Sexual Harassment Education: NCC Policy

Nassau Community College

Equity, Inclusion, Affirmative Action, ADA/504 Office

Tower Building, 8th Floor,
Room 818

Tel: 516.572.7121

Mission Statement

Nassau Community College is one of thirty locally controlled institutions of higher education within the State University of New York being the largest single campus in the State system and a broadly diversified institution. The Office of Equity, Inclusion and Affirmative Action is dedicated to recognizing diversity and pluralism of values and beliefs on campus, committed to fostering a fair, non-discriminatory, diverse educational and employment environment for the entire College Community.

For more information, click on the link below:

http://www.ncc.edu/aboutncc/ourpeople/administration/affirmative_action/

SUNY Chancellor, Nancy L. Zimpher, at the request of Governor Cuomo, recently sent a proposed resolution to address sexual violence on campuses.  Click here for the full text:

NASSAU COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE POLICY

Dear College Community:

I am writing to inform you that the College Board of Trustees during their regularly scheduled meeting (Tuesday, 1/14/2020) approved an Amendment to Policy 2200 – Policy Against Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence.  

The BOT reaffirmed that it is the Policy of NCC that all forms of Sexual Harassment, whether they involve students or employees, should be corrected early and firmly in the interest of maintaining a barrier-free working and learning environment. 

Some revisions to the Policy were made in order to ensure our compliance with New York State Law and SUNY Policy.  Others were included in order to streamline the complaint-filing process.  Specifically, the changes to the policy include:

• Unlawful dissemination or publication of intimate images was added to the definition of prohibited sexual harassment.On July 23, 2019, a new bill was signed into law, creating a crime of “Unlawful Dissemination or Publication of an Intimate Image”, a class A misdemeanor (New York Penal Law §245.15).The Policy was revised to include a new Appendix D, containing information on the conduct which constitutes a violation of the new law and the revised Policy.

• Consensual relationships – this section was expanded to prohibit such relationships where there is a supervisory, evaluative, or other institutional relationship creating an authority imbalance.This revision was made in order to comply with a resolution of the SUNY Board of Trustees.

• Authority was given to the Dean of Students Office to investigate “student against student” complaints, which prior to the revision could only be investigated by the Chief Diversity Officer.

• Appeal Petitions – language was added to permit a petition for appeal to be sent in by means other than hand delivery, as was previously required.

• Conflict of interest for members of the Sexual Harassment Appeal Board – language was added to ensure the prevention of conflict of interest.

• Other revisions, not substantive in nature were also incorporated, including but not limited to the addition of a Table of Contents to assist with navigating and understanding the Policy, a clarification concerning document retention, as well as a clarification concerning filing anonymous complaints.

I urge you to open the link to the new adopted policy which goes into effect immediately.

  Policy 2200 -  Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence

You may also open the link via NCC Website:

        BOT – Policies

        AAO/Title IX – Policies

Sincerely,

      Dr. Craig Wright, CDO/AVP EIAA & ADA/504 Officer/Title IX Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Equity and inclusion?
A.  Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all students, faculty and staff in every stage of their education and/or career at Nassau Community College.

Inclusion refers to the way an organization configures opportunity, integration, communication, information and decision-making to optimize the leverage and potential of its diversity for improving decision-making, organizational effectiveness and performance.

Q. What is Affirmative Action?
A. Affirmative Action refers to positive steps aimed at increasing the inclusion of historically excluded groups in employment, education, accommodation, business, etc. Such steps are not designed to offer preferential treatment to or exclude any group. To the contrary, Affirmative Action Policies are intended to promote access for the traditionally underrepresented through heightened outreach and efforts at inclusion.

Q. Who at Nassau Community College should I contact if I have a complaint regarding discrimination or harassment?
A. The Associate Vice President for Equity and Inclusion is the College’s Affirmative Action/ADA-504 Officer.

To:                    All Faculty, Staff & Administration 

From:              Dr. Craig Wright, CDO/Associate Vice President, Equity, Inclusion & Affirmation Action/ADA-504 Officer & Title IX Coordinator

Date:                September 27, 2019

A recent New State Law & SUNY Policy mandates all faculty, staff and administrators to complete an annual sexual harassment training.

In order to comply with the SUNY policy and State law, NCC offices of College Council, ITS, and Affirmative Action adapted the training which was developed by SUNY General Council for our campus.  This training must be completed by all NCC personnel by Monday, October 7, 2019, in order to be in compliance with the law.

Please log into the portal and click the link for Sexual Harassment Training.

The 15-20-minute Sexual Harassment Training will provide you with information on the State definition of sexual harassment, and on where and how to report a complaint of sexual harassment, and with other resources.

If you have any questions, please email me at aao@ncc.edu or call me at ext. 2-7121

Thank you for your cooperation.