Welcome to the
Center for Social Justice
Our Work
Intercultural Development as the Foundation
The Center for Social Justice facilitates intentional, inclusive, systemic, and systematic intercultural development to prepare and support Excelsior’s and its community’s participation in our critical justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work. To anchor this effort, Excelsior University pursues the ever-evolving goal of becoming a multicultural organization, which according to Jackson & Holvino’s Multicultural Organization Development Model refers to:
- Inclusivity: An organization that strives to include members of all groups by treating them fairly, offering them equal access to opportunities, and representing them at all organizational levels and functions;
- Contribution: An organization that leverages the diversity of knowledge and perspectives its different groups bring to shape its strategy, work, management, operating systems, and its core values and norms for success;
- Impact: An organization that seeks to improve itself and enhance its competitive advantage by advocating and practicing social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion within and beyond the organization.
Strategic Initiatives
The Center has identified the following sub-goals as part of its official launch:
The Center for Social Justice sees providing Excelsior’s diversity of students with virtual communities based on how they identify as a critical part of its mission.
One key community development effort is the facilitation of rope teams. We define rope teams as representation and support villages around our students and community members based on the dimensions of identity that matter to them and to allies. Each rope team has a curated and dynamic webpage in the Excelsior Communities Hub with current and interactive information, resources, connections, experiential learning, and community engagement opportunities relevant to the rope team’s focus. The Center for Social Justice facilitates programming for each rope team, including speakers, panels, conversations, and community engagement experiences.
One key community development effort is the facilitation of rope teams. We define rope teams as representation and support villages around our students and community members based on the dimensions of identity that matter to them and to allies. Each rope team has a curated and dynamic webpage in the Excelsior Communities Hub with current and interactive information, resources, connections, experiential learning, and community engagement opportunities relevant to the rope team’s focus. The Center for Social Justice facilitates programming for each rope team, including speakers, panels, conversations, and community engagement experiences.
The Center for Social Justice views the facilitation of multi-perspective dialogue as a critical part of its mission. Our best solutions, decisions, and innovation emanate from valuing and leveraging our diversity of perspectives, experiences, ideas, knowledge, and skills.
One key dialogue facilitation effort is the Democratic Engagement Dialogue Series. In partnership with the Capital Region Underground Railroad Education Center, the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, and the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center, and based on the premises of Paul Lachelier’s Uncommon Thought on Democracy, the Center for Social Justice hosts quarterly speakers and monthly dialogue sessions on democratic engagement. The center also facilitates Rope team-focused and recent events conversations on a regular basis.
One key dialogue facilitation effort is the Democratic Engagement Dialogue Series. In partnership with the Capital Region Underground Railroad Education Center, the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, and the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center, and based on the premises of Paul Lachelier’s Uncommon Thought on Democracy, the Center for Social Justice hosts quarterly speakers and monthly dialogue sessions on democratic engagement. The center also facilitates Rope team-focused and recent events conversations on a regular basis.
Based on the premise that JEDI (i.e., justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) work requires our ongoing intercultural development at personal, interpersonal, organizational, and social levels, a key initiative of the Center for Social Justice is introducing and facilitating regular applications of a JEDI framework, a collection of models that allow us to pursue our collective intercultural development in tandem, meeting each of us where we are.
The JEDI MAP (i.e., mindset, approach, and procedures/policies) Framework integrates the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, the Third Culture Building, and the Multicultural Organizational Development models to help us challenge our assumptions, sensitize our behavior, and work together on becoming a multicultural organization. Students learn about and apply the JEDI Framework as part of the Cornerstone required course, faculty are introduced to the framework as part of their onboarding, and every unit implements an annual application of the framework, such as inclusive communication guidelines and self-assessment based on the Intercultural Development Inventory.
The JEDI MAP (i.e., mindset, approach, and procedures/policies) Framework integrates the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, the Third Culture Building, and the Multicultural Organizational Development models to help us challenge our assumptions, sensitize our behavior, and work together on becoming a multicultural organization. Students learn about and apply the JEDI Framework as part of the Cornerstone required course, faculty are introduced to the framework as part of their onboarding, and every unit implements an annual application of the framework, such as inclusive communication guidelines and self-assessment based on the Intercultural Development Inventory.
To facilitate Excelsior students’ critical exploration of the JEDI (i.e., justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) implications and applications of their learning, the Center for Social Justice collaborates with Academic Affairs to support the integration of JEDI in the curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Examples of JEDI integration efforts include JEDI data collection, disaggregation, and analysis; intercultural development as part of faculty onboarding, ongoing learning, dialogue, and professional development; the JEDI Framework and rope teams exploration as part of the student orientation and the Cornerstone course required for undergraduate students; the review and enhancement of the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty; etc.
Examples of JEDI integration efforts include JEDI data collection, disaggregation, and analysis; intercultural development as part of faculty onboarding, ongoing learning, dialogue, and professional development; the JEDI Framework and rope teams exploration as part of the student orientation and the Cornerstone course required for undergraduate students; the review and enhancement of the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty; etc.
In pursuit of Excelsior University’s goal of becoming a multicultural organization and its subgoal of procuring JEDI impact within and beyond the University, the Center for Social Justice collaborates with Excelsior’s employee Community Engagement Group and regional nonprofit and governmental organizations to enhance Excelsior’s community engagement and social responsibility.
