State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

ESF's Office of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity is led by the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). Reporting to the CDO is the Director of Diversity Initiatives and Special Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer (position currently vacant, but in the process of being filled), who in addition to supporting the CDO, provides service to domestic students of color via the Student Diversity & Inclusion unit (http://www.esf.edu/students/di). The Director of Diversity Initiatives and Special Assistant to the Chief Diversity Officer has a dotted line supervisory relationship to the Dean of Student Affairs. Student Diversity and Inclusion helps promote cultural growth and understanding across campus through activities and services designed to help members of the ESF community effectively interact with others in an increasingly diverse and global society. Also reporting to the CDO is the Title IX and Affirmative Action Coordinator, a new full-time position added to the College in 2018, who works collaboratively with units across campus to implement best practices related to Title IX and Affirmative Action, including those pertaining to recruitment and retention of personnel and students. Responsibilities under Title IX include coordinating and implementing the College Title IX and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA ) compliance efforts in the context of strengthening the College commitment to promoting an educational, working, and living environment free from sexual harassment and violence, and gender-based discrimination. Responsibilities under Title IX are essential to the development, implementation, and monitoring of compliance obligations under Title IX, Title VI, Title VII, VAWA, the Campus SAVE Act, and the Clery Act. The position coordinates and monitors Title IX efforts of the Deputy Coordinators and College offices that receive and/or investigate Title IX complaints, including, but not limited to, Student Affairs, Student Conduct, Athletics, and University Police. This includes overseeing prompt, effective, and equitable intake, investigation, processing, issuing of findings of fact, and timely resolution of all instances of sexual misconduct involving students, sex/gender discrimination made known to responsible employees and/or reported by students, faculty, employees, third parties, or by members of the broader community. The position also provides ongoing consultation to the Chief Diversity Officer and other College officials as appropriate regarding Title IX requirements, grievance issues, and compliance programs. The College Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee, comprised of faculty, students and staff, is charged with the implementation of a wide-array of diversity and inclusion initiatives on an institutional level. The CDO and the Director of Diversity Initiatives and Special Assistant serve as co-chairs. Although not reporting to the CDO, the Office of International Education hosts graduate and undergraduate students from dozens of countries across six continents, offering a full range of educational opportunities, services and support. In terms of employees, the mandate falls under ESF's Office of Human Resources (http://www.esf.edu/hr/) to implement a SUNY-wide policy of Non-Discrimination and Affirmative Action (http://www.esf.edu/hr/handbooks/handbook.htm#Anchor-VI-3800). The policy states that: "SUNY-ESF 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 College 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. See the following blog for up-to-date information: https://esfinclusion.wordpress.com/

Training at ESF is decentralized and occurs across units, departments, and affiliation. For example, ESF's Department of Environmental Studies also hosts a three-day training workshop in the summer for graduate students on "Ethics, Culture, and Community-based Environmental Research" (see http://www.esf.edu/communications/view.asp?newsID=847). Training in research ethics and cultural diversity prepare students with new research approaches and methods appropriate to environmental field research, community-based partnerships and research with cultural groups. Participants learn about required human subjects protections (such as informed consent and beneficence) and ethical and cultural competence theories. They also review environmental case studies for community-based, culturally appropriate approaches. Upon completing the workshop, participants receive a certificate of completion for "Research Ethics/ Human Subjects Protections and Cultural Competence Training." The ESF Faculty Retreat for Transformative Teaching and Learning will provide new faculty with key resources to ensure their success. The experience will augment the New Employee Orientation facilitated by ESF Human Resources. Moderated and organized by the Provost and the Chief Diversity Officer, this experience is designed to simultaneously achieve a new faculty orientation while opening faculty minds to a deeper understanding of and respect for divergent world views, issues, and pedagogies. Students can receive cultural competence training by affiliation with student group or organization. By virtue of a reset undergraduate student Association resolution, every incoming student is mandated to undergo a Title IX course. Faculty and staff must complete the mandatory "Title IX Discrimination and Harassment" course through human resources.