PAM Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group

PAM faculty and staff affirm and extend messages from Human Ecology and University leadership condemning recent acts of racial violence and committing to change. Recent violence, in conjunction with disparate effects of the pandemic, have painfully highlighted the lethal impact of racism, injustice, and inequality and the work we have ahead. PAM has established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group to lead departmental efforts to address systemic racism and support our community.
The working group is charged to develop concrete steps and metrics of progress for improving racial diversity, equity, and inclusion in PAM, including changes to our educational programming, training for faculty, staff, and students, forums for deeper learning about racism and anti-racism, initiatives to advance research and engagement to reduce racial inequality, and strategies for increasing our diversity. It has met regularly since July and will continue its work into the academic year.
Please reach out to us at pam_dei@cornell.edu with your concerns and suggestions.
News & Highlights
News & Highlights
PAM’s DEI Working Group is offering honoraria for guest speakers in our classes who will add to our course content on race and racial inequality and/or contribute to the diversity of backgrounds and voices that we present to our students.
To apply, please submit a brief request to Kelly Musick with “Spring 2021 Class Speaker Fund” in the subject line and the following information: 1) proposed speaker, course, and topic of guest lecture; 2) how the guest lecture fits into the central learning goals of your course and contributes to diversity in course content and/or backgrounds and voices; 3) whether you will open the guest lecture to students or community members outside your class and why/why not.
We will continue accepting proposals into the Spring, contingent on funding availability.
Following the guest lecture, we will ask you to share a brief survey with your students to assess contributions to the course. We will also ask for any feedback from you on improving this program in the future.
*Only PAM faculty are eligible to request this fund for speakers in their course
An initiative from the DE&I Working Group that addresses the needs of students by providing a supportive community of peers, upper-class students, faculty members, and alumni for PAM and HCP majors.
Mentors:
If you are interested in becoming a mentor please fill out this online application. Applicants must be currently enrolled and have completed at least one year of their degree program. For questions or more information about the application process email us at pam-mentoring@cornell.edu.
Mentees:
PAM Freshmen, Sophomores and all PAM Transfer Students are eligible to apply. Mentee applications open at the start of each semester. For more information please email us at pam-mentoring@cornell.edu.
Peer-Mentorship Programs
On February, 12th the PAM Peer-Mentorship program hosted an informal coffee chat with PAM alum, Elizabeth Abunaw ’02, Founder Owner and Operator of Forty Acres Fresh Market; Grenger Charles ’04, Head of Government Relations and ESG Strategy at Amherst Holdings; and Yetunde Ekunwe ’01, Global Banking and Markets Regulatory Data Strategy PMO at Bank of America. PAM students were able to learn, network and ask questions to three of our recent grads.
PAM Conversations on Race and Racism with Mario Small 4/2/21
Join us on Friday, April 2nd from 1:15-2:15pm for a conversation with Mario Small, Grafstein Family Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. Our discussion, Bridging Sociological and Economic Perspectives on Racial Discrimination, will be based on his JEP article with Devah Pager.
Mario L. Small, Ph.D., is Grafstein Family Professor in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University. Small has published award-winning articles, edited volumes, and books on topics such as urban poverty, personal networks, and the relationship between qualitative and quantitative methods. His books include Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio and Unanticipated Gains: Origins of Network Inequality in Everyday Life, both of which received the C. Wright Mills Award for Best Book. His latest book, Someone To Talk To: How Networks Matter in Practice, examines how people decide whom in their network to turn to when seeking a confidant. Small is currently studying the relationship between networks and decision-making, the ability of large-scale data to answer critical questions about poverty, and the role qualitative inquiry in cumulative social science.
Email nmk64@cornell.edu for zoom details
PAM Conversations on Race and Racism with Maria Cancian 4/23/21
Join us on Friday, April 23rd from 1:15-2:15pm for a conversation with Maria Cancian, Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Our discussion, Reflections on Who Counts and Why it Matters, will be based on her APPAM Presidential Address.
Maria Cancian is Dean of the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. Her research considers the dynamic between public policies and family wellbeing—both how policies shape choices and outcomes for families, and how family change creates new challenges and opportunities for public policy. Ongoing projects analyze the interactions of the incarceration, child welfare and child support systems, as well as the implications of multiple partner fertility for family organization and policy.
