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Working at Cornell

Guidance for Staff on Speech at Cornell

Cornell staff members represent a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, holding multiple identities and affiliations.  Cornell’s core values of purposeful discovery, free and open inquiry and expression, a community of belonging, exploration across boundaries, changing lives through engagement, and respect for the natural environment support and embrace the backgrounds and beliefs of our staff and broader campus community.

There are many ways that Cornell staff may express their views and beliefs about the issues that are important to them.  Some of the positive ways staff may express their views are to:

  • Volunteer with groups they care about.
  • Serve as appointees to government boards, commissions or advisory panels, subject to university policy requirements regarding outside employment and conflicts of interest.
  • Engage in political campaign activities, such as contributing time and money to the candidates of their choice, as long as these activities are performed on their personal time (such as outside of work hours or when using vacation time) using personal resources.
  • Speak or write, including on social media, regarding personal interests, without suggesting or implying that they are speaking on behalf of Cornell and without using university resources.
  • Vote.
  • Encourage others to vote.

To create and maintain an inclusive and respectful workplace for all staff regardless of background or belief, Cornell staff are asked to keep the following guidelines and best practices in mind:

  • According to Policy 4.10, Cornell employees and students may mention their Cornell affiliation in message content, but are prohibited from using Cornell brand elements on personal social media accounts, business communications, or other personal endeavors in ways that might be interpreted as representing Cornell University (for example, using the university's insignia as a social media avatar or profile photo).
  • When posting on social media, staff should be aware that discriminatory or harassing posts made using private phones, computers, or social media accounts can be considered by Cornell in determining whether those posts created or contributed to a hostile working or learning environment for other Cornell employees or for Cornell students. See https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/enforcement-guidance-harassment-workplace; Cornell Policy 6.4.
  • The First Amendment restricts governments from taking certain actions against people and groups because of their speech. Cornell is a private employer – it is not the government. As a result, Cornell may take employment action for conduct staff engage in outside of work if that conduct has specific job-related or institutional consequences. See Policy 6.11.3; Policy 6.4.
  • According to Policy 4.18, all Cornell community members, including staff, must refrain from using Cornell resources of any kind to engage in political campaign activity. This includes prohibitions on the following:
    • Using the university name, seal, logo, or other insignia in connection with political campaign activity, such as soliciting funds or endorsing political candidates.
    • Using a Cornell mailing or email address as the return address for campaign mailings.
    • Using university facilities, equipment, services, and resources, including but not limited to office supplies, email or social media accounts, computers, telephones, copy machines, bulk mail privileges, sales tax exemptions, electronic mailing lists, directories, web pages, and databases for political campaign activity.
  • If any staff member has concerns of bias, discrimination or harassment related to a protected class, including race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity, etc., they should report that concern to the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX). To do this, staff should email equity@cornell.edu, or file an online incident report. OIETIX will then work with the reporter to talk through the next steps and resources.  
  • Staff are encouraged to access the resources available on the Department of Inclusion and Belonging’s website, including those that advance an inclusive educational environment and workplace for Cornell community members. 
  • Staff are encouraged to access the resources available via the Cornell Intergroup Dialogue Project. The Intergroup Dialogue Project (IDP) advances intentional engagement across, and about, differences as an essential democratic practice. The resources available on the IDP website are free and for Cornell students, staff, and faculty. 
  • All staff are also encouraged to review and participate in the many courses offered by Organizational Development and Effectiveness (ODE), including those focused on communicating across difference and professional communication. Staff may join the ODE email list to receive updates about upcoming courses and programs, by sending an email to Workforce_development-l-request@cornell.edu; entering “Join” as the message subject and leaving the body of the message blank. 

This document contains general guidance. Staff should direct questions about specific workplace conduct and concerns to their people leader and/or local HR office. Staff can locate their HR representatives on the HR website. This guidance does not intend to nor should result in the interference with any rights of Cornell employees to engage in protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act.