Diversity Commission

Charter for Diversity Commission of
Des Moines Area Community College

Creation Date: February 6, 2007
Past Revision Date: March 27, 2012
Revision Date: May 4, 2021
Revision Date: July 19, 2022
Revision Date: November 7, 2022 

I. Mission/Vision/Goals

II. Structure

Chair or Co-Chairs

III. Leadership 

Ad Hoc Tapestry Award Committee

The Commission will send out a district-wide call for nominations for the Tapestry Award each year. The Commission will have the option to nominate one person for the award each year. The Awards will be presented at DMACC’sspring In-Service day.

 

Ad Hoc Teacher Toolkit Committee

The Commission will provide diversity and inclusion resources, suggestions and opportunities for faculty and staff members to assist them in integrating these topics into their curriculum and/or committees.

IV. Meetings

V. Authority

The Diversity Commission will recommend DMACC policies and procedures as they relate to Diversity and Inclusion to the Director of Diversity and Inclusion, who will then take the recommendation to the President's Cabinet. If the recommendation is approved by the Cabinet, the Cabinet will direct appropriate individuals, offices, or departments to carry out the decisions. 

VI. Accountability

The Diversity Commission will keep a record of activities, trainings and other events which can be made available to the President of DMACC upon request.

VII. Budget

The Commission will use funds designated to them by the Board as discretionary funds to be used for speakers, scholarships, training, marketing materials, conferences, institution building, and other expenses deemed necessary by the Commission which contribute to the achievement of the goals and mission.

VIII. Changes to Charter

Changes to the charter of the Diversity Commission must be done by two consecutive votes in which 2/3 of the sitting Commission approve the changes. The first vote must occur at a commission meeting with the second approval occurring either electronically or at the following meeting.

Co-Chairs: Aimee Langager (2023) and Mark Bates (2023)
Past Chair: Jennie Doke-Kerns (2022) and Bruce Lasch (2022)
Co-Vice Chairs: TBD
Treasurer: Jim Bunton (2023) (Adjunct Faculty)

Members

(Appointed Year following their name)

Ankeny

• Jim Bunton (2023) (Adjunct Faculty)
• Susan Cruz-Rodriguez (2023)
• Rebecca Funke (2023)
• Behzad Jeddi (2024)
• Jackie Kollasch (2024)
• Amanda Magie (2022)
• Chelsea Miller (Commission Administrative Assistant) (2023)
• Karey Palmer (2023)
• Kenya Pruitt (2022)
• Erin Rinderknecht (2024)
• Erin Smith (2011)
• Lucy Stam (2023) (Adjunct Faculty)
• Jason Surratt (2023) (Adjunct Faculty)
• Janelle Thorton (2022)

Boone

• Bruce Lasch (2022)   
• Peter Kosegei (2024)

Capitol

• Tamara Fulton (2024)

Newton

• Jennie Doke-Kerns (2022)
• Sveta Miller (2022)

Perry

• Connie Oliver-Saenz (2023)

Southridge

• Mark Bates (2023)

Urban

• Aimee Langager (2023)
• Becca Papian (2022)
• Natalie Valpey (2024)

District Wide

• Wesley Harris Jr. (2023)

Procedure for Adding a Course to the Diversity Requirement Course List

1. A course can be initiated for consideration in either of two ways: (a) A faculty member may submit a proposal to the chair of the Diversity Commission Curriculum Committee or any of its members (who would then pass the proposal to the chair), or (b) the Scheduling Coordinator may recommend to the DCCC that a course should be considered.
   
   
2. Beginning in Fall 2022, for courses to be included on the Diversity Requirement Course List, they must have at least one different sub-competency or main competency that explicitly mentions diversity or a closely related, discipline-specific term for each credit hour that makes up the course. To be counted towards this requirement, sub-competencies must fall under different main course competencies and/or the main course competencies that mention diversity must be different. (For example, a 3-credit course would need to have a total of three sub-competencies or main competencies mentioning diversity in 3 different main competencies for the course.) The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that courses that meet the Diversity Requirement have diversity built into the structure of the entire class, rather than merely a subsection or unit.
3. Consideration of the proposed courses may be done in a face-to-face meeting of the DCCC, or the submitted materials may be distributed by the chair or designated committee member electronically to the DCCC members with an electronic vote separate for each course being considered. The decision will be determined by a majority of the committee members voting with a quorum of one more than half the committee required.
   
   
4. The recommendation of courses by the DCCC would then be presented by the DCCC chair to the Diversity Commission members for final approval. The course descriptions and rationales should accompany the recommendation. The decision will be determined by a majority of the Commission members voting with a quorum of nine members required.
   
   
5. The result of the vote by the Diversity Commission must be reported by the DCCC chair to the Scheduling Coordinator who would ensure that the approved courses would be added to the list in the next fall catalog.
   
   
6. The faculty who proposed the courses, the DCCC members, and the Diversity Commission members should be informed of the decision of the Diversity Commission by the DCCC chair.
   
   
7. Please contact the Diversity Commission directly with questions about the process for requesting that courses be designated as meeting the Diversity Requirement.