Non-Discrimination

Hunter College has a duty to respond to allegations of discrimination (including sexual misconduct) and therefore cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality once allegations are disclosed to College officials. The confidentiality of information disclosed during the course of investigations or informal resolution efforts will be respected to the extent feasible and practical. This means that information about the complaint is shared only with those individuals within the Hunter College community who "need to know" in order to effectively investigate and/or resolve the complaint. Parties with a need to know may include witnesses or College officials who need to be informed of the complaint in order to cooperate with an investigation or to implement resolution. These parties will be advised that they should keep the information confidential in the best interests of all parties.

Harassment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, or status as victim of domestic violence is a form of prohibited discrimination.

• Individuals who believe they have been harassed or discriminated against often find it useful to participate in counseling. Students who wish to receive such counseling services should contact Hunter College's Office of Counseling and Wellness Services at 212-772-4918. Faculty and staff who wish to receive such counseling services should contact Corporate Counseling Associates at 800-833-8707.
• In certain cases, students who believe they are victims of harassment or discrimination may also find it useful to participate in academic services, such as tutoring programs on campus. Where appropriate, Hunter College will provide these services. Students who wish to inquire about the availability of academic services should contact Hunter College's Division of Student Services at 212-772-4882.
• Where appropriate, Hunter College may also provide or recommend counseling to individuals who are found to have engaged in harassment or discrimination.
• Hunter College seeks to address all instances of harassment or discrimination as promptly as possible. Therefore, in addition to the requirements set forth in CUNY's Policies and Procedures on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct, all staff who observe incidents they believe constitute harassment are encouraged to report the incident to their immediate supervisors. If appropriate, supervisory staff and faculty members are also encouraged to intervene to address the harassment. In all cases, supervisory staff and faculty members will report the incident to the appropriate authority.

Racial harassment includes the use of racial slurs and other name-calling or other oral communications meant to humiliate, offend or denigrate a person or group of people based on their race or ethnic origin, graphic and written statements, including, but not limited to, communications via email, text message, or other forms of electronic communications and social media, that are meant to humiliate, offend or denigrate a person or group of people based on their race or ethnic origin, and threatening, explicitly or implicitly, to harm, physically or otherwise, a person or group of people based on their race or ethnic origin.

The Office of Diversity and Compliance will make every effort to promptly investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination or harassment, with due regard for fairness and the rights of both the complainant and alleged offender, and to conduct all proceedings in the most confidential manner possible.

Any member of the Hunter College community who experiences discrimination or harassment should immediately report the incident to the Office of Diversity and Compliance. In cases where an individual reports alleged discrimination or harassment to an administrator, faculty member, or staff member, the person receiving the complaint should contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance to review, investigate and resolve the complaint.

Retaliation is defined as an adverse action in employment, academic activities or College sponsored programs, taken against any individual who, reasonably and in good faith, files a complaint of discrimination (formal or informal), participates in the investigation or resolution of a complaint of discrimination, or otherwise demonstrates opposition to a discriminatory employment, academic or program policy or practice. Retaliation is prohibited under City University of New York policy and by state and federal law. Retaliation is considered a separate offense from the original complaint, regardless of the outcome of the original complaint. Anyone who believes they have experienced retaliation should promptly contact the Office of Diversity and Compliance.

Hunter College encourages the prompt and equitable settlement of all complaints and grievances of discrimination in College programs under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Section 706) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 12101-02). Toward that end, both informal and formal grievance procedures are established for the college.

These procedures are available to any student, faculty or staff member of the College who alleges any action relating to handicap which is prohibited by Section 504, the ADA or the rules and regulations implementing those laws. No other issues may be raised in these proceedings.

The resolution of a grievance may pass through several steps.

If the individual is a student: Initially, students are encouraged to discuss a complaint with the supervisor of the office involved. Often, this conversation will lead to steps that will alleviate the difficulty. If this discussion does not lead to a result that is satisfactory to the student, he or she should then begin an informal complaint process with the Director of the Office for Students with Disabilities. If the informal complaint process does not yield results satisfactory to the student, a written formal complaint may be filed with the Vice President for Student Affairs. Students may obtain a written explanation of the entire grievance procedure and the accompanying form from Student Services, East 1119.

If the individual is a faculty or staff member: The individual is encouraged to discuss a complaint with the supervisor of the office involved. If this discussion does not lead to a result that is satisfactory to the individual, they should then contact:

Professor Lauren Schnell
Section 504/ADA Coordinator
Room 929, West Building
68th Street Campus
Phone: 212-650-3150
Email: ls2875@hunter.cuny.edu