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Craig School of Business

Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Sustainable Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

As a public university and part of the California State University system, Fresno State is committed to putting into practice principles of peaceful cooperation, justice, equity and respect for human rights. Fresno State's commitment to and support of human rights is evidenced through our membership in an accrediting body, the diverse array of academic course offerings and the scholarship and campus resources available to support the well-being of our students and employees. The campus supports the human rights of all and in particular the rights of vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, indigenous people, migrant workers and first-generation students, students who are unhoused in need of food and shelter, people of underserved communities, underrepresented minorities and sexual identities.

As one of 23 campuses in the California State University system, Fresno State offers employees a work environment that supports human rights, supported by system-wide policies and procedures governing the workplace environment. Recruitment, hiring and compensation practices are guided by state and federal guidelines and, as applicable, system-wide and campus specific procedures. Employees are provided a number of leave and accommodation benefits to support them and their families.

Fresno State Initiatives to Promote Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The Cross Cultural and Gender Center is a student support service dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Center provides educational programs and services through a social justice lens, including affinity rooms for African American, American Indian, Asian Pacific Islander, Cross Cultural, Gender, Latino/a and LGBTQ+ and campus-wide workshops for employees and students through the President's Council for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and diversity training through the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Leading for Diversity workshops. 

Originally established at one of our sister campuses and implemented at Fresno State, Project Rebound provides support for students and potential students who were formerly incarcerated. The program focuses on reducing recidivism and victimization by helping establish pro-social pathways.

The President's Council on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (PCEDI) supports acceptance and fairness at all levels of the University. The Council developed a comprehensive Diversity Plan to make sure this commitment is understood across our campus. PCEDI hosts a number of workshops throughout the academic year as well Conversations That Matter (i.e., weekly conversations that focus on issues of social justice, diversity, inclusion, and other current and relevant issues facing our campus and society). 

The Educational Opportunity Program and Special Support Programs provide an array of services to support firstgeneration and economically disadvantaged college students. These services are designed to create an environment that fosters a sense of community, promotes integration into the university, encourages use of campus resources, and guides students to achieve their academic, career, and personal goals. 

The Office of Black Student Success (OBSS) is committed to providing supportive services that foster the transition and integration of Black students into the University as they achieve academic and personal success. 

The Dream Success Center is dedicated to serving our Dream students by offering services designed to foster a sense of belonging as they navigate and thrive at Fresno State. The center provides orientations, academic advising, and monitoring. 

Established in March 2021, the Alegria Mental Health Task Force  is charged with examining current mental health services available to students from the Student Health and Counseling Center, as well as other external resources, in order to develop recommendations on how we can improve the mental health and well-being of our campus community. 

The Workplace Quality Taskforce, composed of faculty and staff from across campus, is dedicated to addressing workplace quality. Survey results from 2019 have been used to examine our strengths and assess areas that require focus and action. The results are shared with units, schools and colleges to facilitate the development of action plans to address areas for improvement. 

Through the Employee Assistance Program, employees have 24/7 access to a third-party provider by phone. An on-campus social worker is also available by appointment. This resource is provided to support employees and their mental health with respect to stress, depression, work-life balance, family and relationship concerns, alcohol and drug dependency, workplace conflicts, and other personal issues of concern. 

The Center for Faculty Excellence gives faculty access to tools and resources related to professional development and technology. With resources like Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Certificate Program, faculty are able to further their education and gain new insights that they can introduce into their classroom. 

The Office of Organizational Excellence (OE) was created in 2014 in order to provide resources and professional development opportunities for employees. Programs like the Wellness Program were developed to promote mental health and physical activity among employees. The OE office has also created a High Five program which allows colleagues to celebrate each other by recognizing them for their hard work. 

Fresno State follows a system-wide guide to identify and prevent conflicts of interest.

Fresno State ensures that activities and practices on campus do not create potential for conflict of interest or nepotism. A detailed Policy on Nepotism outlines the definition and campus procedure for situations where a conflict of interest may arise. Campus procedures for dealing with potential nepotism/conflict of interest extend to not only employment matters but also to funded research projects.

The 23-campus CSU system's audit strategy is to look for risk areas after consultation with key Chancellor's Office and campus personnel in all divisions. The list of risk areas is updated annually, and a set of audit areas is derived. Currently two areas are selected for each campus and conducted by Internal Audit, which reports findings to the CSU Board of Trustees Audit Committee.

Fresno State is audited by the state auditor's office, which targets issues and programs at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement. It also audits programs experiencing major challenges associated with the economy, efficiency, or effectiveness.

Fresno State goes through annual audits of our Financial Aid grants and this year's Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding (HEERF) award to ensure we are following their rules and regulations as well as sound business practices. These audits are done by the external financial auditors KPMG.

Fresno State is audited annually by KPMG who certify our financial statements are materially accurate. This involves inquiries of how we arrive at the numbers but also if we have had any known incidents of fraud or misuse of funds by employees, etc.

Fresno State's whistleblower policy ensures that employees, former employees and/or applicants for CSU employment who wish to report alleged improper governmental activity at Fresno State can file their complaints with Fresno State's Human Resources Department without threat of retaliation.

The CSU Travel and Business Expense Reimbursements Policy states that CSU pays or reimburses for travel-related expenses that are ordinary, reasonable, not extravagant and necessary to conduct official University business. All expense reimbursements and business travel arrangements must comply with University policies and procedures, prudent accounting practices, and applicable collective bargaining agreements. Effective June 2021, Assembly Bill 1887 bans the use of public dollars for travel to states with laws discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. 

The Institute for Media and Public Trust is guided by the First Amendment, and the need to discuss ethics, values and transparency. The Institute believes strongly that a well-informed citizenry will improve civic engagement and participation in our democracy. 

The Institute for Leadership and Public Policy conducts policy-relevant research and offers student training and career development to inspire public leadership in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Students also learn to understand the leadership challenges facing society today, conduct scholarly work around issues of public leadership and governance, and learn best practices while exchanging ideas with experienced leaders and scholars. 

The Ethics Center supports ethics education across the curriculum, including projects in professional ethics, character education and civic education, as well as research on contemporary social issues, ethics pedagogy and ethical leadership. The Center seeks to understand and promote ethics across the curriculum and within communities and is committed to the preparation of students for personal and professional integrity, citizenship and ethical leadership.