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Holyoke Community College

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
303 Homestead Ave
Holyoke, Massachusetts 01040
Phone
(413) 538-7000
Email address
admissions@hcc.edu
School Information
"Today, Holyoke Community College is housed on a multi-million-dollar, 135-acre campus, equipped with state-of-the art technology in specialized learning facilities. HCC serves over 9,000 students annually, and provides a variety of recreational and cultural activities, from sports programs to music festivals, for students and community members alike. The college's strongest assets continue to be an innovative spirit, a sincere concern for students and a commitment to strive for even greater success. These are the values which have a created a tradition of excellence spanning more than six decades, and which are enabling Holyoke Community College to meet today's challenges." The college enrolls over 9,000 students and employs over 110 faculty. (Source: https://www.hcc.edu/about/facts-and-history) (Source: https://www.hcc.edu/about/facts-and-history/fast-facts)
General Information
In response to the 2020 protests, Holyoke Community College has provided anti-racist resources to its students. Its annual Black History Month celebrations will consist of online events engaging in "conversations about the 400-year span of African-American history, voting rights, and health issues such as COVID-19 and their disproportionate impact on communities of color." No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • The Podemos Scholarship "provides financial support to first-time degree-seeking Latinx students planning to attend Holyoke Community College." Awards from the scholarship cover up to "$1,000 per student for the 2023-2024 academic year."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • HCC Board Equity Training Series – EAB Anti and Systemic Racism on Tuesday, April 5, 2022
  • HCC's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan states that it would "Develop a comprehensive, multi-modality, equity-focused professional development program offered to all faculty and staff."
  • The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council at HCC "participate in education and training related to EDI and have difficult conversations that are relevant to the work of EDI."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • HCC states the following regarding its curriculum: "HCC is committed to offering an inclusive curriculum that reflects the diverse perspectives of a pluralistic society. Along with critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, effective communication, and information literacy, knowledge of diversity is one of the five core competencies that comprise HCC's general education requirements."
  • In order to graduate HCC, "all students must complete a course with the Knowledge of Diversity designation" which includes the following learning outcomes: "Explain how race, class, gender and other categories of difference are socially constructed, flexible, intersecting, and dynamic"; and "Demonstrate critical awareness of how individual perspectives, biases, power, and privilege influence ways of seeing the world."
Program and Research Funding
  • HCC's Board of Trustees states that it has "expanded the work of ALANA, a program providing men of color with personalized support with academics, financial aid, and academic/career planning through specialized orientation, one-on-one mentoring, field trips, and workshops."
Re-Imagining Policing
  • HCC's Board of Trustees states that it has "formed a Campus Safety Task Force, consisting of students, faculty, and staff, with membership from the BIPOC community, to review current events involving police agencies, provide opportunities for dialogue and community feedback, and advise the Director of Public Safety."
Resources
  • The college's annual Black History Month celebrations will consist of online events engaging in "conversations about the 400-year span of African-American history, voting rights, and health issues such as COVID-19 and their disproportionate impact on communities of color."
  • HCC states that its faculty and staff commit to supporting a "transformative experience" through "culturally responsive practices that promote equity within and beyond the classroom."
  • HCC's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan states that it would "decrease the retention rate gap between BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] and white students from 13 points to 9 points by 2026" by expanding "the use of progress reports/early alerts to new student populations and with a particular emphasis on BIPOC students."
  • The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Council at HCC states that it "support[s] culturally responsive pedagogy in the classrooms to ensure an inclusive learning environment for all students" and "work in partnership with leaders throughout our campus and community to build and support our work in EDI."
  • HCC links to its library's list of antiracism resources.
  • On April 12, 2024, the Advancing Research and Innovation in STEM Equity Conference, called the ARISE Conference, was presented at Holyoke Community College.
Symbolic Actions
  • The Board of Trustees released a statement on anti-racism and new steps the college will take.
Last updated August 2nd, 2024
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