WCC reaffirms mission statement 

Some policies under review amid federal changes 

The Morris Lawrence (ML) building is part of Washtenaw Community College. The board meetings are held at the ML building. Zakeria Almajrabi | The Washtenaw Voice

Lily Cole | Editor 

At the March 25 Board of Trustees meeting, trustees unanimously reaffirmed WCC’s mission statement. 

Dave Devarti, WCC Board of Trustees treasurer, said he personally believes WCC is doing everything right and he stands behind the reaffirmation of the mission statement. 

“I personally am committed to standing behind everything we (the board) do,” he said. “We’re committed to the success of our students, and we want to make our institution accessible to everybody.” 

Christina Fleming, WCC Board of Trustees chair, said the board reaffirmed WCC’s mission statement because they felt the need to reaffirm to the community that, no matter what’s happening within the federal government, the board is going to stay committed to WCC’s roots. 

“It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from–you come to us asking for an education–we’re gonna meet you where you’re at and help you,” Fleming said. 

Policies under review amid federal changes

Currently, WCC policies that discuss diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are under review. 

Policies like students’ rights, responsibilities and code of conduct, affirmative action, diversity in college employment, access, success and equity, prohibiting discriminatory harassment and staff success are some that are being reevaluated. 

As of March 12, WCC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion webpage is under review, according to reporting by MLive.

Fleming said the review of policies was prompted by orders from the Trump administration. Fleming said she doesn’t know the exact date the board began reviewing policies, but the review was prompted by a “Dear Colleague Letter” sent to universities from the Department of Education. 

A “Dear Colleague Letter” is a form of subregulatory guidance federal agencies use to spread information about various legal issues, including the agency’s interpretation of law and enforcement priorities, according to Saul Ewing Law Firm, a Delaware-based law firm. 

The federal government, mainly through the Department of Education, can communicate regulations or guidance that influence district policy or make funding contingent on certain policies. This is the same for state rules that may come from state education commissions and superintendents, executive orders from governors or grant conditions, according to Ballotpedia. This means that institutions, like WCC, have to follow federal and state law.

The Voice inquired with Linda Blakey, provost of student services, on Feb. 24 regarding these changes. Blakey, who responded via email, said she had no additional information to share besides what she had said in a previous Voice reporting. 

The Voice also emailed Clarence Jennings, vice president of student success, on March 12 for a comment with no response. 

When asked what students can expect from the policy changes, Fleming said that she doesn’t expect much to change for students. Most of the changes the board is looking at are making sure the language across policies matches what the State of Michigan says. 

“We have to abide by the state of Michigan, and the state of Michigan has to abide by the constitution … so we’re going through and making sure all of our policies are normalized in their language so that it matches at least the state of Michigan,” she said. 

Fran LeFort, director of WCC’s media relations, declined an interview with the Voice regarding the reevaluation of policies, but shared an email from WCC President Rose Bellanca’s office to faculty and staff reaffirming WCC’s commitment to open access to high-quality education and unwavering support for every student who walks through WCC’s doors. 

The email also said that the college is closely monitoring new federal developments, reviewing and updating relevant pages on WCC’s website to ensure they provide the most accurate and up-to-date information.

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