Dimensions of Diversity
Diversity in the Workplace:
Policies, Practices and Guidelines
Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action
www.stonybrook.edu/diversity
Mission
To uphold, reaffirm, and ensure compliance with University’s
position and commitment to equal employment opportunity,
affirmative action, and the creation of an inclusive campus
climate.
 Ensure that Stony Brook offers a working, learning and living
environment that promotes equity and opportunity and is free
from harassment and discrimination.
 Conduct internal investigations and resolve complaints of
discrimination and/or harassment for protected groups.
 Provide education and training, plan diversity initiatives,
provide outreach, develop and communicate policies, conduct
strategic planning, and sponsor activities that support diversity,
inclusion and equity in our workplace.
Where can I find out more?
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Department Website
www.stonybrook.edu/diversity
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Policy on non-discrimination and on sexual harassment
http://www.stonybrook.edu/diversity/policies/university.html
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Title IX
www.stonybrook.edu/titleix
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How to file a complaint/initiate a review of allegations of unlawful
discrimination/harassment
http://www.stonybrook.edu/diversity/services/investigation/index.html
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Sexual Harassment Prevention – online training
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/training_development/online_learning/sh/intro.html
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Policies on line - P105, P106, P208
Where is ODAA
located?
West Campus Office, Administration Building , Room 201
632-6280 Phone 632-9428 Fax
East Campus Office, University Hospital, Level 5, room 556
Hospital lobby next the Admitting Dept. - by appointment
Rights
Stony Brook must comply with Federal and State laws protecting you from
discrimination, harassment and bias. Policies apply to all students, faculty and staff.
A network of professionals and offices are available to support you. Retaliation for
reporting an incident or filing a complaint is prohibited.
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Religious accommodation
Sex
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Race
Color
Religion
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Sexual harassment
Sexual Assault
Sexual Violence
Pregnancy
National origin
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Includes ancestry, birthplace, culture,
language
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Disability
Age
Equal Pay/Compensation - sex
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
Military & Veteran’s status
Marital status
Arrest record/Conviction
Domestic Violence
Genetic Information
Retaliation
http://www.stonybrook.edu/diversity/policies/university.html
Gender discrimination
is unlawful
Educational
Attainment
Access
Gender Equity
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Equal
Opportunity
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Appropriate
Treatment for all
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Prevent Hostile
environment
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All areas and
levels of study
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Equity in
providing
Programs &
Services (i.e.
Athletics,
Scholarships)
Discrimination
Harassment
Sexual
Harassment
Bullying
Sex
stereotyping
Sexual
Violence
Scholarships
Rape
Sexual Assault
Title IX is broad in scope and applies to all of us
Discriminatory practices under federal and state law also include:
– harassment based on protected categories
– retaliation against an individual for filing a charge of discrimination,
participating in an investigation, serving as a witness or opposing
discriminatory practices;
– employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about the
abilities, traits, or performance of individuals of a certain sex, race, age,
religion, or ethnic group, or individuals with disabilities; and
– denying employment opportunities to a person because of marriage to,
or association with, an individual of a particular race, religion, national
origin, or an individual with a disability. Title VII also prohibits
discrimination because of participation in schools or places of worship
associated with a particular racial, ethnic, or religious group
Individuals who are affected by or are aware of suspected cases of harassment
or discrimination are urged to bring such situations to the University’s attention
by contacting the Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action. The Office of
Diversity and Affirmative Action has professional staff trained to investigate and
provide assistance to all.
Sexual Harassment Prevention
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Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when:
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Types of behavior include:
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submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an
individual's employment or academic advancement; (Quid pro Quo)
submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or
academic decisions affecting such individual; (Quid pro Quo)
such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or
academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working, living, or
academic environment. (Hostile Environment)
Inappropriate gift giving, (flowers, jewelry, clothing, etc.)
