Faculty Handbook: Faculty Responsibilities and Workplace Policies

CUNY is committed to maintaining an employment and academic environment free from all forms of exploitation, intimidation or harassment, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, intimate-partner/dating violence and stalking. These behaviors are illegal and prohibited by University policy. The University strives to foster a harassment-free environment — one in which all its members can work, study and learn in an atmosphere of courtesy and mutual respect. The college may be able to investigate off-campus incidents if occurring between members of the campus community. Even where the college may not have the ability to investigate, it can offer referrals to on- and off-campus supportive services. The CUNY Policy on Sexual Misconduct (PSM) may be found here on the John Jay website and on the CUNY website.

John Jay encourages all members of the community to report allegations of sexual misconduct to the College's Title IX Coordinator, Gabrieal Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4674). Please note, the PSM designates certain employees as “Responsible Employees”. Responsible Employees must report allegations of sexual misconduct that they become aware of to the Title IX Coordinator. This list of Responsible Employees can be found in section VI(B) of the PSM. All other employees are encouraged to report such allegations to the college’s Title IX Coordinator, Gabriela Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4674). Individuals may also report allegations to: Oswald Fraser, Assistant Vice President of Administration (for faculty and staff complaints; ofraser@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8704), Diego Redondo, Director of the Department of Public Safety (dredondo@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8521), Danielle Officer, Dean of Students (for student complaints; deanofstudents@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8211), and/or Jessica Greenfield, Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Advocate at the Women’s Center for Gender Justice (for students; jgreenfield@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4535). More generally, individuals can contact the Department of Public Safety at 212-237-8524, the New York City Police Department, and/or the New York State Police. In an emergency on campus, dial Ext. 8888.

John Jay Employees can access supportive confidential resources, including private counseling from CUNY’s employee assistance program, CCA@YourService. To access the program, call the toll-free Helpline at 800-833-8707 or log on to the website, www.myccaonline.com and use the company code: CUNY. For more information on the PSM, preventative efforts, training and resources, please visit the college’s website. 

It is the policy of the CUNY Board of Trustees and of John Jay College to provide, for all persons, equal educational and employment opportunities in a working and learning environment in which students and employees are able to realize their full potential as productive members of the college community. To this end, it is the college’s policy that its educational and employment programs will be administered without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, unemployment status, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. Further, in keeping with local, state, and federal mandates and recognizing the many benefits that accrue from a community of diverse experience and cultural heritage, the college pledges to act affirmatively in providing employment opportunities for qualified women, racial and ethnic minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. CUNY’s Policy on Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination can be found on the CUNY website and here on the John Jay website. Inquiries or complaints related to any equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws and the CUNY non-discrimination policy should be addressed to the college’s Chief Diversity Officer, Gabriela Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4674).

The University has a long-standing commitment to promoting a safe and secure academic and work environment. All members of the University community are expected to maintain a working and learning environment free from violence, threats of harassment, intimidation, or coercion. In compliance with New York State law, all employees are required to complete workplace violence awareness training. The University has established a Workplace Violence Prevention Policy requiring each campus to have a workplace violence prevention program (faculty mandatory training available online through Blackboard). Workplace violence can be reported to Human Resources (Oswald Fraser, Assistant Vice President of Administration; ofraser@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8704), the Department of Public Safety (212-237-8524) and/or the New York City Police Department. In an emergency on campus, you can dial Ext. 8888.

CUNY disapproves of violence against women, men or children in any form regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, whether as an act of workplace violence or in any employee’s personal life. Intimate-partner and dating violence can spill over into the workplace, compromising the safety of both victims and co-workers and resulting in lost productivity, increased health care costs, increased absenteeism and increased employee turnover. John Jay College is committed to full compliance with all applicable laws governing intimate partner and dating violence in the workplace, to promoting the health and safety of its employees, and to making a significant and continual difference in the fight to end intimate partner and dating violence. Intimate partner and dating violence can be reported to the college’s Title IX Coordinator, Gabriela Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4674), Diego Redondo, Director of the Department of Public Safety (dredondo@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8521), the Department of Public Safety at 212-237-8524, the New York City Police Department, and/or the New York State Police. In an emergency on campus, dial Ext. 8888.

