The recent surge of bias and hate crime incidents occurring on college campuses across the nation is deeply disturbing. As President, I wish to reaffirm CSI’s commitment to maintaining a sustained level of understanding, acceptance, and mutual respect of each member of the campus community. As part of our Mission, we are a community that embraces pluralism and diversity. Therefore, any form of harassment, bullying, intimidation, bias, or discrimination will not be tolerated based on gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, and other protected statuses, as outlined in my annual Reaffirmation of Nondiscrimination Letter posted on the Office of Diversity and Compliance Website. It is incumbent on all of us to stand together against behavior that impedes the teaching and learning process and the physical and emotional safety of all groups on our campus.

I applaud the efforts of faculty, staff, and student organizations that are already advancing CSI’s commitment to pluralism and diversity through events such as the recent “CSI Against Hate: A Candlelight Vigil,” a part of the “I Am Staten Island” Campaign at the College in response to recent hate crimes on the Island. I encourage other such events and activities to continue throughout the year to address the broad and seminal issues related to hate crime violence on our campus and in our local communities.

In addition to reporting concerns and incidents to our Public Safety Office at 718.982.2110, you may also contact the Division of Student Affairs through its CARES (Campus Assessment Referral and Evaluation System) Team and/or the Counseling Office at 718.982.2392. If you are facing difficulties or problems, or have witnessed or been a target/victim of a bias incident or hate crime at CSI, please report these incidents to CARES or to Counseling staff who are on hand to provide support to all members of the campus community. There are also campus-wide committees that serve as resources, including the Workplace Violence Committee, Sexual Harassment Awareness and Intake Committee, and the 504/ADA Compliance Committee. For further information on these committees, please contact the Affirmative Action Office at 718.982.2250.

Thank you for joining me in the reaffirmation of our ongoing pledge to remain proactive in the evaluation and implementation of policies and practices to deter the potential for bias and hate crime incidents to occur on our campus.

-Tomás D. Morales, PhD