NYSED Regents aware of SUNY retaliation against victims, witnesses, whistleblowers, families & tacitly approve it

From: Harry Phillips

To: Christopher Philippo [...]

Subject: Re: John Philippo Lifetime Achievement Award

Date: November 8, 2013 at 5:58:58 PM EST

Sorry. I was unaware of this

______________________

Harry Phillips, 3rd

914.948.0486

[...]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Christopher Philippo [...]

Subject: serious problems of intimidation, retaliation, and non-compliance at SUNY?

Date: December 10, 2012 at 10:58:42 AM EST

To: Merryl Tisch <RegentTisch@mail.nysed.gov>, Anthony S. Bottar <RegentBottar@mail.nysed.gov>, Robert M. Bennett <RegentBennett@mail.nysed.gov>, James C. Dawson <RegentDawson@mail.nysed.gov>, Geraldine D. Chapey <RegentChapey@mail.nysed.gov>, Harry Phillips 3rd <RegentPhillips@mail.nysed.gov>, James R. Tallon Jr. <RegentTallon@mail.nysed.gov>, Roger Tilles <RegentTilles@mail.nysed.gov>, Charles R. Bendit <RegentBendit@mail.nysed.gov>, Betty A. Rosa <RegentRosa@mail.nysed.gov>, Lester W. Young Jr. <RegentYoung@mail.nysed.gov>, Christine D. Cea <RegentCea@mail.nysed.gov>, Wade S. Norwood <RegentNorwood@mail.nysed.gov>, Kathleen M. Kashin <RegentCashin@mail.nysed.gov>, James E. Cottrell <RegentCottrell@mail.nysed.gov>, Andrew T. Brown <RegentBrown@mail.nysed.gov>

Dear Chancellor Tisch, Vice Chancellor Bottar, Chancellor Emeritus Bennett, and Board of Regents:

It had been suggested to me that you may be able to help me regarding the following:

"Effective immediately, you are hereby notified that you are to cease and desist all contact with any office, department, unit or employee at the University [at Albany] other than me [Clarence L. McNeill]. As of this date, the University has designated me as your sole contact for all written and oral communication with the University, including, but not limited to, telephone calls and messages, emails, and mailed and faxed correspondence. I will determine when and if your communications will be addressed by the University."

The above was e-mailed to me on August 3, 2012 by Clarence L. McNeill, who is the State University of New York at Albany's Assistant Vice President for Student Success. Director of the Office of Conflict Resolution & Civic Responsibility, Chair of College/University Behavior [sometimes Behavioral] Intervention Team (CUBIT), and President of the SUNY-Wide Judicial Administrator group. He subsequently used the United States Postal Service to send it by Certified Mail, requiring my signature.

I graduated summa cum laude from the University at Albany in May 2012. Are SUNY judicial administrators in the habit of imposing prior restraint on freedom of speech, inquiry, association, movement, etc. on not just students but also on alumni without due process? Mr. McNeill cc'd his e-mail to George M. Philip, Christine A. Bouchard, John M. Murphy, J. "Frank" Wiley, John H. Reilly, and Janet M. Thayer, none of whom had any problem with what Mr. McNeill had done as far as I know. [...]

Mr. McNeill's prohibition means, among other things, that I may not request my own official transcript from the University Registrar when I require it for job or graduate school applications. I may not communicate with the Career Services Center, Career Services at the Psychological Services Center, or seek references from faculty and staff at the university with whom I had good relationships. Mr. McNeill's made it much as if I never attended the University at Albany; all that time and tuition, effectively stolen from me. [...]

Mr. McNeill's prohibition means I may not communicate with the University at Albany Council, which is intended to be "an oversight Council" and which is appointed by the Governor as mandated by N.Y. EDUC. LAW § 356. For UAlbany students or alumni to be prohibited to communicate with an oversight body for UAlbany strikes me as extremely problematic. Since Regent Jackson is on that council, it also means that University at Albany Assistant Vice President for Student Success McNeill forbade me to communicate with a member of the New York State Board of Regents; it's why I've left Regent Jackson's e-mail address out of the addresses for this e-mail. Mr. McNeill threatened me in writing that there could be a lawsuit if I violated the prior restraint he'd imposed on me without any due process. Regent Jackson is probably unaware of the prohibition on my communicating with him, unless Mr. Philip or SUNY central administration informed him.

