CCAD's commitment to equity in the workplace

A culture of equity and inclusivity is at the heart of Columbus College of Art & Design and is key to how we define creative excellence and our institutional health.

It’s a culture that was codified in our Strategic Plan and one that has been underscored by our on-the-record commitments to a diverse and just workplace. To that end, we’re proud to say that CCAD is one of the early adopters of the Columbus Women’s Commission’s pay equity pledge, The Columbus Commitment.

As a part of the pledge, CCAD undertook a salary analysis and has deepened efforts to draw faculty and staff from a more diverse pool of applicants. “It’s a basic social justice issue in that we should pay people equitably because it’s the right thing to do,” said CCAD President Melanie Corn. “I believe diversity and inclusivity are not add-ons to excellence but are inextricable from excellence. You can’t call yourself an excellent teaching institution if you don’t have a diverse workforce.”

According to the City of Columbus, currently, women in Columbus earn 78 cents to every dollar a man earns (even lower than the national average of 80 cents to every dollar a man earns). And the national statistics are even worse for women of color — African-American women earn 63 cents for every dollar a man earns, while Latinas earn 54 cents for every dollar a man earns.

An analysis undertaken by Director of Human Resources Linda Simpson found the college already has gender pay equity in place. And with the support of college leadership, including Provost Dona Lantz, we have intensified our efforts in drawing from a more diverse pool of job candidates.

CCAD, named a 2018 Top Workplace by Columbus CEO magazine, has an ongoing commitment to workplace equity and inclusivity that also includes:

• A new parental leave policy, effective July 1, 2018, that includes paid parental leave for all new parents with full-time positions at CCAD.
• The creation of 11 gender-neutral restroom facilities across campus, with at least one single-occupancy all gender restroom in every building.
• By the start of fall semester, free menstruation products in women’s and all-gender restrooms.

Dr. Corn joined CCAD in March 2016 as the college’s fifth — and first female — president.

“With diversity of experience and background, the thinking brought to the table around any problem will be more successful,” she said. “Particularly, as an academic institution whose student body is relatively diverse, we have a responsibility to our students to provide them with role models for success.”