Inappropriate touching, kissing, giving massages
Talking about personal sexual experiences in the presence of another individual, two employees
having a conversation about their sexual exploits that happened over the weekend-- co-workers
overhear the conversation and it is unwelcome.
Sending sexually suggestive jokes, comments or visuals via email at work
Displaying sexually suggestive art pieces, screen savers, posters, photos, etc.
Targets of sexual harassment can be of any gender – alleged incidents can
happened across gender lines with either gender being the target or the
harasser.
Rights and Responsibilities
University
Yours
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You have the right not to
be harassed.
You have the right to
report an incident of
harassment without fear
of retaliation.
You have the
responsibility not to
harass others.
Be knowledgeable about
your rights and
responsibilities in the
areas of discrimination
and harassment.
Community
(Mine)
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Take all complaints seriously.
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Resolve violations of University &
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University Hospital policy promptly and
professionally.
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Provide training to reduce instances of
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discrimination and/or harassment.
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Provide resources to support you
during the process.
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Assist you in getting to the right place
to solve the problem if the problem is
not one of unlawful discrimination or
harassment.
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Use discretion in resolving complaints
and explain confidentiality boundaries.
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(Ours)
Engage in behavior that is
respectful and professional.
Report violations of
University Policy to the
appropriate authority.
Provide training and
resources to reduce, resolve
and eliminate discrimination
and harassment on our
campus
Provide an atmosphere that
is inclusive and respectful
for all: employees, students,
patients and the
community.
Diversity Defined
Refers to all differences among
any characteristic or attribute that
differentiates or make a
distinction between people.
Examples include: Race, gender,
age, language, physical
characteristics, disability, sexual
orientation, economic status,
parental status, education,
geographic origin, profession,
lifestyle, religion, position in the
hierarchy and any other
difference.
Diversity is very broad in scope. It
is not just about race and
ethnicity or visible differences.
Gardenswartz and Rowe, Diverse Teams at Work: Capitalizing on the Power of Diversity
Multicultural refers to many cultures. It means valuing the differences of others and creating an
environment that does not require leaving the culture of origin behind. In diversity work, it
means valuing the differences of others and creating an environment that does not require
assimilation.
Stereotypes are fixed or conventional notions that deny individuality and are based on limited
information and interactions. They are inflexible views directed at a group of people.
Stereotypes can prevent us from examining our learning and seeing reality.
Prejudice is a bias for or against something that is formed without a basis. It is an act of
prejudging before evidence is considered. A set of attitudes in which misjudgment is
generalized to a cultural group of people and is coupled with avoidance, stereotyping or fear of
the group.
Culture is the way of life of a given society that is passed down from one generation to the next
through learning and experience. It is the shared values, traditions, norms, customs, religion,
arts, history, folklore, language and/or institutions of a specific group of people.
Cultural competence is “the state of being capable of functioning effectively in the context of
cultural differences” (Cross, Bazron, Dennis, & Issacs, 1989) or when “An individual or agency
continuously strives to achieve the ability to effectively work within the cultural context of an
individual, family or community from a diverse cultural/ethnic background” (Campinha-Bacote)
What are the responsibilities
of supervisors?
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Department chairs, directors, administrators, managers and supervisors are
responsible for promoting an atmosphere that prohibits such unacceptable
behavior.
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Evaluate the workplace to ensure harassment prevention and continually
look for signs of trouble and monitor your
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Be a supportive fact finder, remain neutral.
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Ensure that harassment stops and that action will be taken to stop
inappropriate behavior. These include any incidents that occur at the
workplace or in work related activities or events off site.
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Emphasize the policy against retaliation with all employees.
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Remember that you represent our institution, and if Stony Brook knew about
a hostile environment or should have known that harassment was happening
and did not try to stop it, the institution could be held liable.
Policy against Retaliation
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What is the number one reason individuals don’t come forward with concerns or avoid confronting
behavior – fear of retaliation.
