Campus Group Proposals: Improving Campus Climate/Confronting religious, ethnic and other forms of discrimination

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Submission Deadline: January 30, 2023 (5:00 pm EST)

Hate crimes in major U.S. cities have risen by double‐digit percentage increases over the past two years. Bias‐motivated attacks have frequently targeted Asian Americans, Blacks, Jews, Latinos, Muslims, and members of the LGBTQI+ community. While Congress passes legislation aimed at combating hate crimes, institutions of higher education have a responsibility to be proactive in developing local college communities of trust, understanding, and inclusion.

The Chancellor allocated new funding to support strategic efforts to confront religious and ethnic discrimination on CUNY campuses. Sharing CUNY’s commitment to diversity and inclusiveness, New York City College of Technology (NYCCT) celebrates the many ethnicities and cultures represented by our faculty, staff, and students, and condemns acts of hate. 

Faculty, staff, and student groups are invited to submit proposals that serve the whole college community and demonstrate responsiveness to the recent uptick in anti‐Asian hate, antisemitism, racism, and other forms of discrimination.

Eligibility

NYCCT full time faculty and staff are eligible to apply; student groups wishing to apply should be supported by a faculty or staff advisor. 

Available Funding

A minimum of four (4) grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded.  A total of $12,000 in funding is available and will be administered through the NYCCT Business Office.

Proposal Due Date

Proposals are to be submitted by 5:00 pm on Monday, January 30, 2023. Proposals should be emailed to Provost@citytech.cuny.edu.

Proposals submitted after this deadline are considered late and may not be accepted.

Award Period

Awardees will be notified in February 2023 and funds must be used before June 30, 2023.

Proposal Format

Each proposal submitted to this RFP must include (A) Campus Climate Proposal Summary Form (B) Proposal Narrative, and (C) Budget Template. Details of requirements follow:

(A) Campus Climate Proposal Summary Form – View form

Complete the attached PDF fillable form to indicate:

• Project Director (PD) Name, Department.
• Names and departments of any additional contributors
• Faculty/Staff Advisor (if applicable), Organization/Group
• Title
• Proposal Category or Categories (see description of Proposal Categories below – (1) Campus Climate & Communications, (2) Training & Development for Multiple Stakeholders, (3) Student Engagement & Support, and/or (4) Academic & Co‐Curricular Programs

• Total Amount Requested
• PD Signature
• Chair and Dean Signatures

(B) Proposal Narrative

The proposal narrative (maximum 2 pages, 12-point font, one-inch margins, single spaced) must include a description of the proposed activities including:

• A summary of proposed activities, including a timetable. Include plans to disseminate information about the event to the college community, and anticipated attendance; proposed events should anticipate at least 50 attendees

• A brief explanation of how the proposed work responds to the recent uptick in anti‐ Asian hate, antisemitism, and/or other forms of discrimination
• A summary of how the proposed activities align with the Proposal Category or Categories
• A description of expected impact, deliverables, and outcomes within the funding period
• An evaluation plan
• A brief budget narrative linking costs to activities

In accordance with the RFP issued by CUNY for Campus Climate Support Grants, Campus Group Proposals should address one or more of the following proposal categories:

Proposal Categories

1. Campus Climate & Communications

• Community events, public programs, art projects, and podcasts focused on unity, campus climate, justice, awareness, wellness
• Programs and activities promoting cross‐cultural understandings among members of the Asian American, Black, Jewish, Latino, Muslim, and LGBTQI+ communities, among others
• Difficult conversations, dialogues, town halls, and discussions about intersecting religious, ethnic, and cultural identities
• Interdisciplinary partnerships with community‐based organizations
• Community‐wide messaging about existing policies that protect the rights of all students and employees
• Campus climate surveys with specific reference to concerns pertaining to religious and ethnic discrimination

2. Training & Development for Multiple Stakeholders

• Local expansion of training related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, incorporating faith‐based identities along with ethnic, racial, and other identities
• Training on how to incorporate inclusive practices in leadership
• Training on how to protest respectfully
• Training on student engagement strategies
• Training on how to plan for controversial speakers
• Inclusive, culturally responsive, trauma‐informed pedagogy seminars

3. Student Engagement & Support

• Student resource & support spaces, affinity groups, community forums, book clubs
• Collaborative efforts with student leaders to develop strategies promoting a sense of belonging on campus and building a community that is free of discrimination against faith‐based identities along with ethnic, racial, and other identities

4. Academic & Co‐Curricular Programs

• Programs that foster understanding and are reflective of the ethnic and cultural diversity of CUNY students
• Courses that help students to understand discrimination more broadly and include representatives across a spectrum of marginalized groups
• Place‐based and experiential learning that enables relationship‐building through the practice of mindful listening and the exploration of personal narratives
• Cohort‐based programs that create space for communicating across differences and skill‐ building related to navigating cultural tensions as well as religious, ethnic, and race power dynamics

(C) NYCCT Campus Group Proposal Budget Template – View template

All proposed costs should be included on the attached Excel template.  Expenses should be reasonable and necessary to complete the project activities.

Fringe benefits are waived for this RFP.  Any salaries, wages, or stipends budgeted should be clearly justified in the narrative. 

Allowable costs include consultant fees, meeting and event costs, supplies, marketing and outreach, travel, and student stipends.

Final Report

A final report will be due to the Provost by June 30, 2023.  More information will be provided to awardees.

Contact Information

Questions about this funding opportunity should be directed to Provost@citytech.cuny.edu.