The Cooper Union

On June 29, 2023, Cooper Union issued a response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which states, "Cooper does not and will not discriminate against applicants based on race, gender, religion, or socioeconomic status. Nothing in our current admissions process provides favorable or unfavorable treatment based on these factors." The statement goes on to say the following: "Today’s Supreme Court decision will not alter The Cooper Union’s commitment to inclusion. We will continue to be driven in our admissions process by our founding values. We will continue to encourage students from all backgrounds to consider applying. We will continue to evaluate applicants on the entirety of their qualifications and life experiences. We will not alter our commitment to a holistic process that treats each applicant individually. The Cooper Union remains an open and welcoming place for all."

As part of its "Statement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," the Cooper Union Library states that it would "[c]ultivate self-awareness and empathy and provide ongoing training and support for all library staff in developing cultural competencies."

On July 12, 2023, the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at Cooper Union posted a job position opening for its Director, Engineering Student Success Program, which required candidates to include a "statement about diversity and inclusion" and to "describe your interests, experiences, and future plans for promoting diversity and inclusion (typically 1-2 pages)."

The school hosted the "Anti-racism in Thesis" Workshop. The workshop description reads, "As part of an ongoing effort at the Cooper Union’s school of architecture to decolonize the curriculum and advance anti-racist pedagogies, this workshop seeks to extend this work specifically to Thesis courses in architecture. How does decolonial and anti-racist pedagogy translate onto the Thesis syllabus, formats of conversation, and advising models? Considering the architecture design Thesis as a world-making exercise, how can the course advance an approach for “a world in which many worlds fit,” recognizing and working against the discipline’s biases and maintenance of white supremacy and other constructed hierarchies of peoples, cultures, and histories?"

The Cooper Union has provided the following resources to students and faculty.

The school has sponsored numerous events promoting anti-racist initatives, most notably the "Everyday Anti-Racism: Small Steps Toward A More Equitable Cooper Union" series.

In April 2022, the school hosted a "Race and Climate Reading Group."

On August 14, 2023, Cooper Union welcomed Lex Lancaster, the new Professor of Art History for the Fall 2023 academic year. Professor Lancaster specializes in "queer and trans contemporary art practices" and "work[s] at the intersections of contemporary art history and queer, trans, critical race, and crip theories."

Cooper's Diversity and Inclusion webpage states that its "commitment to inclusive pedagogy and curricula aims at fostering engagement, collaboration, shared understanding, and common purpose."

On April 20, 2023, Angie Beeman, Ph.D., gave a free online talk about her book, "Liberal White Supremacy," that "[argued] white supremacy is maintained not only by right-wing conservatives or racial bigots but also by progressives, who see themselves as allies to people of color."

On January 26, 2024, Cooper Union is presenting a program that focuses on how museums can be designed with diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind. The event's description reads in part as follows: "museums are just beginning to consider the spatial consequences of accessibility beyond code compliance by improving their facilities to better meet the needs of the diverse publics—people of different ages, genders, races, religions, and abilities—that they are hoping to attract."

As part of its "Statement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," the Cooper Union Library states that it would "[c]ollect and provide access to resources that represent diverse voices, promote equity and inclusion, and champion social justice" and "[d]esign, maintain, and advocate for systems and structures that eliminate bias and racism." Additionally, the library states that it would use its "purchasing power to support BIPOC-owned businesses whenever possible."