marist college

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Menu Display

The Marist community is comprised of people from all cultures and backgrounds, and we believe the College is at its best when it reflects the great diversity in our nation and the world.  From the annual Mon Afrique and Diwali celebrations to guest speakers like Cornel West and Reyna Grande, Marist is a mosaic of traditions, ideas, and lived experiences.  As a community of learners, we are stronger because of our diversity, the educational experience is richer, and students are better prepared to take their place as leaders in today’s complex society.

From college offices to institutional networks to student clubs, the Marist campus offers a wide variety of resources available to all students. 

Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership: Center for Civic Engagement and Leadership (CCEL) connects students to their community by providing volunteer opportunities, internships, student employment, and Community Based Learning classes. We stress the relationship between CCEL and its community partners as one of mutuality. Even as students contribute to social programs in the area, they develop crucial skills that will serve them well beyond the college classroom.

Center for Multicultural Affairs: Plans and implements educational, cultural, social programs on diversity to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue for the entire campus. The CMA houses resources for racial, ethnic, and cultural education.

Higher Education Opportunity ProgramHEOP is a comprehensive academic support program designed to assist students who otherwise might not be able to attend college due to educational and financial circumstances. With a 100% retention rate, Marist is committed to providing an optimal educational experience for all students, and HEOP is the gateway to success for many of those students. 

Counseling Services: Counseling Services office is open to provide counseling support and resources to any who may need it. We aim to create safe spaces for students of color who face disproportionate stress and trauma resulting from systemic and structural racism.

Diversity Council: The Marist College Diversity Council fulfills an advisory role to the President of the College in matters related to diversity, inclusion, and equity. 

DEI Resources: The Marist College Diversity Council provides resources to the Marist community to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across campus.

Liberty Partnerships Program: The Marist College Liberty Partnerships Program (LPP) provides comprehensive services to meet the academic, social, emotional, and career needs of at-risk students.

Upward Bound: Upward Bound is a preparatory program designed to generate in participants the skills and motivation necessary to persist in completing their secondary education and enter and complete a program of postsecondary education. The program currently serves over 100 youths from two senior high schools located in Dutchess and Orange counties.

Marist Ally Network: This program provides a welcoming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender persons by establishing an identifiable network of persons who can provide support, information and a safe place for LGBTQ+ persons within our campus community. 

Marist College Weiss Language Center: Provides teaching resources for current and aspiring teachers of world languages and resources for research and grants.

The Race and Gender Reading Group: The Race and Gender Reading Group (RGRG) aims to contribute to the campus discussion of these issues by providing an interdisciplinary setting in which students and faculty can look at readings together and engage in discussion of the points they raise and related topics.

Appreciating Races, Creating Opportunities (ARCO): The ambition of ARCO is to appreciate and bring together a variety of cultures here at Marist College and unify the campus community. This group explores various countries and educate the  Marist family at large through exposure to music, art, history, literature, cuisine, and other cultural mediums. This club is all-inclusive and welcomes members of all races to help in continued exploration and understanding of the influences the global community has on all.

Black Student Union: This club strives to create a space of inclusive ideas and family-like energy for Marist Students who identify as black. The club recognizes that all are exploring identities under the umbrella of blackness and what it means in today's society. The Black Student Union strives to create spaces to ask questions and foster conversations toward answers to these questions.

The Marist Core Curriculum is designed to create opportunities for students to complete their general education requirements by also integrating fields of study that interest and challenge them. For example, students select a "Pathway" that provides an overall theme to their course of study, several of which offer insights into cultural and racial explorations. Freshman students take a First Year Seminar, many of which encourage our students to confront issues of race and social justice from day one of their college careers. 

Pathways:

- African Diaspora Studies
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies
- Social Justice, Law, and Ethics

First Year Seminars:

- Autobiographical Americans: Studying History through the Writings of Those Who Were There
- Imagined Worlds: Social Justice & Science Fiction
- “I’m not racist, but…”: Racial Cognition and Responsibility for Bias
- Myths of Africa: Past & Present
- Social Justice from the Sidelines to the Frontlines

Programs:

African Diaspora Studies: The minor in African Diaspora Studies prepares students to live and work in, and make sense of, an increasingly interdependent and multicultural world. As the world becomes increasingly interactive, the acquisition of new skills, knowledge, and cultural sensitivity will be critical for interacting with people of African descent as professional colleagues and neighbors working and living together. 

