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 Associate Vice President of Inclusion and Belonging Sonia Rucker representing staff and 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.

The charge of the Presidential Advisors on Diversity and Equity:

Provide strategic direction, guidance and recommendations to the President and the President’s senior staff, the Provosts’ council and the Deans’ council, through attending regularly scheduled meetings, at least monthly with the President, and additional meetings as deemed necessary by the cabinet, council and the PADE.

Advise the President and the Cabinet on institutional university wide goals and activities and metrics, including the status of programs and initiatives that are part of Belonging at Cornell.

Serve as a “rapid response” team, helping the President and other senior leaders respond to emergent issues involving diversity and equity concerns on and off campus.

Drive diversity communications on the diversity website, and partner across the university in diversity outreach on other outlets as well as on crises and incident response communications.

Convene and create a sense of community across various university wide groups.

Create a linkage across the college and school diversity leads. 

College and Unit Leadership

Each of Cornell's colleges and many organizational units have assigned Belonging at Cornell leads with diversity offices and professionals who regularly inform and collaborate with the PADE. Some colleges and units maintain their own diversity councils. For more information visit college-maintained websites.