The Cornell Office of Community Relations will receive the Judges' Citation award at the annual Awards of Excellence ceremony for the State University of New York Council for University Advancement (SUNYCUAD) June 11 in Buffalo. Its submission, "Race relations -- community relations -- progressive outreach," was in the Community Relations Programs category.

"In recent years, a series of race-related incidents at Ithaca High School and in the community have been of great concern to Tompkins County residents," wrote Gary Stewart and John Gutenberger, deputy director and director, respectively, of community relations at Cornell. "In response, a variety of initiatives coordinated and produced by Cornell's Office of Community Relations and other Cornell units, were developed."

These include:

• Community forums led by six major employers, including Cornell and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce. Partnerships were forged between for-profit and nonprofit sectors for outreach programs and to develop shared strategies on common challenges and opportunities.
• A series of 15 public service announcements in support of a communitywide focus on equity and diversity that won a top New York State Broadcasters Award.
• A weekly radio show, "All Things Equal," sponsored by the six major employers. Topics have ranged from new race, class and equity strategies in area public schools to local affordable housing and employment challenges.
• Regularly addressing race and diversity through video productions on Cornell's website and local cable access.
• Regularly highlighting lectures and programs on campus through Community Relations' twice-monthly Ithaca Journal newspaper column, "East Hill Notes."

Membership in SUNYCUAD includes full-time professionals working in university advancement at the 64 SUNY campuses.