CUNY's domestic violence and the workplace policy and procedures can be found here. CUNY policies and procedures concerning sexual assault, stalking and domestic and intimate partner violence against students can be found here. Faculty can encourage students to contact, as appropriate, Danielle Officer, Dean of Students (deanofstudents@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8211), Diego Redondo, Director of the Department of Public Safety (dredondo@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8521), the Department of Public Safety at 212-237-8524, the New York City Police Department, and/or the New York State Police. To speak with someone confidentially, students may contact Jessica Greenfield, Gender-Based Violence Prevention and Response Advocate at the Women’s Center for Gender Justice (jgreenfield@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4535). Additional resources are available through the Women’s Center for Gender Justice, including counseling and crisis intervention. In an emergency on campus, dial Ext. 8888.

A fundamental purpose of the University is to foster an environment that promotes the responsible conduct of research (RCR), discourages research misconduct, and deals promptly with any allegations or evidence of possible research misconduct. It is the University's basic expectation that all research conducted by members of the University community will adhere to the highest ethical and moral standards. CUNY’s Research Misconduct (RM) Policy describes the procedures to be followed by the University in connection with any allegation that University faculty, staff, post-doctoral associates, and/or students, whether paid by the University or through other funding sources, may have engaged in research misconduct. The President of each CUNY College designates a Research Integrity Officer (RIO) for their campus. Each RIO is responsible for promoting RCR through training and education at the college and for implementing CUNY’s RM policy. The John Jay RIO is Lynda Mules (lmules@jjay.cuny.edu, 212-237-8914), Director of Research Compliance and Integrity in the Office for the Advancement of Research.  More information about research integrity and the RM policy and procedures is available on the CUNY Research Integrity and Compliance website.

All College activities are to be conducted in accordance with the highest standards of integrity and ethics and in a manner that will not reflect or appear to reflect adversely on the College or CUNY’s credibility, objectivity, or fairness. The CUNY Conflict of Interest Policy sets forth the general standards of conduct and the rules regarding hiring, employment, and contracting decisions and supervisory responsibility involving certain family members; these standards and rules apply to any individual who is, or at any time becomes, an officer, full-time or part-time employee, or post-doctoral associate at the College or CUNY, and to any student engaged in faculty-directed research at the University other than as part of his or her course work, whether or not the student is paid for the engagement. The policy also sets forth specific obligations of covered individuals who are involved in sponsored projects at the University, including the requirement for each Investigator, as defined in the policy, to submit to the College Conflicts Officer any significant financial interests, and the University’s procedures for managing conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with those projects. The President of each CUNY College designates a College Conflicts Officer (CCO) for their campus. Each CCO is responsible for promoting the need to disclose significant financial interests and for reviewing all disclosures at their College in accordance with this policy. The John Jay College Conflicts Officer is Eric Doering (edoering@jjay.cuny.edu, 212-887-6202), Research and Legal Compliance Associate in the Office for the Advancement of Research. The complete policy is on the CUNY website at https://policy.cuny.edu/general-policy/article-vi/ (Manual of General Policy, section 6.01).

It is the University’s policy to provide reasonable accommodations when appropriate to individuals with disabilities and employees who have pregnancy or childbirth-related medical conditions. To request a reasonable accommodation, please speak to your supervisor or contact Oswald Fraser, Assistant Vice President of Administration ofraser@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8704. For more information on reasonable accommodations please review CUNY’s Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments Policy. Inquiries or complaints related to this Policy, discrimination or harassment, should be addressed to the college’s ADA/504 Coordinator and Chief Diversity Officer, Gabriela Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4674).

CUNY is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for religious observances for all members of our community, consistent with CUNY’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy (above) and the CUNY Policy on Religious Accommodations (https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/policies-resources/reasonable-accommodations-and-academic-adjustments/vi-religious-accommodations/). Students requesting religious accommodations should contact the Office of Student Affairs at deanofstudents@jjay.cuny.edu. While this is not an exhaustive list, faculty are encouraged to consult CUNY’s All Religions & Ethnic Holiday Calendar in scheduling events and/or course deadlines. For questions or to report a concern regarding this policy, contact Gabriela Leal, Chief Diversity Officer and Interim Director of the Office of Compliance & Diversity (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu or 646-557-4674).

