Led by the GPSA Diversity and International Students Committee and in collaboration with the member organizations of the Graduate and Professional Student Diversity Council, the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE), and CIRTL at Cornell, the Building Allyship series provides an opportunity for the members of the Cornell community to engage in productive dialogue focused on fostering understanding and supporting one another. 

Each event creates a safe space for critical dialogue where both experienced and potential allies can bridge gaps, learn from each other, and create understanding without fear of judgement. Each part of the series is organized in partnership with OISE and an organization represented on the Graduate and Professional Student Diversity Council.

2019-20 Building Allyship Series

October 2019: Understanding the Fundamentals of Allyship

Luca Maurer, a nationally recognized author and speaker on topics of inclusion and allyship and the founding Director of the Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services at Ithaca College discussed the fundamentals of allyship. This session provided audience members with an opportunity to understand what it means to be an ally and how to use their position as an ally to support and empower each other. 

To view a video of the October event click here

November 2019: Helping International Scholars Uncover the Hidden Curriculum 

This November session featured a moderated panel discussion with international graduate students and Cornell community members that serve as allies to international scholars.  The panelist discussed the difficulties they encountered and how through allyship, them were able to uncover the “Hidden Curriculum” involved with navigating American higher education, and Cornell specifically, as international scholars.

This session provided audience members with an opportunity to understand the experiences of international scholars coming to a U.S. institution of higher education and what it means to serve as an ally as they are confronted with new institutional landscapes and socio-cultural environments. The event organizers consisted of graduate students from Graduate and Professional Students International (GPSI), a student organization that is focused on creating community and mentorship opportunities for the graduate and professional international community.

February 2020: Helping First Generation Scholars Uncover the Hidden Curriculum  

This session featured a moderated panel discussion on how allies can help first generation college students in graduate school uncover the “Hidden Curriculum” involved with navigating Cornell. 

This session provided audience members with an opportunity to understand the experiences of first generation scholars navigating graduate education and what it means to serve as an ally as they are confronted with new institutional landscapes and socio-cultural environments. 

March 2020: Coming Out for Allyship with the LGBTQ+ Community

Postponed to a to be determined date in Fall 2020.

This session will feature a moderated panel discussion on how allies can support people who identify with the LGBTQ+ community in academia. 

This session will provide us with an opportunity to understand the experiences of LGBTQ+ community members as they navigate academic spaces that often do not validate their identities and what they bring to the table. We will discuss what it means to be an ally to members of this community and how to build more inclusive cultures in our labs, classrooms, departments, and more. 

Accommodations: We strive to make our events accessible to all community members.  Individuals who would like to request accessibility accommodations should contact al546@cornell.edu.  We ask that requests be made at least one week in advance to help ensure they can be met.