Dr. Derek Greenfield: "Confronting Ourselves: Building for Inclusive Excellence at Cornell"

ILR Conference Center, King Shaw Hall Room 423, 10:00 - 11:30 AM (EST)

Zoom option link provided after registration

Dr. Greenfield is a speaker, educator, and author who, in a time of conflict and division, provides dynamic and innovative keynotes, trainings, and consultations around inclusive excellence that are guaranteed to make a dramatically positive difference. Dr. Greenfield holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Sociology and two doctoral degrees. His work has led him to receive numerous awards and citations, and he completed a prestigious post as a Kellogg Fellow. Most recently, Dr. Greenfield served as Vice President for Student Engagement and Campus Life/Chief Diversity Officer at Kentucky State University, where his transformational work led to national acclaim for the dramatic growth experienced in student involvement and retention. Under his leadership in a previous position in the chief diversity officer role at Alcorn State University, the university became the only HBCU and only school in Mississippi to receive the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award twice from Insight Into Diversity magazine and was named the “leader” among HBCUs for diversity in a Huffington Post feature article. Dr. Greenfield has been included five times on the list of Who's Who Among America's Teachers, received honors as faculty of the year at two previous Universities and his course "Hip-Hop and American Society" has been spotlighted twice in Source magazine as representing the first college course in the nation exclusively devoted to exploring hip-hop culture. In addition to publishing a lengthy list of academic articles, Dr. Greenfield is the author of the widely praised motivational book The Answer is in Your Hands and co-editor of the academic book Exploring Issues of Diversity Within HBCUs. Reflecting his passion for supporting social justice initiatives, Dr. Greenfield has served on the Board of Directors for multiple non-profit organizations, and is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Dr. Jacque T. Washington: "Radical Reconciliation: Shifting Power While Honoring Truth"

ILR Conference Center, King Shaw Hall Room 423, 1:00 - 2:30 PM (EST)

Zoom option link provided after registration

Dr. Jacque Tara Washington is a licensed clinical social worker holding a Doctor of Clinical Social Work degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Social Work degree from Syracuse University; she has been practicing in the field since 2005. Dr. Washington maintains her part-time private practice, Renewing Your Mind Counseling and Psychological Services while working full-time at Cornell’s Counseling and Psychological Services. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and is a certified trauma specialist with the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association.

Additionally, Dr. Washington is a professional vocalist and actress with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theatre and directing from Syracuse University, a degree in Radio and Television Communications and Journalism, and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Dr. Washington is a strong advocate for human rights and social justice, with a focus on the trauma of racism. God and His principles are the foundation of her life.

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Derek Greenfield

Confronting Ourselves: Building for Inclusive Excellence at Cornell University

Available in person and via livestream

This exciting keynote presentation will deliver a dynamic opportunity to break down barriers, learn more about one another, and establish the notion of inclusive excellence as the framework for success at Cornell.  Following a series of interactive activities, the presenter will offer insights and examples designed to highlight the value of creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone to be who they are and to harness the collective talents of our diverse community.  The session will then deliver a powerful set of exercises to help us identify our commonalities as well as salient differences, in the spirit of promoting greater empathy and cultural proficiency.  To further this understanding, participants will be invited to share their own experiences, ultimately generating deeper awareness of others' realities, fostering more profound recognition of our own biases, offering strategies for proactively making positive personal and social change, and building transformational bonds of trust and support.  The presenter then engages the group in a powerful concluding section where participants express appreciation for one another in order to depart as a more unified Big Red family committed to sustaining a truly inclusive and empowering community.

Lunch 

• Tabling with Colleague Network Groups
• Music by DJ ha-MEEN (aka Ben Ortiz of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection)

Session #1

Dr. Derek Greenfield

The Power of Storytelling: Strategies for Fostering Deeper Understanding and Healthier Relationships

In this highly participatory session, attendees will examine their own cultural identities and communication styles, ultimately more fully appreciating the role of authenticity and vulnerability as powerful drivers in building a culture of inclusion and psychological safety for all.  Through this enhanced self-awareness, we become better positioned to address hidden biases within ourselves and our work spaces -- and ultimately can more meaningfully identify approaches for inviting one another to bring our full and best selves to work. The presenter will provide a host of valuable examples, relevant applications, and opportunities for self-exploration, role play, and discussion.

