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By Jose Marquez-Cuevas
The Riverside Community College District Board of Trustees met March 7 to introduce and approve the Support and Protection of Culture and Care resolution.
The resolution is a revised extension of the Support of Student Access and Protection resolution approved Feb. 21.
“The Board and its three colleges should wholeheartedly advocate at every level of government possible to protect the students, faculty and staff’s values,” the resolution states. “Through these efforts, RCCD pledges that all three campuses will remain safe places for the college community.”
With the inclusion of the LGBTQ community and religious minorities, the resolution attests that they will not tolerate anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-LGBTQ actions. Instead, it entails that it will vow to protect members of the college community from a hostile environment.
Many community members who attended this meeting felt it was necessary to revise the original draft for more inclusiveness and to strengthen the Board’s commitment to uphold district policies.
Dariush Haghighat, a Riverside City College political science professor and president of the RCC Faculty Association, said he wanted to see more action.
“My frustration right now with our Chancellor is he keeps putting (out) emotional statements,” Haghighat said. “He says culture of care, culture of care…okay you’ve already said that you care for DACA students, religious minorities, the LGBTQ community. Now I want to hear what steps you are going to take to protect (students).”
