The dream of seeing a new Office of Diversity and Educational Equity at SUNY is growing closer to reality.
UUPer Raul Huerta discusses the union's commitment to see an office of Diversity and Educational Equity open at SUNY. University officials, legislators and the union agree there's a need
SUNY’s 2007-2008 Operating Budget Request confirms that the University is seeking state support for the office, which will “focus on University efforts to provide access and opportunity to the underserved students of all ethnic origins.”
“It looks like it will happen,” said Raul Huerta, UUP acting chapter president and vice president for professionals at SUNY Morrisville. “The assistance we have received from Assemblyman Peter Rivera in achieving this goal has been incredibly helpful. This has been a true partnership, with Assemblyman Rivera generously lending his expertise and guidance to an issue of great importance for UUP.”
A helpful partnership
A partnership among UUP; the state Assembly’s Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force — which is chaired by Assemblyman Rivera; SUNY; and the Legislature worked toward the creation of the new office.
“New York faces tremendous peril if the present high rates of minority student college non-completion persists,” Assemblyman Rivera said. “The Office of Diversity and Educational Equity will target the problem systemwide.”
SUNY Chancellor John Ryan, who announced his resignation in March to take a new job out of state, also worked closely with the partnership to help establish the office. Advocates hope to see it address several issues, such as the recruitment and retention of Latino students and faculty, among others.
“Hispanics increased within SUNY by 34.7 percent from 1994 to 2004,” said Huerta, who co-chairs UUP’s Committee on Latino Affairs with SUNY Albany’s Philippe Abraham. “Faced with this demographic shift, Chancellor Ryan recognized that the University is facing unique challenges in order to meet the needs of this rapidly growing student cohort along with an increasingly multicultural student body.”
Cooperation to continue
Huerta also said that he is confident that the “unique partnership” forged in the last two years to address the multicultural needs of SUNY will continue.
“Assemblyman Rivera and President Scheuerman will continue to seek solutions in conjunction with SUNY to meet the needs of New York’s low-income and first generation college students,” Huerta said. “All of us have our eye on the prize: an inclusive world-class institution of higher education that promotes academic success with support services and access for all New Yorkers.”
— Darryl McGrath