Lane’s Equity Lens

Diversity Values

To ensure we realize our stated college values and actualize access, equity, and inclusion across the college, we are building and implementing an Equity Lens. We will be identifying and supporting best practices for equity-related initiatives, with a strong commitment to equal employment and educational opportunity in all activities, programs, and services.

  • Access is opportunity for everyone who wishes to participate (in the college)
  • Equity is fair and just opportunities for all employees and students to reach their academic and professional potential
  • Inclusion is a sense of belonging as a valued member of decision-making and life of the college

In 2016 Lane’s Diversity Council made a commitment to facilitating the development of an Equity Lens for Lane in collaboration with stakeholders from across the college. As part of the planning for development of the Equity Lens, the employees of the college were invited to participate in an Employee Experience Survey to identify initial areas of focus. To see the report of aggregated data from the survey, please see the Employee Survey Report. 

Strategic Direction

Access, Equity, and Inclusion through a Social Justice Framework Social justice—ensuring that issues of privilege, oppression, discrimination are recognized, understood, and addressed—is the means by which access, equity and inclusion are achieved. In order to fully realize Lane’s commitment to these outcomes, we will develop a social justice framework (Equity Lens) to guide our work. This framework will provide structures, systems and support for:

  • Advancing individual and collective growth in cultural fluency, agility and competency across the institution
  • Bringing stakeholder groups together to identify and remedy barriers to social justice at Lane Community College
  • Improving recruitment and retention of diverse students and staff
  • Increasing the range, scope and depth of curriculum available to students focused on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Demonstrating leadership in social justice to the communities we serve

An additional part of the planning process involved Diversity Council members researching other Equity Lens models already in use. Below you can find links to the models we considered:

  1. Multnomah County Equity and Empowerment Lens
  2. City of Toronto Equity Lens
  3. City of Ottawa Equity and Inclusion Lens 2015 Handbook, New Edition Ottawa 2018 Handbook
  4. Oregon Opportunity Network Racial Equity Lens
  5. Portland Public Schools Racial Equity Lens
  6. Higher Education Coordinating Commission HECC Oregon Equity Lens

Lane's Equity Lens

We continue to develop and implement a comprehensive Equity Lens framework for Lane Community College, to ensure considerations of equity and social justice are applied throughout the institution. Our framework, which is based on the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) Equity Lens and Multnomah County’s Equity and Empowerment Lens, consists of a series of questions and considerations. These questions will highlight issues and opportunities for improving access, equity and inclusion. This framework will also act as a resource for addressing policies and practices that create and sustain oppression and discrimination.

Download Links for LCC's Equity Lens Remote Toolkit:

Equity Lens Implementation Team Live Presentation Links:

Contact the Office of Equity and Inclusion

Lane Community College
Office of Equity and Inclusion
4000 East 30th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97405