Cancian is the former President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), and was elected as the 2018 John Kenneth Galbraith Fellow of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.
Prior to joining Georgetown University Cancian was a Kellett Professor, and served as Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Fiscal Initiatives, and as Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also served as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy for the HHS Administration for Children and Families, in the Obama Administration, as a Casey Family Programs Senior Fellow, a W. T. Grant Foundation Distinguished Fellow in residence at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, a Visiting Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation, and a Visiting Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. She received her doctorate in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Email nmk64@cornell.edu for zoom details
Past Events
How To Be An Antiracist Book Discussions 11/6/20 & 12/11/20
PAM students, staff, and faculty gathered virtually to engage in reflection on how Ibram X. Kendi’s ideas intersect with our department dynamics, practices, and policies. The discussions were centered around Ibram’s book How to Be An Antiracist and were held on November 6th and December 11th.
Coursework Related to DE&I
Coursework Related to DE&I
These lists are intended to help PAM undergraduates who are interested in incorporating content related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into their course enrollments.
We identify two groups of courses below that can count toward the PAM major. The first of these are courses that have a substantial focus on topics related to racial diversity and equity. The second group of courses have as part of their course a substantial independent project component, which a student could use if they wished to explore topics related to racial diversity and equity.
Always check the course description to ensure that you meet the prerequisites before enrolling in a course.
Spring 2021 Guide for PAM Majors
Courses with a substantial focus on topics of racial diversity and equity:
Courses that can count toward the PAM upper level electives (curriculum sheet requirement #2):
- PAM 4160 – Ethnography of Poverty and Inequality
Core courses (curriculum sheet requirement #1):
- PAM 2030 – Population and Public Policy
Courses that meet Additional PAM Electives (curriculum sheet requirement #3):
- PAM 2208 – Social Inequality
- PAM 2810 – Migration: Histories, Controversies and Perspectives
Courses that can count towards the FWS requirement:
- ENGL 1111 FWS - Writing Across Cultures, Topic: Feeling Race, Sexuality, and Gender
- ENGL 1158 FWS - American Voices
- ENGL 1168 FWS - Cultural Studies
Courses that meet additional requirements (curriculum sheet requirement #13):
*Students should double check the distribution categories to confirm it still meets the requirement
- COML 4352 – Race and Slavery, Old and Modern
- ECON 3480 – Race and the American Labor Market in Historical Perspective
- FGSS 4845 – Labor, Race and Gender
- GOVT 4846 – Making Equality
- PHIL 1650 – Philosophy of Race
- SOC 3570 – Schooling, Racial Inequality, and Public Policy in America
- SPAN 3580 – Race and Immigration in Spain
- ENGL 2650 - Introduction to African American Literature
Courses that meet general electives to reach 120 credits to graduate (curriculum sheet requirement # 14):
- AMST 4658 – Fabricating Race
- ENGL 2585 - Millennial Jewish Stars: Race, Gender & Sexuality
- ENGL 4757 – Be a Man! Masculinity, Race, and Nation
- HADM 4315 – Nonprofit Social Enterprise and Food Justice
- ILROB 3230 - Advanced Racial Equity in Organizations
- PSYCH 4800 – Social Psychology of Race and Racism
- UNILWYL 1450 – Toxic Inequality: Environmental Justice in America
Courses with a substantial independent project component, which a student could use if they wished to explore topics related to racial diversity and equity:
Courses that can count toward the PAM upper level electives (curriculum sheet requirement #2):
- PAM 3120 – Research Design, Practice and Policy
- PAM 3780 – Sick Around the World? Comparing Health Care Systems Around the World
- PAM 4950 – PAM Engaged Learning Capstone
- PAM 4540 – Collaborative Modeling Methods for Policy and Program Evaluation
These lists are intended to help HCP undergraduates who are interested in incorporating content related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into their course enrollments.
We identify two groups of courses below that can count toward the HCP requirements. The first of these are courses that have a substantial focus on topics related to racial diversity and equity. The second group of courses have as part of their course a substantial independent project component, which a student could use if they wished to explore topics related to racial diversity and equity.
Always check the course description to ensure that you meet the prerequisites before enrolling in a course.
