Q&A
Confusion about complaint handling processes among CUNY staff
0:40:05
·
4 min
Council Member Dinowitz highlights the apparent confusion and inconsistency among CUNY staff regarding complaint handling processes and information sharing.
- Dinowitz points out that different CUNY officials have provided contradictory information about what can be shared with students
- Chancellor Rodriguez attempts to clarify the process, stating that students involved in formal complaints receive notifications about outcomes
- The discussion reveals a need for better communication and consistent guidance across CUNY campuses regarding complaint handling procedures
Eric Dinowitz
0:40:05
Now it it seems to me based on, again, speaking with presidents, that they are receiving different guidance from CUNY Central.
0:40:13
How can you clarify with them what the actual process is?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:40:17
So so the the you're talking about students who filed complaints.
0:40:22
Right?
0:40:22
They have a 1 on 1 relationship with the chief diversity officer, the people on the campus who are doing that.
0:40:29
Those individuals are the right individuals to be able to communicate.
0:40:32
The confusion might be if people are asking publicly about the resolution of cases, that is where we're limited.
0:40:39
And that might be the cause of the confusion, but there's no confusion as to the process when somebody files a formal complaint, what that is, you know, what what what the students get at their at the end and throughout the investigation.
Eric Dinowitz
0:40:52
I think, respectfully, based on my conversations with the president and administrators, there is confusion, because what you're saying to me today is not what was being shared with me by the chiefs at the schools at the individual campuses.
0:41:09
And, again, I you know, I'll go back to the hearing 2 years ago.
0:41:12
There were testimony that students are supposed to get notification and responses within a certain amount of time, and that wasn't done.
0:41:19
And so what I'm asking you today is can you clarify with the principles, with the chief diversity officers, the people who are supposed to be working on this to clarify that that students should get updated notifications and the results of those, of those complaints.
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:41:36
Absolutely.
Eric Dinowitz
0:41:37
Thank you.
0:41:37
And I and I I do wanna know one other thing about the portal.
0:41:40
Because as we're talking about a new portal, we still have a portal now.
0:41:45
There is still confusion about whether even whether students should, come you utilize the portal because I believe it was in the report or speaking to students, some students were discouraged from using even using the portal.
0:42:01
They would go to the chief diversity officer first, or they would go to the portal first.
0:42:05
Can you also clarify those rules to students and faculty that the first step is the portal?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:42:12
So you can do both.
0:42:16
You can go through the portal or you can go through your campus chief diversity officer.
0:42:21
I mean, those are not mutually exclusive.
Eric Dinowitz
0:42:25
What would you say to a chief diversity officer who discourages students from utilizing the online portal?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:42:32
Again, I I haven't been in a conversation like that.
0:42:36
I think the role of the officer is to be able to guide the student, right, as to whether they, you know, the process of filing a complaint and providing guidance about the process.
0:42:44
So
Eric Dinowitz
0:42:45
I well, I don't think your chief diversity officer would volunteer that they're discouraging students from reporting, to be fair.
0:42:52
But students would be honest about it, And maybe they'll tell other people, but, there are things I imagine people don't wanna tell the chancellor.
0:43:02
Right?
0:43:02
You can, you know, you can acknowledge that.
0:43:06
Right?
0:43:06
No one wants to get in trouble with their boss?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:43:09
If you say so.
Eric Dinowitz
0:43:10
Right.
0:43:10
I I well, I know.
0:43:12
That medical.
0:43:14
I thank you.
0:43:17
So very clear.
0:43:18
Your contract, the RFP, will provide that data is posted publicly.
0:43:25
We'll provide students get update.
0:43:27
And you're clarifying rules, you will clarify rules with chief diversity officers, with presidents, that they are to be in communication with the students, and they are to tell them the results of an investigation.
0:43:40
Absolutely.
0:43:40
Okay.
0:43:41
Currently, the current portal, can you talk a little more about the processes now as it relates to reporting?
0:43:48
Because you mentioned in your testimony there are some fixes you're doing internally, but, ultimately, you're you're moving to a third to a vendor.
0:43:56
Between now and when the vendor implements the portal, can you talk about what steps you're taking to ensure to ensure students are getting, feedback, that they're able to report and that, you know, they know the status of their complaints?
0:44:10
Can you talk a little more about that?
Felix Matos Rodriguez
0:44:11
This is this is part of the conversations we have at times, for example, when I meet with the campus presidents monthly.
0:44:17
We've also have intensified our training of the chief diversity officers, all the, campus personnel that deal with investigations.
0:44:28
I mean, we just did a cycle of training on this and Title VI with the Office of the General Counsel at the beginning of this semester to reinforce how all these things need to, need to work.
0:44:39
We also did that training with the directors of HR.
0:44:42
So we have everybody, working and making sure they're clear about how things need to operate in the current system.