It's all quite overwhelming, and even to some degree scary that state university officials would be behaving with such disregard for the law and constitutional rights. Add to that problems with firearms violations by UAlbany's Police Department, which had also been failing to maintain their Sexual Offender Registry properly for years to such an extent that they'd wound up with two different ones, both mismanaged, etc. and the administration seems as lawless as the "Kegs and Eggs riot" already indicated too large a percentage of the student body to be.

Might you indeed be able to help me? At least by informing me what law enforcement agency has jurisdiction over SUNY police? Newly-appointed SUNY Commissioner of University Police R. Bruce McBride, former SUNY Director of University Police David Schindler, and former SUNY Assistant Vice Chancellor for University Police and Public Safety Roger Johnson have all been unwilling to inform me what police department would have jurisdiction, i.e to whom J. "Frank" Wiley, Christine A. Bouchard, George M. Philip, and others could be reported.

It's not merely a question of helping me, but my family, my friends, students at SUNY, faculty and staff at SUNY, and New York State taxpayers, what with such grossly illegal and unconstitutional retaliation occurring in writing, and such serious safety and security issues as firearms violations and failure to maintain the Sexual Offender Registry going unaddressed. Incredibly, at the root of all this, they're protecting a visiting assistant professor who has failed to achieve tenure in his fifteen or so years at UAlbany, who published a book review a decade ago and seemingly nothing else before or since, and who does not appear to have ever engaged in research.

There's not as much hearsay involved as you might think. There are many witnesses to the professor's actions, but I was prohibited to communicate with them by Mr. McNeill. Some of the professor's actions are documented in writing, and the nature of UAlbany's and SUNY's responses to the things I'd reported about him is extensively documented in writing. That they'd retaliate so viciously on behalf of someone who appears to be just taking up space in a department, someone they could dismiss at any time even apart from everything I'd reported him for, is what had prompted me to look into problems there deeper. If I'd been granted academic accommodation when I'd first requested that upon reporting his academic dishonesty and sexual harassment, I'd never have uncovered all the other problems I found.

Instead, the department chair forced me to remain in that professor's class, continuing to be subjected to his unprofessional, offensive, and increasingly alarming behavior as a condition of receiving my degree, joining the graduating class, the Alumni Association, etc. That might constitute both hazing and quid pro quo sexual harassment - and it was the chair of the University at Albany's Presidential Advisory Council for the Prevention of Sexual Assault who had refused to grant me that academic accommodation and forced me to remain in such a class with such a professor.

Governor Cuomo has stated, "the safety of our students and the security of our campuses is our top priority" http://www.governor.ny.gov/press/091412stmtsunythreats I hope you feel the same way; safety and security do not even appear to be on the radar for far too many people at SUNY.

Thank you for any help you can provide,

Christopher Korey Philippo

-

"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" whistleblower protection:

"The statute now includes language specifically protecting whistleblowers who report violations of the Clery Act. This section is effective immediately" (2).

Storch, Joseph. "2008 Changes to Clery Act Reporting Requirements." September 2, 2008. SUNY.edu. http://www.suny.edu/govtRelations/federal/pdf/2008-68%20Guidance%20on%202008%20Changes%20to%20Clery%20Act%20Reporting%20Requirements.pdf

"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f) (17)

"Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit an institution, or an officer, employee, or agent of an institution, participating in any program under this subchapter and part C of subchapter I of chapter 34 of title 42 to retaliate, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the implementation of any provision of this subsection."

---

“Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.” - Edward W. Bok

colleges profit financially off sexual assault

colleges almost never expel men who are found responsible for sexual assault. Our colleagues at The Center for Public Integrity discovered a database of a small number of colleges and universities. These were ones that had applied for federal grants because they wanted to do a better job of fighting sexual assault. And even at these schools, these motivated schools, when a man was found responsible for a sexual assault, just 10 to 25 percent of them were expelled.

"Rape Victims Find Little Help On College Campuses." NPR. February 27, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124148857

Colleges mishandle sexual assault, then cry about how they need more money to help them handle sexual assault correctly. Then they mishandle sexual assault again, and cry about how they need more money to help them handle sexual assault correctly. And so on, ad infinitum.

The media largely doesn't call universities on it. The media instead generally take whatever press releases they're sent and reproduce them without any critical thinking or investigative journalism.

