Cornell University Registrar

An ILR education is grounded in the social sciences. Students and faculty explore and gain an understanding of the workplace through economics, sociology, psychology, history, political science, labor relations, and law and society perspectives. Students also learn how work and workplace issues fit into the larger society and economy. As a result, they acquire knowledge and skills that help them to think critically, analyze the social and economic relationships impacting the workplace and solve problems facing work and workers.

This course examines the underlying psychological processes that impact how and why we work, how we succeed in accomplishing work goals, and how we work together. Students will be exposed to foundational theories from a variety of disciplines, primarily psychology and micro-organizational behavior, which can help us to understand human behavior in work contexts and will examine how these theories can be applied to inform effective organizational policies and practices. The course offers a theoretical and practical examination of numerous topics, including personality, motivation, judgment and decision making, social influence, power, conflict and fairness, and morality at work.

This introductory course examines key processes shaping the nature of work and structure of organizations. Throughout, we foreground the distinctiveness of a sociological approach, one that understands work and broader social processes as mutually constitutive dynamics. Using this lens, we also assess the functioning of labor markets and organizations. Central topics include the emergence of wage labor, exploitation and labor control, technology and work, inequality, human and social capital, organizational culture, structure, and institutions.

ILRID 1700 will serve as a survey of organizations and management, drawing from theory and research in the field of Organizational Behavior. Organizational Behavior (OB) is the study of the effects of individual and group behavior on organizational processes and outcomes. By drawing on OB theory and research, this course will help you to analyze and better understand both individuals within organizational contexts and those organizations themselves, think critically about organization and management-specific issues, and evaluate the effectiveness of organizations across the individual, group, and organizational levels. Specific topics covered in this course include personality, motivation, groups and teams, negotiation, decision making, leadership, power, organizational culture, organizational structure, and organizational change.

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to core concepts related to diversity and inclusion. We will begin with an exploration of social identities and how they relate to key psycho-social processes -such as social cognition, power and privilege, stereotyping, and status differentiation - underlying interpersonal and intergroup dynamics in settings characterized by demographic diversity. We will then turn to an analysis of remedies or interventions for addressing diversity-related challenges and unpack what is meant by equity and inclusion. A guiding assumption for this course is that in order to fully understand the implications of diversity for society, you must personally confront issues having to do with power, privilege, stereotypes, identity, and discrimination. In an effort to increase awareness and understanding, we will adopt an experiential approach whenever possible, including videos and related discussions, experiential exercises and activities, fieldwork, and written assignments.

Intergroup dialogue is a form of communication specifically designed for people to engage with one another across social, cultural, and power differences in a critical and meaningful way. This class prepares students to live and work in a diverse world, and educates them in making choices that advance equity. Its main objectives are to: explore our human capacity and need to connect with ourselves and others; increase understanding of personal and social identities and how they inform our lives; explore the effects of social inequity at personal, interpersonal, and structural levels (including the ways in which it disrupts human connection); develop students' skills to communicate, work, and lead effectively across difference; and strengthen individual and collective capacities to strategize for change on campus and beyond.

Provides skills in the use of personal computers that run the Windows operating system. Covers fundamental technical concepts and time saving techniques for Windows, and Microsoft Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. Emphasizes hands-on experience and development of PC-based solutions and strategies by using examples that address human resource and other practical real-world issues. Students will take the industry-recognized Microsoft test to gain certification as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in Excel. The skills developed in this course are useful prerequisites for several elective courses in human resource management and essential in the 21st-century workplace. NOTE: due to the extensive coverage of Excel materials, the Access and PowerPoint material will be scheduled as optional special workshops outside standard class time. The use of a Macintosh operating system cannot be supported in this class.

This course provides 15 credits to ILR students enrolled in the ILR International Exchange program.

Undergraduate engaged learning courses whose topic changes depending on semester and instructor. Some topics may have a field trip component added.

Individuals with disabilities continue to face obstacles to gaining and maintaining employment within the U.S. workforce, even though over 35 years have passed since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). This course provides a broad overview of the role of HR professionals in addressing this issue, by maximizing fair disability workplace policies and practices and minimizing disability discrimination across the employment process. We will discuss the importance of the business case for aligning disability with a company's strategic human capital, workforce development, and customer service imperatives. The implications for effective HR policies and practices in recruitment and hiring, career development and retention, accessibility and accommodation, compensation and benefits, and metrics and analytics will be covered. Presentations by leading HR professionals are embedded throughout.

This course is an advanced seminar for ILR graduate, undergraduate, business and law students interested in the role of labor unions in fostering democratic change in the workplace, in the community, in public education, and in government. Students will be asked to imagine themselves and activists and unionists, rather than passive observers or third-party neutrals. In that role, students will learn how the primary union levers of education, collective bargaining and political action can be used to address actual problems facing working people and communities and our democracy. Through course readings, classroom discussions, case studies, and role play scenarios, this course will build students’ practical knowledge of how to bring together collective action, community engagement, communication, and problem solving to produce real solutions for public school students, their families, and their communities.

In the Engaged Learning Option, you will work locally in the community, either with the attorneys at Legal Assistance of Western New York to assist unemployed clients, or with Dr. Ian Greer on a research project gathering and analyzing data.

