NYC Gazette

As part of its ongoing efforts to combat hate, the City University of New York (CUNY) has signed a voluntary resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. This agreement addresses nine Title VI complaints related to alleged discrimination based on Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and/or South Asian ancestry at CUNY. The university has committed to increased training for those investigating discrimination complaints, conducting a campus climate survey of students, and implementing additional measures to create a safe environment for all students.

"The Board of Trustees of the City University of New York believes in the dignity of all human beings and stands united against bigotry or hate of any kind on our campuses. We are committed to promoting dialogue, fostering understanding and intellectual curiosity, and the scholarly pursuit of cultural and religious diversity. We look forward to working with the Office of Civil Rights to ensure that all members of our community feel safe and included in the CUNY mission of equal access and opportunity," said Board of Trustees Chairman William C. Thompson Jr.

"Colleges serve as beacons of free speech and expression, but the safety of our students, staff, and faculty is paramount. CUNY is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and hate and these new steps will ensure that there is consistency and transparency in how complaints are investigated and resolved. We are grateful to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for working with CUNY to create a holistic plan that builds on our ongoing efforts to combat hate and ensure that every member of our community is safe on our campuses," said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez.

Under this voluntary agreement, CUNY commits to various actions involving additional training, increased reporting, monitoring efforts already undertaken by impacted schools, revisiting some individual complaints for further investigation among other measures.

Since 2022, CUNY has invested $1.3 million in combating hate through initiatives such as a multi-year Anti-Hate Initiative funded by $550,000 from the New York City Council. Additionally, $750,000 in New York State funding has been distributed system-wide for Campus Climate Support Grants addressing religious, racial, and ethnic bigotry across the university.

In 2022, CUNY partnered with Hillel International’s Campus Climate Initiative; seven colleges have since worked with Hillel on surveys, focus groups, policy reviews aimed at understanding Jewish student experiences on campus. Policy review recommendations are expected by September.

In 2023, Chancellor Rodríguez established an Advisory Council on Jewish Life comprising prominent New York Jewish leaders who meet regularly with him to discuss ways to enhance Jewish life within the CUNY community. On February 13th this year; four holidays—Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Adha Lunar New Year Diwali—were unanimously added by Board trustees into official school calendar reflecting continued commitment towards inclusivity.

Judge Jonathan Lippman continues his independent third-party review examining policies procedures related antisemitism discrimination within university system further solidifying commitment towards creating safer inclusive environment

The City University Of New York (CUNY), nation’s largest urban public university founded 1847 serves over 225k undergrad graduate students annually awarding approximately fifty thousand degrees each year contributing significantly city’s economic civic cultural life while maintaining historic mission providing quality affordable education irrespective socio-economic backgrounds.

For more information visit https://www.cuny.edu