Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

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A Special Welcome from the Office of DEI at MTC

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A Mission to Serve

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is committed to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging through promoting awareness, understanding differences, and creating equitable opportunities for all. We aim to improve the well-being and success of all MTC students, faculty, staff, and the Midlands community. We believe DEI is fundamental to the economic and social mobility of our students.

Goals

Create a common understanding of DEI.
Establish DEI infrastructure and initiatives to create a culture of belonging at MTC.
Establish best practices for DEI in the classroom and the workplace.
Build a community and sense of belonging for students by advancing academic development, professional growth, and personal transformation.

Values

Acceptance
Connection
Community
Education
Engagement

DEI Terms

Diversity: The variety of human differences and personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from cultural and circumstance differences. Such variety of differences, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, veteran, status, physical and cognitive ability or physical appearance, religious affiliation, national origin, citizenship, political beliefs and more.
Equity: Refers to impartial and fair practices and policies that ensure all MTC community members are given the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their backgrounds, abilities, or circumstances. Specifically, equity is actively working to ensure full participation across cultural and circumstance differences by redressing the exclusion of historically underrepresented groups in the dominant society. Equity prioritizes the success of all students and employees to ensure that they have the necessary resources to fulfill their college and career goals.
Inclusion: Inclusion is the practice of creating and nurturing an environment where all faculty, staff, and students, regardless of their diverse backgrounds, feel acknowledged, appreciated, and welcomed. Inclusion is not simply a consequence of a diverse team or organization, but it must be achieved intentionally by concentrating on the needs of individuals and fostering an environment where one can realize one’s full potential. Inclusion is a culture or set of behaviors that nurture a sense of belonging and worth for an individual’s uniqueness and experience.
Belonging: A sense of belonging means that we have created an institution where everyone feels welcome, seen, and heard. Creating a sense of belonging is about physical space, learning environments, social and emotional support, and more.