“Do you remember how old you were when you first read a book that had a character who looked and lived like you in it?” - Carlos Bulosan
Dr. Claire Oliveros is a Filipina American social justice educator, scholar, and equity practitioner in higher education.
Education and Background
I grew up in northeast Portland, Oregon within a multi-ethnic and multi-generational working class family. Growing up bi-racial, I have strong ties to my Filipino roots and Jewish ancestry. I have lived most of my life in the Pacific Northwest. I moved across country from Oregon to Virginia, and back to the west coast within the last ten years. My consulting practice is based in California, and services are offered remote and in person.
As a first-generation college graduate I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Western Oregon University, Master of Science in Education Policy, Foundations and Administrative Studies at Portland State University, and Doctorate degree in Education with a specialization in Community College Leadership from Oregon State University.
Career Highlights
I began my career in multicultural student affairs as a student leader-activist attending Western Oregon University (WOU). After graduation, I served as the inaugural Multicultural Admissions Counselor at WOU. This opportunity, connections with peers, and supportive mentors was the catalyst for a distinguished and successful career in higher education that has been sustained with love and support from my partner, family, friends and social justice community throughout the years.
I have had the honor and opportunity of serving in various leadership roles to develop new programs, services and departments with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, antiracism, and justice (DEIBAAJ) at both two and four year colleges and universities in Oregon, Virginia and California.
Currently, I serve as a community college president of a large Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) within a multi-college district in Southern California. Prior to serving as president, I was vice president (VP) at a mid-size community college in a multi-college district in Sacramento, CA. As a VP, I led two different large and complex divisions implementing institutional change during the pandemic and racial injustice uprising of 2020; and into recovery efforts. The divisions I have overseen include departments of student services, admissions and records, counseling services, transfer success, special programs, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, professional development, federally-funded grant programs, basic needs and housing resources, and college-wide DEIBAAJ initiatives.
Before relocating to California, I served in executive administrative leadership roles in academic affairs, student affairs, multicultural student development, faculty diversity development, teaching and learning, and strategic planning as an assistant provost, executive dean, director, founding coordinator, adjunct faculty, and part-time academic advisor. I have developed trainings, facilitated workshops, and institutes with a focus on leadership development, critical consciousness, and anti-oppression curriculum for students, employee groups, and community partners.
My teaching experience includes Women’s Studies courses at both two and four year institutions and has afforded me the opportunity to produce curricula focused on the Transnational Filipina Lived Experience, Women of Color in the U.S., and Introduction to Women’s Studies. I am intentional to link the curriculum to community-based, social justice organizations and service learning. I have conducted research related to Filipino American Student Associations and critical consciousness at Predominantly White Institutions, and the Filipina/x/o experience in Oregon.
Community Organizing & Engagement
I have over 25 years of volunteer experience and community organizing. I have served as a board member for several community-based organizations, appointed to the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community, and coordinated large and small scale events and activities alongside Filipina/x/o youth and families. My community work extends over two decades in Portland and the Philippines.
In 1998, I co-founded and led the first youth activities committee of the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS) Oregon Chapter. In 2005, after returning from an international solidarity mission, I helped launch and served as founding chair of the Portland Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, one of Portland’s first progressive Filipino-based social justice organizations that continues today. My advocacy and support of the Filipino movement for self-determination and human rights in the US and abroad continues through my work in California.
I am a dedicated educational leader with a deep commitment to equity, service, and leadership development. I enjoy spending time outdoors, exploring new local restaurants, and listening to podcasts.