The Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE) is committed to supporting excellence among graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, and fostering environments where all scholars, especially those from backgrounds historically excluded from and underrepresented in the academy, can find community, experience positive mentoring relationships, and establish a sense of belonging. Our collaborative programming provides graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with academic, community, and professional development opportunities critical to their success at Cornell and beyond. OISE also facilitates positive systemic change to advance diversity, access, equity, and belonging in graduate and postdoctoral education and the academy more broadly.

Vision

Our vision is for Cornell to become a place where all members of our graduate and postdoctoral communities, especially those from backgrounds historically excluded and underrepresented in the academy, can establish a sense of belonging, feel affirmed, see themselves represented in multiple dimensions, and where they can thrive, not just survive.

Dual Mission

Our mission is for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to establish a sense of belonging at Cornell and achieve their academic and professional aspirations; and to facilitate access, equity, diversity, and inclusion within graduate and postdoctoral education through evidence-based practices and positive systemic change.

Goals: Advance. Engage. Develop.

Advance

To advance positive systemic change and scholar-focused efforts that make graduate and postdoctoral education more accessible and inclusive, especially for those from backgrounds historically excluded from and underrepresented in the academy.

Engage

To engage graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in opportunities that support their academic and social sense of belonging. To engage faculty and other partners in graduate education in activities that support their understanding, ongoing development, and application of evidence and equity-based recruitment, selection, and inclusive mentoring practices.

Develop

To collaboratively develop and model timely, proactive scholar and systemic-focused initiatives that can be adapted and adopted within graduate and postdoctoral education at Cornell and beyond.