Tanhena Pacheco Dunn
Mission Statement:
The office of the Executive Director for Compliance and Campus Climate is charged with oversight of a variety of mandates that impact the ways in which the institution engages with its constituents. To that end, this office will work collaboratively and proactively to reach across functional silos and to act and serve as a resource for the community. Beyond compliance with laws and policy, this office is committed to enhance a community that demands excellence and integrity, values and promotes diversity and models a culture of equity, inclusion and respectful exchange for the benefit of all who work, study, live and visit here.
About the Office of Compliance and Campus Climate
Created in 2012 and reporting directly to the President of New Paltz, the position of Executive Director for Compliance and Campus Climate will oversee and guide the institution's compliance efforts on affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, civil rights (Title VII), Title IX, and state ethics. This position will partner with campus leadership to provide training, outreach and opportunities for conversation so we may grow in our commitment to respect, equity and inclusion. The Office of Compliance and Campus Climate will work with student leaders to identify opportunities for productive inquiry that models respectful behavior and engagement, helping to prepare them for responsible citizenship beyond the university. The Executive Director will oversee investigations and bring to appropriate resolution claims of discrimination or harassment under Title VII and Title IX.
Compliance with Title IX and Title VII is fundamental to a vibrant intellectual/creative public forum that reflects and celebrates the diversity of our society and encourages and supports active participation in scholarly and artistic activity.
Title IX Coordinator
The Title IX Coordinator will serve as a strategic guide in identifying and/or assigning appropriate institutional efforts and resources to investigate and address reported incidents of sex- or gender-based harassment, discrimination or violence. The Title IX Coordinator will work with a variety of offices to proactively educate, train, and empower the members of the SUNY New Paltz community to meet both the requirements and spirit of Title IX.
Phone: (845) 257-3172
Email: pachecot@newpaltz.edu
HAB 602 A
1 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, NY 12561
Donald P. Christian,
President
A letter to New Paltz faculty, staff and students:
In my inaugural address, I outlined the following as a critical goal for the New Paltz campus: create a campus climate that is increasingly inclusive and equitable. That goal underscores our mission of educating all members of the College to live in and contribute to a diverse global society, and to ensuring equitable opportunities for success for each member of the New Paltz community. One concrete step toward this objective was the formation in June 2012 of the Office of Compliance and Campus Climate and the hiring of Tanhena Pacheco-Dunn, Esq., the College's first Executive Director of Compliance and Campus Climate. The direct reporting line of this position to the College President underscores the centrality of this work.
The Executive Director's responsibilities include:
- serving as primary contact and compliance officer for Title IX issues of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and workplace violence;
- overseeing our affirmative action plan including reviewing and approving search plans in an effort to diversify our workforce;
- handling compliance and ethics oversight as well as other state and federal reporting requirements;
- and developing and implementing educational training and programming on equity and inclusiveness.
The Executive Director of Compliance and Campus Climate works with the entire campus community to advance these goals and objectives. In part, this position will meet a federal mandate that campuses have a single point of contact and resource for the above Title IX complaints, however the broader responsibilities of the position create opportunities to shape and impact campus culture.
As we learned in the aftermath of the posting of racially offensive material on campus in fall 2011, even communities such as New Paltz that are known for their diversity must address issues of race and racial equity – and other dimensions of diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. The forum, "Can We Talk About It," held in November 2011 was the first step in an effort to heal the wounds opened by that incident, and pointed out the need for continued examination and discussion of these important topics on our campus and in our society. The student-planned and –led TRANSactions event held in spring 2012, programs being planned by the Student Association during spring 2013, and discussion of the experiences of LGBTQ students and employees are continuing those conversations.
The new Office of Compliance and Campus Climate and the Executive Director will play a leadership role in this work.
Donald P. Christian,
President