Session #1 (A)

Emotional Intelligence presented by Marcus Brooks, Senior Management Consultant, Organizational Development and Effectiveness

Often referred to as EQ, Emotional intelligence is defined as “a set of emotional and social skills that influence the way we perceive and express ourselves, develop and maintain social relationships, cope with challenges, and use emotional information in an effective and meaningful way” (Bar-On, 2006). While emotional intelligence isn’t the sole predictor of human performance and development potential, it is proven to be a key indicator in these areas.  It is also not a static factor and can change, and be developed, over time.  This session will explore Emotional intelligence as defined here and how applied in the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) reflects one’s overall well-being and ability to succeed in life.

Session #1 (B)

Fatphobia in Higher Education: A Panel Discussion, with Derron Borders, Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in the SC Johnson Graduate School of Management; Atiya McGhee, doctoral student in the Cultural Foundations of Education program at Syracuse University; and Cliff-Simon Vital, Residence Director and Assistant Director for the Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars program, Cornell University.

What is fatphobia and how does it show up in our jobs? How is anti-fatness rooted in anti-Blackness and colonization? Join a panel of Student Affairs Professionals as they share their stories of living and working in Higher education in their fat bodies and how these intersect with their various social-identities. They will discuss ways in which fatphobic policies, procedures, attitudes, and spaces at institutions of higher education contribute to unhealthy and toxic environments for fat students, staff, and faculty.

Lunch

• Tabling with Colleague Network Groups
• Music by DJ ha-MEEN (aka Ben Ortiz of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection

Session #2 (A)

"Free" Speech in the Age of Social Media, presented by Wendy Tarlow, University Legal Counsel

Social media postings can bring to the forefront questions of free speech, civility, and potential harm to our academic community. This session will examine the legal and policy frameworks we might use to address these modern challenges.

Session #2 (B)

Real World Resiliency, presented by Debra Howell, Director of Information Technology Operations for the Universities Libraries

Hunt the Good Stuff (HTGS) to counter the Negativity Bias, create positive emotions, and to notice and analyze what is good. HTGS leads to: better health, better sleep, feeling calm, lower depression, greater life satisfaction, more optimal performance, and better relationships. In this session, learn to use praise to build mastery and winning streaks; learn about Active Constructive Responding which allows us to respond to others with authentic, active, and constructive interest to build strong relationships.

Session #1

Psychological Barriers to Reparations, presented by Dr. Amy Krosch, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Director of the Social Perception and Intergroup Inequality Lab, and the Chair of the Psychology Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee; and Mikaela Spruill, a fourth year Social Psychology candidate at Cornell.

It has been suggested that the glaring disparities between Black and White Americans—on economic, health, education, and carceral indicators—will persist until America reckons with its “original sin” of slavery. Reparations—defined as monetary, material, or symbolic compensation for past atrocities—have been proposed to reduce racial inequality and have recently gained much political attention. However, little is known about support for reparations or the psychological barriers that give rise to opposition. In this session, we’ll examine how psychological distance, persistent stereotypes about Black Americans, and overarching beliefs about individual vs. structural causes of inequality serve to increase opposition to reparations. We’ll further discuss support for reparations for victims of police brutality and changes in support from 2019 to 2021, after the rise in consciousness of issues of police brutality and systemic racism.

Remarks by the Department of Inclusion and Belonging Team 

Lunch

• Tabling with Colleague Network Groups
• Music by DJ ha-MEEN (aka Ben Ortiz of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection)

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jacque Tara Washington 

Radical Reconciliation: Shifting Power While Honoring Truth

Dr. Jacque Tara Washington, LCSW-R, will discuss how the history of racism in the U.S. was predicated on unjust systemic power dynamics that continue to impede genuine reconciliation efforts between the races or between socio-economic systems. This exists because those with systemic power have not been willing to relinquish or share those powers to advance a more balanced and unified society. Dr. Washington will encourage the underrepresented populations to establish their own power and achieve their individual and collective goals with excellence and determination, while simultaneously advocating for radical shifts in existing suppressive power structures. The presentation will be 60 minutes, followed by a 30-minute audience discussion.