STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY, ANTI-RACISM AND INCLUSION

Approved by the Board of Trustees, December 1, 2020

Since its founding by Audrey Cohen in 1964, Metropolitan College of New York has been committed to overcoming the impacts of systemic racism by creating new educational pathways for Black and Latinx adults. MCNY is proud of the role that Purpose-Centered Education has played in empowering students to be agents of constructive change; for over fifty years MCNY alumni have been at the front lines in promoting social and racial justice in our workplaces and communities.

But as the nation’s awareness of the persistence of anti-Black and anti-Brown violence has grown, we aspire to, and we will, do more. The MCNY Board of Trustees will extend the College’s commitment to social justice in order to more intentionally advance practices of diversity, anti-racism and inclusion within the College and across the City. We know that many of our students and colleagues live with the daily fear of racist violence, and we recognize that those of us who are not subject to this reality have a moral responsibility to humbly listen, learn, and engage in sustained practices of promoting anti-racism, diversity and inclusion.

Metropolitan College of New York will continue to advance equity and inclusion and empower people from diverse backgrounds to participate in the work of the College and of the Board by the following actions:

• Expanding the Board of Trustees and assuring that Board leadership includes members from diverse backgrounds.
• Recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff at all levels of the College.
• Amplifying the voices of our students and alumni—in our classrooms, campus-wide discussions, and public events—to better understand their experiences and celebrate their contributions to positive change.
• Mobilizing faculty and staff to strengthen teaching and learning about anti-racism, especially in the design of Constructive Action projects, and providing them with access to the resources needed to accomplish this.
• Working with hiring managers across for-profit, nonprofit and government sectors to promote best practices for sourcing, screening and hiring qualified Black and Brown talent.
• Enhancing our community partnerships to advance practices of anti-racism and equity in our communities.
• Raising our voices in the name of anti-racism and equity in personal and professional settings; we will not be silent bystanders.

We recognize that these actions are a starting point. Reversing the effects of centuries of racism will require sustained and dedicated action over many years. The MCNY community—the President, Board of Trustees, faculty and staff— is committed to that work. We will continue to listen, learn, and act in the name of social justice. United we stand.