Irvine Valley College's institutional strength derives from the academic and social commitment of our students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and community partners; and so we strive to build a campus culture that reflects our lives as members of multiple intersecting communities, experiences, identities, and abilities.
Central to Irvine Valley College’s mission is removing barriers for all members of our community, particularly to those who have been impacted by systemic disadvantages, marginalization, and exclusion.
Irvine Valley College commits to continual self-reflection, learning, and improvements so that members of all groups feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued.
President's Message
Irvine Valley College has demonstrated a genuine commitment to student equity and inclusion as reflected in the college mission statement and in the creation and implementation of multiple equity programs, initiatives, and activities.
Creating an overall equity framework that aligns every program, initiative, and activity to college-wide diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) goals is needed to:
- ensure alignment to the College’s mission, strategic plan, and other planning documents
- ensure we are assessing progress with clearly identified metrics
- document and validate when we reach desired benchmarks
- measure the effectiveness of each and every effort and gauge progress
As President of this institution, one of my priorities is to foster an environment dedicated to DEIA. As part of this commitment, the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (PAC-DEIA) was formed as an advisory group of faculty, staff, students, and administrators to advise me on strategies that sustain DEIA goals at IVC. The President’s Advisory Council assists in creating and coordinating a college-wide equity framework to ensure alignment with institutionally set goals.
The council is thoughtfully planning and engaging to support our campus community, not only with resources for physical needs but also in prioritizing the well-being and mental health of all.
As a campus, IVC prioritizes DEIA professional development. In addition, the Office of Student Equity takes the lead in creating events and activities that reflect diverse perspectives and interests that encourages the college to gain cultural knowledge, awareness, and sensitivity to expand our abilities to serve students and respectfully interact with one another. These avenues allow us to learn about the communities and cultures that make up IVC. They provide forums for practice, acceptance, discourse, participation, and ultimately safe spaces for meaningful exchanges. They create venues for listening, learning, and platforms for difficult conversations and institutional change. The purpose of this website is to assist you in finding communication about the college’s DEIA advisory council, their work, as well as additional resources from IVC and our District. I invite you to visit this page often for continuing updates and expanded information.
I value and appreciate the commitment we have made to creating a socially just, inclusive, and equity-centered campus culture. We are poised to build on this work and are ready for advancing equity by aligning our campus culture with action-oriented strategies. I challenge us to think about ways in which we can engage and contribute to supporting, participating and committing to this effort. It can’t be done by a select few and it is not the responsibility of a particular department or unit. We all have a role to play to achieve transformational change.
John C. Hernandez, Ph.D.
President