Office of New Student Programs

• Home
• Family Changes
• Academic Info
• Student Life
• Travel Info

All Things Academic

Academic Advising at Cornell

Each of the seven undergraduate colleges and schools within the University organizes its academic advising system to support its particular educational mission and to provide a variety of advising opportunities for students. Certain underlying principles and assumptions about academic advising, however, may provide useful background for you when your student speaks with you about his or her Cornell experience.

The relationship between advisor and advisee at a university is best described as a professional consultation, in which the student and the academic advisor take joint responsibility for the success of the relationship. As in any professional consultation, students have the right to seek other advice if they are not getting what they need; however, students need to remember that they share responsibility for developing this advisor/advisee relationship. The advisor and advisee will not necessarily build a personal friendship, nor will the academic advisor necessarily be equipped or prepared to give advice on personal problems. The goal for the student in an academic advising relationship should be to obtain useful advice about educational interests and to design an appropriate program of study to enhance and develop those interests.

Student’s Responsibilities
• Take the initiative to make an appointment with the advisor and then keep that appointment or notify the advisor if it needs to be cancelled or rescheduled.
• Take an active role in preparing for, and participating in, the advising session.
• Read the relevant sections of Courses of Study and the materials distributed by the college office of undergraduate instruction.
• Think about specific questions for the advisor.
• Be open to exploring referrals from the advisor if a broader range or depth of advising is required.
• Take the initiative to change an academic advisor if the relationship with the assigned advisor is not productive.
• Take responsibility to ensure progress toward the degree. Each student is
responsible for meeting the specific requirements for acceptance into a major area of study and for completing the requirements for graduation.

Academic Advisor’s Responsibilities
• Be knowledgeable about the structure of the curriculum in his or her college or school and be able to refer elsewhere when necessary. Although Cornell faculty members are all highly trained and knowledgeable in their specific disciplines, they are not always able to give advice on other disciplines at the University. Most do, however, know where to look or to send students for additional advice when necessary.
• Help students select courses and formulate an academic plan of study. Although the advisor may discuss graduation requirements with the student, in the end the student is responsible for knowing and accomplishing what is necessary to earn a degree.
• Help students think about their undergraduate education in the context of their long-range goals.

Choosing or Changing Majors

Deciding on a college major is an important and serious task, and one that many students struggle with during their first two years on campus. It is not uncommon for a student who once seemed sure of his or her choice of major to change majors several times. It may be difficult for you to watch your formerly decisive and focused student become uncertain and confused about whether his or her interests and abilities are best addressed by the major course of study chosen. This is a time of great change and exploration for students, and choosing a major is part of the process.

The college or school in which the student is enrolled at Cornell determines the process of choosing or changing majors. Please encourage your student to seek all of the advice available if the choice of a major seems difficult. Urge him or her to talk to advisors, departmental directors of undergraduate studies, faculty members in a variety of disciplines, other students, and staff members in any of the academic and career counseling/student services offices.

Changing Colleges Within Cornell

One of the most difficult conclusions a student can come to is that he or she has chosen not only the wrong major or field, but the wrong college or school at Cornell. Every year some students at Cornell come to this realization. Fortunately, Cornell University prides itself on founding “...an institution where any person can find instruction in any study...” and is able to help students find their best academic fit without transferring to a new school. For students who are not satisfied with the college or school at Cornell into which they were originally admitted, an Internal Transfer can be one of the best decisions a student will make while at Cornell. The criteria for transfer vary among the seven undergraduate colleges and schools.

The Internal Transfer Division exists to advise students and to facilitate transfers from one college or school to another. Students who wish to transfer should speak to faculty members and admissions staff members in the new college or school and have a clear idea of what they want to pursue; they should also schedule an appointment with the director of the Internal Transfer Division (220 Day Hall; 255-4386). For more information, please visit the website at www.sws.cornell.edu/itd/.

Advising and Tutoring Services

Behrman Biology Advising Center
(607) 255-5233 • 216 Stimson Hall • www.bio.cornell.edu/advising/
The Center provides a warm, home-like environment that encourages conversation between peer or professional advisors and students seeking academic advice. Services include free tutoring, walk-in academic advice, career talks, information fairs, and information on undergraduate research opportunities.

Learning Strategies Center
(607) 255-6310 • 420 Computing and Communications Center •
www.clt.cornell.edu/campus/learn/learn.html
The Center’s lecturers help students manage the intensity of university study by helping them develop learning strategies, skills, and insights for academic success. Students are offered supplemental instruction and tutorials in introductory-level science, mathematics, nutrition, and economics courses, as well as a full-semester course, workshops, and consultations in critical reading and study skills. Individual consultations for help with writing assignments are also available.

