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The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department has created this page for employees and students to access online resources. Read articles and view videos related to DE&I initiatives and issues on campus and in the larger community. Contact Melissa L. Roy, Chief Diversity Officer, at [email protected] with any questions.

SUNY’s Response to the Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping

Teaching Inclusively & Equitably

Teaching Inclusively and Equitably is a series of virtual conversations hosted by the Chief Diversity Officer with higher education practitioners about the techniques they use to engage all students and help them to succeed (regardless of their race, ethnicity, age, ability, gender identity, socioeconomic status or family background).

Our Voices

Our Voices is a series of virtual panel discussions hosted by the Chief Diversity Officer that allow campus members from marginalized communities to share their perspectives and experiences with the larger campus community with the goal of empowering marginalized communities, creating greater understanding among the campus community, and addressing inequities.

The following is a set of links containing resources on inclusive pedagogy including books, articles, toolkits and best practices which will be helpful for faculty in creating an inclusive environment when students return to campuses either virtually or in-person fall 2020. Please note the resources below were chosen specifically with the current pandemic situation in mind.

Trainings

5 Ways to Engage Your Audience
In this training program, Pat Hurlock, a seasoned event planner, and Jillian Mattei, Customer Success Manager at Zoom Video Communications, discuss how to make virtual programming interesting, innovative and inclusive. Downloadable PDF with additional resources

A Conversation About Implicit Bias
Eileen MacAvery Kane shares highlights and resources from a five week training course she recently completed, “NEA/NYSUT Virtual Trainer of Trainers: Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, and Stereotypes.

Diversity Training via Vector Solutions

All College employees are required to annually complete certain compliance training courses through Vector Solutions (previously known as Safe Colleges).

The College also provides employees with access to the diversity and inclusion courses listed below through Vector Solutions (previously known as Safe Colleges). College employees can access these trainings at https://sunyrockland-ny.safecolleges.com/login using their RCC email login credentials.

Diversity and Inclusion: Faculty and Staff (11 mins)
Diverse and inclusive higher education institutions offer many benefits to their students, employees, communities and society. It’s important to continue education in diversity and inclusion not only to remain in compliance, but also as a best practice. This course provides college and university faculty and staff members with a basic understanding of diversity and inclusion, as well as strategies to help maintain a discrimination-free environment. Topics include: terminology and regulations, identifying problematic behaviors and proactive strategies to increase diversity awareness.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Practices: Staff-to-Staff
The goal of this course is to provide staff with an awareness of how a diverse workforce strengthens an organization. The course examines behaviors, both unintentional and intentional, that can discriminate or contribute to a hostile work environment. It also discusses ways to respond or even intervene in discriminatory acts that are in concert with your organization’s policies and showcase positive reinforcing behaviors that show respect and appreciation for staff who are different than you.

Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
Designed to meet employees and organizations where they are in their learning journey, this course helps employees and leaders gain the skills they need to collaborate in an increasingly diverse workforce and cultivate a speak-up, ally culture. This course will not only make important but complex topics like equity, identity, unconscious bias, microaggressions, and more both accessible and applicable for learners but will increase awareness, deepen understanding, and encourage positive action throughout your organization.

Implicit Bias & Microaggression Awareness (21 mins)
This course is designed to help course takers gain an understanding of what implicit bias and microaggressions are, the science behind these concepts and how to prevent imposing them on others.

Making Campus Safe for LGBTQ+ Students (22 mins)
This course explores the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ students and provides ways that educators can help create a safe and respectful campus environment.

Making Schools Safe & Inclusive for Transgender Students (19 mins)
Although many transgender students thrive throughout their elementary, secondary and college years, they may face additional challenges that their peers don’t. It’s educators’ jobs to nurture the education of students, and the need to respect all students must supersede any feelings about a student’s gender identity. This course will explore challenges faced by transgender students and how educators can communicate with respect and caring. Topics covered include what it means to be transgender and ways to promote tolerance in the classroom.

Diversity and Inclusion Library

Becoming an Ally: Part 1
Practicing allyship is an important and rewarding endeavor. As an ally, you can develop new relationships with people who share the values of equity and inclusion. And you can make new personal and professional connections within your community. This course provides course takers with an overview of the tools needed to practice allyship. Topics include defining allyship, how to approach allyship, ways to educate yourself as an ally, ways of learning about inequity and privilege as it relates to allyship.

Becoming an Ally: Part 2
Acting as an ally helps turn personal goals about diversity and inclusion into everyday choices and actions that support members of marginalized groups and break down institutionalized discrimination. This course provides course takers of all experience levels with the tools needed to practice allyship. Topics include: the differences between effective and ineffective allyship; and ways to sustain ongoing allyship work.

