A unit in the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP) supports Cornell University’s academic DEI education efforts by developing and leading multiphase and multi-party educational opportunities rooted in core intergroup dialogue processes and tailored to the needs of different constituencies on campus. By creating optimal conditions for intergroup interactions and meaningful peer-to-peer academic learning, the IDP team plays a key role in the development and implementation of academic DEI education at Cornell. 

Intergroup dialogue found its way to Cornell in the fall of 2012, where it was first offered in the form of a semester-long academic course for undergraduate students, which now accommodates ~400 undergraduate students per year. The success of this course has inspired campus stakeholders to expand beyond the academic semester-long model, as well as to provide innovative offerings for graduate and professional students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and alumni. Recent initiatives include the implementation of a mandatory IDP session during orientation for all incoming undergraduate students, a year-long course for academic advisors, college and department-level sustained programs, an inclusive leadership course for undergraduate students, and a summer connection program for incoming undergraduate students. IDP fosters the creation of inclusive communities across difference. This has had a profound impact on campus climate and the culture of belonging at Cornell.