To the Editor:
The newly re-designed diversity website is intended to be the primary online gateway for accessing information about diversity and inclusion at Cornell. In launching this site, we hope to provide a more inclusive, transparent, dynamic and user-friendly experience and resource to the community. To accomplish this, input and feedback from stakeholders is and will continue to be both an essential and valued part of the process. The website you see today at www.diversity.cornell.edu was a collaborative effort with input from a variety of individuals. I am thankful to the students, faculty and staff who shared their opinions and helped shape this central resource.
Planning for the website began in spring 2017 as a project of the University Diversity Officers. In the initial phase, we reached out to our constituent populations, undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, faculty and staff to nominate representatives to share feedback on the then-existing website and express their needs and vision for a new website. Approximately 12 30-minute individual user interviews were conducted with approximately half being interviews with undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Their input was the basis for the layout and many features you see now.
For the new website to reflect the ongoing initiatives, programs, events and developments in this critical area of diversity and inclusion, the website necessarily will evolve and be an iterative process. We remain open to additional thoughts and ideas about ways to enhance the site further. I welcome receiving additional input and feedback. Please feel free to contact my office at [email protected] with comments and suggestions.
Angela C. Winfield J.D. ’08
director, Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity