Academic and Student Affairs

Email jan.allen@cornell.edu or phone (607) 255-4603. Appointments by phone and by Zoom (video or audio only). To schedule an appointment, please email her or schedule one online.

Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center

The Big Red Barn dining remains closed. Please watch for further news on Barn reopening plans via the email list. We will continue hosting events for graduate and professional students remotely.

Careers Beyond Academia

Careers Beyond Academia is available via Zoom for individual or small group consultations. Please know Denise DiRienzo and Susi Varvayanis are here for consults and skill building sessions to help you explore, prepare for, and test drive careers. All doctoral students and postdocs can contact Careers Beyond Academia.

Fellowships and Funding

Email grad_funding@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5818.

Future Faculty and Academic Careers

Book an appointment with Future Faculty and Academic Careers to discuss CIRTL certificates, the academic job search, Teaching as Research, or for a general consultation about future faculty and academic career preparation.

Inclusion and Student Engagement

Make an appointment with Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student Engagement, Sara Xayarath Hernández, by emailing sh267@cornell.edu with your availability using dates and times (EST), the purpose and urgency of the appointment, and the preferred mode of connection: video conference (Zoom or WhatsApp) or voice call (telephone or WhatsApp).

Office of Postdoctoral Studies

Make an appointment to discuss the academic job search and how to apply for a postdoc position with Director of Postdoctoral Studies Program Christine Holmes by emailing ch18@cornell.edu. She will hold all meetings via Zoom or telephone.

Student Services

Email gradstudserv@cornell.edu or call 607-255-5820. Email monitored 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Student Life

Make an appointment with Senior Assistant Dean Janna Lamey by emailing janna.lamey@cornell.edu. She will have expanded hours and hold all individual and group meetings via Zoom, Skype, or telephone.

Dean’s Office

Please send questions or concerns to gradschooldeans@cornell.edu or 607-255-5864. We will respond as soon as we can.

Mask requirements have been lifted for the majority of on-campus locations beginning today, Monday, March 14. High quality masks continue to be required in the following spaces and circumstances:

• Students and instructors in classrooms, laboratories, and similar teaching settings. 
• Health care and COVID-19 testing facilities (including Cornell Health). 
• Buses and Cornell-owned vehicles being utilized for multi-occupancy travel.

The choice to continue masking, even when not required, is a personal one, and no one should be made to feel uncomfortable because of their choice. Read the March 11 update and learn more about campus mask guidance.

Dear Cornell Graduate and Professional Students:

As referenced in last week’s message to the Ithaca campus, all students are asked to test before and after the upcoming break in instruction (Spring Break: April 2-10), regardless of whether you plan to travel.

With the increase in COVID-19 cases, in part due to the highly contagious BA.2 variant, it is important for all community members to remain vigilant against the virus. We also encourage you to consider wearing masks when traveling or gathering with friends. KN-95 masks are available at all Cornell COVID-19 testing locations.

In the coming days, please take the following steps:

• Pick up two antigen test kits from any COVID-19 testing site on campus.
• Complete one antigen test prior on or before April 2 and submit the results to the Daily Check.
• Complete the second test by April 10 or before returning to campus and submit the results to the Daily Check.
• Extended testing hours will be offered at WSH, PRCC, and West Campus test sites from April 9-13. CVM and East Hill will be open during regular hours.

If you are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, you may obtain a symptomatic test on campus; if your symptoms are severe, stay home and seek medical attention. Additionally, supplemental and opt-in surveillance testing remain available to all for the remainder of the semester.

Whether you will be traveling or continuing your studies and research on a quieter campus, please take time for yourself and recharge as you prepare for the remainder of the spring semester.

Sincerely,

Ryan Lombardi
Vice President for Student and Campus Life

Kathryn Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

• If you have received a booster, upload the information by Monday, February 14th. Students who have not uploaded evidence of receiving their booster vaccine to Daily Check will be automatically enrolled in twice weekly PCR testing for COVID-19. 

• If you have not received a booster, please schedule one as soon as possible. Boosters are available at Cornell Health, local pharmacies, and health care providers. Then, upload the information into Daily Check as soon as you can. You will be released from twice weekly testing as soon as your booster vaccine confirmation is processed. 

Find a Booster

• Cornell Health: Moderna and Pfizer boosters are available to students at Cornell Health. Call for an appointment: 607-255-5155
• Local Pharmacies
• Vaccines.gov 
• Your own health care practitioner

To avoid twice weekly testing, please log in to your Daily Check and upload your booster shot information as soon as possible.

As of February 14, students who have not uploaded evidence of receiving their booster vaccine will be automatically enrolled in twice weekly PCR testing for COVID-19.

To avoid the need for twice weekly testing, please log in to your Daily Check and upload your booster shot information as soon as possible.

In addition to the campus updates listed on Cornell’s COVID-19 website, take a moment to review updated Cornell Athletics spectator guidelines, fitness center hours and capacity updates, and guidance for in-person student organization meetings and events. Remember, Cornell Dining eateries returned to regular service on Feb. 7 along with the start of in-person classes.

Please continue to check the COVID-19 website for important updates throughout the semester.

Guidelines for evaluating individual teaching assistant (TA) or graduate instructor requests to provide online/remote instruction options have been posted. These address the university’s overall goal of providing in-person instruction.

Guidelines cover the following:

• Requests for online/remote instruction for programmatic reasons
• Requests for online/remote instruction when TAs and graduate instructors are temporarily unable to teach in-person
• Requests for online/remote instruction in response to graduate instructors who are unable to teach in-person for more than seven days
• Other noteworthy points

See the new Guidelines for Teaching Assistant and Instructor Requests for Spring 2022 page for full guidelines.

Dear Cornell Graduate and Professional Students: 

Last week, Cornell announced details for the start of the spring semester, including virtual instruction through Feb. 4, which will allow us to provide academic continuity as students move back to campus. Today, we are sharing further details on reentry protocols for graduate and professional students.

Reporting positive test results

Any student who tested positive since the end of the fall semester must report their positive result through the Self-Reported Positive form on Daily Check as soon as possible. This includes any graduate and professional student who tested positive outside of the region, through a home antigen test or through other non-Cornell or Cayuga Medical Center testing.

Students who have recently tested positive will be exempt from testing for up to 90 days from the date of their positive result. Students who were positive through Cornell or CMC testing during the fall semester have already had their status updated in the Daily Check. When the 90 day period expires, students will return to required testing if applicable. All students should continue to refer to the Daily Check to confirm their testing status.

Pre-Departure testing

All students who left the Ithaca area over the break must obtain a negative pre-departure test within 3 days of departure for Ithaca. If possible use an at-home antigen kit 24 hours prior to departure. We recognize that test availability varies and that this may not be possible in all circumstances. Report any pre-departure test using the Self-Reported Testing form on your Daily Check homepage.

Students who test positive prior to departing should isolate where they are and delay travel to campus until they have completed the required isolation period. International students who are required to submit a negative test in order to depart for the United States may submit this as their pre-departure test.

Graduate and professional students who did not leave the area over the break, and have not tested positive within the past 90 days, are required to receive a negative test before returning to work or campus (or continue with regular testing schedule, where applicable). Ideally, these students should schedule a supplemental test 2 days before returning to work/campus.

Graduate and professional students (except Law, CVM, MBA)

In addition to pre-departure testing, if applicable, students will receive an email prompting them to schedule an arrival test at a Cornell testing site through the Daily Check. Your test date will be based on the arrival date you provided in the winter/spring checklist. This test must be completed within 24 hours of your arrival in Ithaca.

Please note: Log in and update your arrival date in the Winter/Spring Checklist as soon as possible.

Graduate students living on-campus and all Law, CVM, MBA students

In addition to pre-departure testing, students who have not tested positive in the past 90 days must complete arrival testing and enhanced arrival testing.

• Arrival Testing: On the day of your arrival, you will pick up an antigen test from any Cornell test site. You will be responsible for uploading results of this test to the Self-Reported Testing form in Daily Check the same day. There will be no grace period for a missed test.
• Law, CVM, MBA – Enhanced Arrival Testing: These students will be automatically enrolled in twice weekly enhanced arrival testing as assigned through the Daily Check. This will be completed with PCR testing at Cornell test sites. The grace period to complete this test has been reduced to 24 hours.
• On-campus graduate students – Enhanced Arrival Testing: Following arrival testing, you will complete twice weekly antigen testing through Feb 4. Tests will be available for pick up at the RPCC, Willard Straight Hall, West Campus, and Bartels testing sites throughout the Enhanced Testing period. You are responsible for completing and uploading the result from each test to the Self-Reported Testing form on your Daily Check homepage on the day you are assigned. Testing results not uploaded on the required date will result in campus access restrictions, including Canvas the next day. There will be no grace period for a missed test.

Please note: Log in and update your arrival date in the Winter/Spring Checklist as soon as possible.

Unvaccinated students with university exemptions will be required to continue twice weekly testing for the duration of the semester.

Ongoing testing

Supplemental testing and opt-in weekly testing will remain available to all students through the Daily Check.

High-quality masks

In addition to vaccination, wearing a high-quality, well-fitting mask continues to be one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from COVID-19. It is our expectation that students, faculty, staff and visitors will wear high-quality masks (e.g., medical/surgical mask, KN95, KF95, N95, or FFP2) when indoors. Masks should also be worn outdoors when physical distancing is not feasible. Masks will be made available to anyone who needs one. Students can pick up masks at any Cornell test site.

Daily Check

Until further notice, all graduate students who come to campus must complete the Daily Check. This is a requirement of the New York State HERO act. As always, please do not come to work if you are ill.

Graduate and Professional Student Town Hall

A town hall to help answer specific questions that you may have has been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13 at 12 p.m. ET.

Thank you for your attention to these important procedures as we prepare for the start of the spring semester.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Dear Graduate Students,

Earlier this evening, Cornell sent a start of the semester message to all students. Below are additional updates about graduate student testing, remote and on-campus work, and living on campus in close proximity to undergraduates.

Best wishes,
Kathryn

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Graduate Student Testing and On-Campus Work

Any graduate student who tests positive outside of the region, through a home antigen test or through other non-Cornell or Cayuga Medical Center testing should upload their result to the “Self-Reported Positive” form in the Daily Check.

All graduate students should test before returning to on-site work. Please schedule a test at one of Cornell’s PCR sites through the Daily Check prior to your return to a campus office or facility.

Remote Work

While campus offices and labs remain open, graduate students who can continue to work remotely should do so until Tuesday, Jan. 18, pending other instructions from supervisors.

Graduate Students Living On Campus

Graduate students who live on campus in close proximity to undergraduates (for example, resident advisors) will be required to complete an arrival antigen test the day they move in and then participate in the twice weekly extended arrival testing.

Graduate Students Who Left the Area

Graduate students who left the area will need to complete the pre-departure test and arrival test but will not be required to do the twice weekly testing for the first two weeks back, as required for undergraduate and professional students.

Graduate students are welcome to opt-in to weekly testing as was the case last semester. Supplemental testing will remain available for all graduate students throughout the semester.

Graduate Students Who Remained in the Area

Students who were tested during the fall semester and who remained in the area and continued testing over the break. These students are asked to continue their normal surveillance testing frequency.

Unvaccinated Graduate Students

Unvaccinated graduate students with university exemptions will be required to continue twice weekly testing for the duration of the semester.

Daily Check

Until further notice, all graduate students who come to campus must complete the Daily Check. This is a requirement of the New York State HERO act. As always, please do not come to work if you are ill.

Dear Graduate Students,

I’m writing to address several questions that you may have in response to the recent change in University COVID Alert Level to Red.

For teaching assistants: The biggest immediate impact is to shift remaining final exams to remote format. Some exams may be canceled, postponed, or restructured. Graduate TAs may be asked to assist with this as long as your duties do not require in-person contact with undergraduates or exceed the normal 20 hour/week limits. It’s possible that these changes may push exam grading into January. Most TA appointments extend through January 5^th. We anticipate additional guidance for any cases where exams or grading may need to extend beyond that date. Please remember that December 24^th – January 1^st are university holidays so you should not be assigned duties during this time unless arrangements are made in advance and an offer of time away is made. We are sending a reminder to the graduate fields as well.

Research: President Pollack’s message does not enact a full campus closure or stop in-person faculty or graduate student research activities. Research facilities remain open but we are encouraging anyone remaining on campus to minimize group gatherings and use online meeting options when practical. You should continue to emphasize social distancing, mask use, and proper sanitation. Libraries will be closed to all students, including graduate students, at least for the time being. We are hopeful that this will be a short disruption but that will depend on how quickly this surge in COVID cases can be managed.

Academic progress: Graduate student Q, A, M, and B exams should be held remotely whenever possible. The Graduate School staff remain available to meet with students by phone, Zoom, or MS/Microsoft Teams through December 23^rd, and again beginning on January 3^rd.

General information for current students: We understand that many of you are not departing campus at the end of this term. However, although most PhD, MA, and MS students were not required to be in the weekly surveillance testing program, all students are required to be tested for COVID before they begin any travel. So far the vast majority of positive cases are among undergraduates and the university is prioritizing this population for tests this week before they travel home. The Graduate School will send messages directly to graduate students and copy fields as soon as we have more information to share.

I know that this is not how we hoped to end a challenging fall semester. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Kathryn

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

I’m forwarding a message that was just sent to faculty instructors. It addresses in-person final exams. If you have any questions please contact your supervising instructor, the associate dean of the college that offers the class, or ovpue-covid.instruction@cornell.edu for further guidance. You are also welcome to contact the Graduate School and we can help connect you with support.

Best wishes,
Kathryn

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

December 11, 2021

Dear colleagues,

This afternoon, the university sent a communication to students describing the recent concerning increase in COVID-19 cases, including the presence of the Omicron variant on the Ithaca campus. The current spike is primarily within our student body and is associated with transmission at unmasked social gatherings. Fortunately, we continue to see only mild symptoms in our affected students and have no documented spread among students in the classroom.

The University has banned all in-person student social gatherings for the remainder of the semester. Today’s message also strongly encouraged students traveling for the winter break to leave Ithaca or Geneva as soon as possible after completing in-person exams. De-densifying campus as quickly as possible is in the best interest of our community.

However, an increasing number of students are now in isolation, including some who have been advised by the health department to isolate at home. In the upcoming days, you are likely to hear from these students who have questions about how to complete assignments, projects, and exams. Students have been reminded to contact their instructors directly to discuss accommodations. Additional information, including an FAQ, is available on Cornell’s COVID-19 website.

You may also hear from students trying to heed guidance to quickly leave campus. These students may benefit from modest extensions. If you are able and inclined, please know that the absolute final deadline for submitting fall semester grades is 8 a.m. on January 6. After that date, students would need to be given an incomplete (“INC”) until they are able to complete their work.

