ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council has announced the launch of Advancing Diversity & Inclusion: A Cornell Certificate for Optical Professionals, an online four-course and capstone certificate program customized specifically for members of the vision community by Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). The certificate program is designed to lead attendees through the perceptual, institutional and psychological processes that impact employee interactions in an effort to build a truly aware and inclusive work culture, according to an announcement from The Vision Council.
With courses evenly divided between public and private cohorts, The Vision Council’s registrants will have access to two exclusive private courses designed to provide vision industry context and instruction not included in the traditional Cornell certification program. Attendees will have the opportunity to schedule the public cohort courses from a set of available dates.
All four courses will be led by Lisa Nishii, associate professor and vice provost for Undergraduate Education, with the first course beginning on Dec. 8, 2021. Each course is two weeks in length, self-paced and accessible through Canvas, an online learning management system.
In addition, The Vision Council has worked with Cornell University to curate a custom two-hour live virtual capstone session contextualized to optical industry specific scenarios, challenges and opportunities. The exclusive capstone session will be led by Tony Byers, Diversity & Inclusion Professional Programs director and Senior Extension Faculty for Cornell University’s ILR School. Byers previously served as the head of Global Diversity and Inclusion at Starbucks and is known for his efforts in leading and revitalizing Starbucks’ highly respected and successful diversity and inclusion programming.
The certificate program is open to the first 35 registrants. Members of The Vision Council and non-members are welcome to register at a discounted rate. Members of The Vision Council are eligible for special members-only pricing. To register for the program, click here.
The certificate program framework includes:
Improving Engagement
December 8, 2021
In this course, attendees will examine the foundational drivers of engagement, explore the components of successful engagement initiatives and identify strategies for creating stronger engagement in teams.
Counteracting Unconscious Bias
Dates Available: January 5, January 19, February 2, February 16, March 2, March 16, or March 30, 2022
Attendees will identify the perceptual and psychological processes that impact the way that individuals interact with people who are demographically dissimilar from them. In this course, attendees will examine the psychological processes that impact decision-making within organizations and identify how professionals can design better work practices and help to effectively leverage the potential among employees.
Diversity and Inclusion at Work
Dates Available: January 5, January 19, February 2, February 16, March 2, March 16, or March 30, 2022
This course provides an overview of the evolution of the management of diversity and inclusion and presents targeted and high-involvement diversity practices. This course examines diversity in the contexts of teams and leaders, and it frames diversity in terms of current business and cultural challenges. During this course, attendees will complete a project in which they identify sources of inclusion, align inclusion to improve employee engagement and business results, and determine methods to assess the effectiveness of inclusion initiatives. At the end of the course, attendees will use the results from the project to prepare a final presentation describing how to apply their work to their organization.
Fostering an Inclusive Environment
April 27, 2022
Throughout this course, attendees will be asked to reflect upon their own experiences and apply the lessons in the modules in their own role. Attendees will examine the concept of climate, specifically inclusive climates, and learn about the specific behaviors and skills they need to demonstrate in order to be successful in shaping an inclusive climate.
Program Capstone Hosted by Tony Byers
May 2022
Contextualized to industry specific scenarios, challenges and opportunities, Byers will share insights for the eyewear and eyecare community.
“When we revealed the latest results from our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey during the 2021 Executive Summit, one resounding piece of feedback we received was a request for actionable opportunities. The Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program marks The Vision Council’s first step in that direction,” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council.
“With applicable takeaways, this program is ideal for our community as we work to build a more diverse and inclusive industry. Based on participation and feedback, The Vision Council will consider developing the program further by increasing the course size or expanding the overall program,” Mills said.
Cornell University is a private Ivy League school and widely regarded as one of the most sought-after institutions of higher learning in the country and around the world. According to the U.S. News and World Report for 2022, Cornell University is ranked as the 17th best university in the country and consistently ranks as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the U.S.
Cornell University’s Executive Certificate Programs are personally developed by faculty experts to explore today's most in-demand skills with the internationally recognized standard of excellence associated with the university. Course content comes from top-rated programs with proven curricula to provide tangible outcomes in more than 145 areas of professional development.
For more information on The Vision Council’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, click here. For more information on Cornell University’s Executive Certificate Program, visit the website.