Building Antiracist Culture in Your Organization
Today, the question isn’t so much whether, but how organizational practices and policies create a culture that disadvantages people of color. This course is designed to identify the ways in which racism may operate within an organization and provide skills for moving beyond recognition to taking action that builds and sustains antiracist culture. Topics covered include why it’s important to publicize a commitment to be an antiracist organization; how climate assessments and policy reviews can build trust and confidence in an organization; why antiracism must emerge from and be centered on BIPOC perspectives; and the steps for implementing antiracist change.

Cultural Appropriation versus Appreciation
This course defines cultural appropriation and explains how it relates to an imbalance of power dynamics and a history of oppression in the culture being appropriated. Participants will examine cultural appreciation and learn how to engage with diverse cultures by taking the time to listen and seek information. Participants will also learn how cultural appropriation can cause lasting financial, social, and emotional harm for members of marginalized cultures.

Diversity Competent Mentoring Pt. 1: Developmental Networks
This course helps mentors understand how relational mentoring can help diverse candidates uncover hidden rules, integrate into the workplace without sacrificing their identity, and ultimately find success. Coursetakers will explore the importance of setting boundaries and goals, how to avoid mentee symbolism and deindividuation, the benefits of unheard perspectives and distinctive skills, and how to integrate and include those perspectives and skills in the workplace.

Diversity Competent Mentoring Pt. 2: Relational Mentoring
This course helps mentors understand how relational mentoring can help diverse candidates uncover hidden rules, integrate into the workplace without sacrificing their identity, and ultimately find success. Coursetakers will explore the importance of setting boundaries and goals, how to avoid mentee symbolism and deindividuation, the benefits of unheard perspectives and distinctive skills, and how to integrate and include those perspectives and skills in the workplace.

Diversity Competent Mentoring Pt. 3: Combating Bias as a Mentor
This course identifies four common manifestations of bias that people from marginalized groups often encounter in academic and professional environments. Course takers will learn practical strategies for combatting both the presence and impact of bias in the workplace.

Book Talks

I Can Finish College: The Overcome Any Obstacle and Get Your Degree Guide with Dr. Marcia Y. Cantarella

Long Island Migrant Labor Camps: Dust for Blood with Mark A. Torres

The 30 Most Powerful Words in the English Language with Dr. Roger W. Davis

TED Talks Regarding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

TED Talk: The difference between being “not racist” and antiracist

From TED: There is no such thing as being “not racist,” says author and historian Ibram X. Kendi. In this vital conversation, he defines the transformative concept of antiracism to help us more clearly recognize, take responsibility for and reject prejudices in our public policies, workplaces and personal beliefs. Learn how you can actively use this awareness to uproot injustice and inequality in the world — and replace it with love. (This virtual interview, hosted by TED’s current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers and speaker development curator Cloe Shasha, was recorded June 9, 2020.)

TED Talk: The path to ending systemic racism in the US

From TED: In a time of mourning and anger over the ongoing violence inflicted on Black communities by police in the US and the lack of accountability from national leadership, what is the path forward? Sharing urgent insights into this historic moment, Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Rashad Robinson, Dr. Bernice King and Anthony D. Romero discuss dismantling the systems of oppression and racism responsible for tragedies like the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and far too many others — and explore how the US can start to live up to its ideals. (This discussion, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded on June 3, 2020.)

TED Talk: How to deconstruct racism, one headline at a time:

From TED: Baratunde Thurston explores the phenomenon of white Americans calling the police on black Americans who have committed the crimes of … eating, walking or generally “living while black.” In this profound, thought-provoking and often hilarious talk, he reveals the power of language to change stories of trauma into stories of healing—while challenging us all to level up.

TED Talk: 3 ways to be a better ally in the workplace

From TED: We’re taught to believe that hard work and dedication will lead to success, but that’s not always the case. Gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation are among the many factors that affect our chances, says writer and advocate Melinda Epler, and it’s up to each of us to be allies for those who face discrimination. In this actionable talk, Epler shares three ways to support people who are underrepresented in the workplace. “There’s no magic wand for correcting diversity and inclusion,” she says. “Change happens one person at a time, one act at a time, one word at a time.”

TED Talk: Color blind or color brave?

From TED: The subject of race can be very touchy. As finance executive Mellody Hobson says, it’s a “conversational third rail.” But, she says, that’s exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring — makes for better businesses and a better society.

Environmental Racism

Changing Terminology

Additional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Resources