Latin American and Caribbean Studies: The Latin American and Caribbean Studies minor helps prepare students interested in working with Latin American/Caribbean communities in the United States or overseas. This interdisciplinary program offers a broad foundation in the humanities and social sciences.

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies: Designed with an intersectional approach, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on gender as a significant cultural and cognitive category.

Courses:

At Marist, our faculty work to create a diverse curriculum through which our students are not only exposed to a variety of cultures different from their own but are also given the opportunity to explore and confront issues of race and gender inside and outside the classroom. Most courses listed below are available to students in any major, and we encourage all our students to take an interdisciplinary approach to their study by incorporating the below classes and others into their course of study. 

Anthropology: HIST 242 Introduction to the African Diaspora
ANTH 231 American Culture II HIST 273 Colonial Latin America
ANTH 233 Native Americans HIST 274 Modern Latin America
Arabic: HIST 280 Modern Africa
ARAB 150 Arabic Cultures and Perspectives HIST 307 History of American Manhood
Communication: HIST 364 Civil War and Reconstruction
COM 325 Intercultural Communication HIST 375 Race in Latin American History 
Criminal Justice:  
CRJU 221 Law and Society Media Studies and Production:
CRJU 230 Policing in America MDIA 326 Race and Ethnicity in Film
CRJU 314 Race and Crime Applied Music and History:
CRJU 440 Cross Cultural Criminal Justice Systems MUS 226 Music Cultures of the World
Culture Studies and Civilizations: Political Science:
CSSP 152 Cultures of Latin America POSC 213 Politics of Human Rights
CSSP 153 Cultures of the Hispanic Caribbean POSC 300 US Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties
CSSP 335 Themes in Latin American Cinema POSC 302 Political Social Movements
Economics: POSC 303 Politics of Prejudice
ECON 150 Economics of Social Issues POSC 310 Race and Political Thought
Education: POSC 350 Latin American Politics
EDUC 379 Culturally Responsive Education POSC 351 African Politics
English: Psychology:
ENG 264 Latin American Literature in Translation PSYC 330 Culture and Psychology 
ENG 353 Ethnic American Literature Sociology:
Global Studies: SOC 202 Social Problems
GBST 103 Introduction to Global Issues SOC 336 Social Inequality
History: SOC 341 Social Change
HIST 130 Introduction to Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies SOC 342 Sociology of Community
HIST 216 Black Political and Social Thought SOC 348 Popular Culture
HIST 234 African American History

Mid-Hudson Japanese Community Association (MHJCA): A non-profit organization created and supported by dedicated individuals, parents, and professionals. MHJCA Members are residents of the Hudson Valley region of New York State (Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, and near-by counties) who have an interest in Japanese culture and how it interacts and intertwines with others, and who wish to share that interest with all who live around us.

Asian Pacific American Caucus: Provides links to web sites at Asian American research centers and academic programs, and to national APA organizations. Also provides resources for political science, for the study of Asian Pacific American Politics.

The Joint Center for Political And Economic Studies: One of the nation's premier research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses exclusively on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color.

BlackPressUSA.com: Independent source of news for the African American community.

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation: The mission is to advance the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public.

Hispanic Network Magazine: A Latino lifestyle business and employment magazine.

African American Policy ForumWorks to bridge the gap between scholarly research and public discourse related to inequality, discrimination, and injustice.

National Black Graduate and Professional Students Association (NBGPSA)The premiere interdisciplinary graduate student organization.

The Center for African American Research & Policy: Engages in scholarly research in order to advance critical discourse and promote informed decisions as it pertains to policy issues confronting African Americans in both the academy and the society at large.

The Equity Alliance: A not-for-profit organization that actively supports and strengthens Black communities and underserved neighborhoods in New York City.

Sisters of the Academy (SOTA): The mission is to facilitate the success of black women in the academy.

National Society for Hispanic Professionals: Provides Hispanic professionals with networking and leadership opportunities and information on education, scholarships, grants, careers, jobs, and entrepreneurship.

Repeating Islands blog: News and commentary on Caribbean culture, literature, and the arts.

Saludos Hispanos: specializes in joining the Hispanic bilingual professional with companies looking for DIVERSITY in the workplace.

Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU)represents nearly 450 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.  Although our member institutions in the U. S. represent less than 10% of all higher education institutions nationwide, together they are home to more than two-thirds of all Hispanic college students.  HACU is the only national educational association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Resources at Marist: 

Marist Office of Accommodations & Accessibility - Supports students with documented disabilities in becoming empowered, independent learners by providing the appropriate accommodations and services necessary to access the educational opportunities at Marist

Outside Resources:

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) - A non-profit organization building better lives for America's disabled veterans

U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - Provides information and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Disabled World - A web-zine of international disability news and views

National Disability Rights Network - Protection and advocacy for people with disabilities

National Business and Disability Council - The NBDC is the leading resource for employers seeking to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace and companies seeking to reach them in the consumer marketplace

Best Colleges Guide for Students With Physical Disabilities

We are pleased to announce that Marist is a part of the American Talent Initiative (ATI), a consortium of top colleges and universities committed to expanding opportunity and access to higher education. The goal of ATI is to enroll and graduate 50,000 additional highly talented, low- and moderate-income students by 2025.

The invitation to join ATI is a great honor for the College, as it gives us an opportunity to help address issues of income inequality and social mobility in the United States. There is incredible untapped talent in many of our nation's communities, and ATI seeks to harness it by expanding students' access to top-performing institutions, where they are most likely to graduate. Membership in ATI is limited to high-performing colleges and universities that graduate at least 70 percent of their students within six years. As such, this initiative allows Marist to partner with some of the country's most prestigious schools, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford.

ATI's focus will be three-fold: 1) a sustained national campaign to raise awareness about the talent in low-income communities and create momentum among higher education leaders to act on improving access and success for lower-income students; 2) setting aspirational, measurable goals to reach our national target of 50,000 additional students by 2025 and sustaining that increase thereafter; and 3) research and knowledge dissemination to identify and promote replication of effective practices and elevate ATI member efforts.

ATI is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, working in concert with the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R. We are proud to join with other colleges and universities to find practical and results-oriented solutions to the challenge of access to higher education. We know that this country is at its best when every young person has the opportunity to fulfill their potential and play a constructive role in our society. As Marist begins its work with ATI, we look forward to updating you on our progress. You can learn more about ATI at americantalentinitiative.org.

Marist is a part of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, a growing coalition of employers pledging to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The College has been deeply committed to increasing diversity at Marist locations worldwide. The collective of more than 350 signatories includes more than 40 college and university presidents. Participating colleges and companies have shared more than 300 best-known actions, exchanging tangible learning opportunities, and creating collaborative conversations via the initiative’s unified hub, CEOAction.com. The actions showcase real-life examples of open and transparent conversations to cultivate more diverse and inclusive workplace environments. A recent study found that 85 percent of those surveyed reported that diversity is a key component to fostering innovation.  

The College is currently conducting a campus climate survey and has sought ways to increase the diversity of its workforce. Moving ahead, the College will utilize data from the campus climate survey to inform new diversity initiatives. The actions of CEO Action partners will also be integral to this work. 

About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™

CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, Procter & Gamble, and PwC. The coalition represents 85 industries, all 50 U.S. States, and millions of employees globally. www.CEOaction.com

 

Marist began as a small local college, but it has evolved to become a place that welcomes students from nearly 70 countries and almost every state in the U.S. Our founders the Marist Brothers can be found in 81 countries around the world, so a global outlook is in our DNA.  We firmly believe that part of a great college education is the opportunity to get to know people from all walks of life.  These personal interactions in academic, social, athletic, and other settings can foster increased mutual understanding, expand students’ view of the world, and even lead to lifelong friendships.

Resources at Marist: 

Center for Multicultural Affairs - Plans and implements educational, cultural, social programs on diversity to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue for the entire campus. The CMA houses resources for geographic and cultural education.

Marist College Weiss Language Center - Provides teaching resources for current and aspiring teachers of world languages and resources for research and grants.

Academic Opportunities:

Marist AbroadMarist Abroad, the College's study abroad program, promotes international engagement and academic, personal, and professional development through rigorous reflective study abroad, overseas internships, and intercultural programming.

