Q&A
Interactions with CUNY chief diversity officers
3:54:01
·
75 sec
Council Member Vernikov inquires about Ilya Bratman's interactions with CUNY's chief diversity officers. Bratman describes varying experiences across different schools and some negative interactions.
- Some diversity officers felt 'attacked' by the number of complaints filed
- Diversity officers sometimes questioned the necessity of filing numerous complaints
- Bratman explains filing complaints to educate about campus climate
- Discussion highlights systemic issues in handling discrimination complaints at CUNY
Inna Vernikov
3:54:01
Can you talk a little bit about your interactions with the chief diversity officers?
3:54:04
My personal interaction has been, it depends on the school because I work on
Ilya Bratman
3:54:06
the 3, CUNY schools.
3:54:10
Somewhere that's been very negative because they tend to be, to feel that we are attacking them with these tend to be, to feel that we are attacking them with these complaints, that we are constantly bombarding their, their office with these complaints, which we are,
Inna Vernikov
3:54:26
Is that what they said to you?
Ilya Bratman
3:54:27
That's what they said to me, and that was very difficult for us to handle.
3:54:31
And if I am trying to, put as many complaints as possible into the system just for them to know, they often say that these complaints are just you know, they're not we can't do anything about it, so why are you filing them?
3:54:45
And we said we to educate you about what's going on on campus.
3:54:48
Right?
3:54:48
And, it's not that's not what they're looking for.
3:54:51
And, it's I understand that there is usually just one person to do all of the complaints, including all discrimination, and I understand that.
3:54:58
But that system is not is flawed not because of me.
3:55:02
And so we, as students and faculty and staff, are trying to educate them about the current climate.
3:55:08
And if they're not able to adjudicate or deal with this, then it's their problem.
Inna Vernikov
3:55:15
Thank you.
