Affinity Groups

Diablo Valley College recognizes that to accomplish our goals of a diverse and inclusive workforce we must provide support for employees around areas of their identity that might be underrepresented. Affinity Groups are defined as groups who share a common interest or purpose and work to create an inclusive environment where all feel respected, seen, and empowered to succeed.

Affinity Groups are voluntary associations for Diablo Valley College employees who gather together around a common interest. Affinity Groups provide opportunities for employees to engage socially, culturally, and intellectually across college constituencies and positions. These groups play a vital role in employee morale and creating a campus climate that welcomes diversity and inclusiveness through collaboration and understanding. All Affinity Groups must operate within district and college policies and support the mission, Educational Master Plan, and vision of the college. Per state restrictions, Affinity Groups may not have religious, political, commercial, or other outside agency interests as their focus for the use of public monies.

Outcomes of Forming an Affinity Group

The college President will meet at least once a year with recognized Affinity Groups to discuss the campus climate and recommendations for improvement. Once an Affinity Group has been established, they are eligible to participate in the college’s Program Review and Resource Allocation Process. A description of and timelines for the Program Review and Resource Allocation Process are detailed in Procedure 1016.01.

Process of Forming an Affinity Group

  1. Identify a leader or co-leaders of the group and contact information for those wanting to join the group
  2. Define the mission and purpose of the group based on the college’s Educational Master Plan and the College’s mission and values
  3. Send the information regarding leadership, contact information, and mission and purpose to the co-chairs of the College Council for placement on the College Council agenda
  4. The College Council will make a recommendation based on the above criteria to the President.
  5. If the President approves of the Affinity Group formation, the group will be posted and maintained on the college website contingent on yearly updates. If the President does not approve the Affinity Group, the President will provide a response for the reason to the College Council.

Current Affinity Groups

FilipinX Affinity Group

The mission of the DVC Filipinx Affinity group is to create a welcoming, safe, empowering space for members to share their common backgrounds, interests, and concerns - and to support one another as Filipinx staff and faculty living in the U.S. and working at DVC. Our purpose is to build community and trust with one another, strengthening ourselves as individuals and as a collective. In our commitment to this work, we prepare ourselves to face challenges and develop creative solutions that benefit current and future DVC employees and students. By rediscovering and sharing our Filipinx heritage, we seek to honor, celebrate, and embrace the authenticity of our cultural identity, including the historic contributions of those who came before us, as well as promote awareness of our contributions to DVC and the larger community.

Co-leads

Chicana/o/x-Latina/o/x Association of Students and Employees

The Chicana/o/x-Latina/o/x Association of Students and Employees (CLASE) of Diablo Valley College is committed to advocate and promote diversity and inclusivity and provide a network of support for DVC employees and students in order to build community, increase access, improve success, and promote leadership within our communities:

  • Foster an equitable and inclusive environment that supports employees and students.
  • Provide professional development, community building, and mentorship opportunities to welcome and retain students and employees.
  • Advocate for and support our undocumented and DACAmented employees and students.
  • Advocate for representation in college-wide initiatives, committees, and hiring in order to promote services and opportunities for Chicana/o/x-Latina/o/x students and staff.
  • Promote scholarship and/or other funding opportunities (i.e. grants) to improve services for employees and students.
  • Hold an annual recognition of achievement event.
Co-leads

Black Employees Network

The Black Employees Network (BEN) Affinity Group aims to provide a supportive educational community for faculty and staff while also raising awareness of the diverse cultures, races, religions, and other complex identities inherent to this group. Specifically, this group seeks to achieve the following goals:

Co-leads

Middle Eastern North African South Asian Affinity Group

The Middle Eastern North African South Asian (MENASA) affinity group aims to provide a supportive educational community for faculty and staff while also raising awareness of the diverse cultures, races, religions, and other complex identities inherent to this group. Specifically, this group seeks to achieve the following goals:

  • Community & Support: to provide safe environments for faculty and staff to connect/communicate, gather, and organize support and resources for each other and students.
  • Visibility & Representation: to advocate for better visibility, recruitment, and retention of MENASA faculty, staff, and students at DVC.
  • Education & Awareness: to educate the campus community and each other about our diverse cultural backgrounds, complex histories, and the impact of current events on our lives.
  • Bias & Racism: to actively address racism and bias - both on campus and in society - common to our communities.
  • Professional Development: to identify and promote professional development opportunities that help support these goals.
Leads