At its heart, the Worker Institute views its work as a contribution to reversing the growing inequality, now at historic levels, which undermines the economic and social sustainability of a vibrant democratic society.  The Institute provides the nation’s most comprehensive education, training, research, and organizational support for union leaders and worker advocates.  Worker Institute research fellows, sometimes in small teams, will have the opportunity to work directly with Ithaca-based faculty and ILR labor extension faculty based in NYC.

The fellowship program’s goal is to provide ILR students with a unique opportunity to contribute to important projects concerning workers and unions, expand their research skills, learn about potential career paths and interact with faculty, labor leaders and other fellows.

The main selection criteria include a strong academic record and a demonstrated interest in one of the Worker Institute’s research areas. 

The History of University Student Codes of Conduct: Origins, Changes, and Implementation

Over the past few years, there has been much interest in the creation, content, and implementation of University Student Codes of Conduct. This research project studies University Codes of Conduct – when and how they were first developed in the 1960s, how and why they have been revised since then, and the influence of institutional, social, and political factors on the development, revisions, and implementation of Codes of Conduct. The research questions include: whether Student Codes of Conduct have been developed and revised democratically; whether the Codes of Conduct provide an appropriate level of due process to individual and groups charged with misconduct; whether the implementation and revisions of the Codes of Conduct are sufficiently independent from the University administration; and whether the Codes of Conduct adequately protect freedom of expression and academic freedom. The Research Fellow will engage in research on these issues in U.S. universities’ Codes of Conduct, including the history of the Cornell University Campus Code of Conduct and Student Code of Conduct. – with ILR Professor and Worker Institute Academic Director Risa Lieberwitz