We ask those who make the decision to move final exams online, to please communicate the change in exam modality to students, as well as to your college registrar.

Thank you for doing everything possible to keep our community safe. Winter break is just around the corner, and is a welcomed and needed break for all of us.

Sincerely,

Mike Kotlikoff
Provost

Lisa Nishii
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Important Info for Grad Students Planning Spring Travel

We are reaching out as news breaks about the new COVID-19 variant, called Omicron. Like you, we are watching the news and science to understand better how the newest variant may impact travel. According to the WHO and CDC, it may take several weeks before we know enough to make any informed decisions, but we do not anticipate canceling travel. Each traveler must assess their own risk tolerance, and if you feel uncomfortable traveling, please speak to your advisor. At this time, there is no change in Cornell’s support of your abroad experience. However, it is incumbent upon you to monitor the news and be aware of any government-imposed regulations or travel restrictions and any communication or guidance from your host program or university. We encourage you to take advantage of the availability of booster shots. Not only is this a preventative measure against the virus, but your destination may require such during your time abroad. Acquiring the booster when abroad may be costly and complex. If you have medical questions before you leave or while traveling, International SOS stands ready to assist. Prior to travel, students can also reach out to Cornell Health Travel Services. All travelers can reach out to Cornell’s International Travel Health and Safety team at intlsafety@cornell.edu at any time.

Please continue to check the campus COVID site for updates on the Omicron variant.

Chris Cook
Associate Director of International Travel Health and Safety
Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs

Guidance for Cornell-sponsored Winter Gatherings

As the semester draws near, we recognize the importance of departments, units, and student groups to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of the year. These guidelines are a carveout of the current COVID-19 event guidance to allow for such gatherings from December 8, 2021 to January 23, 2022. Please note that these guidelines are for specific winter celebrations and do not replace our guidance for routine or more typical academic or business-related gatherings.

This guidance applies to the Ithaca campus, Geneva, and Cornell in Washington. Winter gatherings hosted at Cornell Tech or in NYC must follow additional local guidance as defined under the Key to NYC regulation. Please be cognizant that we are still seeing cases of COVID, including among our employees and students, even if vaccinated. Strict adherence to this winter gathering guidance is necessary for the health and safety of our community.

Read the full guidelines.

Surveillance Testing Opt in Program

Effective today, October 4th, graduate and professional students who are not mandated for surveillance testing may opt in to weekly, scheduled surveillance testing. Unlike supplemental testing, which covers on-demand occasional use, surveillance testing provides you with the consistency and formality of a weekly, scheduled testing program. The surveillance testing opt in program functions just as mandatory surveillance testing, i.e., you will receive weekly testing messages and reminders and will be accountable for the completion of your weekly tests. Once you have opted in to surveillance testing, you are allowed to opt out; however, you will not be able to opt in a second time.

The surveillance testing opt in program is open to all Ithaca/Geneva graduate and professional students. To register, sign into the Daily Check app and select the “Opt in to scheduled surveillance testing” button. Please allow up to two hours for your request to process, then visit the Daily Check homepage to view your assigned testing day. If your assigned day will not work with your work schedule, use the Daily Check to select your preferred testing day where there is capacity.

Once enrolled, it is your responsibility to get tested on the assigned day of the week consistent with your testing frequency. If traveling will cause you to miss a required surveillance test, use the “Submit or Change Travel” button available on your Daily Check homepage to pause your testing requirement.

For further details on the surveillance testing program including scheduling, notifications, and location and hours of testing sites, visit the Cornell COVID-19 website.

Update and Reminder about Daily Check

On Friday, Cornell moved to COVID-19 Alert Level Green status in response to a decline in cases on campus. Provost Michael Kotlikoff, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi, and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Opperman issued a statement about the change in status.

Today, Cornell clarified which students must still complete the Daily Check in compliance with the NY-HERO Act. An update is a posted on the Cornell’s COVID-19 website. Students are not required to complete the Daily Check unless they are employed by the university in hourly positions. Graduate students who receive a stipend (i.e., GRAs, TAs, and RAs) from the university do not need to complete the Daily Check.

For your information, the message below was sent to all primary instructors of record this afternoon.

We will continue to send you updates as they become available.

Best wishes,

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Dear colleagues,

As you well know, the university’s COVID-19 case counts have increased substantially over the last several days. These cases are known clusters within certain segments of our undergraduate student population. The large majority of these cases are asymptomatic, and likely would never have been detected but for our extensive testing protocols. I write now to give you a more detailed sense of how we are responding to such positive cases and how it may impact you in the instructional setting.

As has been the case since the start of the pandemic, we scrutinize each positive case and study possible connections among cases to understand where and how transmission may be occurring in our community. Our current data indicate that the transmission is occurring in social, athletic and co-habitation settings where individuals interact closely without masks. Although testing sites had not originally been scheduled to be open on Friday and Saturday, we conducted approximately 2,500 supplemental tests for cause over those two days to circumscribe these interactions, and these targeted tests account for the increased positivity being reported. Between Sunday and Thursday of this week, we will complete our second round of full surveillance testing of the broad undergraduate student population (i.e., not just targeted testing for cause), which will provide us with valuable information to further refine our analysis of potential patterns of transmission outside of these known circles.

The classroom setting is very different from those in which transmission is occurring, principally because everyone is masked. There are other important differences between classrooms and these social settings: the amount of physical contact among people; the propensity to shout or otherwise release respiratory droplets; and the tendency to share cups, utensils and other objects that touch mucous membranes. We continue to believe that the risk of transmission in the classroom is very low. If incoming data lead us to believe otherwise, we will inform the community and respond appropriately, potentially including alterations in teaching modality. If at any point our data suggest that infections may have occurred within a class itself, or there is reason to be concerned about elevated risks in your class, we will contact you immediately to discuss how to proceed with next steps, including partnering with you on how to communicate to students in the class.

Students who test positive are placed in mandatory isolation by the health department. Such students will likely notify you directly, but you will also receive notice through a temporary accommodation letter from Student Disability Services (SDS). (Law faculty will be contacted by the Law School’s Dean of Students on the student’s behalf.) Please know that Cornell Health and SDS are working as quickly as they can, but because of the number of cases, there will very likely be a delay between the time when a student informs you directly and when you receive an SDS temporary accommodation letter. Please remember that if you are concerned about exposure, you may elect to be tested at any time by scheduling a supplemental test through the Daily Check.

Finally, we would like to thank you for your commitment to educating students during this ongoing pandemic. We ask that you use your discretion to determine the best way to support students placed in mandatory isolation or quarantine based on the nature of your course. You might choose to record your lecture – either by audio or Zoom – but we also recognize that this may not be the best option for all classes, and that there are other low-tech alternatives that may work well. You can find ideas about technology-enabled options for supporting students who cannot attend class on the university’s COVID-19 website. If you have any questions, please first check the FAQs on the website; if you are unable to find an answer to your question, do not hesitate to contact OVPUE-COVID.instruction@cornell.edu. Either I or a member of my team will respond to you as quickly as possible.

Sincerely,

Lisa Nishii
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Earlier today, Cornell moved to a COVID-19 Yellow Alert status in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases. Provost Michael Kotlikoff, Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi, and Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Mary Opperman issued a statement about the change in status.

A few moments ago, the message below and linked here was sent to all faculty. As a reminder, if you believe you need a medical accommodation, we encourage you to contact Student Disability Services.

We will send you updates on Cornell’s changing COVID-19 Alert status as they become available.

Best wishes,

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Dear Cornell Faculty,

Thank you for all the work that you have done in preparing for the start of the academic year. The pandemic has had a profound impact on all of our daily lives and our sense of well-being, and it is therefore entirely understandable that many within our community may feel uncertain about health and safety and the risks associated with interacting with one another in person, particularly as we confront the more infectious Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. As our university message today indicates, we are now experiencing a higher than expected number of cases among students associated with informal social events and activities. We write now to outline how this increase affects in-person instruction, and to describe some important changes that we have made in response to faculty concerns.

From the beginning of the pandemic, we have followed the science and made evidence-based decisions about the operations and policies we would put in place to protect our community. Where additional safety measures could be achieved, we have implemented them even if they have gone beyond CDC guidelines. Our approach has been, and continues to be, prioritizing the health of our community, while endeavoring to provide the best residential instruction experience for our students, and the most productive academic environment for our faculty. Below we outline important measures that have been taken to protect the health of faculty, students, staff and our families and friends, as we begin in-person instruction for the fall semester. Importantly, however, as demonstrated by our recent move to COVID-19 Alert Level Yellow, we will continue to respond to new information in ways that prioritize the safety of our community.

Vaccination rates are high
The single most important protection against serious illness associated with COVID-19 is being fully vaccinated. In April 2021, we announced that all students (unless they have an approved medical or religion exemption) would be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to maintain an enrolled status during the fall semester. The vast majority of students are starting the semester fully vaccinated; students who were unable to get an FDA- or WHO-approved or authorized vaccine prior to arriving in Ithaca were vaccinated upon arrival. A few unvaccinated students have requested medical or religious exemptions, but we anticipate that over 99% of our student body will soon be vaccinated against COVID-19. Similarly, an overwhelming percentage of faculty and staff are also vaccinated. This is an enormous achievement and creates conditions on campus unlike almost any other community, and is far above the vaccination rate of our surrounding county (68%) and New York state (58%). While current vaccines confer somewhat less protection against infection with the Delta variant, and infections among vaccinated individuals do occur, these breakthrough infections are usually associated with close interactions between unmasked individuals and, most importantly, these breakthrough cases are overwhelmingly mild: vaccines are extraordinarily effective in preventing serious disease.

Testing
Perhaps our most successful strategy in keeping infection rates low since the beginning of the pandemic has been our capability to do intensive, rapid turnaround, surveillance testing to quickly isolate any infected individual and prevent spread within our community, following this up with contact tracing and extensive testing of identified contacts and others who are likely to have interacted closely with infected individuals. All unvaccinated or partially vaccinated students have been tested upon arrival and are then tested twice each week. Importantly, and beyond CDC, NYS or other guidelines, all fully vaccinated undergraduate students and fully vaccinated professional students in CVM/Law/Johnson/AAP/ILR are also required to be tested once each week. This testing exceeds almost all of our peers. Of course, a consequence of an intensive test/isolate surveillance strategy is that we identify and highlight all infections, including many that would never otherwise be recognized and counted. We anticipate the next few weeks to result in the highest positive case counts of the semester as students return to campus from areas of higher COVID-19 prevalence. Our recent message and status change highlights our commitment to continue to do what is necessary to blunt the spread of infection, including increasing testing frequency even among fully vaccinated individuals.

Masking and PPE
Wearing a mask is highly effective at preventing the spread of COVID-19. In addition to vaccination and testing, the third essential component of our public health guidance is the requirement for all members of the Cornell community to wear masks indoors under most circumstances. As announced today, we are now mandating mask wearing indoors and outdoors while on campus. Since the start of the pandemic, Cornell has provided masks to all employees who need them. Units can order masks by visiting the e-SHOP. In addition, 1,000 face shields have been distributed to college A/V teams.

While N95 respirators are indicated for healthcare workers, medical first responders and those performing limited high-risk tasks, they can be ordered via e-SHOP for “voluntary use” by faculty and staff with particular concerns to be accommodated, using guidance provided by OSHA and Cornell EHS (respiratory protection). Similarly, disinfectant materials will also be distributed and available outside classrooms as of Monday.

The university has provided additional masking guidance for eating and drinking while indoors, as well as mask and food and beverage restrictions at certain meetings or events.

• Masking guidance for indoor eating and drinking
• Event guidance

Classroom safety
In-person teaching, research and engagement is at the heart of what we do as educators at Cornell and is of vital importance to our students. In making the decision to hold in-person classes this semester, we weighed numerous factors, all driven by careful modeling of transmission characteristics of the Delta variant. Importantly, the comprehensive process in place for responding to faculty concerns about their own or a family member’s underlying health conditions has enabled us to identify the most appropriate solution based on the facts of each case, including in some instances allowing faculty to teach remotely when doing so best serves both faculty and student interests. Please contact the Medical Leaves Administration office (MLA) to discuss disability-related workplace accommodations.

We emphasize, however, that teaching students, 99% of whom are fully vaccinated, from a reasonable distance, while masked and regularly tested presents far less risk than many everyday activities outside of the university community, like going to the grocery store, getting your hair cut, or taking a child to a group activity. Each of these measures (masks, vaccination, physical distance and testing) offers protection. Together, they multiply to provide protection far surpassing the safety of many environments outside the university.

First, properly worn surgical masks both significantly reduce an infectious person’s chance of infecting others and reduce the exposed person’s chance of becoming infected. When both wear a mask, the protection is compounded (Howard, et. al.).

Second, vaccination further protects instructors: Recent studies indicate that vaccination reduces an infected student’s ability to transmit by roughly 50% (Harris, et. al.), and reduces the instructor’s risk of being infected by approximately 66% (Fowlkes, et. al.). At these estimated levels of individual protection, vaccines and masks together combine to reduce infections by more than 99%.

Third, regular testing, vaccination and contact tracing together will identify infected individuals quickly keeping prevalence in our classrooms very low.

These factors and others were carefully considered in a modeling effort undertaken by the Cornell COVID-19 Modeling Team over the summer to assess the risk of in-person instruction. The modeling provided guidance for developing effective transmission mitigation strategies and found the implemented strategy of masking, vaccination and testing to be extremely effective. This effort continues, incorporating data from our own environment and from rapid advances in the scientific literature.

Despite some differences (denser classes but vaccinated students), students and instructors face a risk of in-class virus transmission comparable to or lower than what they encountered over the last academic year. During that period, there were no documented cases of in-class transmission and no faculty infections related to classroom student contacts. Our testing throughout last year indicated that in all cases, transmission occurred not in classroom settings where students and faculty are masked, but associated with other social activities where masking compliance was much less rigorous.

Additional insights from this modeling can be found in the links below. A modeling report incorporating recent data will be made available on the COVID-19 Response website in the coming weeks.

• Research: Vaccines, masks, testing to minimize risk on campus
• Aug 11: Faculty and staff town hall

Indoor air quality
Similar to last year, the university continues to operate ventilation systems with increased fresh air intake and extended flush out periods at the beginning and end of workdays. The university also continues to maintain enhanced filtration within compatible air systems. Every university building has specific heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that have undergone building-by-building condition review and comply with all international and U.S. codes and standards. More rooms are being used this semester than previously simply because more in-person classes are being taught and our modeling of risk fully incorporated this broader diversity in rooms of instruction. Faculty may use conference rooms or even conduct office hours and advising sessions by Zoom if they choose, but we urge faculty to have as much in person (but distanced) interaction with students as possible.

