First, our faculty members are truly available to our students. The Graduate School's unique organization into fields of study -- which groups faculty by common academic interest, regardless of college or department affiliation --ensures that faculty and students across the university can share ideas and work together freely and without undue administrative barriers. Additionally, professors are usually members of more than one field, further increasing mentorship options for students. In fact, Cornell prides itself on the generally close and collegial relations within its intellectual communities -- a genuine sense of comraderie among its professors and students that would be impossible in less intimate cities and campuses. Ithaca itself is a small, friendly city where faculty and students find it easy and natural to interact outside of the classroom and laboratory.

Second, graduate research at Cornell, regardless of field, is bound by a common philosophy of academic freedom and flexibility. Therefore, (with the exception of some professional master's degree programs) no requirements for credits or courses are imposed by the Graduate School. Our students have the freedom to shape a course of study that cuts across interrelated field offerings, while working within an academic framework developed with a Special Committee of faculty advisors chosen by the student. (Some fields include a field-appointed member.) For this reason, Cornell is especially well-suited to those with cross-disciplinary interests. Such academic freedom, however, comes with the responsibility to think independently, act responsibly, and pursue one's research with self-directed passion.

Finally, recognizing our obligation to develop excellent teachers as well as researchers, most of our fields require their Ph.D. students to acquire at least one semester of teaching experience while at Cornell. In support of that policy, Cornell offers a number of teacher-training programs:

• The John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines -- while emphasizing the humanities and social sciences -- provides graduate students in all fields the opportunity to lead small undergraduate writing seminars, and even to develop their own unique course syllabi. All graduate student instructors of First-Year Writing Seminars are required to take Writing 700: Teaching Writing, a summer or fall semester one-credit course that provides a thorough pedagogical and experiential grounding in teaching.
  
  
• The Center for Teaching Excellence offers teaching assistant services, including workshops and one-to-one consultations for graduate students who seek additional teaching support. The Center for Teaching Excellence also runs the International Teaching Assistant Program, centered around EDUC 5780: Cross-cultural Classroom Dynamics, Pronunciation, and Teaching Practicum. This two-credit course, for which participating students are paid a stipend, is required for first-time international teaching assistants who are non-native English speakers (except those that demonstrate sufficient prior language proficiency).
  
  
• The College of Engineering offers its own TA Development Program, and other departments and fields offer teaching assistant training programs to their students as well.