Dear Adelphi Community,
I am pleased to announce our University’s inaugural chief of community concerns and resolution, Allison Vernace ’13, who will launch our new Office of Community Concerns and Resolution when she joins Adelphi on August 30, 2021.
As previously communicated, the Office of Community Concerns and Resolution (OCCR) will provide the Adelphi community with a centralized point of contact and oversight for handling complaints and concerns. In support of existing University offices and procedures, the OCCR will serve our community members as an enhanced resource while working to eliminate barriers. Areas where the OCCR will provide centralized support include Title IX, Student Conduct and Community Standards, and the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT, formerly known as the Threat Assessment Team or TAT). The OCCR will also help facilitate our community’s work to address broader cultural concerns raised by students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Vernace comes to us from Hofstra University, where she was most recently interim dean of students, overseeing the Office of Community Standards, the Office of Residence Life, the Department of Campus Recreation and the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement. At Hofstra, Vernace had also served as coordinator for student success and Title IX initiatives before she was promoted to Title IX coordinator for student issues. Her extensive experience includes Title IX policy, support services, campuswide education, compliance and reporting, and management of investigations and adjudications in response to student reports.
Vernace has a demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusiveness for all members of the University community, as well as meaningful collaboration with campus partners. She is a recognized authority in the fields of Title IX and the Clery Act. She is also an Adelphi alumna, having earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology. She earned her Master of Social Work with a specialization in Student-Community Development from Stony Brook University and is a licensed therapist (Licensed Master Social Worker, LMSW).
The new Adelphi Office of Community Concerns and Resolution will be located in Levermore Hall, Room 106. All Adelphi University community members are welcome to contact the office at occr@adelphi.edu.
Please join me in welcoming Allison Vernace to our Adelphi family.
Sincerely,
Gene Palma
Vice President of University Wellness, Safety and Administration