The federal Department of Education regulates schools under the Clery Act. But it has fined offending schools just six times. Most fines have been small. The biggest — for $350,000 — came against Eastern Michigan University. Administrators there covered up the 2006 rape and murder of a student, 22-year-old Laura Dickinson, letting her parents think she'd died suddenly of natural causes.

Shapiro, Joseph. "Campus Rape Victims: A Struggle For Justice." NPR. February 24, 2010. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124001493

A $350,000 fine for conspiracy to cover up a rape and murder is a slap on the wrist. Where's the prison time for administrators, or loss of accreditation?

Organized Crime - or as Nancy Zimpher says: "Systemness"

The next time President Obama touts a new higher education plan, look around. You’ll likely find Nancy L. Zimpher in the background.

Zimpher, the chancellor of the State University of New York system, has become the White House’s go-to college president.

The love reached new heights Thursday, when Zimpher was picked from nearly 100 college presidents at the White House to brief the press corps with Press Secretary Jay Carney. “I think you’d make a great White House press secretary,” Carney joked as Zimpher stepped down from the podium. [...]

A new agreement to better prevent campus sexual assault? Forged between the Education Department and, yes, Zimpher’s SUNY.

Nelson, Libby A. "Meet Obama’s favorite college leader." Politico.com. January 17, 2014. http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/barack-obama-nancy-l-zimpher-102326.html

"Forged" is definitely the right word. The agreement between the U.S. Department of Education and SUNY is a fraud. Likewise, there's no doubt a career liar would make a great White House press secretary.

From: Christopher Philippo [...]

Subject: SUNY correcting handling of sexual harassment/violence complaints w/victims & witnesses?

Date: January 14, 2014 at 4:33:42 PM EST

To: Chancellor Nancy Zimpher <chancellor@suny.edu>, [Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network], [Students Active for Ending Rape], [End Rape on Campus], [GunFreeKids.org], [Americans for Responsible Solutions], [American College Health Association], [Sexual Assault and Violence Education by Students], [Katherine Seymour], [Steven Janosik], [Dennis E. Gregory], [University Risk Management and Insurance Association]

State University of New York Chancellor Zimpher:

With respect to the agreement between the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the State University of New York (SUNY) concerning the handling of allegations of sexual harassment and sexual violence:

“each of the individual campuses that OCR visited must reexamine all sexual harassment/violence complaints filed during and since academic year 2011-2012. SUNY must report to OCR the actions it will take to correct problems identified in the manner in which these four campuses handled those complaints, which may include providing individual remedies for students.”

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-reaches-agreement-state-university-new-york-address-and-

I realize SUNY was given a certain amount of time to respond, but as yet I haven’t even been given any indication by SUNY system administration of what it is doing or will do. Threats sent to me and my family by people at SUNY Albany to whom I’d reported academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, and retaliation, threats which continued even after I graduated summa cum laude, have not been retracted or redressed. I cannot speak for other victims and witnesses, but I would suppose it at least possible that they don’t appreciate being kept in suspense by SUNY system administration about how the improper handling of their sexual harassment/violence complaints will be addressed. I know that to be true of myself, at least.

In addition to that matter, another that is arguably related:

"Sunday night's incident apparently induced panic as many students cowered in their dorm rooms in fear, while some crouched in corners and said prayers after reports about a gunman on campus began to circulate around 8:20 p.m. At 9:30 p.m. the school finally sent out an email notifying students that the gunman was actually an off-duty law enforcement officer who was there to move a family member out of the Livingston Tower dorm. […] No official word on why the law enforcement officer felt it necessary to wear a weapon while moving his child out of the dorm. Although it's apparently legal for an off-duty officer to carry a weapon, Luntta said he was not sure if the man's possession of the gun on campus was a violation of school policy" (bold emphasis added)

Waldman, Scott. "Campus Notebook: Tense moments for UAlbany students." Albany Times Union. May 16, 2013. http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Campus-Notebook-Tense-moments-for-UAlbany-4523960.php

Ms. Zimpher, as I noted to you previously in the e-mail “official word on SUNY Police & firearms violations?” May 17, 2013 5:24:06 PM EDT, it’s unclear as to why Karl Luntta would not be sure about such a matter:

"The rules of the State University Board of Trustees (8 NYCRR §535.3 (j)) prohibit the possession of air guns, firearms, rifles, shotguns or other weapons on a state-operated campus of the University without the written authorization of the campus president."

