About the CMI

The Coastal and Marine Institute (CMI) refers to the consortium of researchers, visiting scientists, students, and volunteers that work at the SDSU Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL). The CMIL was built in 2006 on a prime coastal site at the old Naval Training Center near the airport and San Diego Bay and was conveyed to SDSU by the City of San Diego for the purposes of functioning as a research facility for students and faculty. The mission of the CMIL is to perform basic and applied coastal research and to share our knowledge of the marine environment with the community.

The Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) is a powerful tool for San Diego State University (SDSU) scientists who are researching environmental problems up and down the coast of southern California, offering interdisciplinary solutions to coastal zone problems, with a focus on the San Diego region. The goals of CMIL are to perform research, to protect the coastal environment, and to educate scientists and students of San Diego.

The CMIL is an active member of the CSU Council on Ocean Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST), the National Association of Marine Laboratories (NAML), the California Aquaculture Association (CAA), and the Organization of Biological Field Stations (OBFS).

CMIL Statement Against Racism and Discrimination

Racism and discrimination has no place anywhere, including educational institutions and their research facilities such as the Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL), a research facility that is managed through the College of Sciences and the San Diego State University Research Foundation.

The faculty, staff, and students who work at CMIL reject racism and discrimination. We strive to provide a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment, augmented by the activities of the Marine Ecology and Biology Student Association, a CMIL-affiliated student organization.

We share the commitments of our colleagues in the Ecology Program, SDSU Department of Biology. We support increasing researcher diversity at CMIL, increasing opportunities for dialogue among CMIL users, and creating a positive working environment. We encourage CMIL faculty, staff, and students to report any instances of bias via the Inclusive SDSU System.

CMIL Code of Conduct

The Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) is committed to creating an environment that is professional, ethical, inclusive, and consistent with San Diego State University (SDSU) regulations and standards of conduct. The Director of CMI and the CMIL community as a whole expects that CMIL members will demonstrate respect, integrity, and accountability in all endeavors. Individuals using CMIL facilities are expected to contribute to an inclusive environment that respects all members of the CMIL community, regardless of personal identity, academic standing, perspectives, or experiences. All CMIL faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and visiting researchers are expected to treat others and the facilities with respect and consideration, behaving as positive members of the community.

The University prohibits all discrimination, including that based on race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, dis/ability, or veteran status. Discrimination and harassment (including sexual harassment) are defined by the University Senate in the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Code and in the University’s Standards for Student Conduct. Retaliation for reporting inappropriate behavior is also prohibited, as is falsely reporting an incident.

Users wishing to report a violation of the above-referenced standards of conduct can contact any member of the CMIL staff. If you wish to remain anonymous when reporting a complaint, you may do so by using the CMIL User Feedback Form, which is automatically sent without identifying information to the Laboratory Manager and Director. Any complaints or incidents involving CMIL staff can be reported to the Dean or Associate Dean of the College of Sciences. Complaints regarding discriminatory conduct by University faculty or staff can also be reported to the Office of Employee Relations and Compliance (619-594-6464, erc@sdsu.edu), and complaints regarding inappropriate conduct by SDSU students can be reported to the Division of Student Affairs and/or to the University’s Title IX Office. Finally, any member of the CMIL community who feels unsafe or physically threatened due to the conduct of another person can contact the University Police Department.

Incidents of inappropriate behavior at CMIL are taken seriously. Complaints will be referred to the appropriate University officials for investigation and, if warranted, disciplinary actions. These actions could include meeting with administrators or losing access to CMIL.

SDSU has resources for victim support, which can be accessed at https://titleix.sdsu.edu/. CMIL users from San Diego State University should note additional related University policies, which can be found at https://titleix.sdsu.edu/general-info/sdsu-statement-of-non-discrimination.