Berkshire Community College strives to enhance a culture of inclusion and belonging, and we are committed to prioritizing the safety, dignity and agency of all members of our community. Because a dynamic learning environment demonstrates and encourages curiosity, accountability, self-reflection and a willingness to consider new concepts and different perspectives, we recognize that safety and respect are essential to fostering an educational environment of meaningful engagement and growth. Individually and collectively, we endeavor to see and to value ourselves and one another, to cultivate authentic connections and to involve all voices in decision-making on campus.
Land Acknowledgement
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Ancestral Homelands of the Mohican People
With gratitude and humility, we acknowledge that we are learning, speaking and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Mohican people, who are the Indigenous peoples of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.
BCC encourages lifelong learning and seeks to understand, appreciate and acknowledge the history, legacy, and ongoing contributions of the Indigenous peoples of Berkshire County. Through sustainable partnerships with the Stockbridge-Munsee Community and allies, diversifying curriculum, including experiential learning opportunities and events that create platforms for Indigenous voices, BCC will honor and highlight the regional contributions of the local Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Band of Mohican Indians. Additionally, BCC aims to remove institutional barriers to accessing education by reviewing its institutional policies and procedures in order to identify and remove practices that exacerbate racial inequity.
We invite you to engage in these efforts and learn about the important sacrifices of the Mohican Indians, who have been systematically erased in history. In keeping with BCC’s mission, we are proud to join other local organizations and regional efforts in raising awareness of and respecting and honoring the contributions and knowledge that the Stockbridge-Munsee Community has contributed to our present lives.
Inclusion in Action
When we strive to create an inclusive campus environment, we make a commitment to:
- Advocate for a shared sense of responsibility for and with one another;
- Recognize that different kinds of cultural wealth and lived experiences strengthen our learning and our community;
- Nurture everyone’s ability and willingness to question our own assumptions;
- Maintain awareness of the impact of our words and actions upon others; and
- Encourage one another in lifelong learning through respectful dialogue and active listening.
Learn More
Earthseed Speaker and Skillshare
Contact Us
Toni Buckley, Special Assistant to the President for Mission, Values and Community Impact
abuckley@berkshirecc.edu
413-236-3075
Erica Barreto, Coordinator of Student Diversity Programs and Belonging
ebarreto@berkshirecc.edu
413-236-1613
BCC is committed to providing universal access to its events. Contact abuckley@berkshirecc.edu or 413-236-3075 to request disability accommodations.