| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.17 |
| Liaison | Lisa Mitten |
| Submission Date | March 2, 2023 |
State University of New York at New Paltz
PA-5: Diversity and Equity Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.56 / 2.00 |
Tanhena
Pacheco Dunn Associate VP of HR Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion |
Does the institution have a diversity and equity committee, office, and/or officer tasked by the administration or governing body to advise on and implement policies, programs, and trainings related to diversity, equity, inclusion and human rights?:
Does the committee, office and/or officer focus on students, employees, or both?:
A brief description of the diversity and equity committee, office and/or officer, including purview and activities:
SUNY New Paltz has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and a Division of Human Resources, Diversity, and Inclusion that is led by the Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, Tanhena Pacheco Dunn. Tanhena also serves as the Chief Diversity Officer. SUNY New Paltz is committed to becoming an actively anti-racist campus. To learn the latest about DEI efforts at SUNY New Paltz, visit: https://www.newpaltz.edu/diversity/. To learn more about anti-racisim efforts visit https://www.newpaltz.edu/diversity/anti-racism/.
The College is committed to a range of practices and programs that will foster the ends of equitable inclusion and diversity. According to the Diversity and Inclusion Plan developed during the fall of 2016, the college will, for example:
-Recruit and retain diverse faculty, staff, and administrators.
-Recruit and retain a diverse student body.
-Foster open and effective dialogue between all members and units in the campus community, while developing an awareness of our potential unconscious biases.
-Consciously provide members with strategic, educational, and experiential opportunities for cultural competency and inclusive leadership skill development.
-Support individual members of our community in their efforts to advocate for public policy changes that advance social inclusion and cultural understanding.
-Promote intercultural and international interaction, campus programming, community activities, campus spaces, and co-curricular experiences.
-Engage with diverse alumni to support diversity and inclusion on campus, while
supporting their success and involvement.
Chief Diversity Officer Tanhena Pacheco Dunn also served on a SUNY System working group that led to the development of the SUNY Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Phase One Action Plan for the SUNY System as a whole. The Plan includes 25 recommendations to forward diversity, equity, and inclusion across the SUNY System. To view the plan, visit this website: https://www.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/diversity/suny-dei-final-action-plan.pdf
Estimated proportion of students that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Estimated proportion of academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Estimated proportion of non-academic staff that has participated in cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
A brief description of the institution’s cultural competence, anti-oppression, anti-racism, and/or social inclusion trainings and activities:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion workshops are offered during the College's annual January Training program. DEI-related workshops have recently included:
- Confronting Bias
- LGBTQ+ Allies Workshop
- Engaging Bias
- Racism 101: An Introduction to Concepts and Conversations about Racism in America
- Diversity & Inclusion: Opening and Navigating Difficult Conversations: First-Person Experiences and Best Practices
- Supporting Transgender Students
The New Paltz LGBTQ Allies Program holds regular Allies training programs throughout the year for students, faculty, and staff at SUNY New Paltz. http://www.newpaltz.edu/lgbtq/allies.html
The Faculty Development Center regularly hosts Director of Veteran and Military Services Jason Gilliland for workshops for employees to learn military cultural competency and how to support military-affiliated students. Faculty Development Center also holds anti-racist teaching and writing circles for faculty to collectively discuss anti-racist scholarship and work collaboratively on anti-racist and DEI inclusive pedagogy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the college has hosted a series of virtual Town Halls on issues that in the aftermath of the George Floyd shooting, post-2020 election, and AAPI hate.
In the academic year 2020-21, the College established a year-long Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Fellows Program for academic and non-academic faculty. https://hawksites.newpaltz.edu/fdc/2021/07/16/brand-new-diversity-equity-inclusion-faculty-fellows-program-applications-due-sept-20/
EOP, Scholars Mentorship Program, and Ac2 which support economically disadvantaged students and students of color hold regular check-in within their respective groupings as well as together (as the programs have some students in common). These conversations often include discussions on systemic racism, barriers to inclusion, and belongingness.
In its Distinguished Speaker Series which takes place each fall and spring semester, the College hosts guest speakers, often speaking on diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. Recent Distinguished Speakers speakers on DEI include:
* Racial Equity Strategist and Educator Dr. Darnisa Amante-Jackson - "The Culture of DEI: Creating and Manifesting Belonging" - Fall 2021
* Historian & Educator Zaheer Ali - "When We Speak Truth to Power, Who's Listening? Story-Listening for Social Change" - Spring 2021
All new employees must complete the implicit bias/DEI training on-line as part of onboarding.
Website URL where information about the institution’s diversity and equity office or trainings is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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