"No air gun, firearm, rifle, shotgun or weapon may be possessed, stored, discharged, loaded or used on property owned or leased by the University unless the person in possession of said device meets the requirements set forth in these administrative procedures. The president of each state-operated campus may, in accordance with the provisions of section 590.3 of the rules of the University Board of Trustees (8 NYCRR § 590.3), grant written authorization to students, faculty, staff or other persons to permit the possession and storage of air guns, firearms, rifles, shotguns and weapons on campus only where such possession is required or permitted for the purposes specified in said section. When authorized, they will be stored unloaded in an appropriately secured area within or under the control of the University police department of each state-operated campus."

"When authorization is given to University police officers to carry firearms on duty, the weapon to be carried shall be state-owned and approved by the campus president. Only an officially issued firearm will be carried at any time on duty."

"Firearms on State-operated Campuses" policy item http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=367

535.3 (j) "No person, either singly or in concert with others, shall: […] Knowingly have in his possession upon any premises to which these rules apply, any rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, or other firearm or weapon without the written authorization of the chief administrative officer; whether or not a license to possess the same has been issued to such person"

http://www.albany.edu/studentconduct/assets/Community_Rights_FINAL_10-28-11.pdf

"Firearms, Rifles, Airguns and Shotguns." 8 NYCRR Part 590 http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=116 http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=96

See also sections of the SUNY Police Manual, e.g. 70.02, 70.03, 75.11, etc. http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=364

Official word from SUNY system administration (not merely at the campus level) is definitely called for in an instance such as a firearm on a state campus, even at this late date. A false police report filed by a visiting assistant professor subsequent to his having been reported for academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, and retaliation: that really requires some kind of official word as well - as does the following:

“[Matthew Griffin, SUNY Albany Police Chief Firearms Instructor] has been with SUNY police since March 1997 and was promoted to investigator in 2003. He said Knoebel told him in April that she was considering filing for divorce from her husband, Kenneth, who also was arrested on marijuana charges. Griffin said at that time he advised her to bring any guns she had at home to the police station for safekeeping because a divorce could trigger ‘emotional’ reactions."

Lyons, Brendan J. "SUNY Police officer also faces gun charge; Cop arrested on drug charge allegedly asked colleague to move gun." Albany Times Union. July 23, 2011: B11. http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=15255123

Mr. Griffin’s advice seems to run directly contrary to something noted by the FBI, that “Risk factors at times associated with potential violence include […] bringing weapons onto a work site; […] breakup of a marriage or romantic relationship; other family conflicts; financial or legal problems; or emotional disturbance.”

Rugala, Eugene A. and Arnold R. Isaacs, Eds. Workplace Violence: Issues in Response. Quantico, VA: Federal Bureau of Investigation.

That he feared she might use her weapons in an emotional disturbance brought on by the breakup of a marriage and that he would have encouraged her on that very basis to bring all her weapons onto a state university campus makes no sense whatsoever: it runs contrary to even the most basic common sense. His subsequent actions are likewise inconsistent with a law enforcement officer.

"In a sworn statement given to State Police on May 19, a fellow SUNY investigator, Matthew A. Griffin, said that Knoebel had called him on May 17 and asked him to remove two pistols from her locker at the UAlbany police headquarters. "He said Knoebel was comfortable storing her departmental weapon in a police armory safe but she asked him to take another gun, a .25-caliber Ravens Arms pistol, to his private residence for safekeeping. "Griffin said he did not know at the time that Knoebel was facing imminent arrest on federal drug charges. He told State Police that he only learned of those charges the following day, May 18, after he had already returned Knoebel's unregistered handgun to the police station and logged it in as evidence."