Academic resources
As we receive questions that could impact many members of our community, we have been adding that information to the university’s COVID-19 Response website. Specific to faculty, there are several FAQs and resources posted to the Academic Policies, Instruction and Resources webpage. If you have questions that are not answered here, but would be good to include, please contact Lisa Nishii at ovpue@cornell.edu.

Going forward
One of the hallmarks of our program last year was frequent assessment of how things were faring on campus and our ability to adapt to the changing environment. This served us well as we made significant improvements to our COVID-19 response over time. We are committed to this same level of self-scrutiny this year as well. Today’s announcement of Cornell’s move to COVID-19 Alert Level Yellow, and attendant health regulations is an example of our commitment to use our data to respond quickly to changing conditions.

We will hold another faculty town hall webinar on Wednesday, Sept. 1 from 11 a.m. to noon. This will provide an additional opportunity to answer your questions about planning and safeguards for the fall semester. Please look for additional details to follow.

Again, thank you for your commitment to educating our students during a period of incredible stress for everyone. The efforts of faculty during this crisis have been inspiring and we are constantly reminded of the positive impact of these efforts on our students. As we walk the campus and experience the excitement of students who are finally returning to the classroom, we look forward to your continued support and confidence.

Sincerely,

Michael Kotlikoff
Provost

Lisa Nishii
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Earlier today, Provost Kotlikoff and Vice Provost Nishii sent a message to faculty and academic staff. It outlines expectations and guidelines for fall instruction. Because I understand that many graduate students serve as teaching assistants (TAs) and mentor students in other critical ways I’m sharing this information with you directly. Please be advised that guidance could change depending on the course of the pandemic.

In-person instruction will be the norm

Faculty, instructional staff, teaching assistants, and graduate students in general are understandably apprehensive about pandemic-related health risks. As has been repeatedly demonstrated over the course of the pandemic, the university has taken a careful and rigorously scientific approach to such risks, aimed at pursuing its academic mission while placing the highest priority on campus and community health. Our plan for the fall semester is designed to minimize the risk of virus transmission and provide a safe environment for learning and discovery. While some transmission has been observed elsewhere among groups of people with substantial vaccination rates (for example, the CDC reported on a cluster in Provincetown, Mass., where roughly three-quarters of those involved were vaccinated), our on-campus vaccination rate of 94% is higher than those other instances. Moreover, the populations in which these outbreaks occurred were not protected by regular testing, nor did they use masks at the level that they will be used by the Cornell community. Modeling from the Cornell COVID Modeling team suggests that Cornell’s testing and masking interventions will prevent such outbreaks, even with pessimistic assumptions about social contact and masking compliance. More details are available on the COVID-19 Response website.

As such, the university has determined that it is appropriate to return our students, faculty, TAs, and instructional staff to campus in order to resume normal in-person residential instruction. During such normal operations, in-person teaching is considered essential for all faculty members, TAs, and instructional staff with teaching responsibilities. Accordingly, the university will not approve requests, including those premised on the need for a disability accommodation, to substitute remote teaching for normal in-person instruction. However, for TAs with disabilities, the university routinely works to explore a wide array of possible accommodations to support their assistantship duties. Any TA in need of a disability-based accommodation should contact the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS). For graduate students who are not able to perform the essential functions of their assistantship because of a disability, SDS can advise them of other options and can help coordinate with their graduate field or appointing department. Any graduate student who needs to consider a personal or health leave for any reason is encouraged to contact Sr. Assistant Dean Janna Lamey (janna.lamey@cornell.edu) for support and assistance.

While remote teaching is not an allowable substitute for in-person instruction when our students are on campus, instructors and TAs may incorporate specific aspects or components of virtual instruction that they found particularly successful during the 2020-2021 academic year, provided that they continue to provide full in-person instruction as scheduled. This is consistent with the existing discretion of instructors to experiment with the inclusion of different modes of content delivery (e.g., providing pre-recorded lectures as class preparation and using scheduled time for discussion).

Enforcement of vaccination and testing requirements for students

COVID-19 vaccination is required for students attending the Ithaca, Geneva, and Cornell Tech campuses, and while documented medical and religious exemptions will be accommodated, the expectation is that our campuses and classrooms will overwhelmingly consist of vaccinated individuals, greatly reducing the risk of infection for all.

Students who arrive in Ithaca unvaccinated will have a limited amount of time to get vaccinated. Cornell Health currently provides vaccines to students and will be hosting vaccine clinics at the start of the fall semester to ease access to the vaccine. However, if a student fails to get vaccinated and has not received an exemption, they will be subject to progressive enforcement measures, beginning with registration and enrollment holds that will restrict access to some campus services and block enrollment actions, followed by barriers to accessing Canvas and, ultimately, withdrawal from the university.

Unvaccinated (exempted) students will be required to participate in surveillance testing two times a week. Students who fail to comply with this requirement will be restricted from making course enrollment changes, as well as from access to university Wi-Fi and Canvas.

Instructors and TAs are not required to provide remote access or record lectures

Since Cornell is returning to in-person instruction, there is no expectation that instructors or TAs will provide remote access to instruction or lecture recordings. This fall, over 15,800 course sections will be held across our diverse inventory of campus instructional spaces, with less than one quarter of classrooms equipped with the A/V technology necessary for remote instruction or recording of lectures.

Students have been informed that remote access will not be available, but they might, nevertheless, ask individual instructors for the ability to participate in classes remotely regardless. One-off decisions by faculty or TAs to allow remote access are problematic for a number of reasons and are highly discouraged. Students requesting remote access due to a disability should be directed to register with Student Disability Services to develop an accommodation plan.

International students facing extenuating circumstances (including visa difficulties and delays or travel limitations) that prevent them from arriving before the start of classes are asked to contact the student services offices in their home colleges to see whether it will be possible for them to stay on track with their courses until they arrive on campus or whether they will instead need to adjust their course schedule or fall semester plans altogether. The deadline by which students are required to arrive on campus to participate in fall classes is September 9, the last day of the course add period. Your student services office may contact you about special cases. Keep in mind that remote access to class may not always be the best solution, and that there are low-tech ways for students to keep up with class until they are able to be present in person, just as they would have prior to the pandemic.

Temporary accommodations for students

When a student is placed in isolation or quarantine, they may request a temporary accommodation through Student Disability Services (SDS). SDS will, in turn, notify instructors that the student will need flexibility in attendance, and may need alternative arrangements for assignments and/or exams. We ask that faculty use their discretion to determine the best way to support students based on the nature of their course. As noted above, faculty are not required to provide remote access to students who cannot attend class. In the majority of classrooms, remote access will not be an option because classrooms are not Zoom-enabled. Instead, lapel mic recorders will be available to capture audio recordings to accompany other course materials. College A/V teams should serve as the primary resource for faculty when electing to use technology-enabled solutions. The COVID-19 Response website has a range of other ideas for how to support students.

Classroom logistics

Classroom assignments will be published in the Class Roster by the end of this week. Requests to change the published location of a class will only be considered for the following reasons: accessibility needs; proximity to specialized equipment or other resources; and/or unforeseen changes to expected enrollment. Please keep in mind that due to significant increases in student enrollment, enrollment management complications due to the pandemic, and our return to department-managed class schedules that create space shortages at peak times, there is little slack to accommodate change requests, and that furthermore, a single change can have cascading impacts on many other classes.

Seat assignments and attendance. This fall, instructors are not required to assign seats or take attendance. Students interested in visiting a class during the course add/shopping period may do so provided there are open seats in which they can sit after all enrolled students are seated.

Indoor masking policy. As you know, we announced last week that all students, faculty, and staff must wear a mask while inside campus buildings and facilities. Current data indicates that vaccinated individuals represent a small number of transmission cases across the country and that wearing a well-fitted mask along with being vaccinated will provide maximum protection against COVID-19. While teaching, instructors can opt to use face shields instead, though we recommend that you maintain extra distance if you choose to do so. Face shields can be obtained by through college A/V teams.

In the days and weeks ahead, we will continue to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 infections on campus and in the local area, the on-campus vaccination rate, local public health guidelines, and other factors, refining and revising our models accordingly. You will be notified if it becomes necessary to adjust our plans for in-person instruction this fall. We ask that faculty not make independent decisions about moving courses online.

Thank you for all your efforts to reach our students and ensure the success of the upcoming semester. Updated guidance will be posted on the COVID-19 website as it becomes available.

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Last Friday, the Tompkins County Health Department advised that all people wear masks when gathering indoors. University leadership quickly updated campus policies to make this a requirement for all Cornell faculty, staff, and students, regardless of vaccination status. These swift policy changes may leave members of the community feeling anxious or frustrated. With over 92% of the campus community fully vaccinated, Cornell is well-positioned to weather the more contagious Delta variant.

Cornell is continuing to monitor the situation and has been developing contingency plans for this evolving public health challenge. Vaccination remains the best way to reduce the risk of severe illness. In the coming days, Cornell will send additional information about how the growth in positive COVID cases might impact fall teaching, social distancing requirements, or our ability to host in-person programming. I understand that graduate teaching assistants may be especially anxious for guidance as the start of the fall term is just a few short weeks away. For now, we are not anticipating major changes. We will share information as it becomes available.

Please be safe, wear masks, and also take time to be outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

With warm regards,

Kathryn

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

As Cornell begins planning for a fully in-person fall semester, the Graduate School is encouraging students to begin planning the transition to on-campus operations during the summer if you have not yet done so. Please keep in mind the following during your return to campus.

• Health requirements for vaccinated students – Vaccinated students have minimal restrictions and no longer need to complete the Daily Check health assessment effective July 1. (See update from June 21, 2021.)
• Health requirements for unvaccinated students – Unvaccinated students still need to participate in regularly scheduled surveillance testing (once per week), but no longer need to complete the Daily Check health assessment, if they are enrolled in summer courses/programs, conducting research, living on-campus, or employed by Cornell. (See update from June 21, 2021.)
• Facilities – While graduate students are eligible to be on campus, some facilities and building are on a phased reactivation and require users to request access. Contact building managers if you have any question about summer occupancy, hours, or limits.
• Funding and in absentia – Research travel grants, in absentia approvals, and conference travel grants are now available.
• Teaching assistantships – For Fall 2021, nearly all teaching assistantship duties will be in-person. Students who left the United States during the pandemic and plan to be supported on assistantship in the fall must return to the United States prior to their scheduled start date. There are processes for students to request special exemptions for medical accommodation or if they are stranded abroad and unable to travel. 

If you have any concerns or barriers to returning to a full on-campus experience, please contact the following people.

• Your advisor or assistantship supervisor – They may be able to offer flexibility for certain on-campus duties or modify the timeline for returning to campus for students with unique needs.
• Your director of graduate studies (DGS) – They can help broker arrangements with your advisor or connect you with other campus resources. 
• Student Disability Services – Students who need a medical accommodation should submit a formal request. 
• The Graduate School – Contact gradschooldeans@cornell.edu if you would like the Graduate School to help you explore options.

• Surveillance Testing: 
  • Fully vaccinated students are no longer required to participate in scheduled surveillance testing. 
  • Unvaccinated graduate and professional students will be tested once per week on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
  • Research degree students who requested an exemption from testing for the spring term will need to renew their exception for summer if they are still unvaccinated and are not coming to campus frequently. Look for a forthcoming email with additional instructions.
• Masks: Fully vaccinated students are not required to wear masks indoors or outside on campus, except in classrooms and residence hall common areas.  Click here for more information!
• Update the Summer Checklist: 
  • Fill out the new the Summer Checklist. 
  • Proof of vaccination should be done from the Daily Check homepage.
  • All students must complete Daily Check each day before coming to campus, even after vaccination.
• Research Reactivation: New policies allow graduate researchers to gather indoors with fewer limitations.
• Fall Courses: 
  • The University anticipates that courses will be offered primarily in-person for the fall term. 
  • Graduate and professional students who plan to enroll should make arrangements to arrive on campus before the start of the term.  
  • We do not expect that most courses will have a remote or hybrid option.
• Fall Assistantships:
  • The 2021-22 base assistantship rate has been increased by 2.2% to $28,654 for the 9-month academic year. Fellowship and summer rates have been adjusted proportionately.
  • Students must generally be in the US to hold assistantships. Only limited exceptions are possible for students who are stranded abroad and cannot return to the US.
• Vaccines:
  • Vaccination is expected to be mandatory for Fall 2021 enrollment.
  • Cornell University will accept all vaccines approved by the following three organizations: The FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the EMA (European Medical Association), and the WHO (World Health Organization). The current vaccines approved by these organizations are the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. New York State only accepts FDA-approved vaccines. This means that activities overseen by the Department of Health, such as contact tracing in the event of a positive case, will treat anyone not fully vaccinated with an FDA-approved vaccine as non-vaccinated.
• Academic Delays Due to COVID: The Graduate School is accepting petitions from students who experienced COVID-related delays and need an extension for an upcoming academic deadline. The process is intended to guide students and committees to develop realistic, actionable plans for resuming progress towards degree completion. 
• Funding Extensions:  
  • Funded graduate students who experienced academic delays due to COVID-19 should inform their committee chair and DGS if they expect to need additional funded semesters. 
  • Graduate fields are developing funding plans for students facing delays.
• Professional Development: The Graduate School Events Calendar has an array of summer offerings to support your professional development.

Cornell will hold an on-campus COVID-19 vaccine clinic for all students, faculty, and staff on Thursday, May 6, from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. in Bartels Hall. There are a limited number of doses available. Register today by visiting the state health department website.

The clinic, run in partnership with Cayuga Health System and the Tompkins County Health Department, will offer Johnson & Johnson, a single-dose vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been deemed by the CDC and FDA to be safe and effective, and was recently re-approved for use by the CDC, FDA, and New York state following extremely rare reports of blood clots in adult women younger than 50 years old. For more information on the vaccine’s safety, please visit the TCHD website.

Please see the important message below from Medical Director Anne Jones about Cornell’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic this Friday.

____________________________________________________

Dear Students,
The Tompkins County Health Department, in partnership with Cayuga Health systems and Cornell, will be conducting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at Bartels Hall (554 Campus Road) on Friday, April 23rd. It will be a Moderna vaccine clinic and anyone 18 years old or older is eligible. Your second dose will be administered May 25th at the same location.

Below is a link to register for an appointment. Please register as soon as you receive the link below and bring photo identification, insurance card if you have it, and proof of appointment with you to the clinic.

Friday, April 23rd 18 years old and older
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Anne C. Jones, DO, MPH
COVID Public Health Officer, Cornell University
Director of Medical Services, Cornell Health
Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
phone: (607) 255-5155
fax: (607) 255-7786

Pronouns: she/her/hers

For more information about Cornell Health: 607 255-5155; health.cornell.edu

Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

Please see the important message below from Medical Director Anne Jones and note the deadline for sign up is 6:00 p.m. tonight.
Warm regards,
 
Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education
____________________________________________________

Dear Students,

COVID vaccine will be available to Cornell students this Thursday, April 15 at the Ithaca Mall.  SIGN UP TODAY to get a spot for this one-dose vaccine allocated specifically for college students!!

After the hard year we’ve had, this is an amazing opportunity to get protected. A few things to know:

• COVID vaccine is the best way to protect against future infection. 
• Even if you’ve had COVID in the past, vaccine provides additional protection important for your health.
• The more people get vaccinated, the safer our community will be.
• Vaccine reactions happen, but they are typically minimal.
• Professors are expected to offer flexibility for students who need to get vaccine, or who need to recover from side effects.

Vaccine supply nationally has been such a challenge – don’t miss out on this local opportunity. Get on the vaccine registry now so that you can sign up for a spot on April 15th or receive updates related to future vaccine supply. We expect more vaccine in coming weeks and once you are registered, you will receive automatic alerts.

With the challenging week we’ve had amidst a very challenging year, now is an important time to prioritize physical and mental health. Cornell Health remains available for appointments for any symptoms, or for mental health support. (Call 607-255-5155.)

Be well and stay safe,

Anne C. Jones, DO, MPH
COVID Public Health Officer, Cornell University
Director of Medical Services, Cornell Health
Clinical Instructor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
phone: (607) 255-5155
fax: (607) 255-7786

Pronouns: she/her/hers

For more information about Cornell Health:  607 255-5155; health.cornell.edu

Earlier today, Governor Cuomo announced additional COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expansions. Starting March 30 at 8:00 a.m., all New Yorkers age 30 and older will be eligible to schedule and receive vaccines, and as of Tuesday, April 6 at 8:00 a.m., all New Yorkers age 16 and older will be eligible to schedule and receive vaccines. Use the Am-I-Eligible Form to check your eligibility and schedule an appointment.

Tompkins County is offering free bus service to the SUNY Binghamton Vaccination Center.

Dear Graduate Students,

Last Tuesday, Governor Cuomo announced new expansions of the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and the addition of 10 more state-run vaccination sites in the next couple of weeks as distribution of the vaccine continues to ramp up.

Effective immediately, the priority group eligibility for higher education now includes graduate and professional students who have paid assistantships, fellowships, or hourly positions that require in-person activities.

This includes:

• Graduate assistants who have on-campus responsibilities.
• Students on fellowships who have on-campus research or academic responsibilities.
• Hourly student workers who have on-campus duties.

This does not include:

• Students who are only attending classes on campus.
• Students who are conducting research or performing activities related to their academic requirements without an assistantship, funding, or hourly employment.

The new guidelines from the state and county only cover students if they have paid employment, fellowships, or assistantship appointments that require in-person activities. Students who are working 100% remotely are not included.

Please use the Cornell Vaccine Eligibility Attestation Tool to generate your eligibility letter. Then complete the state Am-I-Eligible Form and check the “in-person instruction” box to look for a site to make an appointment.

Warm regards,

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Teachers, instructors, and teaching assistants (TAs) with in-person instructional duties are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations during Phase 1B of New York state’s rollout.

Spring 2021 teaching assistants received information last week on how to request the necessary documentation. The names of TAs who attest to having in-person teaching duties will be shared with their program for verification.

Local vaccine supplies remain limited so eligible TAs may, unfortunately, still need to wait weeks for an appointment. Please remain patient and remember that the phased roll-out of vaccines in NY is intended to protect those at highest risk first.

Additional information on COVID-19 vaccination can be found on Cornell’s COVID-19 Vaccines webpage.

Summary Information on COVID Testing, Quarantine, and Spring Checklist

All Graduate School students, whether they stayed in the area or traveled recently, should review the latest information on the spring semester start-up. View the full details. Here are the highlights.

All students must:

• Complete Cornell’s Spring Checklist. If you have traveled, record your arrival date so surveillance testing can resume.
• Comply with NYS rules regarding testing and quarantine and complete the New York state Traveler Health form.
• Complete all required steps in Cornell Daily Check. It will provide you with personalized testing information. 

If you traveled to a contiguous state (CT, MA, PA, NJ, VT):

• Give yourself enough time in Ithaca to complete the Daily Check testing requirements prior to your need to be on campus. Testing availability the week prior to classes resuming may be limited. 

If you traveled to a non-contiguous state or another country:

• Take a test within 72 hours prior to your departure if you can.  
• Then, plan to quarantine for five days upon arrival. The checklist will guide you to complete a Cornell surveillance test on days two and four after your arrival. 
• If you are unable to obtain a test within three days prior to arriving in New York state, you are required to complete a 10-day quarantine upon arrival in NYS.
• More details about arrival requirements for students can be found on the university’s COVID-19 website. 

Surveillance testing for students in the Ithaca area remains a requirement of the Behavioral Compact. Students in research degrees who were granted an exception or reduced testing schedule will be asked to renew their requests later in January if they wish to have the exemption extended for the spring term.

Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

On Friday, November 13, Cornell moved to COVID-19 Alert Level Yellow and is urging against travel for non-essential business, including holiday visits and celebrations. 

For those who plan to remain in the Ithaca area after Thanksgiving break, please adhere strictly to all travel guidelines, including self-quarantine and testing. Many states and countries are imposing new travel-related quarantine and testing requirements, encouraging residents to stay home, and limiting business hours. This will make any travel challenging. 

With cases surging nationwide, I encourage you to consider delaying any planned travel until the public health situation improves. Most airlines are allowing cancelations or rescheduling without penalty. 

In addition, while most of us follow physical distancing and mask wearing guidelines, clusters have emerged locally due to COVID-19 fatigue and the desire to be with friends and loved ones without taking precautions. Unfortunately, it remains unsafe to gather with people outside your household when physical distancing and mask wearing cannot be maintained. 

Students who live in Ithaca are required to continue participating in surveillance testing and must complete the Daily Check health assessment. All travel must be registered with the university before departing.

I understand these measures can feel burdensome, but only through being vigilant will we be able to keep the university open for research, teaching, and the activities that are so important to each of us.

Please be safe and well!

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

We are pleased to announce that on Friday, Oct. 23rd, the university will open a new downtown testing site that is designed primarily to support COVID-19 testing for graduate and professional students living nearby or who are not regularly reporting to campus. 

Scheduling for the site will become available on the Daily Check portal on Oct. 23rd and will operate four days per week, Friday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The university testing team will monitor usage and adjust operational days and times when necessary. 

Location: 130 E. Seneca Street (across from the Ithaca Commons at the intersection of Seneca & Tioga Streets)
Days: Friday to Monday
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Please note: On Oct. 24th, this new site will operate for limited hours, 9 a.m to 1 p.m. The full schedule will resume Sunday, Oct. 25th.

As a reminder, all graduate and professional students living on campus or in the greater Ithaca area must complete the Daily Check every day, including weekends. Compliance with both the Daily Check and surveillance testing is required by the Cornell Student Behavioral Compact.

Sincerely,

Kathryn J. Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Dear Graduate Students,

Together, Cornell’s students, faculty and staff have managed to keep the incidence of COVID-19 low on campus, but it remains important for the public health of our community to keep our on-campus spaces de-densified to the extent possible. That said, we recognize the importance of allowing for more campus interaction among graduate research students who are not currently approved to be on campus and who have requested access to their office spaces. In order to meet this need, we are enabling individual departments or graduate fields to submit reactivation plans that, once approved, would provide students who wish to use their office spaces the option of doing so.

Earlier today, Directors of Graduate Studies received information outlining how they can develop plans to provide access to graduate student offices on a limited basis. These reactivation plans must meet relevant occupancy guidelines, ensure adherence to safety and other public health measures and undergo a multi-level approval process before students may return to their office spaces. If you wish to use campus facilities, please speak with your Director of Graduate Studies.

As ever, health and safety are our top priorities. Individuals who believe they are being required to work on campus in unsafe conditions should speak to their supervisor, manager, Graduate School or human resources representative. Such situations can also be reported to the Ethics Point Hotline.

Graduate students who are permitted to access on-campus spaces may be required to undergo more frequent surveillance testing. In order to provide additional testing options for students who live off campus, the university plans to open a new testing center in downtown Ithaca later this month. Details about the testing center will be announced in the coming days, and the new location will be added to the Daily Check portal once available.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Boor
Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education

Dear Cornell University Graduate and Professional Students,

We are writing to share our responses to correspondence and questions and concerns from many of our graduate and professional students around the university’s plans to provide hybrid instruction for the Fall 2020 semester. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to these questions and provide answers to each below. In addition, we encourage you to review the plan submitted to the New York State Department of Health, which provides details on the many changes we’ve made to help ensure the safest possible campus environment for faculty, staff and students.

Sincerely,

Mike Kotlikoff
Provost

Barbara Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

View the Reactivation FAQs for Graduate and Professional Students.

Cornell, Tompkins County Responses to Lifton Questions

Cornell University, Cayuga Medical Center, and the Tompkins County Health Department responded to questions from Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton regarding Cornell’s reactivation plan. The questions and responses can be found in the Ithaca Times (PDF link at top of page).

Cornell Reactivation Plan Submitted to NY State

On June 30, Cornell University announced plans for the fall 2020 semester, which includes a hybrid approach to a residential semester with classes beginning September 2 and returning home for Thanksgiving to finish the semester remotely.

These plans, further described in the Reactivation Plan document, apply to Cornell’s Ithaca campus (and Cornell AgriTech in Geneva, New York), and were informed by the university’s reactivation planning committee process and guidance from New York state (NYS) and local public health officials. Cornell is following NY Forward guidance for higher education for its reactivation planning; this document details the university’s reactivation plans in-line with the checklist for higher education provided by NYS. In some instances, Cornell relied on industry-specific guidance from NY Forward related to its operation of research labs, food service, office-based work, and retail business activities.

Read the Reactivation Plan.

New Graduate School Reactivation FAQs

The Graduate School has compiled a new page of FAQs on concerns related to the Ithaca campus reactivation. FAQs address university reactivation; classes, research, and modality; finances and funding; teaching assistants; and testing, tracing, and monitoring. Check back for updates over the next few weeks as we get more answers to your questions.

Visit the Reactivation FAQs page for regularly updated information.

Updates on Virus Modeling, Teaching Workshops and Tools

June 15 Report Addendum

The modeling team has produced this addendum to its June 15 Report. It covers issues raised on the C-TRO Frazier Modeling page and elsewhere, e.g., alternative methodologies for estimating contacts per day and transmission rate, effectiveness of increased test frequency, effect of non-compliance with testing, effect of offering testing to virtual instruction students, etc. 

Teaching Workshops and Tools

New Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) workshops on Teaching In-Person Courses with Remote Students begin Thursday, 7/30. Register for Track A: Guided Support for In-Person Courses with Remote Students or Track B: Independent Support for In-Person Courses with Remote Students.

Ally is a tool offered at Cornell to help make online course materials more accessible.

COVID-Era Laboratory Teaching: A forum for instructors to share ideas and plans for in-person labs with technology for remote participation, virtual labs, and more. Friday, 7/31, 1:00 – 2:15 p.m. via Zoom. This Community of Practice teaching event is sponsored by CTI. 

Dear Research Degree Students,

Last Thursday, Provost Kotlikoff sent a message to all Ithaca and Geneva campus faculty, staff, and graduate students regarding critical health and safety requirements for on-campus activities. I am writing to underscore the importance of compliance with these measures within the Graduate School. I urge you to re-read the entirety of the message, paying special attention to the face covering and physical distancing guidelines that are required throughout the Cornell campus and in all related facilities.

Campus

I also want to remind you that only those faculty, staff, and students who have been authorized to work or to conduct approved activities on campus are permitted in university buildings, and they must complete the Daily Check each day before arriving on campus or accessing campus facilities. If you believe that you have been approved to work or to conduct research on campus but have not received an email from HR with details on how to access the Daily Check application, please contact your department chair or research supervisor before reporting to campus. And, please note that whether or not you are cleared to return to work, if you are able to work remotely you should continue to do so. 

Guidelines

Each of us has a critical role to play in ensuring that health and safety guidelines are followed by modeling positive behaviors in our daily lives and through ongoing, peer-to-peer reinforcement from graduate students, directors of graduate studies, department chairs, supervisors, and colleagues. Following these guidelines is not optional: All community members – students, faculty, and staff – must abide by the rules. Please pay close attention to the public health messages that you receive in the coming weeks and months. I also encourage you to review the health and safety information that is updated frequently on the university’s COVID-19 and reactivation planning website. 

Teaching Assistants

In addition, as I communicated on July 2, if you anticipate being appointed as a teaching assistant (TA) for a Fall 2020 course, contact the supervisor for your TA duties to inquire what the anticipated plans are for that course. 

As I reminded faculty on July 9, departments and faculty will be determining teaching modality for Fall ’20 courses based on the pedagogical needs of the department’s curriculum and should communicate with the assigned TA about the intended modality for the TA assignment. This could be “online,” “in person,” or “either online or in person; TA may choose,” depending on the needs of the department. 

Modality and Teaching Assistants

Only if there is a mismatch between the modality the graduate student needs/prefers for the TA assignment and the modality the department has identified as required for pedagogical reasons does the process for identifying alternatives pertain. For example, if assigned to online teaching, some TAs may require assistive technology as an accommodation for a personal health condition; in these cases, the student should register with Student Disability Services (SDS) to gain the appropriate accommodation support. Or, if assigned to in-person teaching, some TAs may require accommodation for personal health protection beyond what will be standard for all in-person classes (e.g., masks, distancing). SDS will ask you to complete a Teaching Assistant Questionnaire and submit it with a Disability Self-Disclosure Form. 

Thus far, of about 1,500 TAs that SDS contacted to remind them about this process, less than 20 applied for accommodations due to personal health concerns related to their TA assignment. Accommodations may be requested at any time during the TA appointment. As a reminder, under no circumstances should a student be asked to share personal health information with a faculty member.

Thank you for continuing to stay informed about Cornell’s campus reactivation plans through the summer and heading into the fall.

Warm regards,

Barb

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Additional pandemic information for the Cornell community:

• Cornell University COVID-19 Updates
• Graduate School COVID-19 Updates
• FAQ (COVID-19)
• Resources (COVID-19)

Dear Graduate Students:

I’m writing to share additional information, following President Pollack’s 6/30/20 announcement of plans for the upcoming academic year, including some on-campus instruction beginning in early September. Please take seriously President Pollack’s guidance that “it will be critically important for each of us to adjust our individual behavior. … I am asking all of our returning Cornell community to adopt a culture of shared responsibility for our safety and well-being.”