Spring 2021 Guide for HCP Majors
Courses with a substantial focus on topics of racial diversity and equity:
Courses that can count toward the Social Policy Concentration (curriculum sheet requirement #3b):
-
PAM 4160 – Ethnography of Poverty and Inequality
Courses that can count toward the PAM Required Courses (curriculum sheet requirement #2):
- PAM 2030 – Population and Public Policy
Courses that meet Additional PAM Electives (curriculum sheet requirement #4):
- PAM 2208 – Social Inequality
- PAM 2810 – Migration: Histories, Controversies and Perspectives
Courses that can count towards the FWS requirement:
- ENGL 1111 FWS - Writing Across Cultures, Topic: Feeling Race, Sexuality, and Gender
- ENGL 1158 FWS - American Voices
- ENGL 1168 FWS - Cultural Studies
Courses that meet Additional Requirements (curriculum sheet requirement #15):
*Students should double check the distribution categories to confirm it still meets the requirement
- COML 4352 – Race and Slavery, Old and Modern
- ECON 3480 – Race and the American Labor Market in Historical Perspective
- FGSS 4845 – Labor, Race and Gender
- GOVT 4846 – Making Equality
- PHIL 1650 – Philosophy of Race
- SOC 3570 – Schooling, Racial Inequality, and Public Policy in America
- SPAN 3580 – Race and Immigration in Spain
- ENGL 2650 - Introduction to African American Literature
Courses that count as general electives to reach 120 credits to graduate (curriculum sheet requirement #16):
- AMST 4658 – Fabricating Race
- ENGL 2585 - Millennial Jewish Stars: Race, Gender & Sexuality
- ENGL 4757 – Be a Man! Masculinity, Race, and Nation
- HADM 4315 – Nonprofit Social Enterprise and Food Justice
- ILROB 3230 - Advanced Racial Equity in Organizations
- PSYCH 4800 – Social Psychology of Race and Racism
- UNILWYL 1450 – Toxic Inequality: Environmental Justice in America
Courses with a substantial independent project component, which a student could use if they wished to explore topics related to racial diversity and equity:
Courses that can count toward the Health Policy Concentration requirement (curriculum sheet requirement #3a):
- PAM 3780 – Sick Around the World? Comparing Health Care Systems Around the World
Courses that can count toward the Additional PAM Electives requirement (curriculum sheet requirement #2):
- PAM 3120 – Research Design, Practice and Policy
- PAM 4950 – PAM Engaged Learning Capstone
- PAM 4540 – Collaborative Modeling Methods for Policy and Program Evaluation
Use the course distribution tool within the Cornell class roster to view classes with a human diversity distribution. Enter either "D-HE" or "D-AG" in the Breadth and Distribution search box to see class details. This tool is limited to CALS and CHE courses, Arts courses related to diversity will not appear in the search. Directions on how to use the distribution tool are available on the registrar’s webpage.
Courses with the D-HE distribution are courses within Human Ecology under the human diversity distribution. Per the Courses of Study in these courses “students will enhance their abilities to communicate with people of different cultural perspectives; to listen carefully and respectfully to the views of others, especially views with which they disagree; and to employ ethical reasoning in judging ideas, actions, and their implications. These courses explore the challenges of building a diverse society, and/or examine the various processes that marginalize people and produce unequal power relations in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, gender, age, or economic status.” Courses with the D-AG distribution are courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences that “explore the challenges of building a diverse society, and/or examine the various processes that marginalize people and produce unequal power relations.”
PAM Faculty and Student DE&I Initiatives
PAM Faculty and Student DE&I Initiatives
Maria Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall, in partnership with the National Education Equity Lab (NEEL), are teaching PAM 2070: Big Data for Big Policy Problems to high school students this 2021 spring semester. Students will learn about important policy issues through both the economics and sociological lenses, how big data are being used to address policy problems, and technical skills for how to begin using data in similar ways to address policy problems.
