CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez visited Hunter on August 28, where he greeted students, welcomed President Nancy Cantor, and announced a campaign to promote civil discourse and tolerance across CUNY’s 25 campuses.
The university will send out a campus-climate survey to all students and enhance initiatives to protect students, faculty, and staff and maintain safe access to campus facilities.
“The start of the school year always brings a spirit of renewal to our campuses,” said Chancellor Matos Rodríguez. “We’re looking forward to finding new ways to learn and grow together, sustaining a campus culture defined by tolerance, inclusivity, safety, and opportunity for all.”
The campaign, “Our CUNY: Hate Divides Us, Diversity Defines Us,” is a student-developed social media campaign to provide information and resources for combating all forms of hate and creating campus environments that embrace the full breadth of CUNY diversity.
The campus climate survey will assess students’ perceptions of issues surrounding inclusivity and experiences with discrimination. The results will be used to inform additional initiatives and programs and help CUNY to make measurable progress.
Starting this fall, CUNY will be launching professional development opportunities and other training for faculty and student-facing employees, particularly on navigating difficult conversations on campuses. This summer the University announced the creation of a Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, which will harness systemwide resources, oversee training, strengthen reporting and bring consistency in its approach across the 25 colleges.