Lyons, Brendan J. "SUNY police officer also faces gun charge; Cop arrested on drug charge allegedly asked colleague to move gun." Albany Times Union. July 23, 2011: B1. http://albarchive.merlinone.net/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=15255123

Mr. Griffin would presumably have known that neither the Raven Arms .25 nor the departmental weapon should have been in Ms. Knoebel's personal locker. “Firearms on State-operated Campuses” §§ II (C ) and V (A); 8 NYCRR § 590.4; and the SUNY Police Manual § 75.21 seem to indicate that all firearms should be kept in the university police arsenal, tagged. "Firearms on State-operated Campuses" §II (D) and 8 NYCRR § 590.4 would seem to have prohibited him from removing them, unless he'd been designated by the chief administrative officer in writing? SUNY Police Manual §§ 70.01 and 70.04 would also seem to have prohibited him from, after having secured the Raven Arms .25 in a safe at his own home, from removing it, from bringing an unregistered firearm back on campus, and from logging it in as evidence himself. Those sections seem to indicate he should have called the police with jurisdiction over his home and turned it over to their custody at his home.

Both Mr. Griffin and Ms. Knoebel presumably knew the reputation of guns such as the Raven Arms .25:

"This type of handgun, commonly known as a 'Saturday Night Special,' presents particular problems for law enforcement officials. Saturday Night Specials are generally characterized by short barrels, light weight, easy concealability, low cost, use of cheap quality materials, poor manufacture, inaccuracy and unreliability. These characteristics render the Saturday Night Special particularly attractive for criminal use and virtually useless for the legitimate purposes of law enforcement, sport, and protection of persons, property and businesses" (1153-1154) [emphasis added].

Kelley v. RG Industries, Inc., 497 A. 2d 1143 - MD: Court of Appeals 1985. http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=4146105566330191972

That case goes on to cite prominent individuals' testimony at Senate hearings, for example, "Patrick Murphy, Police Commissioner of the City of New York, added […] 'There is absolutely no legitimate reason to permit the importation, manufacture, or sale of these weapons, or their parts. They are sought only by people who have illicit motives, but who may have some difficulty securing a better gun. No policemen, no Army officer, no security guard, no businessman or merchant, and no sportsman would purchase one of these weapons for any lawful purpose’” (1154 n. 10) [emphasis added]. Even the National Rifle Association does not like such guns: “Maxwell Rich, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association, testified in Senate hearings that: '[Saturday Night Specials] have never to my knowledge been accepted for advertising in our official journal, the American Rifleman. Our reason is that they have no sporting purpose, they are frequently poorly made, and they do not represent value received to any purchaser.’” (1154 n. 10) [emphasis added]

8 NYCRR § 590.6 (b) states “Any violation of university regulations or procedures governing firearms, rifles, shotguns, airguns or other weapons on campus shall be cause for administrative and disciplinary action”. “Shall” is what I understand to be a legal imperative. As far as I know, Matthew Griffin has not even been censured for encouraging a coworker he believed to be potentially emotionally unstable to bring all her weapons onto the SUNY Albany Campus - a campus which has had at least one shooting and at least two disappearances of students - and then hid his coworker’s weapon at his own home no questions asked while she was under investigation by the State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency, and then brought the gun back on campus again and logged it in as evidence despite being an accomplice. His violations of policy, law, etc. are literally inexcusable: SUNY Police Manual § 15.09 "Every member is required to establish and maintain a working knowledge of laws, local ordinances, the rules and policies of the university and the department, and orders of the department. In the event of improper action or breach of discipline, it will be presumed that the member was familiar with the law, rule or policy in question and will be subject to possible disciplinary action.” http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/docs/364.doc‎

Ms. Zimpher, not including benefits and perks, you appear to be paid almost four times as much as State University of New York Chancellor as the New York State Governor, despite being responsible for far less:

SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher

$685,960

http://new-york-employees.findthedata.org/l/2282410/Nancy-L-Zimpher

NY Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

$178,377

http://new-york-employees.findthedata.org/l/1966577/Andrew-M-Cuomo

Under your leadership, the University at Albany Police weren’t even maintaining their sexual offender registry:

• Sexual Offender Registry #1 "© 2009 University at Albany"

"There are currently three (4) [sic] registered sex offenders enrolled or working at the University. The following Information has been released:" was followed by a list of six (6) offenders. Accessed: October 19, 2012 Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6BXAjbUOP Accessed: February 19, 2013 Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6EZ55k2vF (it still read © 2009 at that time)

• Sexual Offender Registry #2 No date (probably circa 2007-2008)

"There are currently two (2) registered sex offenders enrolled at the University. The following Information has been released:" was followed by a list of three (3) offenders. Accessed: October 19, 2012 Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/6BXAsiiOT http://police.albany.edu/2ColPage.asp?PageSName=SOR2 now redirects to UPD's homepage

