We also believe in going further. At RRCC we have a focus on equity and belonging. We strive to create a community in which everyone feels respected and valued for their unique talents and contributions, and where people from all backgrounds are able to achieve their goals. The Center for Inclusion & Diversity is here to support you at Red Rocks, whether it is through your educational journey as a student or your employment as a faculty or staff member. Red Rocks Community College acknowledges that inclusion and equity are multifaceted and complex concepts, and that our efforts in these areas will require innovation, intention, and an institutional commitment to these principles, across our entire college community.

Inclusive Excellence drives our approach to engagement. Please review the information available here, and do feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have. We exist to serve you!

Mission: The Center for Inclusion and Diversity strives to create a climate of inclusion where students, faculty, and staff are supported and empowered in their personal journeys. Through equity in access, developmental opportunities, and holistic education, we will prepare all members of the RRCC community to actively engage in an increasingly diverse and global society.

Student Learning Goals

1. Students will develop a deeper understanding of their own cultures as well as those of others; they will develop skills in communicating across cultural differences.
2. Students will gain knowledge in the ways that power and privilege affect the lived experiences of people from a variety of backgrounds.
3. Students will be exposed to opportunities and resources that will support them as successful students and lifelong learners.

Working Definitions

During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Equity and Inclusion Council developed the following definitions to guide our diversity, inclusion, and equity work within the college.

Diversity: the broadest spectrum of humanity which include individual differences (e.g., personality, prior knowledge, and life experiences) and group/social differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, and ability as well as cultural, political, religious, or other affiliations)

Inclusion:  Active, intentional, and ongoing efforts to create a culture of belonging where individuals feel welcome, valued, and supported

Equity: the creation of opportunities, systems, and structures which remove barriers and close gaps in outcomes for those from historically underrepresented groups[1]

Equity-Mindedness:  "The term 'Equity-Mindedness' refers to the perspective or mode of thinking exhibited by practitioners who call attention to patterns of inequity in student outcomes. These practitioners are willing to take personal and institutional responsibility for the success of their students, and critically reassess their own practices. It also requires that practitioners are race-conscious and aware of the social and historical context of exclusionary practices in American Higher Education."[2]

Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our current DEI strategic plan was developed by the Equity and Inclusion Council over the course of a year in 2019 and was finalized in spring 2020.  While we are still working on the goals outlined in that plan, we will also be developing an new and updated plan during AY 23-24.  To see the current status of our goals, click on the links below.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Annual Report AY 21-22
• RRCC Fall 2022 Community Update (shortened version of the annual report)
• Tactics for AY 23-24

Land Acknowledgment Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC recognizes the significant contribution of Indigenous cultures in our State, within our communities and within the land on which we are privileged to gather, live, learn, and work today. We recognize the vital importance of honoring these beginnings and the dedication and importance of Indigenous voices who courageously bring the truth of our history as a state.

The theft of Indigenous land occurred alongside vicious brutalities that were inflicted on Indigenous Americans, and culminated in a senseless atrocity, known as the Sand Creek Massacre in November of 1864 (site located in Eads, Colorado). This massacre resulted in the deaths and bodily mutilations of upwards of 200 innocent Arapaho and Cheyenne people, two-thirds of whom were women and children. RRCC acknowledges that the racist aggressions, systemic injustices, and blatant murders committed by the US government and settlers against the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Ute and all peoples of the Americas, have yet to be satisfactorily addressed or acknowledged through adequate actions of restorative justice. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado as they seek equity and reparation in their ancestral homelands. 

Suggested Use- Shorter Email Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado.

Suggested Use- Syllabus Statement

In the spirit of healing, Red Rocks Community College acknowledges and honors the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Ute Tribes, recognizing that the land occupied by RRCC is located in the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of these Indigenous peoples. We also acknowledge and honor the forty-eight known tribal nations that have lived, traded and traveled this land throughout history. RRCC recognizes the significant contribution of Indigenous cultures in Colorado, within our communities and within the land on which we are privileged to gather, live, learn, and work today. We recognize the vital importance of honoring these beginnings and the dedication and importance of Indigenous voices who courageously bring the truth of our history as a state. RRCC stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples of Colorado.

*for more information please reach out to the Inclusion and Diversity Department. 

Center for Multicultural Excellence

This is a space for our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and multiracial students to find inclusion and build community at RRCC.  The physical space is located on the Lakewood campus in the Hub.   The space is intended to provide an atmosphere where all students, particularly students of color and other historically underserved students, can find support, build college connections, participate in intercultural dialogue.

LGBTQIA+ Center

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) Center at RRCC is a space for LGBTQIA+ community members and allies to come together to share resources, support, and discussion about topics relevant to the community. 

Red Rocks Community College