Page 11 - NYLS Strategic Plan Progress and Outcomes • 2015

n fundraising. NYLS received a landmark $5 million gift to support its nationally-recognized practical training programs. it is among the largest in the School’s history and one of the largest donations ever to a law school to enhance clinical and experiential learning.
n Scholarly Impact. nYlS was #26 out of the top 350 law-related organizations for scholarly downloads and #37 out of 750 in the world in the Social Science research network (SSrn), a multi-disciplinary online repository of scholarly research and related materials. this ranking puts nYlS ahead of other newYork law schools including Brooklyn, cardozo, cunY, hofstra, Pace, and St. John’s.
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n at its 123rd commencement held at carnegie hall, nYlS awarded honorary degrees to cyrus r. vance Jr., district attorney of new York county, and Joe Plumeri, Vice Chairman of the first Data board of directors. trustee dr. vincent a. carbonell ’00 was awarded the President’s medal, and the honorable faviola a. Soto ’78 was awarded the inaugural kathleen grimm ’80 medal for distinguished Public Service.
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in 2015, nYlS continued to make great strides to ensure a diverse community. Professor deborah n. archer was named NYLS’s inaugural Dean for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity officer, and members of the nYlS staff were appointed deputy diversity officers covering key areas of the school including admissions and financial aid, career planning, student engagement, and human resources.
In addition, NYLS issued an Institutional diversity Plan—a bold statement of principles and goals, and an ambitious course of action to guide NYLS’s activities, and realize the vision of its Strategic Plan. it provides a framework by which nYlS will work to support students, staff, faculty, trustees, and alumni in addressing all aspects of diversity, with a focus on underrepresented communities and military veterans. that framework includes an approach whereby nYlS will partner with diverse alumni, affinity bar associations, and other advocacy organizations to expand opportunities for students and staff. the development of the plan was a proactive effort and a key component of our Strategic Plan, which is committed to facilitating a diverse school and profession. the process engaged students, faculty, board members and alumni to promote ownership of the plan and to assist with concrete implementation.
NYLS also established a faculty committee on diversity and Inclusion to develop and support institution-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives, including a focus on scholarship and curriculum. The committee will work closely with the dean’s council on diversity and Inclusion which includes alumni, trustees, and external partners.
NYLS is committed to ensuring that every member of our community understands the role that they play in diversifying the profession by encouraging student achievement and success. For the 2015 incoming class, orientation week included a program that focused on the benefits of being educated in a diverse environment, and provided students the tools to develop cultural competence and engage in the classroom in a respectful and supportive manner.
fOCUS ON DIVerSITY AND INCLUSION
Strategic Plan ProgreSS and outcomeS
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