Welcome to the online home for the Belonging, Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (BaJEDI) program that serves Aims Community College faculty and staff. You can learn more about our mission, see upcoming events and announcements, and access learning tools and other resources to help you be a positive force for college-wide inclusivity.
BaJEDI
Aims alumna Felisha Bustos designed the mural in the Student Commons on the Greeley campus, encapsulating themes of resilience, determination, grit, and strength. She skillfully wove symbols representing dreams, goals, and endless possibilities, along with Aims imagery. The figures in the mural, chosen for their diverse stories and backgrounds, reflect the wide-ranging ages and walks of life within the Aims community.
I would like to share a bit of my story as a way of inviting you on your own journey related to belonging, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
Aims and I go way back; I was born in Greeley and started my higher education journey here, teaching courses in ELL and citizenship at Aims while I was in graduate school. Even before that, my mother was an ELL instructor at Aims, and as a young child I watched her work with students from all over the world, witnessing how people came together to help each other. I credit Aims with instilling within me a deep curiosity about diverse peoples and cultures that ultimately led to my research in Latin America.
After eleven years as a tenured professor teaching Latin American History at the University of Alabama, I am back at Aims and excited to begin the work as Program Manager of the inaugural BaJEDI program. I first became aware of the importance of campus diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) when my students at UA started coming to me to talk about their experiences as people of color on campus, from microaggressions to overt racism. Neurodiverse students (Autism, ADHD, and beyond) taught me about accommodations that addressed their learning styles and neurocognition, such as knitting while listening to a lecture to help them focus. One semester, I worked with our Office of Disability Services to create a tactile map of Latin America for a blind student.
Drawing from the lived experiences of these students, I realized that beyond course content, interactions with the diverse members of our campus community had the potential to transform our perspectives and expand our understanding of the world. I incorporated an exercise at the beginning of each semester that asked students to take a moment and look around the room and recognize that their diverse classmates were one of their most powerful resources on campus. This understanding is especially important for students today because the ability to collaborate and work with diverse teams is a crucial—and fruitful—workplace skill.
By developing ways to understand each other through reading about, hearing and learning different perspectives, we can make institutional changes that ensure everyone feels welcome and fully supported on campus. Each of us comes from a unique background with diverse experiences, identities, talents and needs. By working together to support initiatives that make Aims inclusive, we can experience the rich diversity on campus as a strength that we all will learn from every day.
I look forward to working with you at Aims.
Teresa Cribelli, Program Manager, BaJEDI
The BaJEDI mission at Aims Community College is to cultivate a community where belonging, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion are enfolded into all levels of the institution. Working with stakeholders across our campuses and the communities we serve, BaJEDI strengthens and institutionalizes the values of Aims. We are dedicated to fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, respected, included and heard.
BaJEDI is a key component of Aims' 2024-27 strategic plan, centered around the concept of Belonging. The BaJEDI operational plan outlines action steps that promote belonging, justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion at Aims. By implementing these strategies, we aim to foster a sense of community and belonging where all Aims employees feel empowered and welcome.
With BaJEDI manager, determine if and when a larger assessment of resources, practices, programs, etc. is needed.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Enroll in Excelencia in Education's Seal of Excelencia as a potential guide for enhancing Aims’ servingness
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Adopt Excelensia's best practices as a model for HSI identity and servingness
- Model Excelensia practices in other areas of BaJEDI
Lead Position Responsible
EVP/BAJEDI/HSI Committee
Completion Date
In progress
Implement a framework and process to encourage, acknowledge, recognize, and compensate employee commitment to BaJEDI principals.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Develop inventory of resources and practices for staff and faculty (FTLC, CEI, CDI, HR, Prof. Dev, BaJEDI awards)
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Develop Aims inventory resource page on BaJEDI website
- Create a report to share with campus community
Lead Position Responsible
BaJEDI/ Teresa
Completion Date
In progress
Institutionalize BaJEDI professional development expectations. (Recognize BaJEDI as part of our core culture through modeling).
Initiatives/Tactics
- Enfold BaJEDI training into new leadership program (HR's GROW Program)
- Incorporate other professional plans for review process
- Offer GEMS upon completion of BaJEDI training or participation in events / likewise employee badge or certificate for completing training
- Use Convocation/Conversation days to express BaJEDI values/objectives
Lead Position Responsible
Emp Services/Dee
Completion Date
In progress
In alignment with Alternative Work and HSI task force, offer supervisor and leadership training.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Onboarding: BaJEDI-centered leadership and supervision professional development for new employees and employees transitioning to leadership roles
- Ongoing: Offer formal supervisory and leadership training about how to support direct reports regarding expectations, guidelines, and prioritization of BaJEDI initiatives and values
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Develop curriculum/training materials for onboarding in coordination with HSI training
- Develop curriculum/training materials for ongoing training/employees moving into leadership roles
Lead Position Responsible
Emp Services/FTLC
Completion Date
In progress
Implement a transparent reporting mechanism and dashboard, visible to the Aims community, to communicate the progress and/or status of BaJEDI initiatives, programs, and recommendations.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Develop data tracking with Marcom, CDI, and IR
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Begin working with IR to design a BaJEDI Dashboard tracking mechanism
- Coordinate and consult with CDI
- Include Dashboard in BaJEDI website
- On-going assessment of Dashboard to capture data that provides nuanced perspective of BaJEDI assessments
Lead Position Responsible
BaJED/IR/Teresa
Completion Date
March 2025
Enhance diverse employee recruiting, retention, professional development, and engagement strategies.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Include in 2024-27 Strategic Plan
Lead Position Responsible
Employee Services
Completion Date
ES strategic plan
Develop a BaJEDI webpage including BaJEDI resources, initiatives, and opportunities.
Initiatives/Tactics
- BaJEDI webpage
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Webpage is in operation and accessible to Aims Community and public
Lead Position Responsible
BaJEDI/MarComm
Completion Date
Ongoing development
Encourage all employees to implement an additional BaJEDI goal as part of the annual goals and review process in coordination with HSI goals.
Initiatives/Tactics
- Create BaJEDI goal as part of review process
Objective Success Measures / KPI'S
- Ongoing training for leadership on how to include/encourage BaJEDI goals
- Onboarding BaJEDI trainings that provide ideas for BaJEDI goals for new hires
- Collect qualitative and quantitative data on BaJEDI work accomplished by Aims team members
Lead Position Responsible
Emp Services/BaJEDI
Completion Date
TBD
The Belonging, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Awards (BaJEDI) honor individuals or teams who have demonstrated an emerging or sustained commitment to the values of belonging, diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice and multiculturalism within Aims and the greater community.
Aims honors faculty, staff, administrators and teams at the President’s Reception. Student awards are presented at the Academic Honors Ceremony.
To learn more, contact Heather Lelchook, Council for Equity and Inclusion Co-chair at heather.lelchook@aims.edu.
Here is where you will find updates about the BaJEDI program and items of interest in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion.
