DEHPD (Diversity & Equity in Hiring & Professional Development) is a grassroots collective of employees from the 34 community and technical colleges (CTCs) in Washington state that annually serves approximately 400,000 students. DEHPD was formed in 2014 in order to address the low numbers of faculty, administrators, and staff of color and other underrepresented, marginalized groups throughout the CTC system.
DEHPD brings together the experiences, expertise, and commitments of stakeholders at multiple colleges in order to develop collective analyses and proposals to address structural racism, unconscious bias, and other forms of exclusion with regard to the hiring process and professional development opportunities, among other aspects of institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion.
DEHPD has provided training and collaborated with key system stakeholders with regard to the hiring process, recruitment and mentorship, inclusive pedagogy, and professional development. DEHPD has collaborated with but is not an official part of the State Board for Community & Technical Colleges (SBCTC).
For more information or to join the DEHPD listserv, contact Vik Bahl <vbahl@greenriver.edu>, faculty member at Green River College.