Theme & Tracks 

Strengthening the Role of IRPE in Support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism

This year’s RP Conference theme highlights how Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness (IRPE) offices at California Community Colleges (CCC) are confronting racism at our institutions and focuses on leveraging data, planning frameworks, and effectiveness constructs to support equity-related efforts. IRPE offices are critical fulcrums for supporting and building a framework to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion planning and evaluation efforts throughout our institutions and across the state.

This work now sits as part of a larger movement in the CCC system as colleges respond to the CCC Chancellor’s Office “Call to Action” to actively strategize and take action against structural racism. A recent article by Kaylan Baxter also underscores the transformative potential for institutional research and institutional effectiveness offices to advocate for racial justice. This year’s conference will showcase and share the extraordinary work CCC IRPE offices are doing to support colleges’ efforts to become anti-racist institutions.

We invite you to submit a proposal that addresses the conference theme and introduces or advances the discussion or utilization of a topic, tool, or resource that is relevant to the research, planning, and institutional effectiveness community of practitioners. 

This year’s conference sessions are organized within two tracks.

Leadership and Planning to Advance Equity

The Leadership and Planning to Advance Equity track showcases projects, tools, and approaches that address the challenge of bringing together institution-wide equity efforts, with a focus on racial equity, in college planning, resource prioritization, governance, initiatives, structures and processes. Proposals that specifically address racial equity will be given special consideration. Topics in this track include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Fostering equity-focused culture that guides planning across the institution

• Developing and integrating institutional equity goals, objectives, and key performance indicators to inform planning

• Facilitating difficult conversations about student equity, diversity, and inclusion

• Advancing and assessing inclusive campus culture

• Using data to design and implement student equity-focused efforts 

• Exploring biases in institutional structures and processes (e.g., hiring processes, professional development, etc.)

• Equity-focused budget planning and resource allocation 

• Implementing structural, process, and policy changes to create more equitable learning and working environments

• Integrating equity into emergency response planning (surveying student needs)

Research and Evaluation to Advance Equity

The Research and Evaluation to Advance Equity track aims to showcase impactful equity-focused research studies, tools, and strategies to support new and seasoned institutional research/institutional effectiveness professionals. This track highlights approaches and effective methods for conducting and conveying equity-related findings for historically underrepresented populations and initiatives (e.g., adult learners, strong workforce, SSSP, Guided Pathways, homeless (non-academic barriers), LGBTQ, Veterans, Foster Youth, differently abled). Proposals that specifically address racial equity will be given special consideration. Topics in this track include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Applying methods for disaggregating data to effectively assess equitable student access and outcomes

• Methods for collecting, highlighting, and sharing student stories 

• Designing inclusive qualitative research studies (such as focus groups) that amplify student voices 

• Showcasing effective practices leading to equitable student completion

• Leveraging the student voice in equity-focused activities and evaluation efforts

• Effectively conveying research findings and facilitating courageous conversations about equity and equity-minded action planning

• Leveraging software and other tools for data visualization and sharing the equity data story

• Exploring and understanding unconscious bias