Global Inclusion and Diversity

Dear NYU Community Members,

Dear NYU Community,

Across NYU, we engage in our learning, our work, our writing, and our research after historical election results in the United States, including but not limited to:

• Joe Biden, a graduate of a state university, became the oldest elected President of the United States (US).
• Kamala Harris, a graduate of a Historically Black College/University (HBCU), was elected Vice President of the United States, the first woman and first Black and South Asian American to hold that office.
• The most indigenous people in United States’ history were elected to Congress—Tom Cole, Sharice Davids, Debra Haaland, Yvette Herrell, Kaiali'i Kahele, and Markwayne Mullin.
• Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres were elected to Congress and will be the first openly gay Black and openly gay Afro-Latino members of Congress, respectively.
• New Mexico makes history by becoming the first state to elect all women of color to the House—Teresa Leger Fernandez, Debra Haaland, and Yvette Herrell.
• Cori Bush was elected to the US House, Missouri’s first black US congressperson.
• Mauree Turner was elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives becoming the United States’ first nonbinary state legislator, Oklahoma's first Muslim legislator, and the first Black person to represent the state's 88th district.
• Delaware State senate becomes the first state to elect a transgender state senator in the United States—Sarah McBride.

Building on the work of generations of activism, women from historically marginalized communities and Indigenous, Black, and People of Color (BIPOC), immigrant, and LGBTQ+ organizers led efforts that resulted in historic voting numbers all while fighting well-researched voter suppression strategies that are historically rooted in systemic racism (as our Post-Election Panel with NYU Faculty discussed on November 5, 2020).

We must also acknowledge the differing points of view that have been highlighted over the last month (and years). The outcome of the election for some people may not feel positive, and as we witnessed with the celebrations in the streets in NYC, many others are jubilant. Particularly, for individuals of historically marginalized communities, so many of whom have given so much to this country but unfortunately have not always received equitable protections and/or related opportunities in return, this year’s results may be a moment to pause and celebrate the diversity and inclusion that will be more reflected in the leadership of the US, and in governmental practices.

Yet, as we all know, and I am well aware, “firsts” are just that—the first steps. “Firsts” often signal that there is a long way to go, and, in this case, that there is much work needed to continue to ensure equal representation in the leadership of the United States and that representation is leveraged in the creation of equitable national policies and laws. This is work that we as a university, community, and nation will do together. It is in this spirit that at NYU, we can come together to honor our differences and collectively make the systems and practices in our community and beyond more fair and equitable.

As an NYU community, we must a) continue to reckon with and interrogate injustice, inequities, and the systemic and systematic racism and other interlocked systems of oppression in our world that have real impact on people’s lives each day; b) work through contestation and division; and c) leverage the vast global diversity of our NYU community while taking real actions that address policies, practices, systems, and structures that accelerate equity and transformational change at NYU and in our larger societies.

As we know from an abundance of research, diversity of leadership is essential to solving the critical, complex, systemic, and life-threatening challenges we are experiencing in the United States and globally, including, but not limited to: the continued COVID-19 pandemic and its exacerbated disparities in health and loss of life; the pervasive violence against and disenfranchisement of historically marginalized communities; and the ongoing worldwide demonstrations, protests, and unrest in response to systemic racism and oppression. So what is certain in all that we are experiencing right now, is that we must continue to deepen our efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in order to innovate and find solutions rapidly.

And, while elected officials and individual leaders are undoubtedly important, our individual and collective day-to-day, ongoing efforts that advance equity are equally as critical. Please join me, the Office of Global Inclusion (OGI), and our partners as we recommit ourselves to innovating, acting, and transforming our communities, our organizations, and our societies in ways that create new possibilities and opportunities for tomorrow and beyond, together—NYUBeTogether.

In community,

Lisa Coleman, PhD
Senior Vice President for Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation

Post-Election Programming and Resources for the NYU Community (November, 2020) (PDF: 180 kB)

Dear NYU Community Members,

As many know, Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping (EO) on September 22, 2020. We are aware that countless members of our community are deeply troubled by this EO, and related events over the last weeks, months, and yes, in many instances years/decades. Since the EO was published, we have also been in communication with our peer institutions, as well as representative organizations such as the AAU and ACE*, to monitor developments.