Mathematics Support Center
(607) 255-4658 • 256 Malott Hall • www.math.cornell.edu/Courses/FSM/msc.html
The Center specializes in helping students with calculus, and provides assistance in other courses as well. Free one-on-one tutoring by appointment, occasional workshops, and handouts on a variety of topics, are available Monday through Friday during the day, and on Sunday afternoons as posted.

Office of Minority Educational Affairs (OMEA) and Committee on Special Educational Projects (COSEP)
(607) 255-3841 • 100 Barnes Hall • www.sas.cornell.edu/MEA
In collaboration with Cornell’s undergraduate colleges and schools, OMEA coordinates and provides the following services and programs: student development and leadership skills through student organizations; general counseling and advising on academic, personal, and financial issues; career-information seminars and employment service programs; referrals to campus-wide services; announcements of events, scholarships, and internships; and assistance in applying for advanced degrees.

Writing Walk-In Service
(607) 255-6349 • 174 Rockefeller Hall (office) • www.arts.cornell.edu/writing
The Writing Walk-In Service offers support to students working on essays for their first-year writing seminars as well as any other writing project, including academic papers at any stage of composition. Tutors are available on a walk-in basis at several campus locations, including Olin Library, The Carol Tatkon Center, and Robert Purcell Community Center. Visit the website listed above for information on sites and times. The Writing Workshop also offers a special writing seminar for students who are struggling with their writing.

Other Academic Opportunities and Services

Cornell Career Services
(607) 255-5521 • 103 Barnes Hall • www.career.cornell.edu
Cornell Career Services (CCS) is comprised of college career offices and the University-wide services in Barnes Hall which work together to provide a full range of services to help students make the transition from Cornell to a first job or to graduate or professional school. Career offices in each of the undergraduate colleges and schools offer a variety of career development services, including advising and programming tailored to the curricular and career goals of students in the colleges. Generally, college career offices offer the first point of contact for career issues during the first two years of college.

Cornell Career Services offers counseling and programs to help Cornell students solidify their career goals, develop job-search skills, and apply to graduate and professional schools. CCS works with employers to schedule on-campus interviews for seniors. CCS also helps seniors obtain off-campus interviews through MonsterTRAK, an online listing of positions that provides job descriptions and application information for regional, national, and international employers. A credentials service allows students to store confidential letters of recommendation.

Cornell University Library
(607) 255-4144 • 201 Olin Library • www.library.cornell.edu
One of the leading academic research libraries in the United States, Cornell University Library is a highly valued partner in teaching, research, and learning at the University offering cutting edge services and a full spectrum of library resources, from rare books and manuscripts to a rapidly expanding network of digital resources.

The 20 libraries spread across campus and extending to New York City and Geneva, New York, are more than physical spaces with rich collections. With ultramodern computing labs, wireless network access, cyber cafés, quiet areas for individual and group study, special events, and exhibitions, Cornell Library is an active and inviting center for information discovery and the celebration of knowledge. The staff, which includes more than 120 professional librarians, provides students with award-winning service, including workshops and one-on-one help, to navigate the global information environment.

The Library Gateway www.library.cornell.edu is the online entry to Cornell Library, the starting point for information about the Library and a portal to the world of information. Connect through the Gateway to search the Library Catalog and a variety of electronic indexes, read an electronic book or journal, view a library exhibition, renew a book, “chat” with a reference librarian and more. Online “real-time” help is just a click away through the “Ask a Librarian” link.

Cornell Abroad
(607) 255-6224 • 300 Caldwell Hall • www.cuabroad.cornell.edu
Cornell Abroad provides a semester or academic year of study overseas in over 40 countries to more than 500 Cornell undergraduates every year. Students learn about study-abroad opportunities through materials available in the Cornell Abroad library and through informational meetings that are held at the start of every semester. Study-abroad advisors in each of the colleges help students choose the right overseas program and courses of study. Students are encouraged to begin planning as early as their first year.

Cornell in Washington
(607) 255-4090 • M101 McGraw Hall • http://ciw.cornell.edu

Cornell in Washington offers qualified students a chance to live, learn, and work in the nation’s capital. In this unique semester program, students earn full Cornell credit in small classes taught by Cornell faculty; work in externships with some of Washington’s best associations, agencies, and businesses; and conduct independent, individualized research projects.

Students live and take courses at the Cornell Center, conveniently located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. The opportunity to combine a residential college atmosphere, rigorous coursework, and career explorations in fields as diverse as politics, law, medicine, and communications is unparalleled among Cornell programs.

