Association of California Community College Administrators [ACCCA] Gives SOCCCD 2026 Award for Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice.
The 2026 honoree of the ACCCA Award for Equity, Diversity and Social Justice went to the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD). The District was recognized for being a statewide leader in their efforts by creating meaningful evaluative language in the FT and PT faculty evaluation process. Their process seeks to hold individual faculty accountable for improving student success by using institutionalized data for course success disaggregated by race/ethnicity for each faculty member. The District also employed a collaborative process to develop the language which was agreed upon through negotiations with the Faculty Association, ratified by the unit members, and ultimately approved by the SOCCCD Board of Trustees. It is a model for other districts to follow and is one of, if not the only, evaluation language that directly ties an individual faculty member's course success to the disaggregated data of students by race/ethnicity. The award was accepted by Dr. Cindy Vyskocil, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at South Orange County Community College District.
The ACCCA Award for Equity, Diversity and Social Justice was created to recognize the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations in their efforts to expand the concept of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the wider higher education community.
The Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) presented its highest honors to leaders and innovators of the community college system in California. The awards honored achievement and excellence in the areas of leadership, equity and diversity, community college research, administration, and volunteerism. The awards were presented in conjunction with the Association’s 50th annual conference in Long Beach, February 18-20, 2026. The conference had record attendance this year with nearly 500 attendees.