There was an audit by the NYS Comptroller's Office in 2007 with a follow-up in 2009 http://osc.state.ny.us/audits/allaudits/093009/07s121.htm which found a number of problems, but it evidently failed to take note of the mismanagement of the sexual offender registry. The Registry gets referenced in the Clery Act Report http://police.albany.edu/ASR.pdf on page 53 of the 2011 report, the claim being there that it was being maintained - when clearly (the above archives) it was not being maintained properly. At least part of page 53 was not written for the report but was instead copied and pasted from the website: "The DCJS Sex Offender Registry site may be found on the web (See the link to the right)" (there's no link to the right in the PDF). The obvious error has been retained in the 2012 report on page 58

The inexcusable, obvious problems with the sexual offender registry seem to have been addressed in large part, if not solely, due to my repeatedly reporting them at the local, county, state, and federal level over a course of several months. The salaries of the sixty or so members of the SUNY Albany Police along with the department’s budget evidently don’t cover such basic responsibilities as properly maintaining a sexual offender registry? Wasteful spending seems to abound at SUNY: “Citing a report by the SUNY Police Officers Union, [NYS Senator] Klein’s investigation last year estimated that centralizing the SUNY police force could potentially save New York State at least $3 million in the next year, while also making the SUNY police force more effective.”

http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/government-efficiency-task-force-probes-suny-wasteful-spending-practices [...]

At the root of all this, I’d reported a mere visiting assistant professor [Michael W. Barberich] for academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, and retaliation. More has been done to assist his retaliation and obstruct justice than was done for the SUNY Albany Classics chair who committed plagiarism yet escaped punishment for over a year while more and more people around the entire world learned of the scandal: "The Case of Louis Roberts" http://www.hnn.us/article/588

When will students be given the education they paid for, not an education in how highly-paid administrators have little or no concern for students’ safety and rights?

Christopher K. Philippo

---

"Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act" 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f) (17)

"Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to permit an institution, or an officer, employee, or agent of an institution, participating in any program under this subchapter and part C of subchapter I of chapter 34 of title 42 to retaliate, intimidate, threaten, coerce, or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to the implementation of any provision of this subsection."

---

“Make you the world a bit better or more beautiful because you have lived in it.” - Edward W. Bok

UAlbany's Mirage Statement

Many of you came together in recent months to brainstorm around and help shape a shared vision for our future.

One outcome of these efforts led by Provost Susan Phillips was a vision statement outlining key characteristics of our University in the future.

You envision a UAlbany:

that is expanding knowledge and transforming minds to shape the future of our community and our world;

that is an increasingly attractive choice for diverse, highly qualified, and highly motivated students;

that provides outstanding education and an excellent student experience;

that sustains and grows research, discovery, and creative work;

that engages in strategic partnerships for educational, scholarly and societal benefit;

that is committed to access, diversity, inclusion, and equity in all we do;

that is recognized for our many strengths and successes;

and that has a strong sense of community, common purpose, and lifelong pride in the University.

http://www.albany.edu/administration/president-2013-fall-faculty-speech.php

A "vision statement" from a university that turns a blind eye to academic dishonesty, faculty ethics violations, sexual assault, and retaliation - written by one of the people who helped drag UAlbany further into the gutter. On second thought, that's not fair - UAlbany does see academic dishonesty, faculty ethics violations, sexual assault, and retaliation, but it chooses to respond to it by ignoring it all or by joining in on the retaliation. Report any of those things to Susan D. Phillips, for example, and she simply wouldn't respond. How visionary of her, eh?

"Things are really stacked against students, against victims"

Sent: Friday, May 25, 2012, 11:12 AM

To: McNeill, Clarence L [...]

Subject: FW: academic advisement; may I ask if all is well for my degree?

From: Christopher K. Philippo [...]

Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2012 4:04 AM

To: Jennifer Stromer-Galley

Subject: academic advisement; may I ask if all is well for my degree? [...]

I think a degree from UA is a sort of badge of shame (party school; Kegs and Eggs; department cuts; near loss of flagship status), and a Communication degree from UA I fear may be or may become even moreso (though for the sake of the good COM professors, it should not). If only I'd taken Prof. Hobson's advice to be a Women's Studies major. Or English, suggested to me by someone (possibly the English chair?) after my Undergraduate Research Conference presentation. Or dropped COM and kept Art History. Or did the student-initiated Film Studies major. Or Documentary Studies. Or anything. It becomes too expensive and time consuming to switch, impossible really.

