The Equity Board

The Equity Board

The Equity Board is creating a community for equitable access, leadership, and opportunity fr all at Adams State University. We are composed of faculty, staff, and students from across campus who through a collective and collaborative approach, are committed to intentionally and effectively serving our students, faculty, exempt staff, classified employees, and administration while fulfilling Adams State’s purpose, vision, and values.

Vision:

The Equity Board leads actions that transform Adams into an exemplar model for fair access and opportunity for all students, faculty, exempt staff, classified employees, and administrators equipping them with the preparedness to engage and thrive in their learning, leadership, and service within the communities they are part of at the local, state, national, and global level.

Mission:

Through collective leadership and strategic planning, The Equity Board’s mission is to eradicate  any challenges and barriers to equitable access and opportunity for all throughout our campus community.

Goals:

The Equity Board’s goals align with Adams State’s driving purpose “to provide equitable access to education for all” and our vision to “become the university community of choice for people and perspectives from all walks of life, and for all who value quality education.” The Equity Board will advocate for all people at Adams State to have access to resources needed to be successful and thrive. To reach this goal, Equity board members will gather institutional data to identify equity gaps and develop recommendations to the President and Board of Trustees. Recommendations will focus on the mission of academic excellence by intentionally recruiting and retaining faculty, staff, and students; encourage departmental and university collaboration to promote the success of all students and employees within an open and supportive intellectual environment.

We will continue to:

Provide opportunities to develop ourselves as equity-minded practitioners who are willing to engage in the necessary, and sometimes difficult, conversations and decision making that can lead to transformational change for student learning and achievement.

Support campus activities that promote inclusive excellence and cultural responsiveness OR Support campus activities that promotes the preparedness to engagement and success of people’s learning, leadership and service

Promote and celebrate the history and culture of the SLV and the upper Rio Grande region and build positive, intentional relationships in the region.

The Equity Board’s Values

•       Our students—resilient, robust, and successful
•       Our role as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
•       Advocacy—sustaining a collective leadership structure, respecting the leadership of all who take up this work
•       Deepening our personal awareness and responsibility to understand people’s lived experiences to establish meaningful   connections, and to create institutional change that cultivates community and a culture of success
•       Evidence-based decision making that is balanced with multiple ways of achieving equity
•       Creating safe spaces for courageous and difficult conversations
•       SLV cultural heritages and the richness of our place

What Can You Do?

Contact the Executive Equity Officer (EEO) Dr. Florencio U. Aranda III, farandaiii@adams.edu.

Come to our Kindred Spirits Luncheons and other related programming, view the Inclusive Excellence Calendar

The Equity Board Current Members

Vince Alcon (he/him/they), Director of Student Life/ Co-Curricular Recreation & Engagement (term 2023-2026)

Florencio U. Aranda III (Él/ He/Him/His), Executive Equity Officer and Chair of The Equity Board

David Bertolatus (he/him), Assistant Professor of Biology (term 2023-2026)

Jeff Gallegos (he/him/esse), Administrative Assistant, One Stop Services (term 2024-2027)

Sandra Gavin (she/her/hers), Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Specialty Coordinator (term 2024-2027)

Ana Guevara (she/her), Director of Title IX & OEO, Equal Opportunity/Title IX (term 2023-2026)

Sarah Hallman (she/her), Coordinator of Grizzly Persist & Orientation (term 2024-2027)

Gina Mitchell (she, her, ella), Associate Professor of Psychology (term 2023-2026)

Meliza Ramirez (she, her, ella), Assistant Professor of Spanish (term 2024-2027)

Heidi Schneider (she, her, ella), Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology, Inclusive Excellence Liaison

Jose Villagomez (he, him, el), Activity Coordinator of Co-Curricular Engagement & Recreation (term 2024-2027)

Equity Ambassadors

Undergraduate Students

Delia Pablo (she/her)

B.A in Psychology

(Class of 2027)

Graduate Students

Nina Sandler (she/her)

School of Counselor Education

(Class of 2026)