to guide our understanding and intentions for our equity work.
- Justice – recognizing and eliminating structural racism in higher education policies, practices, and expectations for students, faculty, and staff
- Equity – providing all individuals and groups with the support, resources, and contexts of learning they need to reach their educational and professional goals; equity differs from equality and fairness because equity begins with the understanding that different people have different needs for success
- Diversity – intentionally including people who represent different identity groups in our college community; an asset-based perspective that seeks first to recognize the contribution that each different perspective brings to our campus spaces
- Inclusion– ensuring that all members of our college community have access to resources, spaces for participation, and feel a strong sense of belonging
Strategic Themes – We understand these themes to be infused in all of NECC’s Strategic Goals.
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- Identifying and working to eliminate barriers faced by students, faculty, and staff through intentional actions / initiatives
- Recognizing the value that diversity within our students, faculty, and staff brings to the college
- Identifying the core causes of gaps in equity for students, faculty, and staff then addressing them within our sphere of influence
- Increasing the diversity of our faculty and staff to better reflect the communities we serve
- Implementing successful retention strategies to retain students, faculty, and staff
- Increasing capacity for impactful / intentional JEDI work through professional development and shared experiences