I'd have transferred out if I hadn't felt overwhelmed by everything that would entail. I had actually wanted Prof. Zahavi to give me an F in his class, so that I wouldn't have to have a UA degree. I'd submitted a haiku to him, which I think went something like:

Fs, they are honest

the sound of a diploma

fed to a shredder

You'd have to see if he still has it for the exact wording. He wouldn't let me, though, and I didn't like to disappoint him because he really is one of UA's best, so I turned in my final paper. A lot of time and money went into this ridiculous thing, more than for the average student.

Chief Wiley replied that he had no knowledge of the cease and desist order that I'd been told [by Clarence L. McNeill] had been cc'd to him and that UPD was enforcing. Fancy that.

It all gets worse from here for me, I'm sure, but I do have a sort of "acceptance" of that (I still don't entirely understand what you meant by that). It would have been nice if you'd supplied more context to UPD when you'd called them, in particular mentioning that you'd speculated to me that [Michael W. Barberich] may be pandering to the worst elements in class in order to be liked, that [Michael W. Barberich] may feel intellectually threatened, and you had warned me [Michael W. Barberich] might do anything to keep his job. It would be nice if I were not (apparently) alone in this. [...]

One doesn't know how many hurdles there are until one gets running. The Registrar's Office first told me that Student Files can't be copied, because they're the property of the university and they're copyrighted. Then I was told that was wrong, and that they can't be released because FERPA prohibits that. However, the NYS Dep't of State Committee on Open Government says that's wrong. Some other reason might be supplied to me next.

A counselor at the downtown UA Psychological and Career Services Center told me she'd been bullied by a professor at UA, but she couldn't bring herself to report it. A counselor! I may have mentioned a campus activist at UA who'd been sexually harassed by a professor, and despite being an activist publicly butting heads on large issues she did not feel safe reporting her own personal one.

Things are really stacked against students, against victims. I even know a professor in the area who has not reported the sexual harassment she was subjected to by a colleague, for fear that it would endanger her career. In 2012. That is so, so wrong, and so very tragic.

But we'll see. Maybe UA can get this all straightened out the right way. That would be something. I hope so.

Thanks,

Chris

UA's only gotten worse since. Jeanette Altarriba, Sue Faerman, Christine Bouchard, Clarence L. McNeill, J. "Frank" Wiley and his crew of dirty cops, and on and on - they all do what they can to maintain a climate of fear on campus, to maintain a rape culture, to help sex offenders get off (in more ways than one) and fuck over victims, witnesses, whistleblowers. It's not limited to UA, of course. Nancy Zimpher as Chancellor of SUNY, George Randolph Hearst III as President of the Board of Directors of the UAlbany Foundation, and others don't care about safety and security. They care about the almighty dollar, and there's far more money in backing sociopaths like Barberich (particularly given that his wife is CSEA Capital District Threat-Maker Therese Assalian - associate of convicted bomber and CSEA Union President Steven Raucci), or gang-raping UAlbany football players, or idiot children of major donors, than in doing the right thing.

♬ Bad cops, bad cops ♬

Do the NYS University Police have an internal affairs bureau? The NYS Park Police apparently do, though there's seemingly very little information online about it.

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Carol Ash today announced that the agency will locate its new Park Police Academy and Training Facility at the former Camp Cass property in Rensselaerville, Albany County. [...]

The site will also serve as year-round home to the park police internal affairs unit and record storage and, for the months the academy is not in session, will be used for employee meetings and training.

"Former Camp Cass Property in Rensselaerville To Become New York State Parks Police Training Facility." February 11, 2008. http://nysparks.com/newsroom/press-releases/release.aspx?r=649

Given how corrupt the SUNY Albany Police are, I'd sought help from other law enforcement agencies. Albany County Sheriff's Office Senior Investigator Sean Spring, Jr. investigated the question of what agency or office holds the SUNY Police accountable and failed to turn up anything in his investigation. I suppose that helps explain why the SUNY Albany Police (if not SUNY Police in general) are so corrupt and so unaccountable?

From: "Spring Jr., Shawn W."

