Indian-American Mona Jha, a senior college of the City University of New York, Baruch College in downtown Manhattan, has been appointed as Chief Diversity Officer. President of Baruch College Mitchel B. Wallerstein, has made the announcement on May 5.
Jha hopes that her role will help to effectuate changes in the staffing and faculty at the college to reflect the diversity of the student body. Jha said that she has found it most gratifying to assist those in need.
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Her position involves investigating the claims brought under the University’s Non-Discrimination Policies, serving as Title IX Coordinator and as the Section 504/ADA Coordinator to assure compliance with the federal and state laws and regulations concerning with persons with disabilities. The CDO is the liaison to the University Office of Diversity and Recruitment.
Prior to this, Jha was serving as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer since January. Since the fall of 2016, she worked in Baruch’s Office of Diversity, Compliance and Equity Initiatives as part-time Deputy Title IX Coordinator and she was the substitute Affirmative Action Officer from March 2012 through August 2013.
Wallerstein has praised Jha for her “considerable skills and experience” to take over this “important” position.
Jha’s, parents hail from Bihar and they came to this country when she was 11, she said. She has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and her JD, with distinction, from Hofstra University School of Law. She said that she took up law because she enjoyed the analytical and intellectual challenges of legal studies.
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Earlier, Jha has served as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of the State Attorney General, where she has defended New York agencies and employees in employment discrimination and other cases brought in state and federal courts.
As Chief Diversity Officer, Jha heads the Office of Diversity, Compliance and Equity Initiatives and directly reports to Wallerstein. She will also serve in the President’s Cabinet.
“The most gratifying part of my job is helping students, faculty and staff in need – they know they have a safe place to go to when they experience sexual harassment, racial, ethnic, gender or age discrimination,” she said.
According to Wallerstein’s statement, Jha is responsible for overseeing the collection and analysis of data; monitoring and reviewing affirmative action policy, compliance and/or procedures; submitting written reports to the president and other officials; providing counseling and information on diversity and affirmative action issues; serving as liaison between Baruch College community and campus interest groups; and working with deans, chairs, and directors of administrative units in the development of innovative recruitment efforts.
Wallerstein said that he is delighted as Jha had acceped the offer to take on the permanent position. ” I am confident that she will do an outstanding job in this role,” he added.
By Premi