Marist strives to be a safe and welcoming community for all its members.  The LGBTQ+ population can find a strong sense of community in Marist Fox Pride, a strong network of Allies,  a gay men’s spirituality group, the College’s annual participation in the New York City Pride March, and in events like our annual LGBTQ+ and Ally reception during Reunion/Homecoming Weekend.  Promoting women’s leadership is also one of the institution’s key commitments, and for more than a decade, the Marist Professional Women’s Mentor Program has provided female administrators with mentorship and professional development opportunities in a supportive environment.  In addition, our annual Women & Society Conference has been examining issues of gender from an academic perspective for more than a quarter-century.

Resources at Marist: 

Marist Fox Pride - LGBTQ+ student activist group. Marist Fox Pride commits itself to the education and activism of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

Center for Multicultural Affairs - Plans and implements educational, cultural, social programs on diversity to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue for the entire campus. The CMA houses resources for LGBTQ+ education.

Marist LGBTQ+ Alumni Facebook Group - Marist alumni can serve as a great resource to students, faculty, and staff.

Marist Ally Network - The goal of this program is to provide a welcoming environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons by establishing an identifiable network of persons who can provide support, information, and a safe place for LGBTQ+ persons within our campus community. Those who have committed to being allies indicate that bigotry and discrimination are not tolerated.

maristfemme - The sexualization and objectification of women's bodies in today's society incur shaming effects. In response, a group on Marist's campus, maristfemme, has begun to lead conversations about these issues and to create a space for authentic images of feminine empowerment.

Marist Women's Leadership Program - The Marist Women's Leadership Program furthers Marist's diversity initiatives by offering women administrators opportunities for professional development. The program encourages leadership development through educational events, training, and relationship building.

Gender Inclusive Bathrooms on Campus:

- Donnelly Hall: Lower Level
- Music Building: 4th Floor
- Tom & Mary Ward Hall
- Lavelle Hall
- John & Nancy O’Shea Hall
- McCormick Hall
- Leo Hall: Lobby Area
- Marian Hall: Lobby Area
- Sheahan Hall: Ground Floor
- McCann Center: 1st Floor

Academic Opportunities:

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department - Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, located within the School of Liberal Arts, is an interdisciplinary minor that focuses on gender as a significant cultural and cognitive category. The minor prepares students for fields such as communication, counseling, criminology, education, health, journalism, law, politics, psychology, and applied sociology. 

Race and Gender Reading Group (RGRG) - The Race and Gender Reading Group (RGRG) aims to contribute to the campus discussion of these issues by providing an interdisciplinary setting in which students and faculty can look at readings together and engage in discussion of the points they raise and related topics.

Outside Resources:

The Center - Provides groundbreaking social service, public policy, educational and cultural/recreational programs and serves as an incubator for grassroots groups such as the AIDS activist group ACT UP and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the principal organization combating homophobia and stereotyping of gays in the media.

Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) - The leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students.

Human Rights Campaign - Working for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights.

Wage Project, Inc. - A 501(c)(3) charitable, tax-deductible organization established for one purpose: to end discrimination against women in the American workplace in the near future. To do that, WAGE inspires and helps working women to take the steps needed so that every woman is paid what she's worth.

American Association of University Women - Advancing equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research.

Women in Higher Education - A monthly practitioner's news journal, designed to help smart women on campus get wise about how gender affects their being successful in the male-dominated world of higher education. Its goals are to enlighten, encourage, empower and enrage women on campus. By sharing problems and solutions, women can learn to talk back, refuse to accept blame and quit taking guff from people who are less enlightened.

Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center - The Hudson Valley Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Community Center is located in Kingston, NY.

Marist was founded by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic order known for their devotion to educating young people.  Since 1969, we have had an independent and predominantly lay board of trustees, but the Brothers’ enduring values of excellence in education, sense of community, and commitment to service continue to guide us.  As a college that is ecumenical in nature, nearly all faith traditions are represented on the Marist campus, and our outstanding Department of Spiritual Life and Service supports students’ diverse spiritual needs while also promoting an atmosphere of mutual understanding, respect, and harmony.  In addition to Catholic worship, Marist has an active Hillel, several Protestant spirituality groups, a Muslim student group, and opportunities for interfaith dialogue.  The College’s annual Diwali celebration is enjoyed by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and the entire campus community.

Resources at Marist: 

Department of Spiritual Life and Service  - Celebrating diversity in all faith traditions by providing opportunities for students to grow in their spiritual and religious lives.

