Tacoma Community College has been awarded two “ACT” Awards from the Association of Community College Trustees: The Faculty Award and the Equity Award.
Faculty Award: Latoya Reid
English Professor Latoya Reid was recognized with the ACT Faculty Award for her demonstrated excellence and teaching and commitment to equity.
“As an instructor, Professor Reid has high expectations for her students, and consequently provides high support,” reads her nomination. “In her role as an English instructor who teaches both pre-college level and college-level courses, she is critical in helping students (who are often from systemically non-dominant populations) persist and succeed in our institution and beyond.”
In addition, Reid is noted for applying the equity lens by placing attention on race and ethnicity in analyzing problems, looking for solutions and defining success. She brings this focus to the classroom and to the wider academic arena, from college committees and meetings to statewide initiatives.
Equity Award: President Harrell and the Board of Trustees
The TCC Board of Trustees and TCC President Ivan L. Harrell, II, PhD, were recognized with the ACT Equity Award.
“The Board and President have committed to equity and its importance in increasing access to underrepresented and underserved populations in our college,” reads the nomination.
This commitment led the Board to make the counterintuitive decision to support a program that promotes economic mobility and stability for women. It has also led to innovations such as the expansion of TCC’s Bachelor of Applied Science programs, which were designed to provide pathways to higher-wage jobs for students working in health information, community health, and business.
The Board put placed a commitment to equity at the forefront of the process that resulted in President Harrell’s hiring. President Harrell has made it equity a primary focus since his first day at TCC, and he ensured that a focus on equitable outcomes for students was embedded in the college’s recently adopted Strategic Plan.