Institutional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We at SUNY Plattsburgh stand with our Chinese students, faculty, staff and other community members of other Asian descent. We see you, you are valued, and your experiences related to COVID-19 matter. We have no tolerance for racial or ethnic discrimination.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is committed to working with other members of the college to keep the SUNY Plattsburgh community safe and informed. We encourage community members to stay updated by visiting the campus COVID-19 information page.

As we continue to hear updates on COVID-19 and are impacted on local, state and global levels, there have been heightened levels of uneasiness, uncertainty and a general concern for the well-being of ourselves, friends, and family.

These levels of uneasiness and uncertainty have also caused an increase in broad generalizations, assumptions, and acts of bias as it relates to individuals from China, other Asian countries, and people of Asian descent. We’d like to share an earlier statement from The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) made on February 7th:

“While the coronavirus represents a legitimate public health concern, it is not a green light to target Asian Americans and Asian immigrants with racism and hate. We are concerned with the growing xenophobic rhetoric that harkens back to the dehumanizing, anti-Asian trope of the ‘yellow peril,’ that was used during the 19th century. We have consistently stood against efforts to cast our community as ‘perpetual foreigners,’ and sadly, we find ourselves having to do so again. We call on news outlets and social media platforms to do more to curb racist and inaccurate content in addition to removing misinformation on the coronavirus alone.”

Making broad generalizations that people of Asian descent are dangerous or sick, or making assumptions about a person’s nationality based on their physical features perpetuates long-standing histories of xenophobia and racism, whether intentional or not.

Our Asian students, faculty and staff are valued members of the SUNY Plattsburgh community. We are here for you and want to emphasize and highlight the following:

• If you or someone you know has experienced bias or discrimination please report these incidents on the Bias Reporting Form and connect with someone you trust for social support.
• See the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a campus resource and seek our assistance.
• Recognize that acts of bias can negatively impact your physical and mental health. Know that it is okay to seek medical and mental health care as needed and seek the Student Health and Counseling Center if you are a student and our EAP resource if you are an employee.

If you find that you are maintaining distance from or worried about interacting with people of Asian descent we urge you to strongly consider the following:

• Avoid the inclination to make broad stereotypes about people of Asian descent and explore the root causes of your fears and disdain. Confusion and uncertainty about COVID-19 can lead to increased anxiety and fear. Projection of this fear onto entire groups of people often leads to dangerous behaviors. These types of behaviors harm the physical and mental wellbeing of targeted groups and does nothing to protect or keep others safe.
• Educate and maintain perspective. Communicating the facts that viruses do not target specific racial or ethnic groups and how COVID-19 actually spreads can help stop acts of bias. Continue to educate yourself on the facts of COVID-19 and the accurate and evidence based ways to protect yourself and each other.
• Exercise empathy, compassion and a sense of community. We do not have to neglect and treat community members with disrespect or hostility. Instead we can extend our collegiality and social support by standing with each other in this time of crisis. Understand that people are worried about family or friends, and be mindful of this as we interact with each other.

We continue to advise you to take care of yourself and each other. Treat each other with care and compassion and demonstrate the Cardinal spirit by making our community members all feel safe and that they belong. We are Cardinal Strong!

Call-to-Action

Institutional Equity Strategic Goals & Tactics

This is an initial first year strategic plan of goals and objectives based on three imperatives; education, business, and economics

1. Education: Cultivating the Value of DEI

Based on knowledge and skill development related to diversity, inclusion, and belonging which realize the outcome of enhancing campus climate. Building equity literacy.

• Diversity Incident Response and Education Team
• Providing ongoing community-wide learning opportunity on diversity dynamics (e.g. Bias, ERGs, RP, brave space, racism, genderism, sexism, heterosexism, ability, and classism)
• Conduct campus climate assessment (employees + students) proposed for Spring 2020.

2. Business: Improving Student Outcomes

Based on strategies and initiatives to increase retention and student persistence with emphasis on multicultural populations (e.g. First Generation, ALANA, LGBTQIA+, DESI, International, minoritized). Designed to also recruit and retain minoritized faculty and staff.

