New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy for the State University of New York System. Under the new policy, all 64 campuses of the SUNY System will be required to hire a chief diversity officer. Also, all campuses will be required to develop a strategic plan to increase diversity among students, faculty, and staff.
The new policy broadly defines diversity to include race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, age, socioeconomic status, status as a veteran, status as a student with a disability, first-generation students, and international students or those transferring between colleges. The policy aims to improve services and support for these students, ensure that SUNY’s student, faculty, and staff populations mirror that of New York State, as well as ensure that SUNY’s commitment to being welcoming and inclusive to all diverse populations is clear.
“New York has a long and proud history of embracing diversity, and our world-class SUNY system is no exception,” Governor Cuomo said. “With this new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy, we are once again sending a strong message that the Empire State is a national leader and a beacon of inclusion for all students.”
This initiative sounds akin to a descent decree and definitely not due to altruistic reason to increase the number of Black faculty, students, and professional staff. In other words, it’s not genuine or authentic at all.