Returning to Ithaca. If you have not yet returned to the Ithaca area but intend to do so, please be mindful of your own health and the health of others when planning your return to the local community. Be sure to review and abide by the New York State COVID-19 Travel Advisory which imposes local quarantine requirements on travelers from states/regions with high infection rates. Soon Cornell will issue detailed guidance regarding personal travel and other expectations for return to and living in the local campus area. Watch for, and follow, that guidance.

Teaching modalities. As President Pollack noted, Cornell will offer “hybrid teaching, with some classes online and some in-person.” If you will be enrolling in courses, more information will be provided about the modality of each class before you need to finalize your course selections for the fall semester. You’ll receive additional information when it is time to enroll in Fall 2020 courses. At that point, if you have any questions about which courses are appropriate for you academically or in a certain modality, contact your degree program for guidance.

Teaching assistant modalities. If you anticipate being appointed as a teaching assistant for a Fall ’20 course and you are curious about what modality the course will take (online, or a combination of in-person and remote), contact the supervisor for your TA duties to inquire what the anticipated plans are for that course. Many courses will be fully online. As President Pollack noted, behavioral modifications will be made in all in-person courses, including students and faculty wearing masks (or face shields), students sitting in assigned seats that are appropriately distanced, reduced classroom capacity, and in-person enrollment caps. For some in-person courses, student cohorts will take turns participating remotely versus in-person, to de-densify the campus. 

Research activities. If you are a research degree student, keep in mind that if you can continue to work effectively on all or portions of your research activity while remote, you should continue to do so. If you are seeking to be approved to resume on-campus research activity, contact your faculty advisor or research supervisor so they can begin the process of requesting approval from their department and college for your return to on-campus research. If you are approved to conduct on-campus research activity, be sure to first complete the online training EHS 2019: Return to Campus Health and Safety COVID-19 (this can be completed at any time), complete the Daily Check each day before coming onto campus, and wear a cloth face covering/mask when inside campus buildings and maintain physical distancing.

Accommodations for students with personal health concerns. Graduate students concerned about their own health related to potentially returning to on-campus activities and wishing to seek accommodations should register through Student Disability Services (SDS); additional details are in this chart. The process is designed to be straight-forward and respectful of student privacy. I have reminded faculty that they should NOT discuss medical issues with students and should refer students to SDS if they express concerns about their personal health, without probing for any details. Zebadiah Hall, director of SDS, has provided assurance that “SDS takes a student’s social, environmental, emotional, and biological context into account when making determinations about accommodations. In fact, SDS strives to engage with students in a way that is empowering and that discusses the needs for support within the context of the students’ lived experience. SDS acknowledges that for many students, this experience may include painful instances, or daily reminders, of ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of oppression. SDS counselors do not share with faculty members, staff, or others, any information that a student does not wish to share.”

Options for students with general concerns about in-person activities. I understand that you may have concerns about returning to campus for a variety of reasons (e.g., concerns about a household member). Speak with your committee chair, assistantship supervisor, and DGS to explore other options for fulfilling your research, scholarship, and assistantship responsibilities and continuing to make academic progress. Faculty have been instructed that if a graduate student asks for help identifying options because they have concerns, faculty should not probe for personal details about the student or their household members. Rather, faculty should acknowledge the student’s general concern about returning to campus, and work with them to identify options. The chart provides examples of what options might look like, such as conducting assistantship duties at different off-peak shift times, pivoting research activities away from lab-based to computation-based, teaching remotely, or otherwise revising assistantship duties. Faculty have also been reminded that Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, creating additional stress for many of our students, and should be aware of this context as an additional compounding factor when identifying potential options.

I have encouraged faculty and graduate fields to be creative and accommodating when exploring possible options with students, allowing remote work and learning whenever possible, and avoiding probing for any personal details about a student or their household members. If a graduate student and faculty advisor and DGS are not able to reach agreement regarding possible options to address their concerns and enable the student to continue to make academic progress or fulfill their assistantship responsibilities, the protocol in the chart should be followed to bring in others to assist in finding a solution, such as the department chair, the college dean’s office, or Jan Allen for the Graduate School as outlined. We have emphasized that a key guiding principle is to strive to foster graduate students’ abilities to complete their degrees.

Consult the university and Graduate School COVID-19 update pages for the most current information about Cornell’s status and plans, FAQs, and other useful resources.

We look forward to Cornell’s continued reactivation and to taking the next steps towards a safe and productive fall semester. There will most certainly be challenges in the coming year. I am confident that, striving together, we will rise to meet them.

Warm regards,

Barb

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Additional pandemic information for the Cornell Community:

• Cornell University COVID-19 Updates
• Graduate School COVID-19 Updates
• FAQ (COVID-19)
• Resources (COVID-19)

Dear Research Degree Graduate Students:

For those of you who have remained in the local area, you may be invited to participate in the next phase of reactivating campus-based research and scholarly activities as the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions become cleared for Phase 4 reopening by New York state. The information for Cornell faculty and staff shared in the announcement below may be of interest to you.

Please remember:

• If you are not already residing in the local area (e.g., Southern Tier or Finger Lakes region), your possible return to campus-based activities will be announced at a later date.
• If you are already residing in the local area and have not been approved to return to campus by the department and college in which your research activity occurs and informed of this approval by your faculty advisor or supervisor, you should not come to campus. You may wish to reach out to your faculty advisor/supervisor to inquire whether your advisor/supervisor plans to prepare a research/scholarship reactivation proposal that includes your possible return to campus in the coming weeks.
• If you are currently engaged remotely in your research and scholarly activities, you should continue to work remotely until an approved return plan is in place. Your faculty advisor/supervisor will inform you when a return plan has been approved.
• Once approved for return to campus for research and scholarly activities, you will need to complete the EHS 2019 – Return to Campus Health and Safety Training for COVID-19 before you return to campus for the first time. In addition, you will be required to complete the Daily Check on each day that you will be on campus, even if just for part of a day. Review the FAQ about the Daily Check.
• Specific accommodation processes for addressing graduate students’ concerns related to returning to on-campus activities are available. Students with personal health concerns should contact Student Disability Services to identify appropriate accommodations and should not discuss medical issues with faculty.
• You are encouraged to follow the recommended preventative measures to avoid exposure to the virus causing COVID-19.

If you have questions, please contact gradschooldeans@cornell.edu.

Warm regards,

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Additional pandemic information for the Cornell Community:

• Cornell University COVID-19 Updates
• Graduate School COVID-19 Updates
  • FAQ (COVID-19)
  • Resources (COVID-19)

Dear Colleagues,

The Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, which include our campuses in Ithaca and Geneva, are expected to be cleared by the state for Phase 4 reopening later today. This is welcome news as we continue to implement the university’s phased approach to campus reactivation and finalize plans for the fall semester.

In line with guidance provided earlier this month, faculty and staff must continue to work remotely, unless cleared to return to work on campus by your dean, department chair or supervisor. Even when cleared to return, individuals who can work effectively while remote should continue to do so until further notice. This is extremely important if we are to maintain 50% building capacity. However, faculty and staff whose work requires, or is markedly enhanced by, use of university facilities, may now begin to do so under guidance provided by our reactivation plan. As with research reactivation, plans should be submitted to departments or appropriate supervisory units, reviewed by the dean or appropriate administrative lead, and submitted for approval to Deputy Provost John Siliciano and Vice President Mary Opperman. As with earlier reopening benchmarks, our campuses in New York City remain on a different timetable for reactivation and are excluded from this latest guidance.

On Monday, we introduced Daily Check, an online screening system that will send daily reminders to employees who have been approved to work or conduct research on campus to complete a brief health assessment each day prior to arriving on campus or at a Cornell facility. We very much appreciate our community’s compliance with this new measure, which is required by New York state. We will continue to refine and improve the system based on your feedback. For additional information on Daily Check, or other workplace guidelines, please review the Working During COVID-19 guide issued by Human Resources last week.

As President Pollack announced on Monday, the Teaching Reactivation Options Committee and Preparation for Online Teaching Committee have released their recommendations for reactivating campus. These are being carefully reviewed and will guide Cornell’s plan for the fall semester, which is expected to be announced soon. 

Sincerely,

Michael Kotlikoff
Provost

Mary Opperman
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Dear Incoming Students,

As Cornell University prepares to finalize and release plans for fall instruction in the coming days I am writing to share several important updates. On Monday, President Martha Pollack posted an open letter to the Cornell community and offered links to two comprehensive reports on teaching reactivation and preparations for online teaching. These reports describe the considerations that will go into final decisions about the form of instruction in the fall, potentially a combination of on-campus and remote options. The university will announce final decisions about fall instruction in early July.

I know that many incoming graduate and professional students are eager to have greater certainty on what to expect this fall as you finalize housing arrangements, book travel or possibly develop plans for remote study. As soon as the final plans are released the Graduate School will contact you again with more information.  Below are FAQs that we just posted for admitted students. Urgent questions can be directed to your graduate field, but they will not have any additional information about fall instruction until a final decision is released by the university. We appreciate your patience and understanding.               

Warm regards,

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Frequently Asked Questions

Will instruction be in-person, online, or a hybrid?

A decision about fall semester instruction is anticipated in early July. Committees made up of Cornell faculty, students, and staff recently submitted to President Pollack two reports on teaching reactivation and preparations for online teaching. These comprehensive documents outline how instruction could be offered using a combination of in-person and remote formats, with possible options for students who cannot travel to campus. Cornell’s president and Board of Trustees will consider these reports and make a final decision by early July, with guidance from New York State.

What is the semester start date?

The start date for fall classes will be finalized at the same time a decision about the format of instruction is made, in early July. Current proposals focus on late August or early September for the start of the semester, but final decisions have not been made.

How late can I arrive for in-person instruction? What if I can’t get a visa/travel restrictions aren’t lifted in time, can I attend online, or will I need to defer?

Students should generally plan to arrive prior to the first day of fall classes. This year, it may be necessary to allow extra time for any mandatory isolation period following your arrival to the Cornell region or for coronavirus testing. More information from the university about travel planning and arrival procedures will be forthcoming.

Will there be a tuition discount for online instruction? Will I still receive funding?

Cornell tuition rates are set by degree programs and do not vary based on whether students are participating remotely or in-person. Scholarship and fellowship aid is generally available to students without regard to their location, as long as they are making full-time academic progress. Students who were offered funding as a Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (GRA or RA) should consult with their graduate field to explore whether those duties could be performed remotely. In addition, Cornell policy limits the location of graduate assistants to being within the U.S. except under very specific circumstances.    

Do I have to self-quarantine upon arrival? Can my I-20 start date be adjusted to accommodate a mandatory self-quarantine?

Cornell is committed to following all applicable state and federal guidelines to protect the safety of the campus community. Requirements may include asking arriving students to self-quarantine and, or, undergo testing. If you can attend online orientation and start classes remotely, there will be no need to amend your I-20 program start date. Detailed arrival information will be released by early July.

See the complete list of admitted student FAQs

Dear Research Degree Graduate Students,

For those of you who have remained in the local area, you may be invited to participate in the next phase of reactivating campus-based research and scholarly activities as the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions are cleared by New York State for Phase 3 reopening as described below. The information for Cornell faculty and staff shared in the announcement below may be of interest to you.

Key points to keep in mind:

• If you are not already located in the local area (e.g., Finger Lakes or Southern Tier regions), your possible return to campus-based activities will be announced at a later date.
• If you are currently engaged remotely in your research and scholarly activities, you should continue to work remotely until an approved plan is in place. Your faculty advisor or supervisor will inform you when a return plan has been approved. Details are below.
• Many of the guidelines in the Division of Human Resources document linked below on Working During COVID-19, Guide for Employees, also pertain to behaviors and precautions related to health and safety standards and practices for graduate students, once you are approved to return to on-campus research and scholarly activity. The section on Special Considerations (p. 8-9) does not pertain to graduate students. Instead, specific accommodation processes for addressing graduate students’ concerns related to returning to on-campus activities are detailed in the Accommodations Options document.  
• You are encouraged to follow recommended preventative measures to avoid exposure to the virus causing COVID-19.
• Monitor Cornell Coronavirus Updates and the Graduate School COVID-19 Updates for additional information.

If you have questions, please contact gradschooldeans@cornell.edu.

Best wishes,

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

On May 22, Cornell’s Research and Operations Reactivation Committee released its report and recommendations to guide the safe, phased restart of the university’s on-campus research and discovery functions.

New York State has cleared Cornell to restart, no sooner than May 29, some on-campus research activities focused on health/disease, food/agriculture, national defense, and support for essential businesses.  Actual on-campus research activity in these spheres will likely not begin until sometime after that date.  Prior to beginning these activities, buildings must be prepared for restart, and faculty leads must develop and submit restart requests/plans for review and approval by department, college, and university leadership.

After plans are approved by university leadership, the faculty, staff, and graduate students who are approved to participate in this phased restart of research activity will need to first complete appropriate training and be provided with appropriate protective equipment.  Many additional measures will need to be completed by each research group before restarting.  Even as on-campus research restarts, all activities that can be productively completed remotely should continue to be done remotely.  General access to on-campus resources will occur at a later phase.

Graduate students will be notified by faculty when, and under what conditions, their on-campus research is approved to restart.  The prioritization criteria to be used in determining which research activities in the above categories will be approved to restart includes assessing the extent to which the research activities proposed for restart address dissertation needs of graduate students. 

The report includes guidelines regarding various parameters that faculty, staff, and graduate students will need to follow, as well as checklists that will guide preparations for return, including for personal protective equipment, research practices, cleaning practices, and building practices.

Future stages of additional research reactivation will be announced when appropriate.

Town Hall Meeting: Wednesday, May 27 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. via Zoom

All faculty, researchers and graduate students are encouraged to attend a town hall meeting on Wednesday, May 27, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. to discuss research reactivation planning and next steps.

Panelists: 

• Provost Kotlikoff
• Vice Provost for Research Giannelis
• Vice President for Facilities and Campus Services Burgess

Moderator

• Paula Cohen, Associate Vice Provost for Life Sciences

All graduate students are welcome to attend.

In the hectic days of mid-March when the campus was closing, some students chose to leave the U.S. and return to their home countries. Now, with borders closed and travel restrictions in place, it’s unclear when those students might be able to return to the U.S. Although students who are outside the U.S. are not normally permitted to hold assistantships, the university will be able to offer assistantships to students who are outside the U.S. during the summer or fall semesters if students left the U.S. prior to May 1st, 2020 and travel restrictions prevent a return. There are several important eligibility criteria described on our website.

