SPSCC is aware of the “Dear Colleague:” letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) division on Feb. 14, 2025.
Here is what you need to know today, Feb. 18, 2025:
- First and foremost, this letter is not law and no laws have changed. Rather, the letter is a statement of how the OCR is interpreting laws under the new administration.
- Based on a conversation with the Attorney General’s office, SPSCC’s Executive Leadership Team believes we are in compliance with all current civil rights laws.
- SPSCC will not make any changes to services, supports, departments, or their names to proactively comply with potential future changes to the law.
- SPSCC welcomes students from all backgrounds into all programs and supports. SPSCC does not discriminate; learn more on our Nondiscrimination Statement page.
We will continue to look for guidance from resources at Washington’s State Board for Community & Technical Colleges, Office of the Attorney General, and Office of the Governor.
This is our commitment to you:
- SPSCC’s Executive Leadership Team will meet each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to debrief and share updates that are relevant to our SPSCC community.
- We will communicate updates in a time-stamped format on the SPSCC website and via email to All Staff & Faculty and All Students.
- We remain committed to our students’ safety, rights, privacy, and access to education.