The Chancellor's Office charged us with an unprecedented method of shaping a transformational and community driven, fluid SEP (rather than transactional and compliance oriented,) which calls for SMC to be more inclusive and dynamic in our approach. To capture a wide range of experiences to contribute and engage in the work needed to advance our equity efforts, SEP 2.0 Phase 1 preliminary work was collectively developed by cross-hierarchical and cross-functional teams including faculty (both instructional and counseling), classified professionals, and managers. Our goal was to ensure that the diverse voices, unique contributions and experiences of all of our employee groups were reflected in the development of SEP 2.0.
By structuring the development of the plan in this way, it ensures that our SEP makes equity everyone’s work.
EPI presented the report and templates to various SMC groups and committees before submitting to the Board of Trustees. The board approved and the template responses were entered into the official NOVA Online System with the Chancellor’s Office. The NOVA SEP template is a living document, and the Santa Monica College 2022—2025 SEP will continue to be developed as we enter the 2025-2028 Student Equity Planning Cycle.
SEP 2.0 was a truly monumental effort, especially considering the accelerated timeline, and none of it would have been possible without the hard work of so many over the last year. We value the perspectives of each and every member of the SMC community, and cannot express enough gratitude for those who came together and contributed to the 2022—2025 Student Equity Planning Cycle at SMC.
We are proud to share Hotep consultants' findings report and presentation from the SMC College-wide Equity Audit with our community.