“A collaboration between eCornell and the nonprofit National Education Equity Lab is giving high school students in underserved communities the opportunity to develop skills in business analytics while also gaining the confidence to recognize they can excel in college.” - Cornell Chronicle, 2020
On Saturday, October 10th, 2020 the PAM PhD program hosted a PAM Preview Day, aimed to raise awareness about the PhD program, and also increase the number of underrepresented Minorities (URM) within future cohorts. Out of the 50 participants, 70% identified as underrepresented Minorities. Participants were able to meet faculty and current graduate students, learn about student life as well as diversity and inclusion at Cornell and also get an in-depth look at the graduate school application process. PAM PhD students, Rene Crespin, Tatiana Padilla, and Grace Phillips led the initiative, planning and organizing the entire event. Working with Anitra Douglas-McCarthy, Senior Director of Recruitment and the OISE graduate school recruitment office, the student-led team attracted potential applicants from academic institutions and industry, alike. Padilla said, “Our PAM community came together to acknowledge our duty and agency in improving representation of URM folks in higher education, graduate school and academia”. Although current health and safety measures required the event to be online, it served as a blueprint on how to deliver enriching content in an equitable way.
Resources
Resources
All Students, Faculty & Staff
- President Martha Pollack's statement on racial equity
University-wide initiatives to support diversity. - Belonging at Cornell
The University’s central diversity initiative hub. - Cornell Programs, Departments, Cultural, Resource, & Advising Centers
Provides a full list of university-wide organizations and groups that promote diversity and inclusion.
All Students
- ALANA Intercultural Board
Provides programming and funding for programming related to diversity and intercultural efforts. - American Indian & Indigenous Studies Program
Provides support to students who identify as American Indian or Indigenous, including internship, funding, scholarship, residential life, and other opportunities. - Cornell Identity Resources
Resources on identity and cultural centers and groups, to engage with individuals of similar background or connect with identities other than your own. - LGBT Resource Center
A wide variety of resources, information about the LGBT community at Cornell, and ways to get involved. - Women’s Resource Center
While this is open to all female students, the group expresses a specific commitment to women of color.
Undergraduate Students
- BOSS (Building Ourselves Through Sisterhood and Service)
Mentorship program for women of color at Cornell. - Multicultural Programs
Includes CHE’s Association for Students of Color and the Peer Partnership Program. - Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives (OADI)
A centralized hub that provides support and resources for undergraduate students who are traditionally underrepresented and/or underserved in higher education. - SWAG (Scholars Working Ambitiously to Graduate)
Mentorship group for Black men at Cornell.
Graduate Students
- Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement
Graduate school’s diversity webpage. - Graduate Student Diversity Council
A student-led organization to promote diversity. - Graduate School Student Organizations
Provides a full list of graduate student organizations that promote diversity and inclusion. - OISE Summer Symposium
Summer event aimed to build diversity. - Multicultural Academic Council
Mentoring opportunities for graduate students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Faculty, Post Docs, TAs & Staff
- Office of Faculty Development and Diversity
Provides a range of resources to support faculty development and diversity, including training and support for deans, department chairs, and individual faculty members. -
Colleague Network Groups
University-sponsored groups to support traditionally underrepresented minorities and their allies.
All Students
- Learning Strategies Center
- Student Disability Services
- Undocumented/DACA Student Resources
- The Sadie Collective
Addresses the pipeline and pathway problem for economics and related fields.
Undergraduate Students
- PAM Peer-Mentorship Program
An initiative from the DE&I Working Group that addresses the needs of students by providing a supportive community of peers, upper-class students, faculty members, and alumni for PAM and HCP majors. - Latinx Student Success Office (LSSO)
Academic program and campus hub for the Latinx community. - McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program
Research program to prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds for doctoral studies. - OADI Pre-professional Programs
Provides funding and support for underrepresented students who are interested in a professional career (e.g., law, medicine, education). -
CHE Academic Counseling
CHE students connect here for help with academic and career advising.
Graduate Students
- NextGen Professors Program
Career development program for Cornell graduate students and postdocs from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the professoriate. - Career and Professional Development
Academic, career, professional, and personal development programs for all stages of graduate school. - Dean’s Scholars Initiative
Funding for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
All Students, Faculty & Staff
- Bias Reporting
Cornell's tool for reporting bias. - Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX
Promotes equity and ensures civil rights compliance for all members of the university community.
Graduate Students
- Graduate Student Reporting of Unacceptable Behaviors
Avenues for graduate students to report bias, sexual misconduct, and hazing.
