Diversity defines CUNY

“Hate divides us, diversity defines us.”

Those are the galvanizing words of a group of student leaders that helped conceive a new CUNY anti-hate campaign in the wake of last spring’s conflict in the Middle East and tensions within our own community.

Called #Our CUNY, the campaign’s watchwords perfectly distill CUNY’s values in these challenging times, and reflect the university’s commitment to embarking on new education initiatives that build a climate of mutual respect and inquiry and protect the rights of all students to be who they are without fear, free of bigotry or harassment.

CUNY’s more than 233,000 students are coming back for Fall 2024 this week after a challenging year on campuses across the country, but we begin the semester more certain than ever that the best education is one that connects everyone in our community, where people of all backgrounds and perspectives can learn and thrive together.

Inclusion is more than just being in the same place; it is learning with and from each other to produce the kind of knowledge and ideas that have put CUNY faculty and graduates at the forefront of solving some of the world’s most vexing problems.

Because real learning requires the ability to exchange ideas — even opposing ideas — with openness, curiosity and respect, CUNY will also be conducting a systemwide campus climate survey this Fall to assess students’ perceptions of issues surrounding inclusivity and gauge their experiences with discrimination.

This summer we also announced the creation of a Center for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging, which will leverage system-wide resources, oversee training, strengthen reporting and bring consistency to our approach across CUNY’s 25 campuses. Starting this fall, we are additionally identifying professional development and other training opportunities for faculty and student-facing employees, particularly on the navigation of difficult conversations.

With these efforts, and others like our ongoing investment of $1.3 million in campus programs to combat hate and promote cultural understanding, we want to reach across every part of life at CUNY’s campuses, from the classroom to the music room to the laboratory, student organization and gym. Because every interaction, every rehearsal or meeting or workout, is an opportunity to live our values of inclusion and respect.

Freedom of speech and vigorous discourse have long been cornerstones of our mission as a great public university, and CUNY is deeply committed to protecting our community’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. We have a portal where students and employees can report incidents of discrimination or retaliation and we are bound by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination and harassment based on a student’s race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

In a richly diverse community like CUNY’s, not everyone shares the same views or identity, but we have a set of shared values and a commitment to each other. We have so much to learn from each other. This fall, we look forward to together seizing those opportunities and growing together — as individuals, and as a community.

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez is the chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY), the largest urban public university system in the United States.