State University of New York at Fredonia
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

a. http://home.fredonia.edu/diversity/non-discrimination b. Statement: Fredonia Non-Discrimination Statement Pursuant to University policy, the University is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the University community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law, or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic. The University’s policy is in accordance with federal and state laws and regulations prohibiting unlawful discrimination and harassment. These laws include the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as Amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, and the New York State Human Rights Law. These laws prohibit discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and other laws, regulations and policies prohibiting discrimination may be directed to Dr. Bill Boerner, Chief Diversity Officer at William.boerner@fredonia.edu. Inquiries may also be directed to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, 32 Old Slip 26th Floor, New York, NY 10005-2500; Tel. (646) 428-3800; Email OCR.NewYork@ed.gov. A SUNY-wide grievance procedure is available to all students and employees in cases of discrimination. If you feel you have been a victim of discrimination for any of the above reasons, feel free to contact the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Persons who wish to initiate such a grievance or complaint should also consult the Dispute Resolution page for detailed information on the filing process. An employee or student who participates in the procedure has the right to do so without fear of retaliation. It will be made clear that retaliation against an employee, a student or a witness who has filed a discrimination complaint will result in appropriate sanctions or other disciplinary action as covered by collective bargaining agreements, and/or applicable University policies.

a. Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Faculty, staff, and students can file a claim of discrimination with this office in order address their concerns. Incidents are treated on a case-by-case basis processed through the internal discrimination complaint process; however outcomes of investigations or claims are not publically disclosed. http://home.fredonia.edu/diversity/disputeresolution b. University Silent Witness Program – maintained by University Police, this is an anonymous reporting opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to report an incident or crime. University Police would alert DEI, Student Affairs, or other offices to manage any issues. http://students.fredonia.edu/upd/updsilent c. Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) – managed by Students Affairs, this is a group of professionals, faculty, and administrators who review students concerns, including bias or hate crime related matters. The group meets on a weekly basis to review major concerns, assess student needs, and manage the response. d. Bias Crime Prevention Policy: It is a State University of New York at Fredonia Police mandate to protect all members of the Fredonia community by preventing and prosecuting bias or hate crimes that occur within the campus's jurisdiction. http://fredonia.smartcatalogiq.com/en/2016-2017/Catalog/Student-Rights-and-Responsibilities/University-Policies e. Fredonia maintains an annual Campus Safety report as required by the federal “Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act”. This report identified one instance of a hate crime in the reporting years of 2013-2015 (Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property – race – 2013). http://students.fredonia.edu/upd/campussafety

Students - State University of New York Fredonia is committed to recruit, enroll, and graduate students from low-income and historically disadvantaged groups. Currently Fredonia had three full time admissions professionals who work to enroll students from these diverse backgrounds. Two of these counselors primarily recruited from the NYC metro market, and one of which is physically located in NYC. The third counselor spends the majority of their time in the City of Buffalo and other update urban areas. As a campus we work closely with our Educational Development Program, known more widely as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). This program is centered around granting access to college and provide support to those students who are both academically and financially disadvantaged. For the past 9 years Fredonia has hosted a Multi-Cultural Weekend in conjunction with our Center for Multicultural Affairs. This program has grown exponentially and now brings close to 100 prospective students from NYC, and other urban areas of the state. Overall new student diversity has increased significantly over the past 10 years; increasing from 9% of the incoming first-year student body being minority in 2006 to over 25% in 2016. Faculty & Staff- a. In consultation with Human Resources and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, hiring departments list position announcements in various diverse locations. b. The University sponsors postings in various diverse publications such as Insight Into Diversity and IMDiversity.com. Additionally, veterans groups are contacted and the local resource center supporting individuals with disabilities. c. The University ensures that all searches are compliant with Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity standards. Search committees receive training to manage bias and support an inclusive search process. d. Various departments, specifically academic disciplines, are encouraged to post positions with agencies and organizations that support underrepresented groups. Chairs of academic departments are encouraged to seek connections with various doctoral degree granting institutions to establish relationships and build professional connections.

Center for Multicultural Affairs provides mentoring and student leadership opportunities to diverse student groups including: Black Student Union, Latinos Unidos, Pride Alliance, Hillel, Women’s Student Union, and National American Student Union. Educational Development Program provides one-on-one counseling and academic support to socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Full Opportunity Program identifies, recruits, and academically supports students from diverse backgrounds. Disability Support Services provides guidance and accommodation support for students with disabilities. Counseling Services - The Counseling Center's mission is to promote student intellectual, social and emotional development that fosters academic and personal success within a global and culturally diverse society. The Counseling Center offers individual and group counseling sessions, skills workshops, outreach presentations and includes services aimed at preventing violence and substance abuse. For Faculty and Staff - New York State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a voluntary, confidential information and referral service. The referral process is any action taken or assistance offered to an employee that addresses particular needs. Fredonia's EAP Coordinator serves the employees of SUNY Fredonia by assessing their personal needs and problems, and by referring troubled employees to appropriate professional resource providers. http://www.fredonia.edu/cma/ http://www.fredonia.edu/edp/ http://www.fredonia.edu/tlc/fop/ http://www.fredonia.edu/tlc/dss/index.asp http://fa.fredonia.edu/eap

As a University serving primarily undergraduate student populations, there is no specifically designed program to support underrepresented groups for careers as faculty members; however, there are several opportunities as learning assistants, research assistants, internships, and Graduate Assistantships that do afford students the opportunity to engage in a classroom setting. The College of Education is also one of our largest majors, supporting future K-12 teachers. While not specifically designed to support underrepresented populations, these types of programs do attract and serve students from diverse populations.