• Diversity Abroad network to follow trends in international learning; creating cohort model for student associations for students of color.
• Part of Leading for Change Racial Justice summit to increase retention and graduation for minoritized students, especially students of color
• Search committees, policies and targeted education for search committees
• Created the base for 4 ERGs and will promote and launch these by X (Radius, POC, BIA)
• Create a Multicultural Student Orientation in Summer 2020 for students and families
• Providing programs that recognize and engage with student identities (e.g. First Generation Luncheon).

3. Economic: Expand innovative ventures with IA to increase access to higher education; build a culture of philanthropy

Based on developing capital, both economic and human, to support the realization of the other imperatives.

• Developed and implemented an alumni affinity event for alumni of color and LGBTQIA+ alumni
• Formalize targeted affinity group meet ups every semester
• Develop an inclusive excellence fund that supports important X
• Intentional targeted DEI fundraising with institutional advancement

Key to Acronyms

• ERG — Employee Resource groups
• Rp — Restorative practices
• ALANA — African American, Latino/a Asian Native American
• SOC — Students of Color
• POC — People of Color
• LGBTQIA+ — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Genderqueer, Queer, Intersexed, Agender, Asexual, Pansexual

The Inclusive Excellence Council is an engaged and committed group of SUNY Plattsburgh faculty, staff, students, and alumni that work collaboratively on the diversity, equity and inclusion plan at SUNY Plattsburgh.

They respond to the needs of inequity, bridge gaps of misunderstanding, and create opportunities for both personal and community growth.

They stand by a commitment to providing space for civil discourse, ongoing engagement with diversity, development of change agents, and the creation of a model community that others seek to join and emulate.

Faculty

• Jonathan Slater — journalism and public relations

Staff

• Jessica Facteau — university police
• Jacob Avery — student involvement
• Tonya Baker — admissions
• Cassie Joseph — Educational Opportunity Program

Students

• Kira Paulemon — Student Association

Note: The Inclusive Excellence Council is a reinvigorated/combined effort of our previous student affairs task force on social justice, social justice advisory council, student association diversity committee, and the faculty senate diversity committee. We will have a completed Inclusive Excellence Council by 2020 which will be completed by presidential appointees.

Community

SUNY Plattsburgh recognizes that building and fostering community is vital in enhancing diversity and inclusion on and off-campus.

Academic Enrichment

We embrace academic achievement which helps our students build awareness of the diverse world around them. As a liberal arts institution, we encourage diverse learning experiences while offering different perspectives in and outside of the classroom to contribute to student, staff, and faculty development.

Respect & Integrity

Respect compels us to exercise integrity and understanding despite a broad range of individual experiences, perspectives, and actions. We vow to exercise each, despite our differences.

Diversity

The college makes a commitment to expand opportunities to broaden the diversity of faculty, staff, students, and visitors to our campus. We commit to the importance of offering diverse educational opportunities that recognize multiple backgrounds, learning styles, and work to offer learning that bridges gaps of misunderstanding.

Inclusion

We recognize that our campus is composed of students, faculty, and staff from a wide range of diverse and unique backgrounds. We not only embrace our community members but pledge to provide a campus environment that celebrates the intersection of identities and experiences.

New Visions

SUNY Plattsburgh recognizes that each new year brings new energy, ideas, and members to our campus community. We vow to stay open to new ideas and opportunities to continue to expand and enrich our services and educational opportunities.

Accountability & Responsibility

SUNY Plattsburgh holds an expectation that we have a responsibility as individuals and as an institution to uphold campus values and exercise power with good intent. When a member of the campus community or the institution fails to do so, we make a commitment to hold one another accountable with a focus on restoration and healing.

Leadership

The college understands that a major component of student and employee success is positive and transformative leadership. We commit to making an effort to expand upon opportunities for mentorship, positive role-modeling, and sustainable leadership which fosters trust, growth, and inspiration.

Student Centered (Sustainability)

SUNY Plattsburgh strives to put its students first when making decisions that will leave a lasting impact on their education and experiences. The college strives to lay a strong foundation that will continue to adapt and support future students’ ever-changing needs.