The Office of the University Registrar • (607) 255-4232 •
www.registrar.sas.cornell.edu

The Office of the University Registrar provides students with official university transcripts, Cornell ID cards, and certification of current student status (for documentation regarding insurance coverage and scholarship reporting). The University Registrar also maintains students’ address information, coordinates registration, and issues all university diplomas.

College Registrars
The registrar in each college keeps individual records and oversees all course offerings in which students enroll. The college registrar’s office can answer students’ questions about such issues as a particular course offering, enrollment, adding and dropping courses, progress towards degree, the teaching faculty, and leaves of absence.

College and School Registrars Contact Numbers
Agriculture and Life Sciences (607) 255-2017
Architecture, Art, and Planning (607) 255-6251
Arts and Sciences (607) 255-5004
Engineering (607) 255-7140
Hotel Administration (607) 255-3076
Human Ecology (607) 255-2235
Industrial and Labor Relations (607) 255-2223

Educational Records and Student Privacy
As your student adjusts to the academic challenges at Cornell, families will be adjusting to a new set of procedures for reporting grades. When your child was in primary and secondary school, you were probably used to seeing report cards and class schedules. Many families are alarmed to learn that the university’s policy on student education records, together with federal law, guarantees each student the right to keep his or her records private, including professors’ names, course schedules, and grade reports.

The educational records of all matriculated students at Cornell, regardless of student age, are protected under both the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and the Cornell University Access to Student Information, Policy 4.5. Under these policies, matriculated Cornell students are treated as legal adults, with the responsibilities and privileges inherent in that status. They are expected to make decisions about coursework, classes, social life, and their personal well-being. They are also expected to learn from, and take responsibility for, the consequences of those decisions. To view Cornell’s policy online, visit www.policy.cornell.edu/vol4_5.cfm.

The University regards a student’s enrollment status (e.g., registered, on leave, withdrawn, etc.) as directory information that may be released unless a student submits a “no-release” request to the University Registrar. Additionally, where the University believes that it is in a dependent student’s best interest, information from the student’s educational records may, at the University’s discretion, be released to the parents or legal guardians of such a dependent student. Such disclosure will generally be limited to information about a student’s official status at the University, but parents or legal guardians of a dependent student may also be notified when a student has voluntarily withdrawn from the University or has been required by the University to withdraw; when a student has been placed on academic warning; when the student’s academic good standing or promotion is at issue; when a student has been placed on disciplinary probation or restriction; or when a student otherwise engages in behavior calling into question the appropriateness of the student’s continued enrollment in the University. Unless otherwise indicated in writing by the student at the time of registration, or thereafter, the University will presume that a full-time undergraduate student is a dependent as that term is defined in the Internal Revenue Code.

Although Cornell is committed to the principle of freedom with responsibility, and sees it as an important step in preparing students for responsible adulthood, we also acknowledge that the transformation does not happen overnight. This process can be problematic and confusing for families and students alike. Many families who still provide most of their child’s financial support feel that they have a right to know what academic progress their child is making. Many students have grown up with their parents as active partners in their academic lives and are surprised to learn that the university does not automatically include parents when distributing grade reports and other educational records. We urge you to discuss your feelings on these issues with your student, and to maintain an open dialogue throughout your student’s Cornell career. Family support is essential to your student’s success and we hope that early discussion will encourage ongoing communication and support.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
(607) 254-5386 • www.cals.cornell.edu/advising • 140 Roberts Hall

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences coordinates its faculty advising program through the Counseling and Advising Office. The office prepares an advising folder for each new student, including biographical information collected by the admissions office, and sends it to the advising coordinator in the appropriate department. The coordinator reviews each student’s folder and makes the initial faculty advisor assignment, considering the student’s background and interests. Students are notified of their advisor assignments before they begin their first semester. The College has established a simple process for changing advisors, when interests and career plans change or for cases in which personalities may not be compatible.

The Counseling and Advising Office assists students with the advising process, by providing advice and referring students to appropriate advisors or advising coordinators. This office also serves as the College’s central undergraduate advising office, and offers personal counseling. Academic advising is available for students who are interested in international study, need to file petitions to waive College academic regulations, have disability concerns, are experiencing academic difficulties, or have requests for tutoring. Students may seek counseling on a variety of issues including academic difficulty, personal and family problems, stress management, and time management. Two professional counselors with expertise in College policies and procedures provide short-term counseling. Counseling is framed as appropriate to each student’s academic circumstances.

