Dr. Barbara Carey-Shuler Equity Institute

We believe that equality and equity are not equal. An equitable education means opportunities for academic excellence for all students and the promise of a quality education beyond all else. We believe that:

• All students are ready for college, no matter their pathway to our doors (McNair, 2016).
• Equity is defined as the point at which a specific group’s representation across all majors, programs, honors, and more at the institution, is equal to the group’s representation in the student body. Therefore, if first-generation college students make up 25% of the student body, they should also make up 25% of the Dean’s List (Bensimonn, 2012).
• Equal is still not enough. All students can thrive and achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals when institutions deliberately create an inclusive environment, proactively engage in equity-driven data analysis, and intentionally design programming to support all students (Astin, 1991).

Student Success

Student Success is a cornerstone of the Institute, featuring prominently in the activities, strategic planning and series of events hosted by the Institute.  

A central home for college-wide programs, the Institute provides essential academic and personal guidance that targets, supports, and impacts individuals and groups demonstrating deficits in retention and graduation rates. We seek to identify the potential causes of the disparity in achievement and create interventions to increase the achievement of all students. Through the implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy and high impact practices, the Equity Institute strives to:

• Increase the rates of retention and graduation.
• Conduct action research and craft the most-appropriate strategies within teaching-learning environments.
• Track and follow cohorts of students to monitor success.
• Establish precollegiate and mentoring programs.

Palm Beach State College prides itself as an exemplary learning institution committed to nurturing a community of belonging, free from the negative effects of bias, where students and employees are encouraged and empowered to celebrate our differences to continuously improve our culture of inclusion, where all are welcomed and valued.

We at Palm Beach State will embrace the cultural differences in our students' learning styles in our pursuit of achieving parity in student success outcomes. We are committed to offering high-quality education, removing barriers that impede student success and replacing them with intentional opportunities to learn in a rich and culturally responsive academic environment, with the goal of offering equitable access and outcomes.

To serve our student body effectively, we will continue to employ methods to attract and retain a diverse workforce reflective of our student population, especially in terms of faculty and organizational leadership.

Palm Beach State College recognizes that inclusion must be a core component of the institution's structure, operations, and functions if we are to succeed. Equally important is a continuous review of internal practices and policies ensuring alignment with our efforts towards conscious, inclusive excellence. Through these actions, we provide a space that will allow all employees to thrive in the workplace, empower students to serve their community, realize their goals, and become change agents toward a more equitable world.