Anti-discrimination Resources
Provides a list of institutional resources on Anti-racism, Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Belonging at Cornell
Belonging at Cornell is a framework designed to continue the progress towards making Cornell a more diverse and inclusive environment. Its mission is to focus our collective efforts on creating a campus community where individuals from diverse backgrounds and life experiences can both contribute and thrive. The intent of Belonging at Cornell is 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.
Bias Reporting at Cornell
Since 2000, Cornell University has had a program to track bias that is occurring on all campuses in an effort to be proactive in creating an inclusive climate for all. In addition to university-wide civil rights compliance, the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX) is responsible for collecting and tracking all reported bias activity that occurs at Cornell University that could potentially impact our commitment to diversity and inclusion, including all reports made by faculty, staff, students, and visitors to the Ithaca, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cornell Tech campuses.
If you have seen, heard, or experienced bias, you can make a report in the following ways:
Colleague Network Groups
Cornell’s Colleague Network Groups are university-sponsored employee resource groups for diverse populations, including racial/ethnic minorities, differently abled, young professionals, LGBT, and veterans, and allies of those groups. The groups provide programs that enhance the university culture by fully engaging all our faculty and staff. Each group advocates for a specific demographic within the Cornell faculty and staff community—to aid in recruitment and retention efforts, as well as improve the climate for the community as a whole.
DEI Celebration Resources
In the United States, there are a number of celebrations held each month to acknowledge various historic events and figures from ethnic and marginalized groups. These celebrations serve as an opportunity to educate others on the contributions of various individuals and communities to U.S. History. At Cornell, we’ve created this page to recognize some of the events that are celebrated with resources and information on how to celebrate each month.
Department of Inclusion and Belonging (DIB)
The Department of Inclusion and Belonging provides institutional leadership by promoting a learning, living, and working environment in which we encourage full participation of all members of the Cornell community. Using data collection and workforce analysis, we design and deliver innovative strategies to achieve inclusive excellence in our systems, structures, and culture.
Disability Access
Cornell University is committed to maintaining an accessible, usable, and welcoming environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors with disabilities.
Complete guidance regarding accommodations, policies, and procedures is available through the Office of Human Resources or Student Disability Services.
Diversity Alumni Programs and Cornell Mosaic
Diversity Alumni Programs (DAP) help to coordinate the work of our diverse alumni associations, which maintain independent alumni volunteer boards; organizing engagement events; conducting fundraising initiatives to support diversity programs on campus; and growing our dynamic diverse alumni community to further inclusion. We also work closely with Cornell’s on-campus diversity offices and programs to engage alumni in their work. DAP is directed by Matt Carcella, mc879@cornell.edu, 607-255-3089.
Cornell Mosaic assists the university in meeting its goal of increasing the number of diverse alumni engaged with the university. Mosaic members serve as ambassadors for Cornell’s diverse communities by identifying opportunities to influence university priorities, supporting and promoting diversity initiatives, and collaborating with the larger Cornell University community—all for the benefit of the diverse alumni and the larger Cornell community. The Mosaic Steering Committee provides oversight and direction for the membership of Mosaic and the larger diverse alumni population.
Diversity Council Resources
A diversity council is a helpful mechanism for ensuring diversity and inclusion initiatives are developed in a collaborative and thoughtful manner. Cornell highly recommends that colleges and units sustain a council of students, faculty, staff, and external partners (when applicable) to focus on advancing their diversity and inclusion initiatives and priorities. This page contains resources to assist and support diversity councils in their work.
Diversity Leadership at Cornell
The institutional leadership structure to support diversity consists of three leaders tapped to represent faculty, staff, and students, respectively, and are known as the Presidential Advisors on Diversity and Equity (PADE). The new leadership team is chaired by Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Avery August who represents faculty. He is joined by Interim Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students Marla Love representing undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Project Leader, Victoria White in the Office of the President works closely with the PADE to help progress the Belonging at Cornell framework.
Equal Opportunitiy and Affirmative Action
Cornell values and offers equal opportunity to the entire Cornell community. View the University’s complete Equal Education and Employment Opportunity Statement.
Faculty Institute for Diversity
The two-day Faculty Institute for Diversity offers an opportunity for an interdisciplinary peer-group of faculty to transform a course through the lens of diversity and inclusion. Explore a five-dimensional framework that invites entry from all disciplinary perspectives: consider who you are, who you teach, how you teach, what you teach, and how this influences the learning environment. By the end of this institute, participants create an action plan for next semester’s teaching.
Future Faculty and Academic Careers
Promote learning communities composed of graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff to share best practices in teaching, research mentoring, career development, and broadening participation in higher education.
Inclusive Excellence Network
The Inclusive Excellence Network (IEN) is a collection of programs designed to engage Cornell staff in action-oriented discussions, self-reflection, and productive discourse around topics that impact the workplace. Our goal is to continue building Cornell’s culture of belonging by providing space for participants, at various levels of understanding of diversity and inclusion topics, to have meaningful dialogue.
Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives
OADI supports the increased presence, academic success, intellectual achievement, and inclusion of students from under-represented backgrounds across all fields of study.
Office of Faculty Development and Diversity
The Office of Faculty Development & Diversity (OFDD) provides a range of resources, including training and support for deans, department chairs and individual faculty members, in the areas of faculty development and diversity. OFDD works with deans, chairs and search committees to improve recruitment and retention practices and to increase diversity in faculty hiring. The office provides guidance to the academic leadership and to individual faculty members on mentoring and the tenure and promotion processes. OFDD also offers professional development programming and grants opportunities for faculty.
Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE)
OISE supports collaborative programing offering graduate and postdoctoral scholars the opportunity to build skills crucial to their development and success.
Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX
The Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX) promotes and ensures equal opportunity and access to enable all members of the Cornell community to succeed and thrive. OIETIX prevents and addresses bias incidents, sexual and related misconduct, discrimination, and protected-status harassment through data collection and analysis, incident response and resolution, and training and education.
Office of Postdoctoral Studies
The goal of the Office of Postdoctoral Studies is to monitor the status and needs of the postdoctoral campus community and serve as an advocate for postdoctoral issues to the Vice Provost for Research and Cornell’s administration. The Office supports a Postdoc Advisory Committee which raises visibility for postdocs on campus.
Supplier Diversity
Cornell is working to expand the use of diverse suppliers and similarly encourages large suppliers to develop and expand their own diversity programs.
Transgender Inclusion at Cornell
Cornell University is committed to creating a safe and respectful campus for all members of our community including those of all gender identities and expression. We are pleased to provide the Cornell University Transgender Guide to Transitioning & Gender Affirmation in the Workplace, which provides guidance on updating personal information in university systems, offering on/off campus resources, as well as suggested steps for working with your supervisor and colleagues. The following information provides a glimpse into some of the information provided in the guide. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Anthony Sis in the Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity at aes445@cornell.edu or (607) 255-5740.
Universal Restrooms
In keeping with principles of nondiscrimination and inclusion, students, staff, faculty, and visitors are invited to use of restrooms and facilities corresponding to their gender identity.