Student records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate and misleading data through informal and formal hearings. The Act applies to all institutions that are recipients of federal aid administered by the Secretary of Education. Students who are currently enrolled or formerly enrolled regardless of their age or financial dependency status are protected under FERPA. An institution is answerable to a student’s parents until the student reaches 18 years of age and thereafter, is answerable to the student. FERPA protections stipulate that student information may be released only to those college employees who have a ‘legitimate educational interest’ in it (e.g., academic advising, writing letters of recommendation for a student). Student written consent is required for the college to disclose any identifiable information about that student, except directory information (unless restricted by the student).

Individuals in receipt of student information may not release that information to a third party. For faculty, below are some suggestions for complying with FERPA privacy requirements:

• Do not release information about students to other persons.
• Do not release information about grades to parents, spouses or any other family members of students.
• Do not publicly display student scores or grades with names, ID numbers or other personal identifiers.
• All assignments with student names and grades should be secured (e.g., in Blackboard’s password-protected grade center). Students should not have access to the scores and grades of others in the class.
• Do not release information that could be easily traced to an individual student.
• Do not give account passwords to others and do not store written passwords in a desk.
• Keep a computer monitor and any printed documents out of view of those who may enter your work area.
• Do not leave a computer unattended when logged in to CUNYFirst.
• Shred all printed documents that are no longer needed (see Records Retention and Disposition policy above).
• When in doubt, err on the side of caution and do not release student educational information.
• Refer all requests for student directory information to the Office of the Registrar. Direct questions about FERPA requirements to the Office of the Registrar (Daniel Matos, Registrar, registrar@jjay.cuny.edu) as well.

All members of the John Jay community should report safety hazards, crimes, loss of property, illness or injury. Proper reporting facilitates apprehension of wrongdoers and assists in making John Jay College a safer place. If a faculty member observes any crime, or if any person reveals that they learned of, or were the victim of, or witness to any crime, immediately contact the Department of Public Safety at 212-237-8524 (x 8524), the emergency extension 8888, any Public Safety desk, or by visiting the Department of Public Safety in L2.61 NB. This applies to crimes at any of John Jay’s buildings, public property adjacent to each of those buildings and locations at which other College activities are taking place, such as athletic fields used by John Jay College. Faculty should be sure to provide complete information based on the facts that they possess. They should not investigate the crime but make the report to the Department of Public Safety or call 9-1-1. Resources on campus to hear and investigate complaints of inappropriate conduct and to provide support to those who may be affected by such conduct can be found on the Department of Public Safety website.

CUNY and John Jay policies on workplace violence and sexual harassment and the PSC’s contractual obligations by and for faculty and staff address the importance of non-discrimination; the right of all John Jay faculty, staff and students to work and learn in a harassment-free environment that upholds individual contracts as well as the need for tolerance and civility (see John Jay’s policies and procedures on conduct). When all goes well, problems can be resolved without recourse to formal complaints, arbitration procedures, and disciplinary actions. The Office of the Legal Counsel to the President and Labor Designee often assist Department Chairs in dealing with issues that arise under the PSC/CUNY collective bargaining agreement. Faculty may also confer with the John Jay College PSC Grievance Officer. The most pertinent information on those matters can be found in the PSC-CUNY contract, articles 20 and 21. The Office of the Legal Counsel to the President and Labor Designee also assist in dealing with legal issues. Incidents of workplace violence must be reported promptly to the Department of Public Safety. Reports of discrimination, harassment or sexual misconduct should be made to the Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Gabriela Leal (gleal@jjay.cuny.edu).

As part of a large University, John Jay College faculty are beholden to a number of contracts, policies and procedures. The following is a list of online resources where the majority of contracts, policies and procedures can be found.

CUNY Bylaws

CUNY Manual of General Policy

CUNY Policies and Procedures

CUNY Research Integrity and Compliance

Department of Public Safety Policies and Procedures

John Jay Human Resources

Inside John Jay Policies and Procedures Compendium (access requires login with JJ username and email password)

PSC-CUNY Contract: https://psc-cuny.org/cuny-contract

PSC-CUNY website: https://psc-cuny.org/