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Belonging at Brooks

Group of Brooks School students clapping and cherring

Building the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy on a strong foundation of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is one of our critical priorities. We envision equity as a cross-cutting theme that runs throughout our strategic priorities in research, education, and public engagement. We see the advancement of excellence and innovation in research on race, racism, and public policy, broadly defined to include intersections with global policy and comparative perspectives, as central to training the next generation of policy makers, scholars, and leaders with the tools to build an anti-racist future. Further, we see the advancement of public engagement with policy makers and community members as integral to connecting our research and teaching to the pressing social justice issues of our time.

The Belonging at Brooks Working Group includes students, staff, and faculty (see membership below). It is charged with developing concrete steps and metrics to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging throughout the core areas of Brooks. This includes changes to diversify and strengthen our community of belonging, enhance our educational programs, advance research and engagement in inequality and social justice, and create opportunities for deeper learning and discussion in these areas.

We have important work ahead and envision many opportunities for meaningful engagement within our community. Please join our efforts! Reach out to Kelly Musick, Chair of Belonging at Brooks, at brooks_belonging@cornell.edu or musick@cornell.edu with your ideas, suggestions, and concerns.

We encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses any act of bias or discrimination to report it here. You may also reach out at any time to Kelly Musick at musick@cornell.edu.

 

Belonging At Brooks Working Group

2024-25 Members

Events & Highlights

Upcoming Events

Check back soon for upcoming events.

Brooks School Initiatives to Advance the Next Generation

NextGenPop: Recruiting the Next Generation of Population Scholars

Students walking on Cornell campus with NextGenPop logo written in top right cornerNextGenPop is an undergraduate program in population research that aims to increase the diversity of the population field and nurture the next generation of population scientists. It includes a 2-week, in-person, on-campus summer experience and subsequent virtual components on research and professional development, as well as opportunities for mentorship and networking at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (PAA).

NextGenPop activities are coordinated by PAA and supported by an expert Advisory Committee and consortium of population research centers from universities across the United States. Funding comes from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (R25 HD105602, PIs Marcy Carlson and Kelly Musick).

The 2023 cohort of NextGenPop Fellows was hosted by the Cornell Population Center June 4-18. Read more in the Cornell Chronicle and see NextGenPop @ Cornell | Population and Public Policy.

Big Data for Big Policy Problems

Maria Fitzpatrick and Matt Hall developed the course “Big Data for Big Policy Problems” (PAM 2070) to teach students data analysis skills that complement a wide range of academic and professional fields and can be used to address pressing policy problems. In summer of 2023, a non-credit version of this class was offered at no cost to underserved students nominated by local high schools and other partners, as well as children of Cornell faculty and staff. This pre-college certificate program aims to bridge the gap in data science education and create a more inclusive field. It is a collaboration between eCornell, Brooks, and the School of Continuing Education. Read more in the Cornell Chronicle.

Past offerings of “Big Data for Big Policy Problems” have included a collaboration with the nonprofit National Education Equity Lab (NEEL) to give high school students in underserved communities the opportunity to develop skills in data science applications. Read more in the New York Times and Cornell Chronicle.

Resources

Supporting Belonging

All Students, Faculty & Staff
All Students
  • ALANA Intercultural Board
    Provides programming and funding for programming related to diversity and intercultural efforts.
  • American Indian & Indigenous Studies Program
    Provides support to students who identify as American Indian or Indigenous, including internship, funding, scholarship, residential life, and other opportunities.
  • Cornell Identity Resources
    Resources on identity and cultural centers and groups, to engage with individuals of similar background or connect with identities other than your own. 
  • LGBT Resource Center
    A wide variety of resources, information about the LGBT community at Cornell, and ways to get involved.
  • Women’s Resource Center
    While this is open to all female students, the group expresses a specific commitment to women of color.
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Faculty, Post Docs, TAs & Staff
  • Office of Faculty Development and Diversity
    Provides a range of resources to support faculty development and diversity, including training and support for deans, department chairs, and individual faculty members. 
  • Colleague Network Groups
    University-sponsored groups to support traditionally underrepresented minorities and their allies.

