Equity at Charter Oak State College
At Charter Oak State College, equity is a fundamental and strategic goal. Our SMART goal is to reduce equity gaps each year (examples include student success rates, hiring of faculty/staff). Our stretch goal is to eliminate equity gaps. We will know we have achieved equity when we see parity in outcomes across racial/ ethnic student groups, socioeconomic status, and other groups that have been historically marginalized within higher education. Our commitment to equity requires that minoritized and low socioeconomic students have access and support across all campus systems, from application to graduation.
We (Faculty, Staff, and Administration) At Charter Oak State College:
- Aim to provide opportunity to all students regardless of their educational goals and background.
- Are here to set students up for success and we acknowledge all the different facets of our students’ identities.
- Pursue equity through a culture of inquiry and data-informed decision making in and outside of our online classroom. Charter Oak is committed to developing interventions based upon robust data collection and following through on our new ideas with inquiry into the success of their implementation.
- Educate our faculty, staff, and students to be social justice advocates by creating environments that reflect the diversity of our communities, and elevate cultural awareness.
- Aspire to work within integrated and equity-minded systems (internal and external) to ensure that everyone has what they need to succeed during their time at Charter Oak State.
At Charter Oak State College, we thrive to provide an environment for students where diversity is recognized and integrated into our campus community with culture, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and religion.
The college recognizes diversity heritage months and dedicates, participates in monthly celebrations. Please join us as we identify, learn, and partake in festivities to acknowledge our differences and to celebrate these moments with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Having a healthy all-inclusive environment plays an integral role in the Charter Oak State College community being more supportive and engaging within our community and beyond. Possessing an understanding of the values, emotional, institutional, and psychological processes which affect how individuals interact with each other and their communities is proven to be beneficial.
To gain a deeper understanding of individuals that comprise the COSC community members or to become involved by supporting underrepresented individuals are encouraged to visit the following websites which support advocacy, equity opportunities, and learning opportunities:
- CTGLC – Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Chamber – An LGBTQ+ Alliance for Business Opportunities
- Women, Children, Seniors and Equitable Access for All – Women, Children, Seniors and Equitable Access for All (ct.gov)
- Jewish Federation of Connecticut (JFACT)
- Home | NAACP Connecticut Chapter (ctnaacp.org)
- Connecticut Office | RI Indian Council (rhodeislandindiancouncil.org)
Students are encouraged to continue learning outside of the classroom. There are different platforms on how to develop your learning by using libguides, websites, links to organizations that offer free exhibitions, webinars, professional development activities offered to the public at no to low costs. At Charter Oak State College, we welcome you to review the resources below to develop your knowledge on a variety of current issues, news in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Resources for Students
- Anti-Racism Resources LibGuide
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
- Center for Racial Justice in Education
From the Charter Oak State College Virtual Library, Films on Demand, see the links below for more resources on Women's History Month. In order to view resources, students, faculty, staff need to login to the Virtual Library.