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SUNY Binghamton

Undergraduate School

Mailing Address
4400 Vestal Pkwy E
Binghamton, New York 13902
Phone
(607) 777-2000
Email address
admit@binghamton.edu
School Information
"The best public university in the Northeast: A world-class institution, Binghamton University offers students a broad, interdisciplinary education with an international perspective and one of the most vibrant research programs in the nation...Success breeds success, and what began as a small, liberal arts college is now a nationally recognized research institution with one of the two fastest-growing research programs in the state." (Source: https://www.binghamton.edu/about/)
General Information
Binghamton University's Libraries have released resources to help faculty, staff, and students "decolonize" their reading, which means putting less emphasis on Western classics. Additionally, the University took the symbolic step of declaring itself a "Predominantly White Institution", while also making a commitment to "audit" its library. The proposed audit has not yet been completed. No mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are yet required of students. However, see developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • As part of Binghamton's Strategic Priorities for an "inclusive campus," the University offers "several programs that provide financial, advising and academic support to students from underserved communities" which include the "Educational Opportunity Program, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program, the Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program, the Bridges to the Doctorate Program and the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program."
  • On June 29, 2023, SUNY’s Chancellor and Board of Trustees issued a statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision on race conscious admissions which reads in part as follows: “Today, the US Supreme Court attempted to pull our nation backwards in the journey toward equity and civil rights with an egregious ruling that will have serious impacts on students and families seeking the American dream of opportunity through higher education...Today’s decision threatens to undermine what progress has been made, by throwing up roadblocks and barriers when what’s needed are better paths and bridges...At SUNY, our resolve to provide opportunity for all has never been stronger. The commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to be a factor in every goal we pursue, every program we create, every policy we promulgate, and every decision we make."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • The mission of the UDiversity Educational Institute is to "provide training for staff, faculty, students and the local community."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • As part of the BSW (bachelor of social work) degree at Binghamton, students are required to complete "4 credits in diversity and oppression."
  • As part of Binghamton's "comprehensive" General Education Curriculum, all students "must take" one course in "Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice."
Disciplinary Measures
  • Binghamton has a Report a Bias Incident webpage which states "If you believe you have experienced or witnessed an act of hate, bias, discrimination or harassment, please report it so the University can take appropriate action."
Program and Research Funding
  • The Harpur College of Arts and Sciences at Binghamton is "spearheading a new, multi-year cluster hire initiative in the thematic area [of] 'Critical Studies in Race and Inequality'" which seeks to "build a network of scholars who are committed to conducting research on race, racism, ethnicity, social justice, power and structures of inequality in their diverse fields of specialization."
Resources
  • University Libraries will be releasing “a resource guide to help support all faculty, students and staff looking to decolonize their course curricula or learn about and research topics related to anti-racism, systemic racism and racial justice”.
  • The university library's resource guide includes sections on "Anti-Racism Resources: Where to Start," "Resources on Decolonizing Curricula," and "Anti-Racism Resources for Higher Education."
  • The Libraries’ Anti-racism Coalition Keepers Initiative's "Community Subcommittee has been fostering discussions on race among Libraries faculty and staff. They have coordinated a book club which has read Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility, Ruha Benjamin’s Race After Technology : Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. and is currently reading Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist. They have also developed channels for communication on Basecamp and Slack."
  • The Libraries’ Anti-racism Coalition Keepers Initiative's "Education/Resource Subcommittee is continuing to develop their subject guide. and have created three additional pages, a new 'special topics' section to add in pages that provide resources on more specific interest areas, and a searchable master list of all the materials referenced in the guide. The work of each subcommittee is detailed further on their individual pages."
  • The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences created a "DEI Book Club to help Decker College faculty and staff learn how to actively be anti-racist." The group has read Robin DiAngelo's "White Fragility."
  • The Student Affairs Divisional Diversity Initiatives (SADDI) website has a section with resources visitors can use to "educate yourself on diversity topics." Resource include the Binghamton University Library Anti-Racism and Resource Guide and "Critical Whiteness Studies."
  • The sociology department and other students groups "organized the town hall to provide a platform for an open discussion on racism at BU and in the community as a whole."
  • The UDiversity Educational Institute at Binghamton is "looking for undergraduate students to serve as student liaisons" who would "assist the institute's coordinators in planning and executing events and workshops, and they act as student ambassadors for the institute and its mission."
Symbolic Actions
  • University calls itself a “Predominantly White Institution” (PWI) and vows to audit its library.
  • The Binghamton Libraries Anti-Racism Coalition Keepers Initiative (BLACK Initiative) released an "Anti-racism Statement."
Last updated March 26th, 2024
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