All Students, Faculty & Staff
- Belonging at Cornell - Anti-racism Resources
Includes webinars, trainings, books and videos. - Office of Faculty Development and Diversity - Anti-racism Resources
Includes podcasts, articles, books, documentaries, movies and short films. - Intergroup Dialogue Project
Offers educational opportunities for the entire Cornell community aimed to foster communication across differences.
Faculty, Post Docs, TAs & Staff
- Center for Teaching Innovation
Offers a range of programs to support teaching, including programs on how to create and sustain inclusive classrooms. - Inclusive Excellence Network
Includes podcasts, coursework, and networking opportunities.
All Students, Faculty & Staff
- Cornell Health Counseling Services
- Cornell Health’s Victim Advocacy
Provides assistance to members of the Cornell community who are victims of harmful, threatening, or violent incidents. - EARS (Empathy, Assistance, and Referral Service)
Cornell peer-led counseling services. - BEAM Collective (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective)
Organization dedicated to the healing, wellness, and liberation of Black and marginalized communities. The website offers a Black Virtual Wellness Directory. - Henry Health
Culturally intentional mental health services. - GirlTrek: Healthy Black Women and Girls
National health movement that promotes walks for healing.
All Students, Faculty & Staff
Graduate Students
PAM Community Survey
PAM Community Survey
The PAM Community Survey collected open-ended responses from students, staff, and faculty about their experiences in the department and ideas for concrete steps we can take to improve racial diversity, equity, and inclusion in PAM. We are grateful to all who shared their experiences and ideas. Click here to see a summary of data we collected from 50 student, staff, and faculty respondents.
Diversity in PAM
Diversity in PAM
The following data offer a benchmark for tracking PAM’s efforts to increase the diversity of our community.
Note: Student counts are as of the end of the sixth week of the 2019 Fall term, and faculty and staff counts are as of July 1, 2020. Data on students registered in absentia, students who are non-degree seeking, and employees seeking degrees through the Cornell Employee Degree Program are excluded. International includes non-U.S. citizens and those with non-permanent resident status. Underrepresented minorities include Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, or persons with multiple identities that include one or more of these groups.
PAM and HCP Undergraduate Majors (N=252)
- International: 7%
- US Underrepresented Minority: 17%
- US Other Minority: 24%
- US White: 44%
- US Unknown: 8%
Sloan MHA and EMHA Students (N=96)
- International: 9%
- US Underrepresented Minority: 21%
- US Other Minority: 28%
- US White: 38%
- US Unknown: 4%
PAM PhD Students (N=22)
- International: 36%
- US Underrepresented Minority: 23%
- US Other Minority: 5%
- US White: 27%
- US Unknown: 9%
PAM Faculty (N=28)
- International: 4%
- US Underrepresented Minority: 7%
- US Other Minority: 7%
- US White: 82%
PAM Other Academic/Staff (N=36)
- International: 3%
- US Underrepresented Minority: 6%
- US Other Minority: 3%
- US White: 89%
College-Wide Demographic Data
College of Human Ecology Demographic Data
University-Wide Demographic Data
Cornell University Diversity Dashboard
Graduate School Diversity Dashboard
National Data
Faculty pipeline PhD Production by Program, Race and Gender
(An online tool, which provides the total number of PhD students by race, gender, and course of study at the top 50 institutions)
Members
Members
Assistant Professor, Policy Analysis and Management |
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Astride Charles |
MHA Student, Sloan Program in Health Administration |
Undergraduate Junior, Policy Analysis and Management |
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Assistant Professor, Policy Analysis and Management and Sloan Program in Health Administration |
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Associate Chair & Professor, Policy Analysis and Management and Cornell Institute for Public Affairs |
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Undergraduate Advising & Course Coordinator, Policy Analysis and Management (Working Group support) |
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Associate Director & Senior Lecturer, Sloan Program in Health Administration |
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Professor & Department Chair, Policy Analysis and Management (Committee Chair) |
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Professor, Policy Analysis and Management |
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Assistant to the Chair, Policy Analysis and Management (Working Group support) |
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Toyosi Ibukunoluwa Ayanwola | Undergraduate Student, Health Care Policy |
Ph.D. Student, Policy Analysis and Management |