Excelsior’s social responsibility and community engagement activity includes Volunteer Week during which dozens of Excelsior community members volunteer at regional and national community organizations; the Troy and Albany High School Snack for Students drives through which the Excelsior community annually donates more than 1,000 snacks for students in need; and the Center for Social Justice’s membership in the New York State Hate and Bias Prevention Regional Council through which, in partnership with mission partner YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, the center is developing a community space for the promotion, dialogue, training, and support of hate and bias prevention.
Excelsior’s social responsibility and community engagement activity includes Volunteer Week during which dozens of Excelsior community members volunteer at regional and national community organizations; the Troy and Albany High School Snack for Students drives through which the Excelsior community annually donates more than 1,000 snacks for students in need; and the Center for Social Justice’s membership in the New York State Hate and Bias Prevention Regional Council through which, in partnership with mission partner YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, the center is developing a community space for the promotion, dialogue, training, and support of hate and bias prevention.
In pursuit of Excelsior’s goal of becoming a multicultural organization and its subgoal of procuring JEDI impact within and beyond the University, the Center for Social Justice has formed regional consortia it chairs, and it has joined regional or national collaboratives to which it contributes, in both cases to enhance regional and cross-institutional support, promotion, collaboration, and innovation.
The Center for Social Justice has formed and chairs the Capital Region JEDI Leadership Consortium, a group of more than 40 leaders of JEDI efforts in educational and nonprofit organizations of the region. The Center for Social Justice is in the process of forming the Capital Region Mentoring Consortium, a group of mentor program leaders including the YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Capital Region, 518 Elevated, UCAN Mentoring Program, and others. In addition, the Center for Social Justice has joined key collaboratives such as the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center, the New York State Hate and Bias Prevention Regional Council, and the Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative. The Center for Social Justice also published a book on systemic leadership in higher education, six articles in Forbes on JEDI organizational development, and 20 columns in Breaking Barriers on inclusive leadership.
The Center for Social Justice has formed and chairs the Capital Region JEDI Leadership Consortium, a group of more than 40 leaders of JEDI efforts in educational and nonprofit organizations of the region. The Center for Social Justice is in the process of forming the Capital Region Mentoring Consortium, a group of mentor program leaders including the YMCA Black & Latino Achievers Program, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the Capital Region, 518 Elevated, UCAN Mentoring Program, and others. In addition, the Center for Social Justice has joined key collaboratives such as the St. Petersburg Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center, the New York State Hate and Bias Prevention Regional Council, and the Higher Education Male Achievement Collaborative. The Center for Social Justice also published a book on systemic leadership in higher education, six articles in Forbes on JEDI organizational development, and 20 columns in Breaking Barriers on inclusive leadership.
In support of Excelsior University’s mission to serve historically underrepresented students, the Center for Social Justice continuously seeks strategic partnerships with community organizations in pursuit of opportunities to enhance access to post-secondary education for community members for which traditional higher education has not been designed or in which they struggle to engage or succeed.
Excelsior University and the Center for Social Justice have partnered with the Albany Housing Authority, Aflac Community Giving, KeyBank Foundation, and other community organizations and individual donors to engage a pilot cohort in the ¡Adelante! program. ¡Adelante! is a language bridge that combines an industry-focused English-as-a-Second-Language curriculum with Excelsior degree-required courses in Spanish to facilitate the linguistic readiness and academic confidence Spanish-as-a-first-language students may need to participate and succeed in higher education. The ¡Adelante! pilot recommends one of two follow-up pathways: an Associate in Science in Health Sciences or an Associate in Applied Science in Administrative/Management Studies.
Excelsior University and the Center for Social Justice have partnered with the Albany Housing Authority, Aflac Community Giving, KeyBank Foundation, and other community organizations and individual donors to engage a pilot cohort in the ¡Adelante! program. ¡Adelante! is a language bridge that combines an industry-focused English-as-a-Second-Language curriculum with Excelsior degree-required courses in Spanish to facilitate the linguistic readiness and academic confidence Spanish-as-a-first-language students may need to participate and succeed in higher education. The ¡Adelante! pilot recommends one of two follow-up pathways: an Associate in Science in Health Sciences or an Associate in Applied Science in Administrative/Management Studies.
In pursuit of Excelsior’s goal of becoming a multicultural organization and its subgoal of procuring JEDI impact within and beyond the university, the Center for Social Justice collaborates with the New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice Association and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to explore opportunities to contribute to the academic and JEDI development of the workforce of the criminal justice system as well as to justice impacted members of the community.
The Center for Social Justice has delivered keynote remarks and facilitated workshops at New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice Association symposia and professional development programs, including hosting its 2025 Symposium and Commissioners’ Forum at the Excelsior University campus. The Center for Social Justice has also facilitated microaggression, bullying, and macroaggression prevention training for New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision leadership and employees, including the design, development, and preparation for the implementation of the department’s 2026 implicit bias training.
The Center for Social Justice has delivered keynote remarks and facilitated workshops at New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice Association symposia and professional development programs, including hosting its 2025 Symposium and Commissioners’ Forum at the Excelsior University campus. The Center for Social Justice has also facilitated microaggression, bullying, and macroaggression prevention training for New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision leadership and employees, including the design, development, and preparation for the implementation of the department’s 2026 implicit bias training.
