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Professor Katz

Director's Update

Harry C. Katz

Harry C. Katz is the Director of the Scheinman Institute and the Jack Sheinkman Professor of Collective Bargaining.

As we approach the Cornell campus late May graduation exercises, it is clear to all that this past year has been nothing short of unusual and in some ways, it has been bizarre. Yet, Cornell University, the ILR School, and the Scheinman Institute proved their mettle by finding ways to fulfill our mission even in the face of adversity. I can’t thank the faculty and staff of the Scheinman Institute enough for their perseverance and flexibility in adapting to demands brought forth by the pandemic. But they didn’t merely adapt, they innovated in ways that have broadened our reach. Over this past year we’ve learned more fully how to use zoom and other methods to teach, research, and provide technical assistance when face-to-face interaction is not feasible.    

Cornell University has announced that it intends to be fully open for face-to-face learning at the start of the fall semester and ILR is developing plans to re-open its New York City and Buffalo offices. While we look forward to normal interactions this fall on campus, our experience with distance learning during the pandemic has led us to expand Institute activities, including professional development course offerings, to include remote options. For example, we now offer “blended” learning certificates that combine asynchronous, real time virtual, and in-person learning. Blended learning provides a way for basic material to be made available on-line with engaged simulation exercises and personal coaching conducted in person. The combination enables professional learners to save on travel time and expenses and reduces the time learners need to be out of the office. During the pandemic we discovered that there was a geographically dispersed audience for our trainings and blended learning options can also help meet the needs of that audience. At the same time, we won’t be abandoning in-person but rather now offer a variety of learning means.

On-line communication methods also enable us to expand the reach of the technical and consulting assistance the Institute provides to many organizations. The Institute’s advisory board, for example, is telling us that although they were reluctant to initially shift arbitrations and mediations on-line, they discovered that on-line, i.e. zoom, hearings worked surprising well and will continue to be part of a mix of meeting methods. Similarly, Institute faculty also learned that negotiations and labor-management dialogues can, in some circumstances, be productively carried out on-line.      

As they say, it’s a whole new world!!