Religious Calendar - This is a list of the major religious observances with brief descriptions to help us understand the significance to the people in our diverse college community.

Academic Opportunities:

Religious Studies - Religious Studies, located within the School of Liberal Arts, seeks to understand and evaluate the ways in which religion and religious practices address the deepest convictions from which many cultural forms are derived. It also examines the role that religion plays in determining the shape and tenor of culture and politics. Interested students have the opportunity to choose from a diverse selection of Religious Studies programs, including minors in Religious Studies, Catholic Studies, Jewish Studies, and more.

Outside Resources:

American Jewish World Service (AJWS) - An international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice.

The Religious Education Association - An incorporation of the venerable 100 year old association (REA) and the Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education (APRRE). Our mission is to create opportunities for exploring and advancing the interconnected practices of scholarship, research, teaching, and leadership in faith communities, academic institutions, and the wider world community.

ChristianityToday.com - Magazine, news, church leadership and Bible study.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) - The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful.

Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc./BuddhaNet - Buddhist education and information network.

Hinduism Today - Hinduism Today Magazine, published quarterly from Kauai's Hindu Monastery, is the foremost global journal on Hinduism.

IslamiCity - Islam and the global Muslim eCommunity.

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations 

Members of the Marist community should feel confident that all complaints are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. To the extent allowed by federal law, the College will be as transparent as possible in incident reporting, investigation, and resolution.

Marist has longstanding procedures and policies in place to investigate incidents of discrimination, bias, and harassment. Faculty issues are handled by the Vice President of Academic Affairs; staff issues by the Vice President of Human Resources; and student conduct issues are handled by the Vice President of Student Affairs. 

The College strives to create a welcoming atmosphere for everyone. We encourage members of the community to come forward and share their experiences so the College can respond. In this way, we can help to foster a culture where everyone feels included, heard, and valued. The reporting form can be found here: marist.edu/report.

The Office of Student Conduct separates the College’s reporting structure into the categories listed below.  If you have questions or concerns about which report to use, please contact the Office of Student Conduct.

The ability to investigate reported incidents, enforce the College's Code of Student Conduct, and protect the College community depends on the accuracy and specificity of the information provided. You are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible to best aid in the investigation. While it is beneficial to our investigation to identify yourself, you do have the option of completing this form anonymously, but this may limit the College's ability to investigate and resolve the incident.

Report a Non-Academic Violation:

Non-academic violations include any behavior that is not related to an allegation of cheating or plagiarism (e.g. alcohol, drugs, harassment, vandalism, disorderly conduct, FYI, etc.). If you have questions about whether a behavior is considered a violation, please contact the Office of Student Conduct.

To report alleged non-academic misconduct, please use the Online Reporting Form.

Report Concerning, Worrisome, or Threatening Behaviors:

For information on what is meant by concerning behavior, please visit the college’s Assisting Students of Concern page. Specifically, you may find it helpful to review information on When to Refer a Student. Faculty, staff, students, and guests are encouraged to use the online referral form to report behavior that they perceive as concerning, worrisome, or threatening.

To report concerning, worrisome, or threatening behaviors, please use the Student of Concern Online Reporting Form.

Report an Academic Integrity Violation:

Academic violations include cheating, plagiarism or falsifying official records related to the College. General classroom misbehavior is considered a non-academic violation. If you have questions about whether a behavior is considered academic misconduct, please contact the Office of Student Conduct.  Additional information is included on the Academic Integrity website.

Please use the Academic Integrity Violation Form to notify the Office of Student Conduct of a violation.  In addition, faculty also will need to fill out the Faculty Adjudication Form and submit this to the Office of Student Conduct.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct:

Sexual misconduct including sexual assault, dating/relationship violence, domestic violence, and stalking are violations of Marist's standards of conduct and the State of New York Penal Code. Members of the college community, guests, and visitors have the right to be free from sexual violence and any form of gender-based discrimination prohibited by Title IX. All members of the campus community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others. When a responding party is found to have violated this policy, sanctions will be imposed based on the nature of the case. This policy is intended to define community expectations and to establish a mechanism for determining when those expectations have been violated. The sexual orientation and/or gender identity of individuals engaging in sexual activity is not relevant to allegations under this policy.

Read more >