Highland’s Equal Employment/Affirmative Action Committee typically meets annually or more often as needed. The purpose of the committee is to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations as it relates to the hiring process. Members of the EE/AA Committee serve as EE/AA representatives on search committees on a rotating basis for all regular part-time and full-time vacancies. Before serving on a search committee, all EE/AA members receive training on the search process, discrimination law, and unconscious bias. In addition to ensuring that search committees meet their equal employment responsibilities, the members also participate in search process improvement discussions and review and make recommendations to the Affirmative Action Plan and College policies related to applicable laws regarding equal opportunity for employment.
Membership includes representation from administrative/professional staff, affirmative action harassment investigators, classified staff, faculty, the HRIS Administrator/HR Generalist, and the HR Specialist (ex-officio and notetaker). The committee members are as follows: Affirmative Action Officer, Karen Brown (Chair), Laura Early (Humanities, Social Sciences, and Fine Arts), Liz Gerber (Student Services), Trinetta Holmes (Upward Bound), Alicia Kepner (Nursing and Allied Health), Brian Leahy (ITS), Christie Lewis (HR), Kevin Li (ITS), Mark Rasmussen (Natural Science and Mathematics), Jodi Rogers (Athletics and Physical Education), Barb Statdfield (Success Center/Disability Services), Evan Talbert (Business and Technology), and Renee Welch (Payroll). Membership is recommended by the Affirmative Action Officer to the President based on interest expressed by employees.