Whereas, Cornell University prides itself on valuing difference and diversity, promoting cross-cultural and cross-national understanding, and treating all individuals with dignity, respect and fairness as three (3) of its core principles;
Whereas, the Cornell University Employee Assembly has the following seats dedicated to diverse employee representation - BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color); Disability; Exempt; International; Less Than Five Years of Service; LGBTQ+; More Than 20 Years of Service; Non-Exempt; Retirees; Veterans; Women - as resolved in EA R2: Updating the EA Charter to Expand its Membership;
Whereas, Cornell University sponsors six Colleague Network Groups (CNGs) - Disability, LGBTQ+, Men of Color, Veterans, Women of Color, and Young Professionals - as a way for traditionally underrepresented minorities and their allies to find support, both at Cornell and beyond;
Whereas, Cornell University established the Department of Inclusion and Belonging to provide a comprehensive range of services designed to support individual growth, enhance departmental inclusivity, and advance campus-wide initiatives to improve equity, inclusion, and belonging among staff;
Whereas, Cornell University offers the Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cornell certificate program, a six-course certificate program, where participants will be empowered to support a Cornell culture where everyone feels valued and can all bring their whole, authentic selves to work;
Whereas, Cornell University offers the Inclusive Excellence Academy as a resource to provide programs designed to advance an inclusive educational environment and workplace;
Whereas, Cornell University hosts the Inclusive Excellence Summit, an annual event for staff and faculty to learn and develop practical skills for cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and fostering a culture of belonging;
Whereas, Cornell University hosts the Inclusive Excellence Podcast, providing a platform for campus colleagues in various roles to share their lived experiences, thoughts, and ideas around how we can create cultures of belonging, especially in our workplaces;
Whereas, Cornell University created the Belonging at Cornell framework with the intent to improve the overall experience of faculty, staff and students, not to solve every diversity or inclusion challenge, nor eliminate the effects of respectful, but challenging discourse;
Whereas, Cornell University issues Belonging at Cornell innovation grants and the grant committee seeks proposals that align with the objectives of improving the Cornell experience for students, faculty and staff, and fostering a sense of belonging, promoting fair treatment and supporting the environment of Cornell as a great place to study and work;
Whereas, Cornell University has established the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging - Asian & Asian American Center, Black Student Empowerment , First-Generation and Low-Income Student Support, Gender Equity Resource Center, Latinx Student Empowerment, LGBT Resource Center, Office of Spirituality and Meaning-Making, Undocumented/DACA Student Support - where staff encourage students to explore and embrace the depth of their multiple identities to foster a more profound understanding of themselves and others;
Whereas, Cornell University Housing and Residence Life offers live-in staff support, opportunities for faculty interaction, cultural and educational programming, and social activities within themed communities based on shared identities and interests or cultural backgrounds - Akwe:kon, Ecology House, Holland International Living Center (HILC), Just About Music (JAM), Latino Living Center (LLC), Loving House, Multicultural Living Learning Unit (McLLU), Risley Residential College, Ujamaa Residential College, and Veterans House – where staff and community are invested in the safety, security, and growth of residents at this crucial developmental point in their lives;
Whereas, Cornell University is home to academic programs where people can come together to share their experience and learn about others - Africana Studies & Research Center, American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, American Studies, Asian American Studies, Asian Studies, China & Asia Pacific Studies Program, European Studies, Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Inequality Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin American Studies, Latina/o Studies, LGBT Studies, Near Eastern Studies, Religious Studies – where administrative staff help to accomplish the mission of each program;
Whereas, Cornell University is home to additional resource centers - Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives, Cornell Center for Jewish Living, Cornell Hillel, Office of Global Learning, Cornell United Religious Work, Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies - where administrative staff help to accomplish the mission of each center;
Whereas, Cornell University has academic units with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion staff;
Whereas, Cornell University’s Counseling and Psychological Services have liaisons to various underrepresented communities;
Whereas, the dismantling of Cornell University Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs and services will have a substantial negative impact on staff from marginalized communities;
Whereas, President Michael Kotlikoff wrote to the Cornell Community in an email titled ‘Cornell’s Guiding Principles’, the following principles were reaffirmed: opportunity and access, diversity as a driver of our excellence, merit-based decisions, and that Cornell follows the law;
Be it therefore resolved, Cornell University remains committed to defending the values upon which the university was founded;
Be it therefore resolved, Cornell University affirms that it will resist unlawful pressure to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion services and programs;
Be it therefore resolved, Cornell University affirms that it will protect the employment of staff in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion roles at Cornell;
Be it further resolved, Cornell University reaffirms its commitment to upholding all 10 of its core values, including embracing difference and diversity, promoting cross-cultural and cross-national understanding, and treating all individuals with dignity, respect and fairness;
Be it finally resolved, that the Employee Assembly calls upon Cornell University to uphold its values, employment opportunities, policies, resources, and services that support and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Respectfully Submitted,
Erika Crawley, Employee Assembly Chair and Women’s Representative
Iván Solís Cruz, Employee Assembly Executive Vice Chair and Representative-At-Large
Rose Howard, Employee Assembly Vice Chair of Communications and College of Engineering/Bowers Computer Information Systems Representatives
Wendy Treat, Vice Chair for Operations and Finance and Exempt Employee Representative At-Large
Carl Cornell, Parliamentarian and LGBTQ+ Representative-At-Large
Marcy Benda, College of Veterinary Medicine Representative and University Assembly Executive Vice Chair
