CORNELL UNIVERSITY FAMILY GUIDE 2015–2016 THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY MISSION ornell is a private, Ivy League university and the land-grant university for CNew York State. Cornell’s mission is to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of its students, the people of New York, and others around the world. Cornell’s faculty, students, alumni, and staff strive toward these objectives in a context of freedom with responsibility. We foster initiative, integrity, and excellence, in an environment of collegiality, civility, and responsible stewardship. As the land-grant university for New York, we apply the results of our endeavors in service to our alumni, the community, the state, the nation, and the world. voices stories of insight and experience Read Cornell’s Voices publication, a collection of essays by faculty, staff, students, and alumni that broadly paints a picture of life at Cornell for the families of new students. The articles of personal refl ection include a bit of advice, a brief presentation of institutional roles, and a deeper understanding of Cornell’s ethos and traditions. Articles are accompanied with links, references, and information on university resources. Voices is available online at: dos.cornell.edu/VOICES.cfm FROM THE DEAN OF STUDENTS I am pleased to welcome you to the Cornell community. We value families as our most important partners in supporting students’ growth and development, and we look forward to working with you while your student is at Cornell. Sending a child off to college signals the beginning of a transformation in family relationships. You have been actively involved in your student’s education, but while parental support is also critical in college, it takes a diff erent form. Your student is learning to govern his or her own life and explore diff erent beliefs and values. For many parents, stepping back and watching this exploration can be a challenge. Families should continue to play an important role in off ering support and guidance. Listening, raising questions, and identifying sources of information are concrete ways to help your student learn how to make decisions and make the best use of Cornell’s resources. We appreciate how much growing up students do while in college. A great deal of emotional and social development takes place during their years at Cornell. Of course, as students learn to make decisions for themselves, they may make mistakes and will certainly face the normal ups and downs of the undergraduate experience. We strive to create a supportive community environment in which students have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. With each successive year at Cornell, we see students acquire increased mastery over their academic and personal lives. Cornell embraces the tradition of freedom with responsibility aptly stated by Carl Becker, former Cornell professor emeritus of history and university historian: If there be any intangible possession which distinguishes this university, it is the tradition of freedom united with responsibility—freedom to do what one chooses, responsibility for what one chooses to do. Learning how to fi nd answers to their own questions is one of the most important skills students can gain at Cornell. Whether your student is coming to college for the fi rst time or is a transfer student, this guide identifi es many of the resources and support services that you can encourage your student to use. Th e guide also outlines some common situations, such as changing majors or even colleges at Cornell, so you can understand these developments should they arise. In addition, you may fi nd the educational records and student privacy section helpful in understanding our principles and legal obligations to treat your children as a young adults. We hope this guide, the wealth of information outlined on Cornell’s website specifi cally for parents at parents.cornell.edu, and our Voices publication will help you direct your students to the appropriate services at Cornell. I hope to see you at New Student Orientation in August. Having sent two children to Cornell, I appreciate what an exciting and challenging experience this can be. Enjoy this time as your students become Cornellians and adults! I look forward to getting to know you and your students and stand ready to help as needed. Cordially, Kent Lovering Hubbell ’67 Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students 1 The first-year experience at cornell Th e First-Year Experience (FYE) at Cornell provides an orientation to the university, eases the transition to university life, and helps students fl ourish during their crucial fi rst year. Th e FYE is based upon a set of goals for a shared experience for new undergraduate students at Cornell. Th e goals are divided into six categories: academic/intellectual; community principles; diversity and inclusiveness; ethical judgment and action; health, well-being, and developmental; and Cornell traditions and history. The North Campus Living–Learning Community All fi rst-year students live together on North Campus as part of a living–learning community that fosters academic and intellectual learning, personal development, holistic well-being, and a sense of belonging and connectedness. Faculty-in-Residence (faculty members who live in the residences) and Faculty Fellows play pivotal roles, allowing students to make meaningful connections with faculty members, inspiring learning outside the classroom, making the residence halls a space for learning as well as living, deepening students’ intellectual experiences, and reinforcing the centrality of intellectual life at the university. Also central are the live-in, professional Residence Hall Directors (RHDs), who, with the help of their student Resident Advisors (RAs), create a vibrant, healthy living environment. New Student Orientation 607.255.5808 • 3058 S. Balch Hall • dos.cornell.edu/residential-new-student-programs/orientation Th e First-Year Experience starts with a four-day New Student Orientation in late August, which is designed to make the transition to Cornell as seamless as possible and introduce students to Cornell’s academic, intellectual, cultural, co-curricular, and social opportunities. Students begin to acclimate to their new home and make new friends through small-group sessions with student Orientation Leaders, fl oor meetings with student Resident Advisors, college sessions, and a host of social activities. Th rough both university and college-specifi c programs, new students are introduced to Cornell’s academic and intellectual off erings, academic expectations, and resources and services to support their academic goals and enhance their academic skills. New students exercise their intellectual curiosity and interact with faculty members outside the classroom through the Explore! Series and many other intellectual off erings. Students are introduced to the university’s values, including Cornell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, integrity, and civic responsibility. During the orientation program Tapestry of Possibilities: Diversity at Cornell, an on-campus, student theater troupe performs thought-provoking and engaging material on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, and other topics. Th e performances are followed by small-group discussions, moderated by Cornell faculty members and administrators. During an orientation program about academic integrity, students are introduced to the importance of academic honesty and respect for intellectual ideas. Th e program Real Students, Reel Stories introduces students to the concept of Cornell as a caring community, to the importance of asking for help when needed, and to the multitude of campus resources to support students’ holistic well-being and life pursuits. Th rough video stories in which Cornell students and alumni share their challenges and triumphs, new students learn how to navigate their fi rst year and thrive. 2 The Carol Tatkon Center—An Intellectual, Support, and Resource Center for First-Year Students 607.253.4282 • 3058 S. Balch Hall • dos.cornell.edu/residential-new-student-programs/tatkon-center-fi rst-year-students Th e Carol Tatkon Center, located in South Balch Hall, is a vital support and resource center for new students. Its mission is to serve fi rst-year and transfer students, and its location, at the base of North Campus, makes it easy to stop by for help or as a good late-night study spot close to the residence halls. Th e Center (frequently referred to as the ‘Tat’) was created to connect the academic heart of the university with the residential center of student life on north campus. It serves as a gateway to all the possibilities Cornell off ers. Th rough the center, students connect with resources that foster and shape their academic pursuits, career interests, interpersonal relationships, and personal values. Th e center is open over 70 hours each week and is staff ed at all times by friendly, upper-level students who provide practical advice and an experienced perspective, and whose motto is “Ask Us Anything!” Regularly scheduled programming and services include: • Writing Walk-in Service • Weekly Let’s Talk drop-in counselling with a Gannett counselor • Reading Strategies Lab, one-on-one help • Study Skills Workshops presented by the Learning Strategies Center • Weekly math study groups