When Andrew Thompson Miller, associate vice provost for academic diversity and head of the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives, came to Cornell in Summer 2011, he suggested that the office’s initials — OADI — be pronounced as one word. That way, he said, it would sound like “wadi,” the Arabic and Swahili word for a protected path across the desert.

According to a recent survey, Cornell's female faculty are slightly less satisfied than their male peers.

Cornell’s president, vice presidents and deputy provost stepped out of Day Hall yesterday at noon and spent an hour amidst the hustle and bustle of Ho Plaza to speak with students on issues of diversity as part of a week-long event called “Day Hall Talks Diversity.”

Questions such as “Is the percentage of whites higher among faculty, staff or students?” and “What percentage of Cornell faculty are women?” were posted on colored signs to facilitate conversations with some of the top administrators, including President David Skorton, Vice President for Human Resources Mary Opperman, Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy ’73 and Deputy Provost David Harris.