Pratt Institute
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
Pratt Institute is committed to the recognition and preservation of each individual’s human rights and does not discriminate or tolerate harassment on the basis of sex, gender, race, color, religion or creed, marital status, age, sexual orientation, status as a veteran, political beliefs, disability, citizenship, genetic information, or national or ethnic origin with respect to the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to all members of its academic community. Such rights, privileges, programs, and activities include, but are not limited to, employment at the Institute, admissions, financial aid, scholarships, access to housing, educational programs, co-curricular activities, and participation in athletic programs.

The Institute upholds the values and standards that support this human rights policy, and, as such, maintains high expectations regarding the conduct of its students, faculty, staff, and administration. This policy applies uniformly to all members of the Institute’s community, who are encouraged to promptly report problems or matters that could be in violation of this policy. Persons found in violation of this policy shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including the termination of employment of employees and suspension or expulsion of students.

https://www.pratt.edu/student-life/student-affairs/office-of-the-vice-president-for-student-affairs/student-policies/community-standards/human-rights/

The Bias Education Response Taskforce (BERT) is a group of administrators and faculty who are committed to fostering an inclusive campus climate by supporting targeted individuals when bias and/or hate incidents occur.

Those who have experienced or witnessed any form of bias, discrimination or harassment, are urged to report it to BERT through the Bias Incident Report Form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8mzGdoM4MNrFnjufbL7-HDRY8aqaRUESC8eH7gpBgwCY3aw/viewform. Once completed, one of the BERT Co-Chairs will contact the reporter with the next steps regarding the investigation process based on the type of incident that have been described.

The response to bias incidents on campus would utilize the support services that are currently in place to meet the needs of student, staff, and faculty. This would include:
- Counseling Services
- Health Services
- Learning Access Center
- Public Safety
The affects of some incidents of bias are felt by the community as opposed to a single individual. In these cases we would work with the communications department to address the community concern. In cases of bias crime we would work with law enforcement as is necessary.

In most cases, this process works from a restorative nature, that reflects the capacity of all people for healing, growth, and transformation by creating pathways for accountability, self-determination, and connection. It addresses the needs of those who have been harmed while encouraging those who have caused harm to take responsibility.

BERT MEMBERSHIP
Convener - Nsombi B. Ricketts, Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Co-Chair - Esmilda Abreu, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator
Co-Chair - Dennis Mazone, Director of Public Safety
James Kempster, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
Jazmin Peralta, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Tom Greene, Director of Legal Affairs
Cristobal Stewart, Assistant Dean of Continuing and Professional Studies
Chris Kasik, Director of Residential Life and Conduct Officer
Steve Riccobono, Director of Human Resources
Judith Williams Cadet, Title IX Deputy
Jasmine Cuffie, Coordinator of Health Education and Promotion
Christopher Jensen, Associate Professor, Math and Science
Ann Holder, Associate Professor, Social Science, and Cultural Studies
Michele Gorman- Adjunct Associate Professor, Undergraduate Architecture

https://www.pratt.edu/the-institute/diversity-and-inclusion/bias-education-response-taskforce/

Black Lives Matter at Pratt
https://blacklivesmatterpratt.com/about/

BLM at Pratt seeks to be an educational resource dedicated to the co-creation of a climate where every individual who works, lives and studies on campus can feel safe, empowered, and inspired. We believe that our institution has the potential to become a key stakeholder in the creation of an equitable society. BLM at Pratt promotes art as activism and activism as art. Our guiding keyword for 2019-2020 is VISIBILITY.

EVENTS: We program talks, performances, exhibitions, workshops and other events centering Black perspectives on campus throughout the school year.

TEACH-IN: Our daylong, signature event brings together scholars, Pratt faculty, students, and staff as well as members of the broader Brooklyn community for a whole day of exchange, art and dialogue on campus.

CURRICULUM: Encourage and collaborate with faculty members to incorporate the #BlackLivesMatter movement into their class curriculum.

INCLUSION: Work with the Center for Equity and Inclusion to creatively respond to social inequity on campus and beyond.

