Compliance and Diversity
Contact Us
Room: E-Building, E-508
Phone: (718) 482-5088
TitleIX@lagcc.cuny.edu
LaGuardia’s Office of Compliance and Diversity plays a key role within the Office of the President. Recognizing the benefits of an inclusive and culturally diverse environment, our mission is to educate and develop a workforce that embraces cultural competence, intersectionality, and aids in ensuring compliance with federal, state, municipal, and CUNY policies on sexual misconduct, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination.
LaGuardia and CUNY are committed through policy and practice to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees and to admit and provide services for students without discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws. We believe in a policy of non-discrimination, and as an educational institution, maintaining best practices and relevant programs to assure compliance with federal, state and city laws as well as University guidelines.
Important Links:
- Reaffirmation of Diversity/Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
- CUNY University-Wide Discrimination and Retaliation Reporting Portal
- 2020 CUNY Title IX Policy on Sexual Misconduct
- Sexual Misconduct Allegation Complaint Form
- Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy
- Affirmative Action Plan for Minorities & Woman
Search and Recruitment
The Office of Compliance and Diversity oversees the recruitment and search process for filling employment vacancies at LaGuardia. LaGuardia and CUNY follow a careful protocol that aims to attract a wide range of qualified applicants and ensure fair and equitable treatment in search and selection. We work closely with search committee members, hiring managers, and other administrative support to make sure that all job applications are thoroughly reviewed and considered.
- Learn more about the CUNY recruitment and search process
- Enroll in online eCharge Training to prepare to serve on a search committee
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) ensures that all individuals are treated fairly and equally in all decisions relating to their employment. CUNY and LaGuardia uphold EEO policy, to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees and to admit and provide services for students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, 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.
Compliance and Investigations
The Office of Compliance and Diversity leads the college’s investigations into claims of sexual misconduct and discrimination. If you experience or witness someone else experiencing sexual misconduct or discrimination, please contact:
- Sabine Rospide
TitleIX@lagcc.cuny.edu - Rebecca Jean, Title IX Coordinator
rebecca.jean59@lagcc.cuny.edu - Helen Skirchak, Investigator
helen.skirchak18@lagcc.cuny.edu - Public Safety
(718) 482-5555 - Sexual Misconduct Allegation Complaint Form– This form may be filled out and submitted directly via email to TitleIX@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school that receives federal funding. The Office of Compliance and Diversity oversees the school’s Title IX investigations and also aims to educate the campus community about sex-based discrimination.
Below, you’ll find a wide range of resources to learn more about Title IX.
- CUNY Policy on Sex-Based Misconduct
- Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy
- Drug and Alcohol Amnesty Policy
- Student’s Bill of Rights Policy
- Policies and Procedures Concerning Sexual Assault, Stalking and Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Against Students
- Title IX – Pregnancy Non-Discrimination
- NYC Human Rights Law
- Preventing Discrimination & Sexual Assault (Title IX)
- Diversity Initiatives
- Title IX at CUNY
- Policy on Sexual Misconduct Training Series
- What Is Sexual Misconduct?
- What is Discrimination?
- Fact Sheet: Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics: U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights
- Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics: U.S. Department of Education
- Section 12: Religious Discrimination: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Sexual & Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course (SPARC and ESPARC)
SPARC is an online training program developed by the State University of New York in partnership with the City University of New York. Its purpose is to educate members of an institution’s community, on what the policies are on sexual misconduct, how they can report incidents and resources to assist them.
SPARC is required for all new-to-LaGuardia students, as well as officers of on-campus clubs/ organizations, study abroad students, and students who travel for school-sponsored overnight trips.
Employees of the college must take ESPARC, an equivalent course geared toward faculty and staff. Students who are employed as College Assistants are required to complete both SPARC and ESPARC trainings.
Frequently Asked Questions
New-to-LaGuardia students need to complete the SPARC training. In addition, existing students who are involved in the following also need to take SPARC, even if they have previously taken the Haven Sexual Misconduct Training online:
- Club/Organization Officers
- Study Abroad students
- Students traveling for overnight trips
Non-matriculated students or students on e- permit do not need to complete SPARC. If you do not fall into any of the cohorts listed above as those who need to complete SPARC and you have been contacted to complete it, please email TitleIX@lagcc.cuny.edu and give your EMPL ID, when you enrolled at LaGuardia and that you are not a member of the required groups that need to complete it.
If you took the SPARC training already at another institution you have to complete it at your current institution as a transfer student. The only exception to this rule is if you completed the training within the past academic year, you do not need to retake it and can email your certificate to TitleIX@laguardia.cuny.edu and explain that you have completed SPARC within the past year and attach the certificate or tell your cohort representative and give them a copy of your certificate. If you take it during your freshman year but then during a subsequent year you become a member of one of the cohorts listed above, you need to take it again.
SPARC Troubleshooting Tips:
- The course is not mobile friendly so you must take the course on a desktop, laptop or tablet
- Please allow for pop-up blockers
- Enable Flash
- Use FireFox or Chrome as your browser
- Complete all slides: There are four modules that need to be completed and validated. At the conclusion of all four modules, you will see a certificate of completion, please save for your records
- The CUNYFirst checklist posts an automatic deadline of 30 days for the SPARC training, and it will remain on your account even if you’ve completed the course until the 30 days is done; disregard deadline if you have completed the training and generated a certificate
- For technical issues with BlackBoard please contact the Helpdesk BlackBoard Administrator, for assistance helpdesk@laguardia.cuny.edu
- If you continue having issues even after reviewing and implementing these tips then email TitleIX@laguardia.cuny.edu and explain what the issue is, please include your EMPL ID
- If you can’t complete the online training due to the content please email TitleIX@laguardia.cuny.edu and explain why.
If you were informed that you need to complete the SPARC online training course but do not see the course on your BlackBoard homepage please contact TitleIX@laguardia.cuny.edu and request the self-enrollment link. If you are a member of one of the cohorts please contact your administrators for the self-enrollment link and guide.
Staff
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Sabine Rospide, Esq. | Interim Chief Diversity Officer and Legal Counsel |
| Rebecca Jean, Esq. | Title IX Coordinator |
| Helen Skirchak | Investigator |
| Judi Anderson | HR Specialist |
| Anna Rafalovich | Administrative Coordinator |