60 for 60: Durham Tech Office of Equity and Inclusion fosters environment for all

In celebration of Durham Technical Community College’s 60th anniversary, the College is publishing 60 for 60 – a storytelling campaign that highlights the people, places, and events that have progressed and shaped the College’s six decades of impact. To view more 60 for 60 stories, visit www.durhamtech.edu/60for60.

In 2020, Durham Tech became one of the first community colleges in North Carolina to establish an Office of Equity and Inclusion, which is committed to valuing the unique experiences of individuals, the diversity of the community, and equitable outcomes for all students and employees.

Though the Office was established in 2020, the groundwork began in 2016 when College leadership began investing in reviewing and addressing specific inequities associated with lack of success for men of color.

Former President Dr. Bill Ingram recognized that current strategies were not sufficient or effective, so he proposed hiring someone that reports to the president, with greater authority and scope of duties to address issues systematically. Then-Senior Vice President Tom Jaynes, and members of the board of trustees, Gracie Johnson-Lopez and Tara Fikes, supported this strategy and Dr. Angela Davis was appointed to the position.

In August 2016, Davis filled the role of Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion. That role ensured the College’s policies, procedures, and practices were consistent with the mission of creating a welcoming, engaging, understanding and unifying institution for the community.

Davis hit the ground running.

She devised a one-year plan to audit departments, policies, and practices at the College.

“The results of the audit included a recommendation to establish the Durham Tech Office of Institutional Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Ingram agreed, and I became a department of one in 2017,” Davis said.

The purpose of the Office is to adopt and sustain inclusive practices and programs, while fostering an environment where all feel valued, respected, and safe. The Office also leads efforts to promote equity, inclusion, and diversity at the College and to improve the success of African American and Latinx students. In addition to equity work, Davis was handling Title IX, and soon realized she needed the department to grow.

New Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton agreed the department needed more support, and Davis was soon joined by Victoria Deaton, Equity Compliance Officer, and Constanza Gomez-Joines, Hispanic Community Engagement Special Assistant.

The need for more equity and inclusion support was amplified following the summer of 2020 when the country watched a series of unjust shootings lead to the Black Lives Matter movement and a renewed look at systemic racism in the U.S.

Later that fall, Durham Tech published a college-wide Equity Action Plan.

In a joint statement, President J.B. Buxton and Chair of the Durham Tech Board of Trustees, John Burness said, “As we reflect on our past and present efforts to engage our faculty and staff in promoting a culture of equity-mindedness, we are urgently reminded that all at our institution must completely understand racism and the struggle for racial justice in the United States of America. From courageous conversations to professional development opportunities, to institutional audits and a review of our institutional practices, Durham Tech must develop a deeper understanding of how the systemic plague of racism has impacted, too, the culture of our institution and affected the success of marginalized communities in our service area.”

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is now housed under the new Talent and Equity Division at the College, and Davis is now Vice President/Chief Talent and Equity Officer.

“The Durham Tech Office of Equity and Inclusion has been a trailblazer in the North Carolina Community College System for the past seven years. We have developed and facilitated racial equity training for our employees as well as hundreds of employees at other community colleges across the State and served as a resource for community colleges who were new to equity work,” Davis said. “As a part of the new Talent and Equity Division, the Office of Equity and Inclusion will continue to collaborate with our community partners to dismantle systemic barriers for all people who pursue higher education in our community. I am proud to see this work move from one person with a title and one department to a culture of equity-mindedness that is embraced by all at Durham Tech.”