Diversity & Inclusion
The Graduate School is committed to providing an inclusive and holistic approach to graduate student success.
Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement
The Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE) is committed to supporting excellence within graduate education at Cornell, and fostering environments where all scholars can find community, experience positive mentoring relationships, and establish a sense of belonging. Our collaborative programming provides graduate students and future faculty 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 education and the academy more broadly.
Access and Recruitment
The Graduate School’s Office of Access and Recruitment is focused on promoting undergraduate research opportunities and graduate study, and to making Cornell more known and accessible to those interested in learning more about graduate school. Please use the links below to learn more about what have to offer.
Signature Initiatives
OISE provides specific mentoring, professional, and academic development programs to help students achieve success at Cornell and in their future.
Bouchet Graduate Honor Society
Founded by Yale and Howard Universities in 2005, the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support and serve as examples of Character, Leadership, Advocacy, Scholarship, and Service.
- Overview & Scholar Selection Timeline
- Cornell University Bouchet Society Scholars
- Annual Bouchet Induction Ceremony & Conference
Graduate Diversity & Inclusion Awards
Annual awards presented to graduate and professional degree students, faculty, staff, and community members who have demonstrated a strong commitment towards advancing efforts around diversity, inclusion, outreach, and graduate student engagement.
Funding and Resources
Cornell University provides access to a wide range of internal and external resources to help students reach their academic, professional, and personal goals.
- University Support for DACA and Undocumented Students, and International Scholars
Faculty Resources
The Graduate School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement and our partners, support faculty engagement in discussions and workshops on equity-based holistic admissions, diversity recruitment, and mentoring practices with the purpose of establishing more equitable and inclusive research and learning environments. The Graduate School Office of Graduate Student Life supports faculty engagement in discussions related to maintaining a healthy student life, including mental health and stress management, sense of community, life-academic balance, and support for students’ personal development. Partners throughout the university also provide programming and resources for faculty and others supporting the graduate community.
- Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentoring (FAIM) Resource Center
- Practical Toolkit for Addressing Inequities and Supporting Belonging
- Resources for Supporting Graduate Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Mental Health
- Office for Faculty Development and Diversity – Faculty Resources
- Center for Teaching Innovation – Programming for Faculty & Instructors
- Cornell Health – Programming for Faculty and Staff
Student Organizations
The student organizations represented on the Graduate and Professional Student Diversity Council work collaboratively with the Graduate School and other campus partners on initiatives to advance a sense of community, professional excellence, and a climate of inclusion for all graduate and professional students. These cross-disciplinary organizations are among the more than 1,000 student organizations found at Cornell.
Belonging at Cornell
Belonging at Cornell is an institutional values-driven framework designed to continue our progress towards making Cornell a more diverse and inclusive environment for the benefit of all members of our community. Its mission is to focus our collective efforts on creating a campus community where individuals representing a broad diversity of backgrounds and lived experiences can both contribute and thrive. The intent of Belonging at Cornell is to improve the overall experience of faculty, staff and students, contribute to their sense of belonging, and facilitate their ability to achieve success at Cornell. It is not intended to solve every challenge related to differences, nor eliminate the effects of challenging yet respectful discourse.
Reporting Bias
Reporting, understanding, and preventing unacceptable behaviors such as bias, sexual misconduct, and hazing are essential to maintaining our caring community. Cornell offers various avenues for reporting these incidents as well as receiving confidential care and support if you need it.
Land Acknowledgement
The Graduate School Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement acknowledges that Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ are members of the Hodinǫ̱hsǫ́:nih Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ leadership.
We encourage all who engage with the Graduate School and Cornell University to learn more about the Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫɁ, their history, and people, and to take meaningful action to support Indigenous scholars and their communities. We also encourage all to learn more about the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program‘s Project and Blog on Cornell’s Relationship to Indigenous Dispossession.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access, & Belonging
The Graduate School retains a steadfast commitment to actively fostering an inclusive environment that engenders the full participation of all members of our graduate and professional student community and demonstrates how their diverse perspectives, identities, ways of knowing, and lived experiences are recognized, welcomed, and valued. As part of this commitment, we continue to expand initiatives to increase diversity and access, enhance mentoring experiences, and actively address inequities so all members of our community have opportunities to feel affirmed, establish a sense of belonging, and thrive academically, personally, and professionally.