This addendum is to address feedback received after presenting the RTE Resolution: Structural Equity and Inclusion for Research, Teaching, and Extension (“RTE”) faculty at the Faculty Senate meeting on April 12th and at the Faculty Forum on April 26th, where it was suggested that a “non-exhaustive list of examples of current inequity be presented as background information for the resolution.” Here is a (non-comprehensive) list of examples provided by RTE faculty:

1. RTE faculty do not benefit from job security and academic freedom.
2. RTE faculty do not experience the same value and prestige in the academic climate as tenure-track and tenured faculty.
3. RTE faculty report feeling marginalized by the hierarchical climate at Cornell.
4. RTE faculty do not have opportunities for advancement beyond “senior” titles given the current two-tiered system. The majority of our peer institutions offer three levels using titles similar to those used for the tenure system: Assistant / Associate / Full.
5. RTE experience inconsistent search and hiring procedures and seek a formal process similar to tenure-track faculty.
6. RTE titles are confusing (e.g. Senior Extension Associate) which often prohibits RTE faculty from being competitive applicants for funding.
7. RTE faculty are mostly funded by “soft money” which requires a continuous search for funding to support their positions and those they hire for their projects.
8. RTE faculty report not being included in faculty meetings, except for those occasions where departmental business is not discussed, such as department lunches which are also open to staff.
9. RTE faculty are often listed separately from University faculty on department websites, or not listed at all.
10. RTE faculty are often not included on faculty e-mail lists and thus are not informed of college and departmental events, policies, and other vital information.

Research, Teaching, and Extension (“RTE”) faculty1 compose a significant proportion of the Cornell University faculty as a whole, ranging from 19.6% in CIS to 57.7% in the Vet School, with a median of 35.5% for all academic units.2 RTE faculty compose 100% of the faculty within the Cornell University Library. Within and across these academic units, RTE faculty perform a wide variety of duties encompassing all aspects of service at Cornell University.

In 2021, the Dean of Faculty established the RTE Task Force to study issues affecting RTE faculty and propose policies to ensure that the contributions of RTE faculty are appropriately recognized and credited. To focus its work on the issues of greatest concern to RTE faculty, the RTE Task Force conducted campus-wide surveys and interviews and reviewed previous surveys of RTE faculty.

The result of this work is clear: RTE faculty experience a significant lack of clarity with regards to performance reviews, promotions, and employment duties. Further, there are wide disparities between RTE and other faculty with regards to human resources infrastructure and other institutional support, as well as eligibility for some “university-wide” awards.3 But perhaps most importantly, the inequitable workplace climate at Cornell deeply affects RTE faculty, lowering morale, discouraging full participation in the academic life of the University, and hampering work performance. These issues are longstanding and serious. They require a timely and serious structural response, which must start with the University’s central administration. Accordingly, the RTE Task Force proposes the following resolution.

Whereas the Research, Teaching, and Extension (“RTE”) Task Force has examined the rights and responsibilities of RTE faculty with respect to job duties, resources, performance reviews and promotions, service, advising, governance, and other academic and administrative duties;

Whereas RTE faculty have recently gained three key rights, those of University voting rights4, the right to emeritus status5, and the right to serve on the Faculty Senate6;

Whereas RTE faculty play a vital role at Cornell University by significantly contributing to research, teaching, extension, and service;

Whereas egalitarian treatment and respect for all faculty is necessary to the health and vitality of the academic environment, sense of community, and reputation of the University;

Be it resolved that RTE faculty have comparable structural equity and inclusion to the tenure-track and tenured faculty, except for those rights and responsibilities specific to tenure-track faculty arising from the hiring of tenure-track faculty and service on tenure and promotion committees for tenure-track faculty;

Be it further resolved that the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs represent the RTE faculty in the University Administration, with the responsibility of determining and implementing structural equity and inclusion of the RTE faculty in collaboration with the Deans of the schools and colleges.

This resolution is endorsed by RTE Task Force Members:

• Anne LaPointe
• Bob Karpman
• Tobi Hines, University Library, RTE Senator
• Sam Nelson, ILR RTE Senator
• Roger Gilbert
• David Brown
• Natalie Cleavitt
• Kim Kopko, Faculty At-Large RTE Senator
• Lindsey Goodale
• John Callister
• Estelle McKee
• Linda Barrington
• Mitch Glass
• Teresa Thresher-Oplinger
• Chelsea Specht, Associate Dean of Faculty
• Andy Horbal, Faculty At-Large RTE Senator
• Elizabeth Lamb, CALS RTE Senator

1.University definitions of RTE and all other approved faculty titles can be found here: https://hr.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2022-12/academic_titles_1.pdf

2. The proportion of RTE faculty to the faculty as a whole in the remaining academic units are as follows:

3. For example, eligibility for the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Service through Diversity was recently expanded to include RTE faculty https://facultydevelopment.cornell.edu/grants-and- awards/faculty-diversity-award/.

4. https://live-deanoffaculty.pantheonsite.io/the-new-faculty-handbook/appendix-2-opuf/#I