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Cornell University

Office of the Assemblies

SA R33 (2014-2015): Bias Incident Accountability

Returned by the President

  • Resolution:
    SA R33 (2014-2015): Bias Incident Accountability
  • Day:
    January 30, 2015
  • Action:
    Returned by the President
  • Summary / Notes:
  • File Attachments:
  • Text Attachment:
    Dear Sarah,

    Thank you for sharing with me Resolution 33, Bias Incident Accountability, calling for review of the university’s bias reporting procedures. I apologize for the delay in responding, this slipped through the cracks with all of the transition underway.

    While I strongly support our mutual efforts to enhance “student-administration communication,” I am returning Resolution 33 for reconsideration.

    I would ask that members of the SA meet with staff from the Office of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity, the Office of the Dean of Students, and others involved, to discuss how the university bias response system can be further improved. It would be helpful if you could focus on how we can increase awareness of the bias program within the undergraduate and graduate/professional student body, as well as how we can develop a better understanding of the effectiveness of the system from those who have reported bias activity. Bias adversely affects all members of our community and I believe our bias incident response efforts are most successful when we work together as a partnership among students, faculty, staff and the administration.

    Since November 1998, when the SA passed Resolution 31 (calling for the administration to implement a system to effectively respond to bias), university staff have been at work endeavoring to create a system that responds effectively to bias activity. Attached, for your information, find a brief history prepared by Bias Response Coordinator Darren Jackson in the Office of Inclusion and Workforce, that chronicles our institutional efforts to date. Most recently, in the spring of 2014, a Bias Assessment and Review Team was created with the mission and purpose of responding in a timely fashion to campus bias incidents. This group convenes weekly and is made up of staff from across campus. You may wish to begin by meeting with this group to discuss the current bias response system.

    Regards,

    David Skorton