Student Services, Mentoring, and Professional Development

All Students
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students

Reporting Racism, Bias, or Harassment

All Students, Faculty & Staff
Graduate Students

Educational Resources on Anti-Discrimination and Allyship

All Students, Faculty & Staff
Faculty, Post Docs, TAs & Staff

Health & Wellbeing

All Students, Faculty & Staff

University Policies

Demographic & Belonging Data

Demographic Profiles

The following data offer a benchmark for tracking the Brooks School’s efforts to increase the diversity of our community. We follow university practices for collecting and reporting data, which are determined in large part by federal mandates.

Brooks Student Demographics by Race and Ethnicity

UGMHA/EMHAMPA/EMPAPhDTotal
2022202420222024202220242022202420222024
Asian or Asian/White (U.S.)30.228.721.425.46.05.29.53.317.818.6
Black, Hispanic, and/or Indigenous (U.S.)18.623.524.326.29.719.914.330.016.123.1
White/Unknown (U.S.)44.644.540.732.824.727.345.240.036.236.0
International (any race/ethnicity)6.63.313.615.659.647.631.026.730.023.3

Notes: Data from Fall 2022 (N = 691) and Fall 2024 (N= 655). Few students report “unknown.” “International” includes non-U.S. citizens and those with a non-permanent resident status. UG = undergraduate, MHA = Master of Health Administration, MPA = Master of Public Administration.

Brooks Faculty and Staff Demographics by Race and Ethnicity

TTT FacultyRTE FacultyStaffOther TitlesTotal
2022202420222024202220242022202420222024
Asian or Asian/White6.56.06.88.52.96.523.514.07.88.6
Black, Hispanic, and/or Indigenous17.422.020.521.311.817.417.618.617.019.9
White/Unknown76.172.072.770.285.376.158.867.475.271.5

Notes: 2022 (N = 141) and Fall 2024 (N= 186). Few faculty and staff report “unknown,” and few fit the definition of international, thus we do not tabulate this separately. “TTT faculty” includes Assistant, Associate, and Full tenured or tenure-track faculty; “RTE” includes research, teaching, and extension faculty; “staff” include administrative and student services roles; and “other titles” include acting, adjunct, courtesy, emeritus/a, and visiting faculty; postdocs; and temporary staff.

University-Wide Demographic Data
Cornell University Diversity Dashboard

National Data
Faculty pipeline PhD Production by Program, Race and Gender
An online tool, which provides the total number of PhD students by race, gender, and course of study at the top 50 institutions.

 

Brooks Belonging Survey Results

The Belonging at Brooks Working Group designed a short survey that asks just 10 questions about belonging in Brooks, including a few open-ended items that allow respondents to share experiences and perspectives in their own words. The goal is to help us gain a better understanding of our community’s experiences—and to improve inclusion and belonging in Brooks.

A pilot version of the survey was first fielded in May of 2023 (N=154), and baseline data were collected in May of 2024 (N=326), with a response rate of 46% overall (42% among students, 55% among staff and faculty). Quantitative data are summarized below. Rich open-ended responses help provide context and direction for programmatic change to improve belonging in Brooks.

Sense of Belonging, All Respondents, 2024

Bar chart outlining the sense of belonging. Data listed: 2024: 28% strongly agreed. 2023: 32% Strongly agreed. 2024: 41% agreed. 2023: 40% agreed. 2024: 165 neutral 2023:12% neutral 2024: 9% disagreed 2023: 11% disagreed 2024: 3% Strongly disagreed 2023: 3% Strongly disagreed

Notes: 2023 (N=154) and 2024 (N=325) Brooks Belonging Survey. Responses to question: I feel a sense of belonging in Brooks.

Share Reporting Positively on 5 Items, Students and Staff/Faculty, 2024

Sense of belonging (% agree or strongly agree)Fair treatment (% agree or strongly agree)Recommend Brooks (% agree or strongly agree)Felt marginalized (% rarely or never)Discriminatory comments (% rarely or never)
Students (N=241)68%80%75%73%70%
Staff and faculty (N=81)79%90%86%86%93%
 All (N=322)71%83%78%76%76%

Notes: 2024 Brooks Belonging Survey. Question wording is: I feel a sense of belonging in Brooks (strongly disagree to strongly agree); I am treated fairly in Brooks by my peers/colleagues (strongly disagree to strongly agree); I would recommend Brooks as a good place to work or study (strongly disagree to strongly agree); How often have you felt marginalized in Brooks due to an any element of your personal identity? (very often to never); How often have you heard someone in Brooks make an insensitive, disparaging, or discriminatory comment? (very often to never).