The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and the City University of New York (CUNY) have a long-standing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in all aspects of employment. At BMCC, we value the rich diversity of experience and knowledge that the entire community brings to the College. We are all strengthened by the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas. Consequently, as President, I reaffirm BMCC’s commitment, and my own commitment, to the principles of Diversity, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action in Employment at all levels. The College supports policies and practices to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion, both in the workplace and in our community overall. Accordingly, I remain committed to our compliance with the CUNY’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy and the CUNY Policy on Sex-Based Misconduct.
The Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy states CUNY’s commitment to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, unemployment status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws.
At BMCC, acts of hate or bigotry of any kind are not tolerated. This includes discrimination or harassment based on national origin or heritage—including shared Jewish, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Muslim or South Asian ancestry—and/or the association with these national origins and ancestries. BMCC will promptly take all necessary and appropriate actions to address any such discrimination and remedy its effects. We encourage students, employees, and applicants who believe they have been subjected to any unlawful discrimination/harassment, or who have information about an incident or situation, to report it. Retaliation for exercising any rights provided for in equal employment opportunity regulations is strictly prohibited. Anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful harassment, discrimination or retaliation should use the University-wide Discrimination and Retaliation Reporting Portal.
BMCC and CUNY work to expand inclusivity and accessibility to both students and employees with disabilities. As per Governor Hochul’s Executive Order 31, CUNY is developing a Strategic Plan to enhance recruitment, advancement, and support of individuals with disabilities. Any employee requiring accommodations to perform their job duties or job applicant with an accommodation request should contact BMCC’s office of Human Resources at officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu per the CUNY Procedures for Implementing Reasonable Accommodations for Employees & Religious Accommodations for Students and Employees. Additional information about campus resources may be found at the BMCC website, as well as the BMCC Office of Compliance and Diversity website.
BMCC’s leaders and administrators are responsible for maintaining a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. The vice presidents, deans, directors, managers, and supervisors all share an ongoing responsibility for ensuring our compliance with these policies and laws. The College’s leadership team fully supports our policies and practices to foster non-discrimination, affirmative action, and diversity and inclusion. I have assigned the responsibility for the implementation and monitoring of our compliance program to the Chief Diversity Officer and Special Advisor to the President, Odelia Levy, who serves as the 504/ADA Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator. I encourage all managers to contact the office to discuss diversity and inclusion strategies that would advance unit goals. The Office of Compliance and Diversity is located at Fiterman Hall, 245 Greenwich Street, Room 430. Any individual with a complaint of unlawful discrimination, unlawful harassment, or retaliation, including sex-based misconduct can contact the Chief Diversity Officer at OLevy@bmcc.cuny.edu or at 212-220-1236. They may also utilize the University-wide HR Discrimination and Retaliation Report Portal on the CUNY website.
As a federal contractor, BMCC engages in affirmative action for women, protected ethnicities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans consistent with federal requirements for employees in all title groups. Italian Americans are included among BMCC’s protected groups.
I invite you to visit the CUNY website to review CUNY’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy, the CUNY Policy on Sex-Based Misconduct, the CUNY Procedures for Implementing Reasonable Accommodations for Employees & Religious Accommodations for Students and Employees and the CUNY Policy on Reporting of Alleged Misconduct.
As part of our culture of care, BMCC is firmly committed to promoting equity and inclusion. I ask for your continued support to ensure equal opportunity, affirmative action, diversity and inclusion in all programs and practices at BMCC. These important initiatives foster an environment in which all members feel welcomed and valued.
Sincerely,
Anthony E. Munroe
President, Borough of Manhattan Community College