Students who choose to leave the U.S. after May 1st will not be eligible to hold assistantships if they don’t reenter the country prior to the start of the appointment. 

Dear Graduate Student,

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well.  Over the past 7 weeks, as students have shifted to online coursework and scrambled to revise research plans, the faculty and staff of Cornell have been working to solve a myriad of complex problems facing our community. 

President Pollack’s April 22 message describes some of the financial and academic issues we face in the months ahead. I’m writing to provide updates on a number of positive steps that we have been able to take to help and support graduate and professional students.

• Summer Emergency Grants – The Graduate School has established a fund to provide $3000 emergency fellowships for students who are facing financial hardships as a result of cancelled summer internships, TA opportunities, or other disruptions to planned summer funding. These special fellowships are available to students who are in good academic standing, are within the period of guaranteed funding, and whose planned summer funding was disrupted by COVID-19. Requests for consideration should be made directly to your graduate field through the DGS. 
• For International Students – I’m very happy to share that Cornell will be able to offer assistantships to students who are outside the US during the summer or fall semesters if travel restrictions prevent a return to Ithaca. There are several important eligibility criteria described on our website, but this is very good news for students who left the US and cannot easily return.
• Stipend increase for 2020-2021 – Cornell’s Board of Trustees approved a 3% increase to the graduate stipend rate, effective August 21 of this year. This increase comes even as staff and faculty salaries have been frozen.  The base academic year assistantship stipend will be $28,036, up from the 2019-20 rate of $27,218.  The 12-month assistantship rate, for students who have standard summer RA or GRA appointments, will be $37,384.  The 2021 Summer Sage fellowship stipend for fellows in the humanities and certain social sciences has also been increased by 3% to $5,907.
• Professional Development and Career Support – The Graduate School is hosting dozens of online workshops, panel discussions, and discussion groups in the month of May. These programs are useful any time, but can be especially valuable for students who are nearing the completion of their degrees or who are temporarily unable to engage in their planned research activities.
• Extensions of Degree and Milestone Deadlines – If you are approaching a milestone such as your A exam, defense (Master’s exam or B exam), or the deadline to form your special committee, and you need more time due to COVID-19 disruptions, please know that you can use the fully online petition tool to easily submit your request. Just include a short explanation of the barriers you have encountered and the academic plan and the modified timeline you have developed with your committee. 

I have received inquiries asking why the Graduate School has not offered a blanket extension for all deadlines.  Because my goal is to see every student complete their Cornell degree, we use the petition process to ensure that each student has the benefit of a written, actionable academic plan, endorsed by their special committee chair, at the time an extension is approved.  The Graduate School seldom denies petitions outright so if we receive a petition that does not articulate a clear path forward, we follow up to ask the student and their special committee to provide more detail or clarify the proposed timeline.  These academic plans, when developed together by the student, committee and field, can be a tremendously helpful tool during uncertain times.  

Although  there are many reasons to be optimistic that the coming months will include the resumption of some on-campus research and academic activities, the timeline for returning to on-campus scholarly activity or research travel remains very hard to predict.   For those of you who are facing setbacks due to these disruptions I strongly encourage you to work with your committee now on contingency plans that will allow you to continue making progress, even if that requires changes in the research direction you originally envisioned.  The ongoing travel restrictions, public health crisis, and the global economic slowdown may make certain lines of scholarly inquiry very difficult for the foreseeable future. Identifying an intellectual pivot for your scholarship may be necessary. Your creativity and ability to modify your research directions in new and compelling ways will allow you to sustain your momentum even in challenging times. 

I am inspired by the energy and determination that I see in Cornell’s graduate and professional community.  Please remember to take care of yourself, take care of each other, and reach out when you need help.  I wish you all the best as we enter the final weeks of the spring semester and look forward to sunnier days ahead.

With warm regards,

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Cornell’s Board of Trustees approved a 3% increase to the graduate stipend rate, effective August 21st of this year. The base academic year assistantship stipend will be $28,036, up from the 2019-20 rate of $27,218.

The 12-month assistantship rate, for students who have standard summer RA or GRA appointments, will be $37,384. The 2021 Summer Sage fellowship stipend for fellows in the humanities and certain social sciences has also been increased by 3% to $5,907.

Students supported on assistantships receive their stipend for an appointment averaging no more than 15 hours per week of service in addition to the academic responsibilities of their degree program.  They also receive health insurance coverage and full tuition credit.

For the 11th consecutive year there has been no change to the tuition rates for doctoral or most research master’s programs.  They remain at $20,800 and $29,500 for contract and endowed programs, respectively.  Student Health Plan (SHP) rates are expected to be published in May.

The Graduate School has established a fund to provide $3000 emergency fellowships for students who are facing financial hardships as a result of cancelled summer internships, TA opportunities, or other disruptions to planned summer funding.  

These special fellowships are available only to students who are in good academic standing, are within the period of guaranteed funding, and whose planned summer funding was disrupted by COVID-19. Requests for consideration should be made directly to your graduate field through the DGS.  

Funds are limited.  Notifications will be made by mid-May.

Dear DGS and GFAs

The Graduate School is announcing several funding accommodations to support students who have had their funding plans disrupted by COVID-19.

Emergency summer fellowships – The Graduate School  has created a fund to provide emergency $3000 summer fellowships to students who lost planned summer funding due to the public health emergency.  These special fellowships are available only to students who have no other form of funding, are good academic standing, and are within the period of guaranteed funding.  Students must be nominated by their DGS using the attached form, indicating how the summer was planned to be funded prior to the COVID-19 disruption.  Funding is limited, so fields should actively explore additional funding options.  Nominations are due by May 1^st.

Fellowship extensions – Graduate School fellowships, including Sage, SUNY, and Dean’s Excellence, may be delayed into the 13^th and 14^th semesters, via request to the Graduate School by the DGS, specifying how the student’s academic progress was delayed by the COVID-19 disruption.  Normally fellowships must be used by the 12^th semester of study.

Sage summer fellowships – Students who have not yet passed their A exam will be awarded their 2020 Sage summer fellowship as long as they complete their academic activity report and have plans to make degree progress over the summer.  Students and special committees are expected to make necessary adjustments to research plans and summer goals.

Advanced use of Sage dissertation writing fellowships – Students are normally ineligible to draw on their Sage dissertation writing fellowship prior to the successful completion of their A exam.  However, students who must delay their A exam due to COVID-19 may request use of their fall 2020 Sage dissertation writing fellowship as long as the A exam scheduling form is submitted to the Graduate School prior to August 15, and is scheduled to occur before December 18, 2020.

Graduate student funding at Cornell is a shared commitment between fields, departments, faculty advisors, and the Graduate School.  Finding solutions for students in need during this exceptional time will also require collaboration.   The Graduate School offers as much flexibility as we can within our finite budgeted resources.  I urge fields and departments to continue exploring all funding options for students who are encountering hardships this spring and summer.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly with any questions.

Sincerely,

Jason

Jason Kahabka
Associate Dean for Administration

April 9, 2020

Dear Student,

The events of this spring semester have disrupted the normal rhythms of our lives and of Cornell’s academic calendar. While many undergraduate students made hasty plans to travel home in mid-March and prepared to resume classes remotely on April 6^th, many graduate students spent that time reworking their research and academic plans. 

We know that current TAs have been helping move course content online and preparing to make this semester a success for their students. Due to the break in instruction, classes now extend further into May. As a result, the Provost has approved an extension to the spring appointment period of all graduate assistants with a corresponding increase in spring stipend. 

The Spring 2020 assistantship period has been extended from May 15^th to May 20^th. The additional stipend awarded for this spring appointment period will be $456.33 for students receiving the base of $13,609/semester. 

In response to student and faculty feedback, the University had previously planned to shift the assistantship periods beginning in Fall ‘20 to bring them into closer alignment with the academic calendar. This is described in University Policy 1.3 (pp. 10-11). This adjustment of 5 days represents an acceleration of that planned change. 

Appointment Dates:

Spring 2020
Old: 1/1 – 5/15
New for Spring 2020: 1/1 – 5/20

Summer 2020
Old: 5/16 – 8/15
New: 5/21 – 8/20

Fall 2020
Old: 8/16 – 12/31
New: 8/21 – 1/5

Spring 2021 and beyond
N/A
New: 1/6 – 5/20

Although this consideration is most acute for TAs, the shift will apply to all assistantships (TA, GRA, RA, GA) in order to keep the appointments consistent and to recognize that students frequently move between appointment types.

We recognize that this spring has been immensely challenging. The outpouring of creativity, resilience and positivity we’ve seen from Cornell graduate students has been inspiring.  

This adjustment that extends funding further into May recognizes the efforts of all graduate assistants but especially those TAs whose efforts have been so meaningful to the students who are now engaged in classes from every corner of the world.

Warm regards,

Jason

Jason A. Kahabka
Associate Dean for Administration

Changes in Course Grading Policy for Spring 2020

The April 5 message from Cornell’s Provost and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education addressed changes in the course grading policy for Spring 2020. For graduate/professional degree programs and courses:

Instructors for courses taken by graduate/professional students may offer an S/U grading option unless not permitted by internal degree program requirements or external restrictions imposed by relevant accreditation or oversight bodies. Graduate/professional students interested in S/U options for courses for Spring ’20 should inquire with (1) their graduate program to make sure there are no prohibitions from the degree program level to taking S/U, and then (2) ask their instructor(s) if it is okay to choose the S/U grade option.

(The following dates apply to all Ithaca-campus programs except for the few, like D.V.M., operating on separate calendars. Cornell Tech students and faculty should follow the Cornell Tech calendar and deadlines.) If the degree program allows S/U grading towards its requirements, students have until May 12, the last day of instruction, to drop a course without a W or change the grading basis of a course to S/U. This applies to any full Spring 2020 semester course, including courses that did not previously offer an S/U grading option, as well as 7-week courses offered in the second half of the semester. Between May 12 and May 23, the last day of the semester, students can still drop any of their courses with a W and petition to change the grading basis to S/U.

March 30, 2020

Dear Graduate School Community:

I hope you and those important to you continue to be healthy through this pandemic, and that those who require medical care have appropriate access.  Aside from the significant disruptions to daily life and academic studies that all of us are experiencing, undoubtedly many of us will personally know someone whose health is directly affected by COVID-19.  That’s true in my case, with my younger daughter in New York City.  I empathize with those of you who also are trying to stay in touch with distant loved ones.

Graduate students may not have received the March 30 communication to faculty and staff from the Provost and the Executive Vice President on managing the financial impact of COVID-19.  I am writing to address some of the issues raised in that communication, and other topics that may be useful to graduate students, graduate faculty, and staff supporting graduate programs.

The March 30 communication acknowledges that there are, and will continue to be for many semesters, significant financial impacts associated with COVID-19 disruptions.  University leadership is implementing several steps to manage risks associated with economic uncertainty, including a hiring freeze on staff and temporary workers, a salary freeze, a travel ban, changes to summer programs, curtailment of discretionary spending, and reevaluation of capital projects.  Details are in the March 30 communication.

For the Graduate School, we anticipate consequences of the actions detailed in this communication (March 30) will include the following:

• Travel Funding: Related to the travel ban, we will strive to continue to make Graduate School funding available for our research travel grant program for graduate students after general pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifted. It is quite likely that conference travel grants will not be available until Cornell’s travel ban is lessened or lifted.
• Summer Teaching Opportunities: Due to changes in summer programs, summer teaching opportunities for graduate students will be limited. Students who were planning to engage in summer teaching should check with the summer supervisor to learn whether online teaching opportunities will continue to be available. 
• Professional Development: Professional development programming (Pathways to Success) will continue, with modifications that include online opportunities. Future in-person opportunities once restrictions are lifted will not include food or refreshments until the curtailment of discretionary spending is loosened.  We also anticipate that engagement of external speakers will be curtailed except where sponsored funds are available to cover the costs.

In addition, we ask that graduate students and graduate faculty consider, together, the following points in your ongoing discussions as appropriate to your situation:

• Continuing Research and Scholarship: Cornell continues to operate, with all teaching online and research scholarship continuing remotely as appropriate to individual circumstances.  We encourage faculty and students to discuss effective ways to remain productive remotely, including writing proposals or thesis/dissertation chapters, entering and analyzing data, conducting literature reviews, doing computational analysis or theoretical work, etc. We also encourage you to discuss any necessary pivots you might need to make in the focus of your scholarship, such as modifications in your  research project direction or topic(s), so that you can continue to progress toward degree completion.
• Student Progress Review: For research degree students and faculty advisors (special committee chairs), please use the annual Student Progress Review as an opportunity to plan activities for the coming year, and to reflect, together, on how disruptions associated with the pandemic have caused changes to planned activities this year, modifications to academic activities and anticipated progress, and strategies to continue being productive academically.
• Funding: As noted in earlier communications (see COVID-19 statements from Graduate School March 13 and University March 15 Provost message to faculty), assistantship and fellowship funding continues, and graduate students on assistantship appointments are expected to continue to fulfill their assistantship duties. Students should work on academic, research, scholarship, and teaching responsibilities remotely, and stay in touch with faculty advisors/supervisors for guidance on how to plan activities over the coming weeks to be most productive.
• Exams: Remote exams (Thesis-exam, A-exam, B-exam) are allowed and supported.  The Graduate School will be flexible if students need some extra time to meet their academic milestones (e.g., committee formation, A-exam, etc.) due to COVID-19 disruptions.  The thesis/dissertation submission deadline has been extended to Friday, May 15 for Spring ’20.

Please continue to look toward a brighter future while making the best that your circumstances allow in the current situation.  Be understanding that everyone, graduate students, faculty, and staff, are under enormous pressures and are having to be quickly adaptive to frequently changing scenarios. 

The Graduate School continues to be available to you as questions arise.  Please send your questions to gradschooldeans@cornell.edu .

Thanks for all you do, and be well,

Barb

Barbara A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School 

Dear Graduate School Community,

I am writing with updates and additional information. This is a difficult time for everyone. Many of us are worried and uncertain about what might come next. We are all trying to adjust our lives and set up remote workstations while we safeguard our health and the well-being of those around us. We appreciate the patience, flexibility, and resilience that graduate students, faculty, staff, and graduate fields are exhibiting.

We know that working remotely is complicated and involves navigating daily with those sharing our work-from-home situation, whether that includes roommates, partners, children, parents, other relatives, or friends. Everyone is under a great deal of stress and operating under conditions of uncertainty and rapid change.  Please take care of yourself and stay (virtually) connected with those from whom you draw support.

The situation continues to be dynamic. Changes in the last several days include postponement of Cornell’s Commencement, extension of the academic year, and additional campus access restrictions based on NY Governor Cuomo’s recent order that non-essential New York state businesses must move to all-remote work. Below is a recap of recent updates and frequent questions.

