Office of Equity and Inclusion

Hazard Community and Technical College’s Office of Equity and Inclusion was designed to increase equitable and inclusive practices among students, faculty and staff. Diversity: expressed in myriad forms, including race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, language, culture, national origin, religious commitments, age, disability status and political perspective. Equity: working actively to challenge and respond to bias, harassment, and discrimination. Inclusion: committed to pursuing deliberate efforts to ensure that our campus is a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard and where every individual feels a sense of belonging and inclusion. 

“Equity ensures that all have equal access to our institutions and academic programs. Inclusion ensures that, once access is provided and students are on our campuses, they are in an environment where they can be comfortable regardless of their background. It is very difficult to be successful and focus on the challenge that is a college curriculum unless you are in a place where you feel supported.  With equal opportunity and an inclusive environment, we are confident that the achievement gaps between the overall student population and our historically underserved populations can be closed,” Travis Powell, Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Vice President and General Counsel, Executive.

The 2018 College-Wide Equity and Inclusion Workshop led to renaming the Office of Cultural Diversity to the Office of Equity and Inclusion. HCTC's College Leadership and Campus Environment Team developed an Equity Position Statement, approved by our College Leadership Team. Hazard Community and Technical College (HCTC) defines equity as striving to give all students what they need to be successful.  HCTC recognizes that equity and equality are not the same thing, and that students may have very different needs along their paths to success.  Therefore, HCTC meets students where they are and provides the tools and resources they need to achieve their goals.

HCTC Diversity Planning Documents

Hazard Community and Technical College is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and follows a strategic plan that is measured annually. This allows the college opportunity to continuously improve and adjust to the  college community’s needs and concerns.