From President Frank H. Wu and Chief Diversity Officer/Dean of Diversity Jerima DeWese:

We write with an update for the community. We appreciate the widespread support for diversity, equity, and inclusion as we respond both specifically and more broadly to the antisemitic and racist hate symbols recently scrawled on a bulletin board in Delany Hall.

 

As outlined in our Strategic Plan, the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are of tantamount importance to our institution. Demonstration of our commitment to supporting this work includes the elevation of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)/Dean of Diversity role, which is unique in the CUNY system; hiring an additional professional to work in the Office of Compliance and Diversity (OCD) (the process is underway); and the launching of Strategic Plan Implementation Grants, which give priority to proposals that promote DEI.

As CDO and Dean of Diversity, Jerima DeWese is serving on the Strategic Plan implementation team to help with and provide guidance on the DEI goals in the Strategic Plan. 

 

Since Dean DeWese started, we have announced the formation of the working group on Recognition, Holidays, and Land Acknowledgements and implemented a search committee diversification requirement in search processes to ensure the recruitment of qualified persons who represent the full range of humanity. An integral member of the OCD office, Title IX Coordinator and Director of Compliance and Investigations Michael Das, working in concert with college faculty, has been preparing search committee implicit bias training which will roll out very soon. Additionally, we are considering models that institutionalize anti-bias response. 

 

Effective DEI implementation requires global participation and commitment. As such, we seek to involve the entire community in promoting these key areas and fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for every individual. We plan to continue the conversation in virtual sessions. We need your involvement. Please watch your email for further information.

 

We know that after experiencing an event such as this one or being exposed to a hateful symbol, people need to talk to one another or to speak with a professional counselor. We are so fortunate to have on our campus the Queens College Counseling Center. The Counseling Center provides free, confidential counseling to Queens College students from licensed mental health professionals. The Center can be reached at 718-997-5420 or [email protected]. Students may also contact Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Jennifer Jarvis by emailing [email protected] or calling 718 997-5500. 

For faculty and staff who may want emotional support, CUNY’s Employee Assistance Plan Provider, CCA, provides free, confidential counseling by phone 24/7 at 800-833-8707 or by logging in to www.myccaonline.com (use company code “cuny”). CCA also provides telehealth options and other resources for those needing assistance, and we encourage you to utilize these services.

 

In addition to these resources, Queens College Hillel has communicated that any student looking for pastoral care or someone to talk to can reach out to the Hillel campus Rabbi, Rav Sara Zacharia, by emailing [email protected], or to Executive Director Jenna Citron Schwab by emailing [email protected], or to any of Hillel’s staff members by clicking here. Students are also welcome to stop by QC Hillel in Student Union Room 206 or to schedule an in-person meeting when Hillel staff returns to campus on Monday, January 31.

To provide support to faculty, staff, and students who are housed in Delany Hall, we held a convening last week to discuss this situation. We also briefed the Queens College Foundation Board, which led to issuance of their resolution condemning the defacement on a campus which has long welcomed all.

A landing page will be added to the Queens College website where you can report anything of concern, such as the scrawls that were found in Delany Hall. Additionally, you may always contact Public Safety at 718-997-5912.

For the protection of our community, the following procedures are being implemented:

 

Please be reminded that you may call Public Safety at 718-997-5912 at any time to request a security escort if you feel unsafe.

After the discovery of the scrawls in Delaney Hall, a thorough fact-finding investigation was initiated. The scrawls were photographed, recorded, and removed from the bulletin board. We contacted and consulted with the NYPD Office of Community Affairs. In addition, the campus community was notified of the incident and has been updated accordingly. Any and all information gathered thus far, including via the current interview process, is confidential, consistent with appropriate practices.

It is the policy of CUNY and Queens College to promote an environment free from discrimination and not to tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment in any form, and to provide those who feel that they are victims of discrimination with mechanisms for seeking redress. CUNY’s Policy on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination can be found here. 

 

To establish regular communication from the Office of Compliance and Diversity, Chief Diversity Officer/Dean of Diversity Jerima DeWese will regularly share DEI updates with the campus community. Running under the banner of Diversity Dialogues, you can expect to see these community mailers in your inbox on a regular basis. Additionally, at the start of the spring semester, Dean DeWese will be offering weekly office hours. Details will be shared in an upcoming Diversity Dialogues.

 

We would like to end on a personal note. Both of us have had careers dedicated to civil rights. That has included bringing together coalitions who believe in our ideals. The goal is, and will always be, to bring about real change. Our commitment is to continue communicating candidly, clearly, and promptly, consistent with applicable laws and policies. This will lead to action.

 

The unified response of this community has been deeply felt and heartening. Thank you once again for your support of our shared goals of meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion.

 

If you would like to review the joint statement we communicated on Friday, January 14, please go to https://conta.cc/3I8IqTZ. We will archive it and post our communications on the college website for your reference.