Ask a Dean Category: Student Life
What should grad students’ expectations be of the TGIF schedule throughout the semester?
Category: Health and Wellness, Student Life Date: March 2020
Hello Deans, I am in total support of the university’s measures to take good care of all its collaborators with respect to the spread of COVID-19, but I’m concerned about the implications to BRB’s TGIFs. What should our – grad students’ – expectations be about the maintenance of TGIF’s schedule throughout the semester? Best regards,…
Can the country-specific language be removed from the original COVID-19 Ask a Dean message?
Category: Health and Wellness, Political and Global Concerns, Student Life Date: March 2020
Dear Dean, I recently came across this post when searching for information about COVID-19 on the Cornell website. I find the wording of the original Ask a Dean message may infer an unnecessary and incorrect correlation between COVID-19 and the Chinese students who study at Cornell University. This may consequently result in misinformation to other…
In response to the recent anti-Asian and anti-Chinese views, what specific steps is Cornell taking to ensure the integrity of anti-discrimination policies?
Category: Health and Wellness, Political and Global Concerns, Student Life Date: March 2020
Dear Deans, I had a question for the Ask a Dean column. I am submitting because it concerns an event that really every graduate student had an opportunity to experience, since it was in the newsletter—although so far I am not sure how many of my colleagues will have seen it by the time I…
What are grad students supposed to eat when campus dining is closed?
Category: Student Life Date: January 2020
Dear Deans, What are grad students supposed to eat outside of the standard academic calendar? Considering 35 percent of the student population is graduate students, it would be nice if even 35 percent of the dining options were open for normal hours. I’m sure this would benefit faculty/staff too since this time is not considered…
How can we assure ourselves a parking place on campus?
Category: Other/Miscellaneous, Student Life Date: November 2019
Dear Deans, My fellow graduate students and some staff in our labs pay over $750 a year for access to the parking lots labeled ‘SC’ (the only permit available to us). This academic year, the parking situation has been absolutely untenable; arriving after ~9:30am (or leaving and coming back) makes it impossible to find a…
Can the Graduate School help address the need for more late-night buses downtown?
Category: Other/Miscellaneous, Student Life Date: October 2019
Dear Dean, I am a first year Ph.D. student. I was also a Cornell undergrad. It is my first time living in the downtown area in Ithaca, but I know that there used to be bus services that run late during weekdays, until 1 AM or so, if I remember correctly. As the time goes…
Is there a time off policy for graduate students receiving stipends?
Category: Fellowships and Funding, Policies and Requirements, Student Life Date: September 2019
Dear Deans, Is there any policy for graduate students who receive a stipend (TA/RA/GA/GRA/Fellowship) for holidays and personal time off? There seems to be considerable confusion around this in my department, with answers ranging from “staff holidays only, no academic holidays” to “completely dependent on your adviser”. As workers we want and need to be…
How can I share an article on grad students selected as Forbes Under 30 Scholars?
Category: Student Life Date: October 2018
Hello Deans! I wanted to share the following article including many Cornell graduate/CIPA students who were selected as Forbes Under 30 Scholars this year. Is there somewhere (maybe on the website) that this can be featured on? Best, A 2018 Forbes Under 30 Scholar Response Dear Forbes Under 30 Scholar, Thanks so much for sharing…
How can we be added to the BRB listserv?
Category: Student Life Date: September 2018
Hi there, I love the Big Red Barn, but often hear about BRB events after they’ve already passed. I’ve heard from other students (upper years) that there is a regular BRB newsletter with updates and events, which is how they know about happenings at the Barn. I do not receive this newsletter and others in…
Are vegan options offered at Pie with the Deans events?
Category: Student Life Date: September 2018
To whom it may concern, I am vegan and plan to attend one of the “Pie with the Deans” events. I’m curious to know if vegan (pie) options are offered? Best, Pie with the Deans Supporter Response Dear Pie with the Deans Supporter, Yes, we always have a vegan pie option (apple pie) and other…