Ask a Dean Category: Academics
Is Cornell preventing students from leaving Ithaca during the pandemic?
Category: Academics, Fellowships and Funding, Health and Wellness, Other/Miscellaneous Date: March 2020
Dear Deans: I am an international graduate student who would like to go to my home country for the spring and summer. I am able to continue my research remotely…
Can Ph.D. students select the S/U option for more than one class per semester?
Category: Academics Date: January 2020
Dear Deans, Can Ph.D. students select the S/U option for more than one class per semester? Thank you, Anonymous Response Dear Anonymous, This is a great question as the semester…
What study spaces exist solely for graduate students?
Category: Academics Date: December 2019
Dear Deans, I wish Cornell had a library, or multiple floors of an existing library, dedicated solely for graduate students. The need for focus is so necessary, and one cannot…
Are there avenues or fellowships for teaching courses?
Category: Academics Date: November 2019
Hello Deans, I was wondering if there are opportunities for Ph.D. students in agricultural sciences, and also in general, to lead courses or start a new course, be it a…
What is the university doing to address the pressure placed on undergraduates?
Category: Academics, Health and Wellness Date: October 2019
Dear Deans, As instructors of first-year writing seminar courses we are often given exceptional glimpses into the experiences of undergrad students, who confide in us easily about problems they have…
Do I need to warn my class about a potential privacy loophole in Piazza?
Category: Academics Date: September 2019
Dear Deans, This query is related to a weakness I found with Piazza. As a TA last semester I noticed that Piazza provides very detailed posting statistics of each student…
Can master’s students take language classes?
Category: Academics Date: September 2019
Dear Deans, I was looking at language courses at Cornell but, unfortunately, none of the language classes fit into my schedule last year. This semester I was finally able to…
Can I use color in my thesis?
Category: Academics Date: July 2019
Hi Deans, I hope you’re having a wonderful summer! I am working on the format of my master’s thesis right now, and heard “you are not supposed to use colors…
Do I have funding options post-dissertation defense?
Category: Academics, Fellowships and Funding, Policies and Requirements Date: May 2019
Dear Graduate School Deans, I am an international student and a Ph.D. candidate. I defended my dissertation several days ago (end of May), but I have registered for the summer…
Is there a way to provide feedback about the professor I work with as a TA?
Category: Academics Date: May 2019
Hello Deans, I have been a teaching assistant for two semesters now and my experience in both of the semesters has been very opposite with respect to how the concerned…