Nov. 16, 2021 — The Vision Council (TVC) 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).
 
TVC shares that the program was created to lead attendees through the perceptual, institutional, and psychological processes that impact employee interactions to help build an aware and inclusive work culture.
 
“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,” says Ashley Mills, CEO of TVC. “The Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program marks The Vision Council’s first step in that direction. 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.”
 
With courses evenly divided between public and private cohorts, TVC’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, shares the organization.
 
Attendees will be able to schedule the public cohort courses from a set of available dates (below). All four courses will be led by Lisa Nishii, Cornell associate professor and vice provost for undergraduate education, with the first course beginning on Dec. 8. Each course is two weeks in length, self-paced, and accessible through Canvas, an online learning management system.
 
Plus, TVC has worked with Cornell to curate a two-hour live virtual capstone session contextualized for specific scenarios, challenges, and opportunities specific to the optical industry. The capstone will be led by Tony Byers, diversity and inclusion professional programs director and senior extension faculty for Cornell’s ILR School. Byers previously served as the head of global diversity and inclusion at Starbucks and is known for his efforts in leading Starbucks’ successful DE&I programming.
 
The certificate program is open to the first 35 registrants. Members of TVC and non-members can register at a discounted rate. TVC members are eligible for special members-only pricing. Click here to register.
 
See below for the program’s framework, shared via TVC.
 
Dec. 8, 2021
Improving Engagement: 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.
 
Dates Available for following two courses: Jan. 5, Jan. 19, Feb. 2, Feb. 16, March 2, March 16, or March 30, 2022
Counteracting Unconscious Bias: 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: 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.
 
April 27, 2022
Fostering an Inclusive Environment: 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 to be successful in shaping an inclusive climate.
 
May 2022
Program Capstone Hosted by Tony Byers: Contextualized to industry specific scenarios, challenges, and opportunities, Byers will share insights for the eyewear and eyecare community.