As we come to better understand the EO as an institution, we unequivocally state that NYU is not pulling back on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), anti-racism, anti-sexism, and related efforts. We will continue to move forward in our university-wide work and recognize and underscore academic research that enumerates the disenfranchisement and disparate treatment that historically marginalized communities have had to bear.

As a university with campuses and sites all over the world, it is important to note that a central purpose of our NYU global DEI education is to learn about differentiated cultures, histories, peoples, and relevant power relationships through transdisciplinary/interdisciplinary research and scholarship, as part of our collective work to make our global institution more inclusive and equitable. Therefore, even as the University evaluates the recent EO, be assured that we are steadfast in our advocacy for our research, education, learning, pedagogical, and co-curricular efforts that advance DEI and will continue in the University’s efforts to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all members of our global communities.

The EO contains requirements with respect to certain workplace trainings for federal contractors and their employees, which become effective in November. Until then, we will continue to monitor developments and update the NYU community as needed.

In the meantime, NYU community members can review University Guidance Regarding Recent Presidential Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping (requires NYU log-in credentials).

Information will evolve in the coming weeks and months, and we will continue to keep our community informed. We encourage community members to continue the important global DEI work across departments, areas, and units.

Please contact the Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity, and Strategic Innovation at globalinclusion@nyu.edu if you have questions or follow-up. Thank you to all members of our community for your ongoing hard work and commitment to inclusive excellence and equity at NYU.

All the best,

Lisa Coleman, PhD
Senior Vice President for Global Inclusion and Strategic Innovation

*Additional ACE communications regarding the Executive Order

• Statement by ACE President Ted Mitchell on Department of Justice's Lawsuit Against Yale University (October 8, 2020)
• ACE, Higher Education Groups Support Princeton in Federal Inquiry After University Acknowledges Systemic Racism (September 30, 2020)
• Trump Administration Seeks to Restrict Student Visas to a Strict Two- or Four-Year Timeframe (September 28, 2020)
  

NYU is committed to building a culture that respects and embraces diversity, inclusion, and equity, believing that these values – in all their facets – are, as President Andrew Hamilton said, “…not only important to cherish for their own sake, but because they are also vital for advancing knowledge, sparking innovation, and creating sustainable communities. They should be indispensable elements of an NYU education on all of our campuses. A diverse population encounters and appreciates all perspectives of an issue with a wealth of different approaches to confront it. The result is a higher quality of debate, and a more excellent and advanced academic enterprise.”

NYU’s past is not without blemish when it comes to its commitment to diversity and inclusion; in spite of some strides since NYU’s founding, we have fallen short.  Awareness of this history makes us more committed to taking concrete steps to build an institution that truly recognizes the contributions of all its members.

As NYU’s Provost, Katherine Fleming, said in a September 2016 equity, diversity, and inclusion event, “NYU Together”:

“Cosmopolitanism at NYU doesn’t simply mean that we should have as diverse a student body, a faculty, and a staff as possible – obviously, we should have all those things.  But once such a diverse group comes together and forms a community, it is not sufficient for everyone here to feel as though they contributed as part of ‘this category’ or ‘that category.’  Instead, we ought to work hard to make this a community where everyone has a truly cosmopolitan mindset – as part of the broadest possible understanding that we can have about what humankind is.  And to really make diversity, equity, and inclusion come about, we have an obligation to make all people feel comfortable in that space, because we have defined our community in the broadest possible way.”

NYU faculty, students, administrators, and staff should be fully committed to a vision of equity, diversity, and inclusion at NYU that encompasses that idea, and that by being in some of the world’s greatest and most diverse urban centers, NYU has an opportunity to lead. Such a commitment in word and in deed would be in line with NYU’s mission, history, understanding of excellence in the 21^st century, and our aspirations to produce leaders in all fields. 

In New York and on its campuses and locations throughout the world, NYU is committed to:

• fostering intellectual inquiry, research, and artistic practices that respectfully and rigorously take account of a wide range of opinions, perspectives, and experiences.
• promoting an inclusive community in which diversity is valued and every member feels they have a rightful place, is welcome and respected, and is supported in their endeavors. 
• developing and supporting programs and policies that measurably improve NYU's record of attracting and retaining students, as well as hiring and promoting faculty, administrators, and staff from historically underrepresented communities. 
• building structures that promote inclusiveness and equity for all members of the NYU community, especially our colleagues from marginalized groups.