Archives: Policies, Procedures, and Requirements
Policies and expectations governing graduate education at Cornell are put forth by the Graduate School in the Graduate School’s Code of Legislation (Code) and by the university in various Cornell University policies. The articles listed below offer clarification on aspects of the Code and university policies that frequently elicit questions.
Additional rules and expectations are set by graduate fields in their graduate student handbooks. Consult the Fields of Study page to find handbooks for individual fields.
Code of Legislation
Download the Graduate School’s Code of Legislation April 2024 (PDF). The Graduate School’s Code of Legislation (Code) sets forth the rules governing graduate education as overseen by the General Committee of the…
Consensual Relationships
Summary Cornell believes that romantic or sexual relationships between individuals with a power differential can jeopardize the integrity of the mission to provide students with the freedom to pursue academic…
Disability Policies
Summary Student Disability Services (SDS) provides academic and/or environmental accommodations and services for qualified students with disabilities. This unit on campus works to support that disability services be accessible to…
Diversity and Inclusion
Summary Cornell’s Commitment: Cornell’s approach to institutional inclusion and diversity planning is holistic. Our commitments, both regulatory and strategic, involve novel approaches to improve campus culture and our demographic composition.…
Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action
Summary Cornell has been accessible to students from all backgrounds since the university’s inception. The first female undergraduate student entered in the fall of 1870, and in 1880, May Preston…
Intellectual Property
Summary Intellectual property policies provide licensing services and revenue to inventors, including graduate students. Cornell Policy 1.5 provides details about inventions and related property rights, and Policy 4.15 provides details about copyright. As…
International Travel Registry
Summary The International Travel Registry provides a one stop service to support emergency communications and access to emergency travel assistance while you are traveling internationally. Who should use the travel registry? Students: Mandatory…
Petitions
Summary The Graduate School’s governing policy document, the Code of Legislation of the Graduate Faculty (Code), allows students to request exemptions from certain regulations by submitting a petition with convincing evidence…
Release of Personal Information
Summary Your Cornell-related personal, academic, and financial records are protected by federal law via the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA gives you the following rights: to inspect…
Shared Governance
Summary Shared governance and student participation in university decisions are integral to Cornell’s structure. Graduate and professional students are represented through elected members of Cornell’s Board of Trustees, the Graduate…