You can't make strategic change if you don't understand your role in challenging the systems
of which you are a part. As social agents, we reproduce critical social constructs such as
norms, status hierarchies, and social identities through our everyday actions and interactions.
This is true of every single one of us. If we want to influence change for the better, it's crucial
that we understand our own roles in reinforcing complex systems of inequity but also our
capacity to leverage personal and collective resources to promote inclusion and equity.
In this course, you will examine the ways in which we as individuals participate in the
maintenance structures and behaviors that hinder inclusion and equity. You will also apply
frameworks and practice using dialogue-based tools to improve inclusion and equity. You will
observe and analyze identity, interpersonal, and intergroup dynamics in the workplace and
explore strategies for how to address them.
Participation in three 90-minute synchronous dialogue sessions is a requirement for
successful completion of this course. These weekly sessions are led by trained facilitators
from Cornell University's Intergroup Dialogue Project and will occur on the three Mondays
during the course from 7:00 - 8:30pm ET.
The Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP) at Cornell is an academic initiative grounded in theory
and practice. In the last few years, IDP has developed and implemented an innovative DEI
education model focusing on four key development areas drawn from existing research and
internal assessment: human connection, social identity, intergroup communication, and
strategic change. Its objectives are to raise awareness and to effect both behavioral and
institutional change.
The following course is required to be completed before taking this course:
- Dialogue Across Difference