This course provides an overview of the workforce development initiatives in technology and technology-intensive industries to actively recruit and hire neurodiverse individuals and the implications for HR policies and practices. The course traces the opportunities and challenges encountered across the employment process in designing and implementing these initiatives, and the importance of creating a workplace culture that includes individuals with disabilities, and those who are neurodivergent. The topics covered will include: models of effective recruitment, screening, selection, orientation, and on-the-job training; preparatory supervisor and workforce training; building a supportive workplace for all; considerations in career advancement, retention, and performance management; building internal and external support systems to support success; and metrics and analytics in determining elements of program effectiveness at individual and organizational levels.

This course will incorporate advanced topics in Microsoft Excel and Access. The Excel portion will focus on advanced use of functions, creating form controls, macros, pivot tables, and organization and analysis of large data sets to incorporate into a model. The Access portion will focus on integrated use with Excel and complex relationships and queries.The use of a Macintosh operating system cannot be supported in this class.

Through theoretical and experiential learning, students in EDUC 4826 will further develop knowledge and skills gained in EDUC 2610 for leadership across social, cultural, and political differences. Through weekly seminar sessions, students gain a working knowledge of scholarly literature drawn from the fields of critical intergroup dialogue, practice theory, social identity theory, and social justice education. Students learn about the theories and empirical evidence on why and how communication and collaboration across difference work. Moreover, through unique experiential learning opportunities in the classroom, students practice communication and collaboration across difference, as well as facilitation skills fundamental to leading intergroup dialogue processes.

A two-semester, faculty-supervised honors sequence culminating in an original thesis. Students develop a research question and design, engage relevant scholarly literature, and complete planned data collection and analysis. Regular meetings with a faculty supervisor support research progress, analytic decisions, professional standards of evidence, and writing. The sequence concludes with submission of the completed thesis and an oral presentation of the project’s argument, methods, and contributions.

An internship-linked field research course that connects workplace experience to academic inquiry. Under faculty supervision, students complete an individual research project grounded in their credit internship.

A supervised professional in-person internship. Students complete substantial, field-based responsibilities and develop competencies relevant to their ILR degree.

A supervised professional remote internship. Students complete substantial, field-based responsibilities and develop competencies relevant to their ILR degree.

For individual or group study under the direction of an ILR faculty member. The course supports focused exploration of a topic not fully addressed in regularly scheduled courses through supervised reading, research, or applied analysis. Work typically includes an agreed-upon plan of study, regular check-ins with the faculty supervisor, and a final deliverable.

Individuals with disabilities continue to face obstacles to gaining and maintaining employment within the U.S. workforce, even though over 35 years have passed since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). This course provides a broad overview of the role of HR professionals in addressing this issue, by maximizing fair disability workplace policies and practices and minimizing disability discrimination across the employment process. We will discuss the importance of the business case for aligning disability with a company's strategic human capital, workforce development, and customer service imperatives. The implications for effective HR policies and practices in recruitment and hiring, career development and retention, accessibility and accommodation, compensation and benefits, and metrics and analytics will be covered. Presentations by leading HR professionals are embedded throughout.

This course is an advanced seminar for ILR graduate, undergraduate, business and law students interested in the role of labor unions in fostering democratic change in the workplace, in the community, in public education, and in government. Students will be asked to imagine themselves and activists and unionists, rather than passive observers or third-party neutrals. In that role, students will learn how the primary union levers of education, collective bargaining and political action can be used to address actual problems facing working people and communities and our democracy. Through course readings, classroom discussions, case studies, and role play scenarios, this course will build students’ practical knowledge of how to bring together collective action, community engagement, communication, and problem solving to produce real solutions for public school students, their families, and their communities.

In the engaged learning option, you will work with community partners providing legal advice or workforce development services, or gather and analyze research data supervised by Prof. Ian Greer.

This course provides an overview of the workforce development initiatives in technology and technology-­intensive industries to actively recruit and hire neurodiverse individuals and the implications for HR policies and practices. The course traces the opportunities and challenges encountered across the employment process in designing and implementing these initiatives, and the importance of creating a workplace culture that includes individuals with disabilities, and those who are neurodivergent. The topics covered will include: models of effective recruitment, screening, selection, orientation, and on-the-job training; preparatory supervisor and workforce training; building a supportive workplace for all; considerations in career advancement, retention, and performance management; building internal and external support systems to support success; and metrics and analytics in determining elements of program effectiveness at individual and organizational levels.

This course will incorporate advanced topics in Microsoft Excel and Access. The Excel portion will focus on advanced use of functions, creating form controls, macros, pivot tables, and organization and analysis of large data sets to incorporate into a model. The Access portion will focus on integrated use with Excel and complex relationships and queries.The use of a Macintosh operating system cannot be supported in this class.

Designed for social science MS/PhD students early in their academic career, this course provides an overview of philosophical debates about the aims and nature of social science research, processes involved in initiating research projects, and key methods of data collection and analysis. It will also introduce students to the ILR School, its various sub-fields and disciplines, and to academia, both as an institution and as a career. The aim of the course is to give students the foundational knowledge needed to undertake a graduate research degree and pursue a career as a researcher.