To: [Chris Philippo]

Subject: SUNY

Date: September 28, 2012 at 2:45:11 PM EDT

Christopher,

I do not have an answer for your question. I can only assume that a State Agency is responsible for the oversight of the SUNY Police Department. To make a complaint about the SUNY Police Department, I highly recommend seeking the advice of an attorney with the hope that they will be able to identify the proper agency or explain wether or not the request is a viable request with an end result that would be worth the time and expense of obtaining it.

Sr. Inv. Shawn Spring

Sheriff Craig Apple sez: "I’ve built crucial relationships with every law enforcement agency in the County, as well as the State Police and Federal agencies." Apparently that includes the dirty SUNY Albany Police, even though there's no Memorandum of Understanding or agreement with them?

SUNY Albany Police "Chief" J. "Frank" Wiley seems to be paid more than Sheriff Apple, despite being responsible for far fewer people over a far smaller geographic area, and being far less qualified (indeed, arguably wholly unqualified). Weird, no?

Granted, the existence of an IAB is no guarantee of any kind. Complaints to IAffairs@troopers.state.ny.us are routinely ignored even though their own literature seems to indicate they're always supposed to respond:

Every complaint of misconduct will be supervised by the NYSP Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB).

Upon receipt of a complaint, the IAB will assign the case for investigation. Generally, complaints of a routine nature will be assigned to the employee’s supervisor or commander. More serious or complex matters will be investigated by the Regional IAB Offices. Investigators will:

• Attempt to contact the complainant, the accused employee and witnesses;

• Examine physical evidence;

• Review reports and records, and

• Thoroughly document the facts surrounding the incident and allegation.

"New York State Police Public Compliment or Complaint Process." https://www.troopers.ny.gov/Contact_Us/Compliments_or_Complaints/Pro-ConPamphlet4-2002.pdf

I guess there needs to be an IAB for the State Police IAB.

request in change to GenEd representative for SUNY Albany

UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY

Dr. Jeanette Altarriba

Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education

Phone: 518-442-3950

Fax: 518-442-4959

http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/acaproplan/general-education/

Every member of the community, including both faculty and students, shares an interest in maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity. [...] When the entire University community upholds the principles of academic integrity, it creates an environment where students value their education and embrace experiences of discovery and intellectual growth. [...] Maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity insures the value and reputation of our degree programs; these standards represent an ethical obligation for faculty intrinsic to their role as educators, as well as a pledge of honor on the part of University at Albany students. If a violation of academic integrity occurs, faculty, deans, and students all share in the responsibility to report it.

http://www.albany.edu/studentconduct/appendix-c.php

While Chair of the Department of Communication, Jeanette Altarriba knowingly permitted untenured visiting assistant professor of Communication Michael W. Barberich to engage in academic dishonesty in a course meant to fulfill information literacy general education requirement. Mr. Barberich had at least four of his five teaching assistants writing his lectures and lecture notes for him, which he presented in class and online as his own work. At least two of the four TAs plagiarized material in order to prepare those lectures and lecture notes for him. Mr. Barberich permitted students to openly cheat on the daily quizzes, and did not report plagiarism and falsification on work submitted on the information literacy project. Mr. Barberich made errors on his exams, and did not inform students of that fact and Ms. Altarriba said that she would not do so either. Ms. Altarriba claimed, in defense of Mr. Barberich arriving to class late on a regular basis, that most professors at UAlbany regularly arrive late - something I did not find to be true while a student there.

Ms. Altarriba also allowed Mr. Barberich to engage in sexual harassment, and to joke about torturing one of his minority students. Ms. Altarriba claimed to me in writing that she had addressed the things I'd reported, which manifestly was not true.

I reported Ms. Altarriba, who had refused to grant me academic accommodation and forced me (and others) to remain in Mr. Barberich's class continuing to be subjected to his offensive and alarming behavior as a condition of receiving a degree in Communication and graduating, over my objections - quid pro quo sexual harassment. She assisted Mr. Barberich in his retaliation.

Her promotion to Vice Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education was, of course, completely unacceptable, as is her being General Education representative for SUNY Albany given her support of sexual harassment, academic dishonesty by students, teaching assistants, and faculty, and her acts of retaliation.

There is ample documentation for Ms. Altarriba's unsuitability for employment at any institution of learning... much of which I expect SUNY already has?