Lumen Learning’s multi-year partnership with The State University of New York (SUNY) has paved the way for SUNY institution Rockland Community College (RCC) to receive a 2022 Insight into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award. The HEED award recognizes colleges and universities that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The award was granted to recognize the 20+ RCC faculty members who completed the Belonging and Inclusive Teaching Fundamentals Fellowship, a professional development course offered through RCC’s Provost Faculty Scholars and  Lumen Learning’s Circles fellowship program that helps educators create inclusive learning environments and prioritize student voices. Over the course of nine weeks, Rockland educators collaborated virtually with other faculty peers to enhance their teaching practices with an increased focus on diversity and inclusion. 

The course had an overwhelmingly positive response from participating faculty members. For Peter Marino, lecturer of psychology at RCC, the fellowship directly impacted his approach to building inclusivity and community in the classroom. Marino highlights several strategies he implemented in his teaching practices, including assigning readings from diverse sources and voices and giving students space to consider and discuss their own identities in relation to course material. 

“I can say with confidence that my students benefited from greater personalization and caring provided by the brave and safe spaces that developed,” Marino shared. “Growing consciousness of belonging has enlightened my students as well as myself greatly.”

In addition to creating a deeper sense of belonging for RCC students, the Lumen Circles fellowship gave faculty the opportunity to build cross-disciplinary connections with one another.

Assistant Professor of Sociology Dr. Rebha Sabharwal shared that “it was extremely valuable to see how other disciplines deal with topics such as power, privilege, and intersectionality. As the world shrinks and our knowledge and empathy increase, we benefit from safe platforms where we can communicate our struggles and share successful techniques with one another.”

Rockland faculty’s participation in the Provost Faculty Scholars Program and Lumen Circles fellowships is part of an ongoing partnership between Lumen and RCC to strengthen the college’s teaching and learning center. The program evolved from Lumen’s broader partnership with SUNY to support implementation of wide-scale use of Lumen’s digital courseware, OHM, Waymaker, and professional development platform Lumen Circles.  Lumen Learning’s partnership with SUNY allows faculty to get the support they need through comprehensive faculty development experiences while also providing students and educators with access to equitable and inclusive digital courseware that will enable them to make higher education more affordable and accessible for all students.

Rockland’s HEED Award recognition comes as colleges and universities nationwide face enrollment declines in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Community colleges in particular are struggling to enroll and retain students, and administrators have been left scrambling to find answers. Lumen’s work with RCC and SUNY can serve as a template for other institutions to not only recoup pandemic losses but further advance equity for minority and underserved student groups.

If you’re interested in learning more about Lumen Circles, visit lumenlearning.com/what/circles/