Diversity

We strive to be an inclusive campus.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology deeply values the diversity of our campus and community. Our commitment to the success of students and employees is exemplified by our core theme on college community: Lake Washington Institute of Technology provides a safe, supported and engaging learning environment for students and work environment for faculty and staff. 

In solidarity with our Indigenous, AAPI, Black and Brown and LGBTQIA+ communities, LWTech does not condone racist or hateful messages, behaviors, or violence in any form. We continue to support you in this cause and invite our allies and others to joins us in holding ourselves accountable to this standard.

Land Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that the LWTech campus is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, past and present, and we honor with gratitude the land itself, and the Coast Salish, Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Muckleshoot and Duwamish tribes.​ We acknowledge these tribes by showing respect, and take an intentional step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people's history and culture, and toward inviting and honoring the truth.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) acknowledge that anti-trans violence is real and at the core of our acknowledgment is “People,”, people who are part of our community, members of our families and those who make up the vast tapestry of beauty that makes us who we are.

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is recognized nationwide on November 20th as a way of remembering those who have lost their lives due to violence in the Transgender community. It started in 1999 as an act of love by Gwendolyn A. Smith to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a Transgender woman who was killed in November of 1998. This day brings awareness to the prejudice, violence and threat of violence faced by gender non-conforming persons within the transgender community.

Allies may also dedicate time to—advocating for the transgender community, whether by amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices on social media or donating to a worthy cause. Many trans and non-binary people also spend the day connecting with their community and participating in self-care.

Transgender Awareness Month is celebrated annually in November, here are things you can do to support the Transgender Community:

• Attend a local or online event
• Say their names - In Memoriam: Transgender lives lost in America
• Ask their preferred name and use their pronouns
• Host conversations
• Become an Ally/do Safe Zone Training

Our work in fostering an inclusive community goes beyond what we say, to what we do to build and create a sustainable community that values each person for who they are and allows them to be their authentic selves. As a community of belonging, we are committed to being inclusive and supportive of all those who are part of our LWTech community.

Sources/Resources:

• Transgender Day of Remembrance | GLAAD

Robert Britten,
Executive Director EDI

Juneteenth

June 19th

Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth)—also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day—is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.

The Washington state Legislature has passed House Bill 1016 that makes Juneteenth a legal state holiday.

In our ongoing efforts to address and dismantle systemic racism we also recognize the importance of broadening our understanding of historical events that shape and impact the important work under way. 

LWTech is closed as a paid holiday to honor Juneteenth and our acknowledgment of its significance. The campus is also be closed to all students, staff, and community members. If June 19th falls on a weekend, the following Monday is observed.

We Stand in Solidarity with the Black Community

Message to the College Community from President Amy Morrison: Anniversary of George Floyd's Murder

Learn More About LWTech Supporting the Black Community

Anti-Asian Sentiment

Email communication sent on March 16, 2021 to the LWTech Community

To the LWTech Community,

In partnership with our President, Executive Cabinet, Bias Response Team (BRT) & Equity Diversity and Inclusion Council (EDIC), we issue the following statement:

Anti-Asian rhetoric, discrimination, harassment and xenophobia has been and is a troubling and growing issue that our society has yet to truly confront. The increase in physical and emotional violence against Asian Americans is alarming and compounds the issues of inequity felt among Asian American communities during the pandemic and at other times in our country's history.

Over the past year LWTech, has shown resilience and have come together as a community to respond to and reject the surge of hate and violence toward communities of color. Our Asian students, faculty and staff are struggling with the insidious anti-Asian hate and intolerance that continues to increase locally and nationally. LWTech condemns all forms of racism and stands in solidarity with our Asian American, Asian and Pacific Islander community members. We support them with steadfast resolve and a commitment to stand solidly at their side.

What is done to one of us is done to all of us and we “hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal…” As we work to dismantle systemic racism in all its forms, we encourage each of you to remain committed to the cause of equity, resilient in the face of injustice and unified in the fight to eliminate hate. We want all who are touched by such violence and acts of hate to know that we see you, we hear you and we are you!

We have resources available for employees through the Employee Assistance Program where a professional counselor can assist you in processing the impact of these events. You can reach them toll free at (877) 313-4455. Students can find information about free short-term mental health counseling at LWTech and community counseling resources on the Counseling webpage. Students are also encouraged to connect with the RISE Center for available support resources.

Humbly,

Robert Britten
Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

For more than seven years, the faculty and staff of LWTech have engaged in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work, which led to the creation of an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan, which incorporated two years of feedback from the college community. The college then formed an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which later was moved to Council status. It also led to standing up the RISE Center (Resources for Inclusion, Support and Empowerment) with a full-time coordinator, in collaboration with the Associated Student Government. The college opened the Center for Veteran Student Success with a full-time coordinator in 2016, and began its Community of Belonging initiative in 2017. That same year, the Digital Accessibility Committee formed to align college activities and practices with digital accessibility laws, regulations, and recommended practices to ensure equal access to all members of the college community. In 2019, the college formed the Bias Response Team to provide proactive education related to hate/bias and advise college administration regarding a comprehensive response to hate/bias incidents that impact the college community. In August 2020, the college created a new position, Executive Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. This position reports directly to the president and work closely with executive cabinet and the campus community to move the college forward on its EDI and anti-racist efforts. 

RISE Center

The RISE Center: Resources for Inclusion, Support, and Empowerment aims to build an equitable and inclusive campus environment where all students can thrive. The Center serves as a support service for students from historically non-dominant, underrepresented, and underserved populations. Students from minoritized ethnic/racial groups, students with disabilities, first-generation college students (those who are the first in their family to attend/graduate from college), undocumented students, and members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community are all welcomed here.

Usage of Preferred/Chosen Names

Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) recognizes that usage of preferred/chosen names, whenever possible, is key to creating an inclusive and welcoming learning environment for all students.

Primary Name: A person's name that is usually the name given at birth and recorded on the birth certificate or that has been declared the person's name by a court.

Preferred/Chosen Name: A preferred name is the use of a name, usually a first name, that is different from a person's legal name. There are many reasons why someone may use a preferred name. While the most visible may be to reflect gender identity, other reasons why someone might use a preferred name may include shortening a first name (e.g. Steven to Steve) or to be referred to by a middle name or nickname.

For more information, visit the Primary Name webpage.