Is a DEI Certificate Course Right For You?

People ask us all the time about how they can take it upon themselves to further their DEI understanding, beyond joining an ERG or attending company trainings. One option is taking a DEI certification course, often offered online through a university. Our friend Jennings Wynn, a Customer Success Manager at SmartRecruiters, talked to us about his experience with eCornell’s DEI certificate course and how it helped him deepen his understanding of DEI in the context of people management/organizational leadership and his personal DEI journey.

What course did you take? Tell us a little bit about what it entailed. 

I took the Diversity and Inclusion certificate program with eCornell. The program consisted of four two-week, self-guided courses. The courses can be taken in any order. The content consists of videos, articles, virtual discussion with your cohort, and a larger ‘final project’ each session that could vary from creating a D&I assessment to more essay-style content.  

The four modules were: 

• Unconscious Bias 

• Fostering an Inclusive Environment 

• D&I At Work 

• Improving Engagement 

It’s worth noting that once enrolled you have two years to complete all four courses. I found it most valuable to go through them all back to back but the program is designed for working professionals so it allows a lot of flexibility. 

Also, you have a window to reschedule a course if your situation changes, and if you don’t receive full credit for all the activities/projects (and therefore don’t get credit for the module) they have options to work with you to retake the course.  

How did you select the course? 

I had been wanting to take a course like this for a few years, but personal circumstances kept pushing it back. Like many people, the events of last summer became a breaking point and I knew I had to prioritize this coursework. 

While I have certainly faced my own share of discrimination and marginalization as a  self-proclaimed effeminate queer person, at the end of the day I am still a cis-gendered white male with a college degree and a good job. Since I straddle ‘both worlds’ so to speak, I felt this put me in a unique position to leverage my privilege. 

I looked at a number of courses and there were many things I liked about all of them.  What kept me coming back to eCornell was how aligned the topics and reputation were with what I do for a living.  

I work on the technology side of the Talent Acquisition/Human Resources space. When comparing courses, I found eCornell’s to be most focused around corporate reform, people management, and organizational leadership either as an individual contributor or people manager. 

“We’re all uniquely poised to leverage our personal/professional selves and situations to create positive outcomes. Like most things in life, I advise that you look at the outcome you are striving for and work backward from there. Also, be realistic. No single person, course, or certification can solve the world’s problems, but we can all effect positive change in our own ways. ”

What were your expectations going into it? 

Honestly, I’m ashamed to admit I was a little arrogant going into this program. I had founded a few Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), sat on Diversity Councils for multiple companies, and even been a featured speaker/contributor on the topic of DEI on a few national mediums.  

This course challenged me in so many ways. I thought I’d be ‘checking a box’ for everything I thought I already knew about DEI, hierarchies, company structure, etc...and it turned a mirror on how much I didn’t know…in a good way. 

What were some major takeaways from the course? 

I think the biggest takeaway I had from this course was recognizing that DEI isn’t just  about combating the “isms” or the “phobias.” (i.e.: racism, homophobia, sexism, etc...) 

Unconscious bias isn’t just about being unintentionally against a group (marginalized or not) but it is often being unduly supportive of a person or group that may or may not be deserving of the merit. (ie: A CEO’s child getting an internship, so they have ‘something to do” over the summer or a Hiring Manager favoring people from their Alma Mater/Sorority/Fraternity over more qualified candidates.) 

What would you tell someone who is looking to take a DEI certificate course? 

There is no singular path to advocacy/allyship. Focusing on Corporate Reform is valid. Focusing on Social Justice is valid. Focusing on supporting businesses/charities owned by marginalized persons is valid.  

Regarding certification courses, we’re all uniquely poised to leverage our personal/professional selves and situations to create positive outcomes. Like most things in life, I advise that you look at the outcome you are striving for and work backward from there. Also, be realistic. No single person, course, or certification can solve the world’s problems, but we can all effect positive change in our own ways. 

However, if we’re not leaving room to be our best selves then we’re not capable of providing the most impact. So, I encourage people to think about timing, content,  commitment, etc... when deciding what course is best for them. 

How did this course further inform the work you do? 

The reality of our current cultural landscape is that (at least in corporate America) the majority of senior leadership (especially the C-Suite) don’t have the first-hand experience of being marginalized or “other-ed.” eCornell’s program helped me translate DEI into talk tracks that would resonate with the senior leadership that might not be ‘on the pulse’ of this extremely important topic.  

At the end of the day, a DEI journey is deeply personal. Each person is in charge of how they wish to proceed on said journey…but it’s fantastic that so many options exist.

eCornell’s course is designed for “team managers and supervisors, executives responsible for strategic culture efforts, or anyone interested in creating an inclusive and supportive culture that promotes equal opportunities and treatment of employees. These courses may be more appropriate for those in higher-level management positions and individuals who are further along in their DEI journey, but there is value for anyone committed not just focusing on compliance in their organization but having a positive impact through creating structural change. There are drawbacks such as the price point and the time commitment, which is make or break for some, but it’s one of many options to further inform the work you do, especially if it’s in an HR or DEI space.

Related Courses:

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