Santa Monica College recognizes and provides a mechanism by which any current student
may use an affirmed first name and a chosen pronoun on campus. Students may use an
affirmed first name, regardless of whether they have legally changed their name.
Please join us on Tuesday, March 24th, for a special Campus Coffee Connections in collaboration with Coffee & EquiTea, featuring the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing and the Division of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion (EPI).
Campus Coffee Connections is teaming up with EPI’s Coffee & EquiTea in March 2026 to create a unified space for community and care. This month, we are braiding our
efforts to offer a session that is as much about professional networking as it is
about personal reflection. Join us to learn about our campus departments while finding
a collective moment to pause, support one another, and stay grounded in our shared
commitment to equity. We can't wait to connect with you in this integrated space.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, March 24th
Time: 10 – 11 a.m. (interactive session)
Location: Student Services Center, 3rd Floor Staff Lounge
Featured Departments: Plan for an interactive session featuring the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing &
the Division of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion
This Month’s Theme: Supporting Well-Being Within Our Equity Efforts This joint session with Coffee & EquiTea invites participants to engage in conversation
around how we sustain ourselves and one another while continuing our collective efforts
in service of closing equity gaps. Whether you are feeling energized, uncertain, or
in need of connection, this space is for you.
Why Attend?
Meet colleagues and build relationships.
Discover what other departments are doing and how they support students.
Connect in a brave, supportive space that centers community, connection, and equity.
These monthly events provide an opportunity for faculty, staff, and managers to come
together in a relaxed, informal setting over a cup of coffee. The goal is to build community while
learning about the various departments on campus. The first portion will be dedicated
to connecting with your peers. Then, the featured department(s) will share a quick
“Top 5 Things You Should Know About Our Office,” followed by a Q&A session.
About Coffee & EquiTea A newly created community space for SMC equity champions to gather, reflect, and support
one another. This is an opportunity to share ideas across campus roles and ground
your work in the 2025–2028 Student Equity Plan.
A special thanks to our sponsors: Caring Campus Committee, sponsored by SMC Associates and the Division of Equity, Pathways, and Inclusion, funded by the Student Equity and Achievement
Program (SEAP).
Hope to see you there!
Resources from Past Sessions
View information, slide decks, and more from past Coffee & EquiTea events.
Coffee & EquiTea: Spotlight on Equity in Action
Date: Thursday, January 29, 2026 Time: 10:00–11:30 a.m. Location: The EpiCenter (M104, Media & IT Building) Format: In-person only
Session Spotlight: Equity In Action
Join colleagues to explore how Equity in Action Plans come to life in everyday practice.
Hear from peers implementing Equity in Action Plans following their participation
in NCORE (The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity) or CPEC (The Classified Professional
Equity Certification Program), demonstrating how these frameworks are being used to
transform departmental practices.
Our Goals for This Session:
Highlight Equity in Action: Hear from colleagues who have successfully integrated tools from NCORE and CPEC into their departmental practices.
Support Implementation: Provide space for CPEC and NCORE participants to reflect on their Equity in Action Plans and for others to explore equity-minded practices for their daily work.
Align with Our "North Star": Ground our dialogue in the 2025–2028 SMC Student Equity Plan to guide our collective priorities and decision-making.
Foster Growth: Engage in open, thoughtful dialogue where ideas can be supported, stretched, and
respectfully challenged.
We will provide the coffee, tea, and pastries - we invite you to bring your curiosity
and your lived experience as we reconnect with the purpose that drives this work.We hope you’ll join us in shaping this growing community of equity champions.
Coffee and Equi-Tea
A brave space for equity conversations at SMC
Spotlight: The Student Equity Plan 2025-2028 Preview
Thursday, November 20th, 2025
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
SSC 3rd Floor Staff Lounge (Rm. 391)
Join the EPI Team in November to learn about the new 2025-2028 Student Equity Plan, how it was developed, and what it means for you as we move forward together
at SMC to help our students succeed.
