Being the go-to person for filing a complaint in an era when hateful speech targeting religious and racial minorities is on the rise can be challenging, but Edwin Hiel, San Diego City College’s site compliance officer, is ready for most anything. After all, he’s been excelling at the post for most of the past 16 years.
Hiel is typically the first stop for students and college personnel who believe they have been subject to harassment or discrimination, specifically when based on one’s sex, ethnicity, national origin, age, race, color or ancestry.
“A lot of actions that lead to complaints stem from a lack of awareness, so I see this as an opportunity for learning,” said Hiel, who emphasized that his office works with an informal resolution process and thus sees his role as a conflict resolution manager. If, however, issues cannot be resolved internally via the Site Compliance Office, the complaint is forwarded to the San Diego Community College District, the Office of Civil Rights, or the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, depending on the matter at hand.
“If anyone is being subject to inappropriate behavior anywhere on campus, we want to hear about it, and we really want to hear about it early, before things become toxic,” Hiel said.
San Diego City College is laser focused on sustaining an environment free from interference and disruption, and that fosters equity and mutual respect for both students and employees. Student complaints, formal and informal, can be filed online via the SDCCD website; employee complaints of illegal harassment and discrimination can be filed the same way and by contacting Hiel at [email protected].
Hiel never set out to be a college site compliance officer.
Born and raised in San Diego, Hiel graduated from University High School, enrolled at Grossmont College and then transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science with visions of embarking on a career in veterinary medicine. His plans took a turn when deciding to spend two years in Ecuador with the Peace Corps working with subsistence farmers developing sustainable livestock practices. After his Peace Corps assignment ended and he returned to the United States, Hiel earned a master’s degree from Cal Poly in international agricultural development. The culture shock of being back in the States was at times be a bit much, however, and Hiel opted to head back to Ecuador, this time working with NGOs and training Peace Corps volunteers.
His experience working with indigenous communities and the insight he gained while advising future Peace Corps volunteers sparked an interest in a counseling career. When he returned to the United States for good in 1999, Hiel secured a master’s degree in educational counseling from San Diego State University.
He’s been at City College since 2000. After eight years as a City College counselor and personal growth instructor, he was asked to consider filling an opening as a site compliance officer. “At first I was a little hesitant,” Hiel said, “but I learned that you’re really utilizing many of the same skills; being a good listener and not being judgmental are critical for a counselor and come into play as a site compliance officer. It’s been very rewarding.”
Hiel retired from the district in 2022, but was asked to return to his old post as site compliance officer less than a year later. His also serves as the college’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officer responsible for ensuring anyone wishing to serve on a hiring committee is trained on EEO laws, regulations and policies as part of a larger effort to eliminate bias from the hiring process.
Said Hiel: “It’s not okay to be uncivil. Everyone deserves respect and to be treated with dignity.”