Academic Calendar

Due to the pause in classes as the university moves to remote instruction, the academic calendar (for the Ithaca campus, including undergraduate and graduate programs; some professional degree programs and Cornell Tech have program-specific calendars) has changed to the following:  

• First day of online instruction: Monday, April 6
• Last day of drop/grade change: Tuesday, April 21
• Last day of online instruction: Tuesday, May 12
• Exam period: May 16-May 23

Assistantships and Stipends

Graduate assistantship and fellowship stipends will be maintained, as communicated by the Provost on March 15, and by the Graduate School on March 13. The salaries and stipends of staff, students and postdocs will continue on grants or other sources as usual. (See COVID-19 Update: Conduct of Research from 3/15/20 and the FAQs from the Research Division for more information.) Work on your academic, research, scholarship, and teaching responsibilities remotely, and stay in touch with your faculty advisor/supervisor to gain their guidance on how to plan your activities over the coming weeks to be most productive.

Faculty supervisors and graduate students should remember that University Policy 1.3 is still in effect, with the hours/week limits on assistantship duties as required in that policy. (See Additional Guidance for Faculty from 3/13/20.)  Cornell’s Research Division emphasizes: “It is important to remember that under no circumstances should graduate students or postdocs be required to go into the laboratory or perform any essential research tasks against their will. Students with concerns should contact their Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, or the Dean of the Graduate School.”

To take care of your physical health, follow Cornell Health advice. Please let your supervisor know if you become ill and need to have time to get well, including if you are directed by a primary care physician, health department, or other health professional to self-quarantine or isolate, and you are temporarily not able to conduct activities associated with your academic progress, or to conduct duties associated with your assistantship. Graduate students are not required to use vacation time available to them under University Policy 1.3 to cover time away because of illness. Graduate students on fellowships and assistantships who experience illness and need time to get well, including if you are directed by a health professional to self-quarantine or isolate because of pandemic-related issues, will continue to receive their assistantships. This includes assistantships funded by sponsored awards. The approval process normally required by University Policy 1.3 (p.14) is not required when a graduate student has been directed to quarantine or isolate by an authorized health professional. Take the time you need to recover and be well, and to continue to practice social distancing (or isolation/quarantine) from others.

Recent Communications and FAQs

With national, state, and local restrictions changing frequently, the university is working hard to keep students updated. Policies have evolved considerably over the past week. I encourage you to review Cornell statements and news, especially the messages for faculty, graduate students, and for teaching and learning. All COVID-19 University statements are posted.

• University COVID-19 Updates, Statements, Resources, and FAQs – explore the tabs across the top for various details
• Messages for the University, for Students, and for Faculty – scroll down to see messages sent to these various populations
• Resources on Teaching & Learning FAQs for Faculty and for Students – see the links for information specific to faculty and for students.
• Graduate School updates, resources, and FAQs
• Cornell Research Division updates and guidance
• Center for Teaching Innovation resources on remote teaching

The Graduate School resource page includes links to virtual wellness opportunities, public health information, Cornell COVID-19 websites, tips on working remotely, and much more. These are updated frequently.

Getting Support

Graduate School staff are available with extended hours to help students in different time zones and on varying schedules navigate rapidly changing requirements. All offices, including our administrative and deans offices, are available by phone or email. Several offices have extended their hours, including Student Services, Student Life, and Inclusion and Student Engagement to meet varying graduate student needs and living locations. See Updated Graduate School Hours for more complete information.

Cornell Health remains open, but is deferring non-urgent visits and expanding their telehealth capabilities. Please visit their website for up-to-date information about making appointments, picking up prescriptions, and talking with or seeing healthcare professionals.

Moving Forward

As we acclimate to remote workspaces, staying connected (virtually) to your faculty, colleagues, and peers, as well as friends, neighbors, and family will become increasingly important. We are all in this together.

Reach out and share a virtual lunch, schedule meetings, and check-in with the people in your life. Video call and conferencing over Facetime, Zoom, and with other technologies can help you feel more connected and help you keep motived and on task with your academic progress. Already, some students have set up virtual writing groups, virtual lab meetings, and virtual journal clubs. See these suggested virtual engagement tools.

The Graduate School is collecting your ideas for staying connected and being productive. I invite you to share ideas for establishing community and being productive while working remotely. We’ll collect these and post to our website and in our weekly Announcements. Submit your ideas here.

I thank our graduate community – staff, faculty, and students – for working together and rising to meet these difficult challenges.  If you have questions, please contact us at gradschooldeans@cornell.edu.

Best wishes, and stay well!

Barb

Barbara  A. Knuth
Dean of the Graduate School

Dear Graduate School Students, DGSs, and GFAs (fields, please send this to your graduate faculty):

Cornell faculty received the message below from Cornell’s Provost and Vice Provost for Research on Sunday evening. The message has serious and important implications for graduate student research.

Please read the message, then see the notes below pertinent to Graduate School students and operations. Please discuss with your faculty advisor/special committee chair as soon as possible.

The implications for Graduate School students are as follows:

• Professional degree students who have already been given instructions to depart from campus and the local area should continue, or expedite, those plans. You should aim to have all of your campus-based needs completed by March 18. Be aware that if you remain in the local area over the coming weeks you will not have access to most campus services, except for Cornell Health, which at this time plans to remain open. (If you have been approved to remain in campus housing, you’ll have access to limited dining services as well.)
• All research degree students and professional degree students who have been working with project materials should gather materials, data, and resources that you expect to need in the coming weeks (potentially months) as soon as possible, over the next few days, so you have with you as much of the materials and information as you may wish to have with you (at your home) to be able to continue to make academic progress over the next couple of months. Note that after March 18, the majority of research staff, postdocs, and research degree graduate students are expected to remain at home, working remotely, and isolating as much as possible. Graduate research degree students who are involved in critical research activities as described below and who continue to come to campus after March 18 should practice social distancing, good hygiene, and sanitizing work environments as described below.
• Research degree students should communicate with your faculty advisors/special committee chairs about options available to you to work on elements of your research and academic activities remotely. Seek guidance regarding working from your home on writing, data entry, data analysis, computational analysis, literature reviews, etc. Most research degree students and their faculty should be able to identify some weeks of activity devoted productively to writing and other remote work.
• Library: Keep in mind that it is unknown at this time whether Cornell’s library resources will continue to be available to you. The Library has announced it is closed on Monday, 3/16, to assess the situation, and will post updates to its operating status as that information becomes available.*
• Delays: The Graduate School recognizes that this situation may result in delays for some requirements and milestones, such as M.S. thesis exams, Ph.D. A-exams and B-exams. Please communicate over the coming weeks with your faculty advisors/special committee chairs and DGSs regarding  concerns you have about scheduling these activities if they apply to you. Then you and your chair/DGS should contact the Graduate School at gradstudserv@cornell.edu and we will work with you to help you make arrangements as necessary. We have in place provisions for all exam participants to participate remotely, and we will be as flexible as possible to work with you, your special committee, and your field regarding appropriate exam timing.
• Travel and social interaction restrictions are quite fluid, and are being announced daily at various national, state/provincial, and local government levels. You should consider your own personal situation in determining if you will remain in the Ithaca area or travel soon to another location and stay put there. Be aware that it is possible that domestic travel restrictions may be imposed at any time, in addition to existing (and expanding) international travel restrictions. Be aware that if you leave the local area, you should plan on not returning to campus until further notice.
• Research: Cornell’s Research Division has information related to making continuity plans for research groups. Your faculty advisors may be relying on this information for guidance as they work with you and research staff in the coming days to identify how to ramp down in-person, on-campus research activities as needed by March 18, per the Provost’s message below.
• Access Fund: With funding provided by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, the Access Fund has financial support available for those in need to help cover travel, remote learning, and other transition costs. Complete the COVID-19 Access Fund form to apply.
• Monitor the Graduate School’s information page and the university COVID-19 information for updates.
• Health: For your own health, and the health of others, I implore you to practice appropriate social distancing (6’ between individuals), sanitize work surfaces frequently, and practice good hygiene (frequent hand washing with soap and water, coughing or sneezing into your sleeve not your hand, avoiding touching your face–especially eyes, nose, mouth), avoiding shaking hands and other person-to-person contact, etc. 
• Transmission: Please consider that while you, as a graduate student, may believe you are in a lower-risk category if you have no underlying health issues, you can contract and transmit COVID-19 to others who are more vulnerable, such as peers or co-workers with underlying health conditions, those who are older and thus more at risk for this particular disease, or to family and friends. All of us share the responsibility to take actions to combat this pandemic and reduce its possible effects.
• Questions: Please send your questions to gradschooldeans@cornell.edu and we will strive to answer them as soon as possible.

Please take care of yourself and those around you,

Barb

Barbara A. Knuth, Dean of the Graduate School

From: Provost Kotlikoff and Vice Provost Giannelis <epg2@cornell.edu>
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2020 6:10 PM
To: ALL CORNELL FACULTY
Subject: COVID-19 Update: Conduct of Research
Dear Colleagues,

Given the heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission, we feel that we must reduce laboratory research and other nonessential research activities as soon as possible, including graduate independent research and project-based research that require access to Cornell facilities. We ask you to initiate plans to restrict research on campus to critical activities performed by a limited number of designated personnel. Research that is essential for the understanding and reduction of COVID-19 risk should continue. Beyond this, we ask that only those research activities that are absolutely necessary to retain critical research assets for long-term progress are conducted on campus. We ask that this reduction be implemented by the end of Wednesday, March 18.

Questions about specific research activities should be directed to the deans or associate deans, as appropriate. Faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students are encouraged to work remotely if at all possible, and if present in laboratories they must abide by social distancing and personal protection protocols listed here. We ask that in-person meetings be eliminated if at all possible and, if conducted, include a minimum number of people in appropriate spaces.

Critical activities are those necessary to maintain laboratory viability such as:

• Care for animals, plants, and unique or expensive cell cultures or biological specimens,
• Preservation of unique reagents and other unique or expensive materials, and
• Maintaining equipment (e.g., liquid nitrogen and liquid helium systems and shared computational clusters) that cannot be maintained remotely or shut down without significant cost or consequences to the research effort.

Principal investigators, center directors, and research support staff should immediately begin taking steps necessary to meet this deadline. Additionally, all visits to laboratories by outside scientists should be canceled for the foreseeable future, and in-person human subject research on campus should be eliminated.

 We recognize the many difficulties and disruptions this restriction will impose, and we will work with you to ensure that you, your students, and your research team are able to continue working productively from home or other remote locations. We encourage you to focus on research activities that can be completed remotely (e.g. writing papers and proposals, analyzing data, running computations, and developing computational or analytic methods) after Wednesday, March 18. 

The salaries and stipends of your staff, students, and postdocs will continue on grants or other sources as usual. Guidance for researchers on federal grants charges and considerations for planning activity restrictions are collected on the 
Research Services website. The document “Continuity Planning Guidance for Researchers” on this page provides many points to be considered as you plan your actions.

Among the tasks needed to meet the restriction deadline, the following are critical. Please review them carefully.

• If you have not done so already, provide a list of your essential personnel to the dean of your college. Include backup personnel so that essential activities can continue in the event an essential person becomes ill.
• If you have not already done so, collect and share within your group the contact information for you, your students, postdocs, and staff.
• If you are performing animal research and have not shared your list of essential personnel or animal care plans with the Center for Animal Resources and Education (CARE), do so now by email to care@cornell.edu.
• Plan essential activities to be staggered so that minimal laboratory personnel are present at any one time.
• Restrict all external personnel or visitors from your lab.
• In-person human subject research on campus should be eliminated.
• For other research involving human subjects with limited or direct benefit to the participant consider postponing or using remote interaction means such as Zoom meetings or videophone apps.

If you have any questions, please contact your dean or associate dean for research. Center directors within the research division should contact Mark Hurwitz.

We thank you in advance for your efforts to keep our community safe in this extraordinary situation. Please update your staff and your students about these changes and work with them on this important transition.

Sincerely,

Michael Kotlikoff
Provost

Emmanuel Giannelis
Vice Provost for Research and Vice President for Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property and Research Policy

*Library Update 3/24/20: Virtual research help and online resources continue to be available and are quickly evolving to reflect the situation; however, library buildings are closed and physical books are currently unavailable. Check the library’s website for status updates.

Dear Graduate Students, Directors of Graduate Studies, Graduate Field Assistants, and Graduate Faculty:

I am writing to provide more details specific to graduate education as a follow up to President Pollack’s March 13, 2020 communication regarding additional measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19. The following is additional guidance on matters related to the Graduate School. If you have questions about these measures and their implications for your own situation contact gradschooldeans@cornell.edu and we will do our best to address them. We are posting COVID-19 communications related to the Graduate School here. Cornell’s COVID-19 information and resources are here.

