Q&A with Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is committed to enabling all students to finish their programs and find high-value careers in growing fields.
For this month’s feature, we chatted with GIPC Member Representative Amanda Bonilla, M.S., Ivy Tech’s Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement, to learn more about her role in their DEB strategies.
Goal 8 of Ivy Tech’s strategic plan specially targets diversity, equity, and belonging. What strategies of Goal 8 are most related to your role?
Arguably all strategies within Goal 8 inform the work I’m leading in the Indianapolis Service Area. In fact, the strategies have been a key factor in the development of four pillars that serve as the foundation for all of the working coming out of the department and drive partnerships, programs and initiatives.
Ivy Tech strives to establish a sustainable culture of diversity, equity, and belonging. What elements of your strategies keep students engaged in the conversation throughout their entire educational journey?
At Ivy Tech Indy, we are intentional about creating opportunities for student voice and participation. Two of the foundational pillars within Diversity and Community Engagement focus on students specifically. Pillar 2: Eliminating equity barriers for student success and Pillar 3: Creating a culture of belonging for all students. We aim for students to see themselves at Ivy Tech Indy and we will create opportunities for students to share their voice through different platforms, including completing an annual campus climate survey that informs future policies and practices for the student experience and the opportunity to speak confidentially to our newly hired Student Ombuds staff member about any concerns or complaints a student may be experiencing. We also ensure opportunities for cross cultural awareness and knowledge about diversity and equity are present both inside and outside of the classroom. This is achieved through programs, workshops and inclusive course design.
Ivy Tech was recently named in the annual Top 100 ranking of America’s Best Employers for Women by Forbes (for the second year in a row). What steps has Ivy Tech taken to improve gender equity in the workplace?Ivy Tech has been intentional when it comes to selecting top talent with an eye towards equity and inclusion at all levels of the organization. Women make up 59% of the employees at the College and women serve in key positions including: College President, State Board of Trustees Chair and the Vice President of Capital Planning and Facilities. In addition we recently mandated across the College that any member of a search committee must complete the College’s Mitigating Bias in Hiring Practices training prior to serving on a search. This has been a crucial step in integrating equity into our hiring practices which has led to a more gender inclusive workplace.
How has Ivy Tech’s diversity, equity, and belonging policies impacted the Indianapolis Community?
As Ivy Tech Indianapolis continues to strive to be the “Campus Without Walls” our open enrollment policy allows us to be accessible to a diverse array of communities members within our three service areas of Marian, Hendricks and Boone counties. For example, our Achieve Your Degree program offers employees the opportunity to receive a community college education at minimal cost and Indiana citizens over 60 years of age can take credit courses at Ivy Tech tuition-free. No matter your age, interests or education goals, we are always striving for intentional ways to provide learning opportunities that improve the lives of individuals in the Indianapolis service area.
How can GIPC member representatives build diversity and equity strategies for their own organizations?
There are several ways that organizations can build diversity and equity into one’s culture of practice. From mitigating bias hiring practices, pay equity reviews, employee resources groups and opportunities for ongoing education, the possibilities are endless. The most useful strategy I would say though is creating key performance indicators across the organization to move the needle forward on specific equity strategies. Then, have a clear process for who will be responsible for those indicators and how progress will be measured and evaluated. Once that has been established, communicate widely the plan across the organization. Diversity, equity and belonging is everyone’s responsibility and team members are more likely to engage when they have a clear understanding of the strategy and their role within it.