Cornell University
PA-4: Diversity and Equity Coordination

Since its founding, Cornell has aspired to be a diverse and inclusive university. Our founding principles, including “any person, any study,” continue to inspire and guide us. Accordingly, responsibility for ensuring and advancing diversity and inclusion is at every level of leadership at Cornell. President Martha Pollack has consistently expressed her unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion stating, “In keeping with the university’s founding ideals, we strive to make Cornell a global leader in higher education. We embrace difference and promote inclusiveness as part of what makes Cornell a world-class institution”. Cornell's leadership structure for diversity & inclusion is collaborative and multi-tiered to reflect and respond to both our decentralized operations and our varied constituencies. University-wide oversight, direction and enforcement for diversity and equity come from the University Diversity Council (UDC), which is comprised of senior leaders who report directly to the president or provost and the University Diversity Officers who are subject matter experts in diversity, equity and inclusion for faculty, students and staff. The UDC develops the policies and strategies that support Cornell's diversity mission, "Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds.” The university diversity officers (UDOs) evaluate progress, identify the opportunities, challenges the university addresses, and consult with the diversity leads in the colleges and administrative units. Specifically, the UDOs monitor progress on college and unit diversity initiatives through an action plan framework, which requires each college and unit, annually, to develop and report on three initiatives in the areas of composition, engagement, inclusion and/or achievement. Each of Cornell's colleges and many administrative units have embedded diversity offices and each college and unit have a designated professional who serves as the college or unit diversity lead. The diversity leads regularly inform and collaborate with the central University Diversity Officers regarding college and unit initiatives.

Cornell offers extensive opportunities for faculty, students and staff to increase understanding of the impact we have on those around us and how to apply skills that form a culture of respect. For example: The Center for Teaching Innovation offers the Faculty Institute for Diversity, which brings tenured and tenure-track faculty together to engage in complex discussions about aspects of diversity. It creates a network of teachers and scholars who can serve as a resource to one another on matters of diversity and education. The program supports faculty in incorporating diversity elements and inclusive teaching techniques into new or revised courses. This nationally respected internal workshop also offers a train-the-trainers institute to build capacity in other institutions of higher education. Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble (CITE) is a group of professional actors and facilitators who use theatre to explore diversity and Inclusion. Their programs create safety around highly charged workplace issues, facilitating honest dialogue, self-awareness and organizational learning on four levels: personal, interpersonal, group and institutional/community. CITE has the unique ability to take concepts of diversity and inclusion and make them real and personal for participant groups. Interactive theatre and facilitated dialogue from multiple points of view create a climate for participants that builds inclusion, fosters collaboration and gives participants knowledge and tools to take back to their own work environments. As a part of the university's commitment to inclusion, CITE created and provides programs specifically designed to address unconscious bias in hiring as well as classroom climate. As part of a university-wide initiative faculty in all academic departments will participate in the CITE classroom climate program. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences requires all students to complete a diversity and inclusion course and many other colleges have distribution requirements that expect cultural fluency. The Intergroup Dialogue Project helps students develop intergroup relations skills, seeking to prepare them to live and work in an increasingly diverse world. Courses are specially designed to empower students to communicate and collaborate across social, cultural, and power differences, and to promote equity and democracy in their communities. The project has expanded to include peer-led programs for staff, faculty, post-doctoral scholars and graduate students Inclusive Excellence Academy courses focus on the development of multicultural fluency and strategies for advancing inclusive educational and workplace environments. Each year, specific workshops or courses are offered to support university initiatives and programs. The Supervisory Training Program for Academic Staff has a module dedicated specifically to inclusion and intercultural understanding. Many events are hosted by over 600 student organizations in addition to living learning residential programs such as Ujamaa, Akwe:kon, the Latino Living Center, and the Multicultural Living Learning Unit. Further, Cornell has established Employee Skills for Success as well as Leadership Skills for Success. Diversity & Inclusion are included in both sets of skills for success. These skill sets are at the cornerstone of Cornell's performance management process as well as integrated into the design of programs available to all Cornell employees.

http://diversity.cornell.edu/content/cornell-university-inclusive-excellence-academy https://www.cte.cornell.edu/programs-services/Peer-Institutions/faculty-institute-for-diversity-train-the-trainer.html http://www.idp.cornell.edu/idp-conference-2017/