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Why? Belief that the behavior will stop if ignored; it’s too embarrassing to discuss; feel it is better to
avoid conflict; believes supervisors won’t take complaint seriously, fears career could be hurt, fears
reputation will be affected, person is in a position of authority or can have influence on their work life,
fears being labeled (as a troublemaker, a prude, or not part of the team), believes “everyone knows
that is just how the person is” and isn’t sure they will receive support if they confront them.
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Retaliation against anyone is strictly prohibited by University policy and federal law.
Claims of retaliation can include termination, refusal to hire, denial of promotion, unjustified negative
evaluations, unjustified negative references, or increased surveillance.
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Employees who have opposed unlawful practices, filed discrimination or harassment claims,
participated in proceedings or requested accommodations related to employment discrimination
based on protected categories are all covered under this policy. Protected activity includes:
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Opposition to a practice believed to be unlawful discrimination
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Complaining about alleged discrimination against oneself or others
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Threatening to file
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Refusing to obey an order reasonably believed to be discriminatory
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Serving as a witness
The University takes claims of retaliation seriously, and strongly encourages reporting any incidents.
Additional Guidelines
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Remember that when you are at work, your focus should be on work related issues.
Sometimes the boundaries between our social and work lives seem blurry, however the
workplace relationships prevail over our social interactions in most cases. When in doubt stay
professional! Because we spend much of our time at work, it is understandable that we build
strong and personal relationships with our co-workers. However, the need to remain
professional is essential.
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The policies explained here also may apply off the work site. Work related events,
conferences, meetings and off-site activities may be considered an extension of the workplace
in relation to these policies.
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Remember that the intent of your behavior may be harmless, but the impact of certain
behavior (like jokes or stereotypical comments) may be harassment. Inappropriate,
demeaning or derogatory comments may make someone feel uncomfortable working with you
and may result in allegations of creating a hostile environment.
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For example, your intent may be to be funny and lighten up the workplace atmosphere by telling jokes
but the impact that you have on your co-workers or subordinates may be very offensive and negatively
affect an individual’s ability to do his/her job.
If the harassment is out in the open and many people knew about it, it can reasonably be
assumed that the institution should have been aware of it and thus liable even if no one
mentioned it to the people in authority.
Improving Communication
• How can you avoid making judgments about
patient’s beliefs and practices ?
• Examine aspects of communication:
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Directness
Gestures and facial expression
Distance
Touch
Topics appropriate for discussion
Pace
Language
• Understand your own responses to these
behaviors and the emotions that they can trigger
From Managing Diversity in Health Care, Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998
Communicating across
language barriers
• Use the other person’s language. Access language interpreter
services. If you have learned some basic words and phrases,
incorporate them into your communication.
• Make it visual. Use visual tools such as pictures, signs, diagrams and
symbols to get your point across and make yourself clear.
• Demonstrate. Give a chance to have the patient perform the task with
you observing
• Go slowly. Processing information in a nonnative language takes
longer
• Keep it simple. Avoid jargon, acronyms and idiomatic expressions.
• Do not expect an individual who is your cultural interpreter to be a
spokesperson for the entire group, or your only teacher whether
formal or informal, about a particular culture.
From Managing Diversity in Health Care, Gardenswartz & Rowe, 1998
Best Practices
• It’s all about respect! Respect is one of the hospital’s values and
is essential in providing excellent care.
• Communicate ongoing commitment to the values of diversity and
non-discrimination.
• Use inclusive language to remove perceived barriers.
• Avoid disparate treatment – apply policies fairly and consistently.
• Avoid stereotyping and question your own assumptions.
• Provide reasonable accommodations – and consult with
Disability Support Services for assistance if you need an
accommodation.
• When in doubt – Call! Consult with Diversity and Affirmative
Action, HR, and other departments that are designed to provide
assistance.
If you have additional questions
Contact
Office of Diversity and Affirmative Action at
www.stonybrook.edu/diversity
odaa@stonybrook.edu