• Cornell Tech graduate students should follow the guidance provided by the Cornell Tech campus.
• All students in professional degree programs in Ithaca and Geneva should plan to follow the directions outlined in President Pollack’s March 13 communication and return as soon as feasible to your permanent home residence. You must not come to campus after March 29 until further notice, unless you have received an exception to stay in on-campus housing. This pertains even if your current permanent home residence is in the Ithaca area, or if you choose not to leave the Ithaca area and remain in your current off-campus housing.
• All classes are suspended from 5 p.m. March 13 until Monday, April 6, when all teaching will move entirely to virtual, remote learning. This applies to all courses in professional degree programs, as well as courses for research degree students.
• Professional degree students living in on-campus housing will receive detailed instructions from the Cornell housing office regarding move-out procedures as well as a process for submitting a petition to remain in on-campus housing for those who are unable to return to their permanent home residence. Our understanding is that Hasbrouck on-campus housing continues to be available.
• Professional and graduate students may apply to the Access Fund for limited financial assistance provided by the GPSA (Graduate and Professional Student Assembly) and GPSAFC (Finance Commission) to support travel, storage, and laptops associated with these pandemic-related circumstances.  Complete the COVID-19 travel form.
• Research degree (Ph.D., M.F.A., M.A., most M.S.) students conducting research that requires access to campus facilities may remain on campus and stay active in your research endeavors. (The M.S.-A.A.D. (Advanced Architectural Design), 3-semester degree programs is an exception; all M.S.-A.A.D., 3-semester program students are subject to the provisions for professional degree students as above, and must not come to campus after March 29.)
  • If you are a research degree student and intend to remain engaged with your research on campus for spring semester, you are strongly discouraged from any non-essential personal travel domestically in the U.S. or internationally, and are prohibited from any Cornell-related or research-related travel outside of the local area, domestically or internationally. This applies until further notice.
  • You should not leave the local area and then return to campus. Local is defined as the area in which you are living in or near Ithaca (or Geneva) while enrolled at Cornell, and reasonable distance to obtain the living necessities that you need (e.g., groceries, health care, etc.). We are trying to minimize the risk that travelers introduce coronavirus to the campus and surrounding communities.
• Research degree graduate students remaining on campus to conduct research/scholarship should expect severely limited on-campus student activities and services. Anticipated impacts to campus research facilities may be found here.
• Graduate student fellowship and assistantship stipends will continue to be paid. Assistantship duties will continue, either on campus or remotely. Check with your supervisor if you have questions about how your duties may change, especially for TAs, with the move to remote instruction only as of April 6.  RAs, GRAs, and GAs may be able to engage in their assistantship duties remotely (e.g., shift to writing duties); check with your supervisor about options.
• Graduate students on fellowships and assistantships who self-isolate, quarantine, or otherwise need to be away from campus because of pandemic-related issues will continue to receive their assistantships. Assistantships funded by sponsored awards continue, including under these circumstances.  The Cornell Research Division anticipates that these costs will be allowable on sponsored awards. Guidance from the Research Division is here. If you become ill and need to self-isolate or quarantine, please let your supervisor know. To take care of your physical health, follow Cornell Health advice.
• Faculty supervisors and graduate students should remember that University Policy 1.3 is still in effect, with the hours/week limits on assistantship duties as required in that policy.
• If you have hourly wage on-campus employment and you are a professional degree student required to remain away from campus, check with your supervisor to determine if your hourly wage duties can be completed remotely from where you will be living.
• If you have hourly wage on-campus employment and you are a research degree student remaining on campus because of your research/scholarship activities, check with your supervisor to determine if there will be any changes in your employment duties.
• If you are an international student and are concerned about how restrictions for being away from campus and having remote-only classes will affect your I-20 and visa status: The U.S. government recognizes there are extenuating circumstances because these classes were not intended to be online and is providing some flexibility in requirements. If an enrolled graduate student continues to make normal progress in a full course of study as required by federal regulations, including in classes offered online, legal immigration status is not in jeopardy. If you are planning to graduate in May and intending to engage in post-completion OPT (Optional Practical Training) you should consult with Cornell’s International Services office before making plans to leave the country, which may jeopardize OPT options. Cornell’s International Services office does not recommend that you depart the U.S. for the remainder of the semester.  To be eligible for OPT, you must be in the U.S. in F-1 status, with a valid I-94 document. International students with questions should contact International Services: international@cornell.edu, +1 (607) 255-5243, 300 Caldwell Hall.
• International students who have decided to travel home outside the U.S. or to another country should consult with Cornell’s International Services for information about the proper documents you will need for your return to the United States. Before you leave, make sure you have a valid travel signature. Any students who need to remain in the Ithaca area for extenuating circumstances will receive their instruction online, as all Cornell courses will be offered remotely only. Students remaining in the Ithaca area should prepare for severely limited on-campus activities and interactions. 
• For research degree students with upcoming A-exams or B-exams that may be compromised because of travel restrictions, the Graduate School is making available special provisions for participation from remote locations for students and faculty involved in the exams. Contact Graduate School student services for more information: gradstudserv@cornell.edu .
• Please try to find ways, especially remotely, to remain connected to your local Cornell graduate community, colleagues in your graduate field and in disciplines across campus, and your friends and family outside of the local area. That is an important part of self-care.

Thank you for your cooperation in these rapidly evolving conditions. Please take care of yourself and those you know. 

Sincerely,

Barb, Sara, Janna, Jan, and Jason

Barbara Knuth, Dean of the Graduate School
Sara Xayarath Hernández, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student Engagement
Janna Lamey, Senior Assistant Dean for Student Life
Jan Allen, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
Jason Kahabka, Associate Dean for Administration

Dear Graduate Students:

I am writing to provide more details specific to graduate education as a follow up to President Pollack’s March 10, 2020 communication regarding proactive measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. First and foremost, please take care of yourself. Follow good hygiene practices detailed here. If you would benefit from help in managing stress or anxiety, contact Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), the 24/7 Phone Consultation mental health resource, or Let’s Talk drop-in consultation.

Keep in mind that the proactive measures Cornell is implementing have the goal of minimizing the likelihood that coronavirus/COVID-19 will reach the local campus community and the Tompkins County region. The following measures are intended to help protect both you and our larger community.

The details below address some questions that you may have. As you have questions about these measures and their implications for graduate students contact gradschooldeans@cornell.edu and we will do our best to address them.

Professional Degree Students

• Cornell Tech graduate students should follow the guidance provided by the Cornell Tech campus.
• All students in professional degree programs in Ithaca and Geneva should plan to follow the directions outlined in President Pollack’s March 10 communication and stay off campus from the beginning of spring break (March 28) through the end of the semester. Beginning on Monday, April 6, Cornell’s Ithaca/Geneva campus teaching will move entirely to virtual, remote learning. This applies to all courses in professional degree programs, with very few exceptions as determined by deans (e.g., degree-required clinical rotation work of D.V.M. students).
• Professional degree students living in on-campus housing will receive detailed instructions from the Cornell housing office regarding move-out procedures as well as a process for submitting a petition to remain in on-campus housing for those who are unable to return to their permanent home residence at the beginning of spring break.
• Professional degree students living in off-campus housing are encouraged to return home if that is a viable option. If staying in your off-campus housing is the safest option for you, do not plan to come onto campus during or after spring break until further notice. All of your coursework will occur remotely.

Research Degree Students

• Research degree students may remain on campus and stay active in your research endeavors if you do not leave the Ithaca area at any point in spring semester. 
  • If you intend to remain engaged with your research on campus for spring semester, you are strongly discouraged from any non-essential personal travel domestically in the U.S. or internationally, and are prohibited from any Cornell-related or research-related travel outside of the local area, domestically or internationally. This applies to spring break as well as any other time during the semester, until further notice.
  • You should not leave the local community and then return to campus. We are trying to minimize the risk that travelers introduce coronavirus to the local community.
• Research degree students enrolled in courses should plan that their courses will be virtual/remote starting April 6, even though your research/scholarship activities are still occurring on campus.
• There may be limited exceptions for research master degree students in some specialty areas that do not require campus presence, that will require such students to leave campus at the start of spring break and not return. In some limited cases, if the academic requirements for that degree do not require campus presence and can be conducted remotely students may not be allowed to return to campus after spring break, similar to professional degree students. Any exceptions of this nature will be based on recommendations from deans and approved by university leadership and communicated as soon as possible to affected students.
• The Ithaca/Geneva campus will remain open. Research/scholarship activities of research degree students may continue. However, research degree graduate students remaining on campus to conduct research/scholarship should expect severely limited on-campus student activities and services.
• For research degree students with upcoming A-exams or B-exams that may be compromised because of travel restrictions, the Graduate School is making available special provisions for participation from remote locations for students and faculty involved in the exams. Contact Graduate School student services for more information: Gradstudserv_assoc_dean@cornell.edu.

Funding and Employment

• Graduate assistantship stipends will continue to be paid. Assistantship duties will continue. Check with your supervisor if you have questions about how your duties may change, especially for TAs, with the move to remote instruction only.
• If you have hourly wage on-campus employment and you are a professional degree student required to remain away from campus, check with your supervisor to determine if your hourly wage duties can be completed remotely from where you will be living. Hourly wage student employment unrelated to academic degree requirements is not a reason to remain on campus.
• If you have hourly wage on-campus employment and you are a research degree student remaining on campus because of your research/scholarship activities, check with your supervisor to determine if there will be any changes in your employment duties. 

International Students

• If you are an international student and are concerned about how restrictions for being away from campus and having remote-only classes will affect your I-20 and visa status: The U.S. government recognizes there are extenuating circumstances because these classes were not intended to be online and is providing some flexibility in requirements. If an enrolled graduate student continues to make normal progress in a full course of study as required by federal regulations, including in classes offered online, legal immigration status is not in jeopardy. If you are planning to graduate in May and intending to engage in post-completion OPT (Optional Practical Training) you should consult with Cornell’s International Services office before making plans to leave the country, which may jeopardize OPT options. Cornell’s International Services office does not recommend that you depart the U.S. for the remainder of the semester. To be eligible for OPT, you must be in the U.S. in F-1 status, with a valid I-94 document. International students with questions should contact International Services: international@cornell.edu, +1 (607) 255-5243, 300 Caldwell Hall.
• International students who have decided to travel home outside the U.S. or to another country should consult with Cornell’s International Services for information about the proper documents you will need for your return to the United States. Before you leave, make sure you have a valid travel signature. Any students who need to remain in the Ithaca area for extenuating circumstances will receive their instruction online, as all Cornell courses will be offered remotely only. Students remaining in the Ithaca area should prepare for severely limited on-campus activities and interactions. 

All Students 

• At this point, on-campus activities that are scheduled to occur after the end of spring semester remain unaffected and you should maintain your plans for summer and beyond.
• Please try to find ways, especially remotely, to remain connected to your local Cornell graduate community, colleagues in your graduate field and in disciplines across campus, and your friends and family outside of the local area. That is an important part of self-care.

Thank you for your patience as we work through numerous logistical details and more questions that graduate students will surely raise in these highly unusual times. We plan to send additional communications in the following days. We strive to support you in meeting your academic goals even as we act to prevent a major health crisis. 

Sincerely,

Barb, Sara, Janna, Jan, and Jason

Barbara Knuth, Dean of the Graduate School
Sara Xayarath Hernández, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Student Engagement
Janna Lamey, Senior Assistant Dean for Student Life
Jan Allen, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
Jason Kahabka, Associate Dean for Administration

We encourage all Graduate School community members to monitor Cornell’s official Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources and Updates page which contains the University’s most recent information and directions, based on guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in over 80 countries, and growing, in virtually every region of the globe, including the WHO regions of Americas, Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific.

COVID-19/Novel Coronavirus, like any virus, does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, or country of origin. The CDC cautions against associating disease-related stigma with individuals from any country, emphasizing that fear and anxiety about a disease can lead to social stigma toward certain ethnic groups and indicating “Stigma hurts everyone by creating more fear or anger towards ordinary people instead of the disease that is causing the problem. We can fight stigma and help not hurt others by providing social support.” The CDC encourages that we communicate the facts that being of a certain ethnicity or citizenship “does not increase the chance of getting or spreading COVID-19.”

It is critical for all members of our community to be vigilant about hygiene as a prevention measure for the spread of viruses and other germs, and to be vigilant about adhering to our institutional core values, especially our core value to create a community of belonging. If we as institution and community are to live up to our stated value of diversity and inclusion, we must each resolve to proactively contribute to creating an environment of respect that is welcoming, caring, equitable, and supportive, and that recognizes and values the many different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences represented within our community. 

Graduate community members may feel anxious about this evolving public health situation or have concerns about friends and family living in areas currently experiencing the outbreak. Support resources are available:

• Students on the Ithaca campus may contact Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). Other helpful resources include “Let’s Talk” consultation and EARS peer counseling.
• Students at Cornell Tech may contact Student Services for support.
• Faculty and staff in Ithaca and New York City may contact the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP).
• Reporting Bias, Harassment and Discrimination – To report bias incidents or related concerns, please complete this form or send an email to report_bias@cornell.edu. Know that confidential care and support for individuals affected by bias is available. More information about Cornell’s bias reporting system is also available on the HR website. Cornell is committed to maintaining a bias-free climate based on civility, decency, and respect. If you would like to speak with someone within the Graduate School about the various options that are available for reporting, please contact the Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement at (607) 255-5417 or grad_assoc_dean@cornell.edu, or the Graduate School Office of Graduate Student Life, at 607-255-5184 or janna.lamey@cornell.edu.

The Big Red Barn dining is closed starting today, 3/24/20. As was previously the case, all programming, alcohol sales, and snack service are suspended until further notice. Yesterday, Cornell Dining announced they would suspend meal service, and the Barn is entirely closed. Please watch for further news on Barn reopening plans via the email list. We look forward to hosting Graduate and Professional students again soon and are working on ideas to set up opportunities for staying connected remotely. For open dining locations, please visit this link. Stay well!

From the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center

As was announced Wednesday, the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center has suspended the TGIF (Tell Grads It’s Friday) Happy Hour at the Barn through April 10, 2020. After continuous monitoring of the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and with further guidance on social distancing, we are proceeding in the following way until April 15:

• The Big Red Barn is cancelling all programming until further notice.   
• The Barn is cancelling snack service, which includes alcohol purchases, Monday – Thursday from 2:00-10:00PM and Friday from 2:00-4:00PM, until further notice. This begins today, Friday, March 13.
• Dining will continue to operate Monday-Friday from 8:00AM-3:00PM until further notice. If you visit the Barn during this time, please practice social distancing (~6 feet between individuals) and appropriate hygiene (wash hands frequently with soap & water or use hand sanitizer, don’t touch your face, etc.).
• Monday-Friday, when the dining unit closes at 3:00 PM the whole Barn will close.
• The Barn will be closed entirely, including no dining, for Spring Break from March 30-April 3.

We will reassess these decisions around April 1 and send further communication at that time. We are sorry to have to make this decision, but student health and well-being is our top priority.  We are sure that some will be disappointed to learn this and recognize the importance that the Barn serves as a support for so many students’ mental health and social well-being.

Please refer to Cornell’s coronavirus/COVID-19 webpage for up to date information and the Graduate School’s page for graduate community specific information.

Finally, the Barn Staff is considering other strategies to support student well-being through establishing virtual communities and can use your help. We want to learn about your creative ideas of how we can continue to support your needs during this time that the Barn is closed. Please complete this survey by Wednesday, March 1.

From the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center:

One of our most known and loved events is TGIF (Tell Grads It’s Friday) Happy Hour at the Barn every Friday night. On a typical night, we have at least 200 attendees and the energy is always high as students socialize, have fun, relax, and enjoy the space together. 

And, it is challenging times as Cornell closely monitors the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and provides leadership to support the health and well-being of our campus communities. At this time, it has been announced that all in-person non-essential events with 100 or more attendees on Cornell’s campus must be cancelled, postponed, or offered virtually. 

We regret to inform you that our TGIF events are suspended at least through Friday, April 10, 2020. This will start immediately; our TGIF is cancelled this Friday (March 12).  We will continue to monitor the situation and will reassess a date to resume TGIF in conjunction with the university’s management plans for coronavirus/COVID-19 concerns. 

We are sorry to have to make this decision, but student health and well-being has to be our top priority.  We are sure that some will be disappointed to learn this and recognize the importance that TGIF serves as a support for so many students’ mental health and social well-being.

More details will follow in a separate message on other Barn programming, snack service, and dining hours. 

 Please refer to Cornell’s coronavirus/COVID-19 webpage for up to date information.