Welcoming the New CCEI

Northampton Community College (NCC) is proud to introduce a new center to the Bethlehem Campus. On November 30, NCC held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the doors for the Center of Community, Equity, and Inclusion (CCEI). The center is conveniently located in College Center room 236 for everyone to easily access and will be open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including flexible hours if needed. 

The CCEI will play a significant role in supporting a more inclusive and diverse learning environment, with the purpose of creating a space where all students, faculty, and staff can come to feel welcome, supported, and valued. The center’s advising team consists of Office Assistant, Caroline Bischof, Professors, Melenese Sivells and Sam Chen, and the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Gina Turner. The team will be ready to help, whether it’s by providing resources and support services or assisting in cultural awareness programming. Now more than ever, resources that help support and strengthen students in becoming the best version of themselves are extremely useful.  

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, NCC President, David A. Ruth, Ph.D. took time to thank the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Martin Guitar and member of the Martin Guitars charitable foundation board, Matt Kennedy, for the foundation board’s support of the CCEI and its mission. Ruth also spoke on how NCC has, “always been a college that aspires to provide an environment where all our students, faculty, and staff can be honored and celebrated for being authentically themselves with all the rich diversity that brings.”  

During the post ribbon cutting celebration, Bischof described her excitement toward being able to work in the CCEI, explaining how she’s, “looking forward to seeing how the center will transform people’s experience at NCC and help the community become closer and more successful as a whole.”