Posselt Advocates for Holistic Review Practices

Graduate schools spend considerable time and effort recruiting talented students who are a good fit for their programs. Recent research has questioned how admissions committee practices could be improved to more effectively identify high potential students using holistic methods. Several institutions, and some graduate fields at Cornell, are beginning to rethink their approach to admissions.

Speaking to a capacity crowd, Julie Posselt, author of Inside Graduate Admissions: Merit, Admissions, and Faculty Gatekeeping (Harvard University Press, 2016) and associate professor of higher education at the University of Southern California, presented her research on the graduate admissions system and explored several proposals on how to improve it.

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New Travel Assistance Provider: International SOS

Cornell has upgraded its international travel assistance services by partnering with an industry leader in health, safety, security, and advice: International SOS.

What does this mean?

• United Healthcare Global coverage will terminate on July 31.
• International SOS (ISOS) coverage is now available, and travelers can begin using it immediately.
• International SOS provides a 24/7 phone line dedicated to assisting our travelers (1-215-942-8478; International numbers available on the membership card).
  • Instead of calling the Cornell University Police Department, please direct travelers to use the International SOS number when assistance is required abroad.
  • International SOS will use Cornell’s phone tree to alert Cornell designees in cases requiring additional support.
  • The International SOS number provides immediate access to both medical and security staff, as needed.
• In conjunction with this new offering, we have introduced a new web portal where travelers can find destination-specific health, safety, and security information; print proof of coverage; download printable membership cards; and more.
• Travelers also have access to a free mobile app, which can immediately connect them to the nearest assistance center; send advice and alerts based on their location; and provide valuable pre-departure information. We encourage travelers to download the app prior to leaving the United States.
• Emotional support services are now available. Think of this service as virtual mental health counseling. Travelers who may be struggling with adapting to a new environment, coping with pre-existing conditions, seeking someone to talk to about thoughts of self-harm, etc., are provided up to five free telecom sessions, per incident, with a certified clinician.
• International SOS offers an impressive portfolio of services to Cornell travelers. For an overview, visit our website.
• Like UHC Global, International SOS is not a health insurance provider but, in some cases, can coordinate billing with a traveler’s insurance carrier.

Student Spotlight: Leo Louis

Leo Louis is a doctoral student in natural resources from Santa Fe, New Mexico. After attending the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, he chose to pursue further study in the human dimensions of natural resource management at Cornell.

Read the full student spotlight

Interested in what other graduate students are doing both on and off campus?

Check out our student spotlights, Q&As with current students about their research, hobbies, and experiences at Cornell.

Kudos!

Associate Dean Publishes Resource to Aid Student Writing Process

Jan Allen, associate dean for academic and student affairs, has released a new book, The Productive Graduate Student Writer: How to Manage Your Time, Process, and Energy to Write Your Research Proposal, Thesis, and Dissertation and Get Published. Students (and deans) will learn about setting writing goals, addressing procrastination and perfectionistic tendencies, “adviser management,” and writing a journal article, among other topics.

Two Doctoral Candidates Receive 2019-20 AAUW Dissertation Fellowships

Magdala Lissa Jeudy, a doctoral candidate in romance studies, and Karla Peña, a doctoral candidate in development sociology, were awarded 2019-20 AAUW Dissertation Fellowships. Jeudy and Peña are also Graduate School Dean’s Scholars.

AAUW’s American Fellowships program has been in existence since 1888, making it the oldest institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States. The program provides fellowships for women pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research full time, or preparing research for publication for eight consecutive weeks.