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

The College at Oneonta is an academic community that values diversity. Diversity at the College is an inclusive value that encompasses race and ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity and gender expression, age, ability, socio-economic status, and other aspects of identity. As a campus community, we believe that every individual is important in a unique way and contributes to the overall quality of the institution. We are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse faculty, staff, and students, and to fostering a learning environment which draws strength from, celebrates, and honors diversity. We strive to eliminate prejudice and discrimination; to respect the dignity of all persons; and to learn from differences in people, ideas, experiences and opinions.

The Bias Acts Response Team (BART) will meet on a biweekly basis throughout the academic year and on an as-needed basis during breaks. When UPD receives a report of an act that may be a hate crime or a bias related act, an officer will contact the Vice President of Student Development or designee who will serve as team leader. If there is an identified target who is a College employee, the report will also be referred to the Affirmative Action Officer. Upon receipt of a report, the team leader will send a letter to the individuals who have been identified as targets of the act to let them know that the team will review the report at their next meeting. Employees who have responsibility for an area in which an incident occurred or relationship with a potential or identified target will be invited to the team meeting at which the incident will be discussed. Examples include: the RD for a hall in which graffiti was found; the RD for a student who is the identified target. Team meeting: UPD will provide a report of the act. If an office other than UPD receives the initial report, a representative from that office will provide it. Any action that has been taken (e.g., any investigation that has taken place, whether an arrest has been made or if there will be adjudication through the student judicial system) will also be reported. If UPD has established that there has been no hate crime, the team will determine if the act is bias related. If there is an identified target or someone who feels targeted, the team will assign a contact person to them. Follow up action: The contact person will talk to the target(s) about safety issues and inform them about all of the services available to them. If there is an identified perpetrator, the contact person will review with the target(s) the options for going forward with adjudication. If there is no identified target (e.g., graffiti in a hallway), a team member will be assigned to contact the reporter of the event and locate others who are related to the area in some way. The team member will collect information about those who may have been affected and will contact them to assess their needs. Follow up in team meetings: Everyone will provide updates re: actions taken. As more information is available, the team will develop responses to the targets, community, or others who have been affected. Assignments will be updated as needed. Closing the case: Team members will debrief about the event; the team leader will complete the written records. b) Records will be held in the Office of Student Development Follow up: At the end of each semester, the contact persons for each targeted individual or the team leader will follow up to see if the targeted individuals want to have additional action taken.

Student Recruitment: - Multicultural student callers reach out to admitted students of color to answer questions about campus life. - Admission counselors provide onsite admissions to underrepresented groups at the SUNY office in New York City. This provides the opportunity from students without transportation to campus to participate in admission sessions. - There are two admissions counselors based in New York City and have established relationships with community based organizations and local public schools that provide resources to underrepresented groups. - Each year a free bus trip is offered to admitted students of color, plus one guest, to attend admitted students day on campus. Staff and Faculty Recruitment: SUNY Oneonta places strategic advertisements to recruit underrepresented groups to apply. Additionally, we use a system of emailers through our top advertiser, to reach out to individuals who have registered as underrepresented with information about position openings. We also use networking and outreach to groups who represent an array of underrepresented groups.

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs provides support for the college campus in numerous ways such as offering diversity trainings to all students and whenever possible to faculty and staff as well. The Office's role is to ask the hard questions about prejudice and stereotyping to all students and to help facilitate a campus environment which values all its members as they pursue their education at College at Oneonta. The office oversees the OIE Mentor Program, which is a peer mentorship program that assists freshmen and transfer students of color with the transition and ultimate success at the College at Oneonta. The office of Multicultural Student Affairs also serves as a drop in place for students to just say hi, ask specific questions about college events and services, as well as a space where students can voice concerns and feel supported. The Center for Multicultural Experiences (CME): In collaboration with students, faculty and staff at SUNY Oneonta, the Center for Multicultural Experiences (CME) strives to promote an inclusive, welcoming, and intellectually challenging environment that enriches the multicultural climate and contributes to the vitality of the campus for all students, faculty, staff and the community. The CME is committed to supporting the College's mission and in particular the Diversity Statement and the core values for diversity, equity and inclusion, by developing, coordinating, and promoting a rich array of social and academic events that celebrate, embrace, and enhance one’s knowledge and understanding of individuals and groups from various racial, ethnic, and cultural communities. Gender and Sexuality Resource Center: The mission of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is to provide education, support and advocacy for gender and sexual orientation equity to the SUNY Oneonta Campus and the greater Oneonta community. We exercise an active position for social and political justice with regards to sex, gender, and sexual orientation and their intersections with race, ethnicity, class, religion, age, and ability. The Student Accessibility Resources Office ensures that students with disabilities receive support services and accommodations that allow equal access to all College at Oneonta programs and the opportunity to realize potential and develop effective self-advocacy skills. To this end we work with both students and college faculty/staff to ensure that compliance with disability laws is being upheld throughout the institution. The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and ACE Program at SUNY Oneonta serves educationally and economically disadvantaged high school graduates. At Oneonta, a student admitted through EOP/ACE receives individualized attention and services throughout his/her college career. The Oneonta staff provides academic advisement, counseling, academic support services, instruction, leadership opportunities and help with planning for life after Oneonta. EOP/ACE professionals take pride in assisting students academically, professionally, socially, and personally to become competitive and successful in a demanding and diverse society.

SUNY Oneonta is committed to advancing the careers of scholars, especially exceptional junior faculty, from historically underrepresented groups. One of the college’s related goals is to increase the diversity of its full-time faculty. To help achieve this goal, SUNY Oneonta sponsors the Historically Underrepresented Dissertation and Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program designed to bring to campus visiting faculty members from historically underrepresented groups who will contribute significantly to advancing diversity and academic excellence as they develop their scholarship, experience life as a college faculty member, and expand their teaching skills. http://www.oneonta.edu/dissertation-fellows/