Minority recruitment events advised for non-privileged students to steer clear, as per Cornell MBA council's allegations, according to reports.
In a move that has sparked a national debate, Cornell University's Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management has issued a directive titled "Allyship in Action." This guidance, circulated in an email on Friday, advises business students to avoid attending diversity-focused recruiting events unless they belong to a "marginalized or underrepresented group."
The controversy has placed Cornell's historic Arts Quad at the centre of a storm, with questions being raised about whether such practices promote opportunity or unfairly restrict career networking. The guidance has been met with criticism from a MBA student at Cornell, who argues that it restricts access to networking opportunities based on identity rather than merit.
Cornell's commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident from its emphasis on "core values of inclusion, engagement, impact, and community" as stated on its DEI page. The university boasts a student body that is diverse, with more than a third identifying as Asian, Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous, and over half coming from outside the United States.
The university's dedication to diversity is further demonstrated by the more than 25 diversity-related student groups it hosts and courses such as Inclusive Leadership for Organizational Impact and Leading Across Differences. However, the recent guidance has raised concerns about whether it limits equal access to career opportunities, particularly in a time when MBA jobs are scarce.
The controversy at Cornell comes amidst federal scrutiny of its diversity and civil rights practices. Over $1 billion in federal funding has been frozen as investigations into alleged civil rights violations continue. Similarly, the Department of Education has launched an investigation into Duke University over alleged racial preferences.
In August, Cornell renamed its Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives to the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact. The university did not immediately respond to a request for comment from our website Digital.
Jasmine Baehr, a Breaking News Writer for Digital, is covering the story, delving into the politics, the military, faith, and culture aspects of the controversy. The specific person who instructed the guidance remains unclear, with the search results not providing any information about them.
The guidance advises students that attending diversity-focused recruiting events could harm their career prospects and the school's ties to recruiters. The Department of "Allyship in Action" is defined as the active and continuous practice of using one's privilege to support, advocate for, and stand with marginalized or underrepresented groups.
The SC Johnson College of Business pledges to "create a welcoming environment for all" on its website. However, the recent guidance has raised questions about whether this commitment is being upheld in practice. The University of Michigan has recently closed its DEI office, adding another layer to the ongoing discussion about diversity and inclusion in higher education.
Read also:
- CEO Efe Cakarel of film platform Mubi addresses controversy regarding new investor and Israeli military ties, establishes advisory board and fund to safeguard artists under threat.
- Chinese Rare-Earth Mining Endangers the Mekong River's Integrity
- Deteriorating munitions are submerged in the Baltic Sea, and Germany aims to retrieve them before it's too late.
- Reliance, led by Ambani, and other entities are reportedly in negotiations with OpenAI to introduce the Stargate project, valued at half a trillion dollars, within India.
