Featuring speakers and presenters from as far away as Berkeley and as close as Santa Maria, and presenting workshops on subjects as diverse as the Nazi Holocaust and Grading for Equity, Allan Hancock College’s DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) Summit on Feb. 7 provided its 200–plus attendees with the widest variety of issues and ideas to explore, contemplate, and learn about than anyone could have thought possible.

“The primary theme was transforming spaces: Diversity by Design,” says LeeAnne McNulty, Hancock’s director of institutional grants and one of the summit’s organizers. “What we imagined was the emphasis of awareness in every space throughout the college.”

Her words are echoed by another of the summit’s organizers, Patricia Koivisto. “The DEIA committee had a goal of ensuring that all cultural groups are supported while building inclusivity and listening to the many voices we serve at Allan Hancock College.”

The summit was held in Hancock’s new Fine Arts Complex, and was kicked off with a speech in Boyd Concert Hall by Gina Ann Garcia, a professor in UC Berkeley’s School of Education. Her address was followed by Workshop Series #1, which included “Rising Scholars,” “Empowering Central Coast Learners,” “Diversity Resources Specialist Training,” and “Preventing the Holocaust.”

Since the goal of the summit was to provide workshops, seminars, and presentations that “build community,” the afternoon sessions provided perfect follow–ups to what had been presented in the morning: Desiree Zuniga, an associate professor at Pasadena City College, spoke on the challenges Hispanic and other minority students are facing.

Her remarks were reinforced by presentations from Catarina Gonzalez, a student at Cal State Long Beach, and Gustavo Sanchez, a student at Cal Poly Pomona. The summit was the vision of Hancock’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee, which spent months developing and setting it up. Faculty, administration, students and staff all had input.

“I was happy to see the ‘A’ added to the description,” says longtime English instructor Michael McMahon. “That makes it all the more inclusive.”

He was also impressed with Gina Ann Garcia’s opening speech, with its emphasis on how important DEIA is in relation to today’s political climate.

Each of the workshops provided the attendees with opportunities to interact with and ask questions of the presenters. There were eight workshops altogether, and besides those already mentioned there were presentations on “Grading For Equity,” “Digital Accessibility,” “Shaping Leadership,” and “Student Support Services.”

While all the information isn’t in yet, it appears there is interest in some encore sessions on “Grading for Equity,” as well as a repeat of “Preventing the Holocaust” in order that the message of how history can repeat itself in terrible ways can be spread to as much of the campus and outside community as possible.

Michael McMahon, who also attended the “Preventing the Holocaust” workshop, was struck by the “lack of empathy” on the part of the perpetrators and by the famous words of Pastor Martin Niemoller: “First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out, because I wasn’t a communist …” A quote, he says, that is a reminder of how immigrants are being targeted today.

“The DEIA Committee had a goal of ensuring that all cultural groups we serve are supported while building inclusivity and listening to the many voices at Allan Hancock College,” says Patricia Koivisto, who also teaches in the college’s Kinesiology Department.

“DEIA is a mindset,” says LeeAnne McNulty. “It is the North Star that reminds us to look at multiple perspectives, to study history to learn from mistakes, and deepen a sense of belonging.”

The summit certainly accomplished all those objectives and more, and will hopefully continue as an annual event.

Mark James Miller
English Instructor
Teacher–Columnist–Novelist
Author of Red Tide, The White Cockade, & The Summer Soldiers
President, Part-Time Faculty Association of Allan Hancock College
mmiller@hancockcollege.edu