Resolution: EA R6: Reducing Community Violence and Hate through Staff Involvement and Support

Date02/16/2018
ActionAcknowledged by the President
Notes

Dear Jeramy,

Thank you for submitting EA Resolution 6: Reducing Community Violence and Hate Through Staff Involvement and Support.  As always, I appreciate your interest in taking actions that advance a more fully inclusive Cornell workplace.

Resolution 6 calls for the university administration to involve staff, in a more meaningful way, in the development and execution of diversity and inclusion efforts across the university.

The University Diversity Officers (UDOs) host regular community meetings for information sharing and discussion concerning diversity and inclusion. These meetings are open to all. Additionally, staff are directly involved in and provide valuable insight to each of the college and unit diversity councils, which are responsible for developing and implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives locally. We will continue to assess and explore opportunities for staff to participate meaningfully. If you would like to learn more about these activities, I encourage you to meet with Angela Winfield, Director of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity. Angela and her colleagues are deeply committed to these issues and would appreciate your active partnership and support. 

The resolution also calls for the creation of a central office focused on institutional equity and the hiring of a staff member to oversee initiatives for all populations, as well as defining the roles of the UDOs.

As you know, there are currently offices that work on these issues: Inclusion and Workforce Diversity, and Recruitment Development and Advancement, for example; however, as with any institution, periodic evaluation of organizational structure and effectiveness is healthy. As we move forward with our commitment to diversity, we will assess the structure. Vice President Opperman would be happy to hear your suggestions for where improvements can be made. 

Investment in increased staffing of the various resource centers and providing long-term funding for additional full-time positions

Principles of responsible fiscal stewardship require us to align resources based on campus need to achieve the greatest beneficial impact. In spring 2016, Cornell increased staffing of identity-based resource centers. At this time, we have no plans for additional long-term professional positions.

Invest in staff to support employees and faculty of various identities in the workplace, and form strategic partnerships with local agencies to support employees and faculty living in Ithaca and surrounding areas

Through the collective work of the Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity and the Office of Workforce Recruitment and Retention, staff from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds receive support in a variety of forms. This includes community outreach and exploration of community partnerships. I agree that we need to continue to support our employees of various identities in the workplace and advance productive partnerships with the local community. I have asked Vice President Opperman to arrange for staff who work in these areas to meet with Employee Assembly leaders to discuss specific ideas that EA members have to further our shared commitment. 

Develop, on an as-needed basis, programming that is responsive to current events and provides a space for staff to engage in dialogue and collectively process and understand why particular actions take place and develop and implement an ongoing, longitudinal education model for employees that builds awareness of identities, examines the impact of identity on others in the workplace, and provides opportunities for practical application of inclusive strategies in the workplace for the entirety of the employee lifecycle

As part of an overall strategic plan for staff diversity and inclusion, the Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity is redesigning the Inclusive Excellence Academy to provide targeted training opportunities that are aligned with institutional goals for an inclusive workplace. The redesign includes an increased emphasis on skills-based training and practical application of inclusive practices in the everyday work of staff. Additionally, each semester one of the offerings is a staff forum that focuses on a topic of current concern, providing an opportunity for staff to come together, learn, and converse. Past fora centered on #BlackLivesMatter, #BlueLivesMatter, #AllLivesMatter; and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. This spring the staff forum will be on sexual harassment in the workplace, focusing on the #MeToo and #IHave movements.

Cornell Woodson from the Office of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity has offered to meet with the Employee Assembly to hear suggestions for additional programming. Please contact him directly if you are interested in meeting with him. 

Increasing the frequency of intentional, informal interactions between staff to foster trust, meaningful connections, and innovation

I agree that informal opportunities for staff to interact are a very good way for staff to foster trust, meaningful connections, and innovation. I believe this is an excellent opportunity for the Employee Assembly to work with my administration to sponsor such events, and I have asked Vice President Opperman to follow up with you.

You have called for developing and implementing an ongoing, longitudinal education model for employees that builds awareness of identities, examines the impact of identity on others in the workplace, and provides opportunities for practical application of inclusive strategies in the workplace for the entirety of the employee lifecycle.

To address this recommendation requires a full understanding of the current educational model offered through Organizational Development and Talent Management. Dr. Kathy Burkgren and Reginald White are very interested in learning more about your assessment of the current program offerings, their strengths and weaknesses, and what you feel needs to be added. They look forward to meeting with you at your convenience. 

I suggest you also ask Kathy to update you on their efforts to make supervisory training accessible online. A component of this training focuses on belonging and speaking up when one encounters behavior that excludes members of our community. Online training is very popular and is expected to reach more staff across campus.

In your conversation with Cornell Woodson, I encourage you to learn about the Inclusive Excellence Academy. Cornell and his colleagues are also working on a mini-course program that focuses on practical skills that staff can implement in their units to promote inclusion.

I hope this information about what is currently being offered, as well as plans for new programming, will be helpful to the Employee Assembly as you think about how we might partner in the future.

Clarify the limits of free speech in the context of the workplace, particularly the ability to participate in faculty and student led demonstrations or for staff to voice their own concerns and opinions in the workplace; and working with the University Assembly to institute a consistent standard of evidence for bias related/hate crimes under the Campus Code of Conduct and Policy 6.4, and clearly articulating the interaction with and role of HR in assisting in the resolution of these matters

The staff and faculty procedures under policy 6.4 are currently being reviewed, and I have asked Vice President Opperman to engage the Employee Assembly in the review of proposed changes. With regard to free speech in the workplace, Madelyn Wessel, who in addition to being University Counsel is also an expert on free speech, would be happy to speak with you about expressive rights.

Jeramy, I appreciate and share your deep commitment to the staff community of Cornell. I am pleased that you want to advance an improved climate for a more diverse workforce, and I encourage you and other Employee Assembly members to work with your colleagues across campus, including in human resources and inclusion and workforce diversity, to learn about their current efforts. They are eager to work with you as partners. Given our financial realities and the time constraints we all face, I find that collaborative partnerships help us focus our efforts on the most powerful and effective actions. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Martha E. Pollack

 

 

Martha E. Pollack

President, Cornell University

300 Day Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 255-5201

www.cornell.edu

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