ADVOCACY: We commit to critiquing and combating the intersections of privilege and oppression on our campus.

DIALOGUE: we encourage faculty, staff, students and alumni to come into conversation across differences of race, gender, sexuality, and profession.

BEYOND CAMPUS: Collaborate with local organizations, vendors, and activists working within the broader Brooklyn community.


The Black Student Union (BSU
The Black Student Union (BSU) at Pratt Institute is a non-profit student-run organization whose interests lays in the empowerment of students who identify as part of the Black Diaspora. Through on and off-campus community building, activism, and events, the Black Student Union provides a safe space, collective, and voice for students.

Other Programs that specifically to support students, academic staff, and/or non-academic staff from underrepresented groups:
• Black Alumni of Pratt (BAP) -
The contributions made by The Black Alumni of Pratt bring value to the institution. The world in which we live is diverse, and the United States in particular is becoming increasingly so. The unique and distinctive programs and robust network of black and Latinx professionals established by BAP helps to enrich Pratt’s institutional awareness and understanding of diversity and its benefits. BAP enables Pratt Institute to be better connected with a changing world. BAP’s richness, like much of the cultural diversity in America today, expands far beyond its African American and Latinx constituents.

• Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
The Center for Teaching and Learning fosters a collaborative faculty community that builds on current best pedagogical practices across all disciplines and teaching modalities at Pratt: classroom, studio pedagogy, experiential learning, group-work, field- trips, and more. The Center aims to create an interdisciplinary and reflective learning environment to address important and often difficult issues in a diverse classroom. The CTL’s guiding values are community, reflection and action. The Center is ultimately guided by a commitment to promote contemplative and reflective teaching that supports social justice through critical, inclusive, and embodied practices with teachers who are passionate about their course content and also intentional about how they teach the ‘whole’ student.

• Health Services - Food Insecurity Resources
Pratt is committed to addressing food insecurity on campus. If students are experiencing food insecurity, Pratt has partnered with many apps and organizations to locate food pantries. Students can also sign up for benefits or find free/low-cost food. We have also opened a Food Pantry on the Brooklyn campus. More info at https://www.pratt.edu/student-life/student-services/resource-page-for-food-insecurity/

• Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
Established by the New York State Legislature in 1969, the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) provides an opportunity for admission and support to talented New York students who have not reached their full academic potential due to barriers in their educational, economic, or personal background.

The ultimate goal of the program is to make higher education possible for students who are capable and motivated to be successful as college students but whose test scores and/or high school grades are lower than Pratt Institute's admission standards and who come from low income families. For over four decades, HEOP students have received the support they needed to earn a college degree. More than 42,000 students have earned their college degrees through HEOP. HEOP serves students of all races, ethnicities, and from all regions of the state. Despite their earlier educational backgrounds, HEOP students complete their degree programs at a rate that surpasses students nationally. More than one in four HEOP graduates have pursued masters, doctoral, or professional degrees.

• Learning Access Center (L/AC)
The Learning/Access Center (formerly Disability Resource Center) provides comprehensive academic support services that are available to all Pratt students. The L/AC also facilitates full access for students with disabilities and veterans so that they can freely and actively participate in all facets of Pratt life. The L/AC collaborates to provide Institute-wide advisement and consultation on disability-related matters (including legal compliance and universal design) and provides individual services and tools to facilitate diverse learning styles and accommodations in a sustainable inclusive manner.

Gender Inclusive Communities: Do you feel your needs would be better met if you could live with others regardless of their gender identity and your own? Do you want to learn more about gender identity and development? The Gender Inclusive housing option provides an alternative housing choice for students who may identify as transgender, are more comfortable living with another sex or gender, do not wish to prescribe to gender classifications, or are allies of LGBTQIA students and would like to live in this community. While the Gender Inclusive housing option offers a community supportive of cross-gender understanding, this option is not intended for couples in romantic relationships.

The Gender Inclusive housing option is offered for all students (first year, new transfer, upperclass and graduate). Housing assignments are in the same room/apartment/suite without regard to gender. Outside of Gender-Inclusive housing, students are assigned rooms and suites by their legal gender marker.