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Cornell University

Office of the Assemblies

EA R8 (2017-2018): Furthering the Institutional Commitment to LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Other Communication

  • Resolution:
    EA R8 (2017-2018): Furthering the Institutional Commitment to LGBTQ+ Inclusion
  • Day:
    May 17, 2018
  • Action:
    Other Communication
  • Summary / Notes:

    Email from Vijay Pendkur, Dean of Students, sent to the GPSA in regard to their resolution supporting EA R8. Email below and letter attached:

    =========Email from Vijay on May 4=========

    Dear Manisha, Joe, Elena, and Trey,

    I hope that you have had a productive spring and are excited about summer break being right around the corner.

    In mid-March, we met as a group to discuss concerns raised in the GPSA and the EA about a change in how the university intends to support LGBTQ faculty and staff. During the meeting, Angela and I led a discussion to explain the new approach, the new staffing model that makes this approach effective, and the reasons why faculty and staff employees are better supported by HR, rather than SCL. We also clarified that LGBTQ faculty and staff have always been welcome, and will continue to be welcome, in the LGBT Resource Center, when they want to attend programs or simply just hang out and enjoy the community of care and support. If I recall correctly, the feeling in the group by the end of the meeting was that there were some moments of miscommunication, or under-communication, on the part of the university that led to the unease in the various assemblies. You requested that Angela and I document the details we covered in the meeting in a statement that could be shared with various groups so that we set the record straight on the new strategy and the increased capacity this shift represents.

    Angela and I drafted a statement to capture the details discussed during the meeting and have attached it to this email for you to share with your assembly members, particularly those that were tracking on this issue and had concerns in the fall. I will also work with Aiden, Marla, and Cornell to consider other ways to continue to tell this story through various listservs and distribution channels.

    Trey, Joe, Manisha, and Elena, can you please help us by sharing the statement with the assemblies that you think would be interested in this information?  Thank you!

    =========End Email=========

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