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Equity Center

Center for Equity and Social Justice

Welcome to the Center for Equity and Social Justice

CT State Mission Statement

The Connecticut State Community College provides access to academically rigorous and innovative education and training focused on student success. The college supports excellence in teaching and learning, makes data-informed decisions, promotes equity, and advances positive change for the students, communities, and industries it serves.

CT State Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The Connecticut State Community College commits to bold and disruptive change by actively: identifying, naming, and dismantling structural racism, systemic poverty, and other barriers; establishing equitable and anti-racist policies and practices; and empowering students, faculty, staff, and administrators to advance racial, social, and economic justice. Our core collective responsibility is to continuously assess practices and policies and transform the world we live in by eliminating inequities.

Vision Statement

The Equity Center partners with various academic departments, student support programs, and community service agencies to provide lectures, workshops, discussions, film screenings, spoken word, and art exhibits that explore issues of culture, belonging, power, oppression, and injustice in our community.    

Our Goals:

  1. We strive to be a space that informs the Housatonic Campus and the greater community on issues of identity, belonging, equity, diversity, and social justice.
  2. We strive to enhance the cultural and educational experience of students by providing a safe and welcoming environment for students to engage in community building and connection.
  3. We strive to amplify the voices of marginalized communities through education and collaboration.
  4. We strive to confront and explore issues that divide us, such as racism, classism, ethnocentrism, ableism, ageism, sexism, and heterosexism  
  5. We strive to create an environment that values each member of our community.

Who is Who? | Program Areas


Yannick L. Brookes, JD | Acting Equity Center Project Lead
Associate Dean for Student Development
and Campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Pronouns: he, him, his

    Area
  • Inclusive Communities and Allyship (LGBTQIA+)
  • Civic Engagement
  • Social Justice

Alexandros Valiantis | Program Coordinator
Pronouns: he, him, his

    Area
  • Males Success Initiative (the Men’s Center)
  • Bridgeport Community Engagement 

Robin Avant | Dean of Students and Facility
Pronouns: she, her, hers

    Area
  • Women’s Engagement and Empowerment Program (the Women’s Center)

Pierre D’Haiti | Community Engagement Coordinator
Pronouns: Pierre

    Area
  • International Student Affairs
  • Multiculutral Student Initiatives
  • English as a Second Language

Da’ee Mcknight | Reentry Affairs Specialist
Pronouns: he, him, his

    Area
  • Justice for Education Program

Chris Lebric | Community Engagement Coordinator

Pronouns: he, him, his

    Area
  • Veterans Student Affairs

Housatonic Community College Foundation Logo
Alliance
The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center
Center for Family Justice

Contact Information:

Center for Equity and Social Justice (Beacon Hall #358)

CT State Community College, Housatonic Campus
900 Lafayette Blvd.
Bridgeport, CT 06604 

E-Mail:
Telephone: (203) 332-5039

Hours:
Mondays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursdays 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Fridays 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

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