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
(607) 255-3616 • www.aap.cornell.edu • B-1 West Sibley Hall

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning assists new students in their adjustment to the university setting by providing several well developed on-campus guidance and counseling services. Upon their arrival, new students are assigned a faculty advisor in their chosen department.

Faculty advisors offer professional advice to students regarding academic issues, including course selection, graduate studies, and current trends and research in a given field. Incoming students can obtain information about student living, recreational activities, and university resources from upper-level students. In addition, staff in Student Services (Admissions, Multicultural Affairs, Registrar, and Career Services) frequently advise students on a variety of issues such as developing time-management and organizational skills, completing graduation requirements, pursuing career goals, and dealing with personal difficulties. With the aid of faculty advisors, upper-class students, and guidance personnel, new students develop the tools necessary for a smooth transition into college life and for establishing close relationships among fellow students, faculty, and staff.

College of Arts and Sciences
(607) 255-5004 • www.arts.cornell.edu • 55 Goldwin Smith Hall

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the undergraduate colleges at Cornell. When new students enroll in the college, each is assigned a faculty advisor who may or may not be in the student’s intended major. Students receive information about the College, its curriculum and degree requirements, descriptions of departments and introductory courses, and advice on making the most of the advisor/advisee relationship. Each department has a designated faculty member who serves as director of undergraduate studies and who can explain the department’s programs.

The Robert and Donna Paul Advising Center in 55 Goldwin Smith Hall supplements and serves as a resource center for faculty advising. Class deans are available to listen to students, help them define their academic and career goals, resolve academic difficulties, and discuss special programs such as undergraduate research, Cornell Abroad, and independent majors. As specialists in academic advising and as sources of information about other student support services on campus, the advising center’s staff welcomes all questions regarding the College and Cornell in general.

New students are also put in contact with a group of student advisors who can pass on history about the College and the University. Their experience as Cornell students makes them invaluable resources to new and continuing students.

College of Engineering
(607) 255-7414 • www.engineering.cornell.edu • 167 Olin Hall

The College of Engineering has a multi-tiered system for academic advising. With the assistance of an assigned faculty advisor and student peer support advisor, new students begin their engineering education by pursuing a course of study called the Common Curriculum. In addition, students may receive assistance from the Offices of Engineering Advising, Diversity Programs in Engineering, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, and the Assistant Dean for Engineering Student Services.

New students are enrolled in the First-Year Engineering Seminar (ENGRG 150), which provides an opportunity for frequent contact with advisors and a small group setting for exploring the curriculum, aspects of various engineering careers, engineering research, and study and examination skills useful to engineering students. Students will be assigned a new faculty advisor when they enter a major program, typically before the spring semester of their sophomore year.

Family members attending Orientation receive a copy of the Engineering Family Guide. This can also be found at www.engineering.cornell.edu/alumni-parents-friends/for-parents/academic-information.cfm. Select “Family Guide” under “Related Links.”

Family members can also register to receive The Sundial, the weekly electronic newsletter of the College of Engineering. Send an email requesting subscription to sundial@cornell.edu. An online version of The Sundial can also be found at www.engineering.cornell.edu/news/sundial/.

School of Hotel Administration
(607) 255-6376 • www.hotelschool.cornell.edu • 180 Statler Hall

Faculty advising supports students’ academic, career, and personal development, and contributes to the future of the School by providing a student experience that forms the foundation for long-term relationships with its alumni/ae. All new students are assigned a faculty advisor, who plays an important role in encouraging students to explore, clarify, and understand the link between the curriculum and their career interest.

Supporting the faculty is the Office of Student Services (OSS). In the OSS, advisors not only help students with scheduling and graduation requirements, but are trained career management professionals who help students pursue their career interests in the hospitality industry. From group sessions on writing resumes for their first internship to individual sessions on evaluating their first job offer, throughout their four years at the Hotel School, students find answers to their career development questions in the OSS.

College of Human Ecology
(607) 255-2532 • www.human.cornell.edu • 172 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall

Advising and counseling in the College of Human Ecology is carried out by faculty advisors associated with each of the majors, and by college counselors in the Office of Student and Career Development, 172 MVR.

The roles of advisors and counselors often overlap and students should use both resources to best serve their needs. Faculty advisors are often the first faculty that students meet on a personal basis. They can help students choose courses, identify research opportunities, and assist with issues pertaining to their fields of study.

Counselors in the Office of Student and Career Development can help students explore and define personal, academic, and career goals; obtain an overview of college and university programs; become informed about college policies and graduation requirements; and identify resources for academic and career planning.

Families can help students by encouraging their use of advising and counseling resources to help make decisions, solve problems, and plan for the future.

School of Industrial and Labor Relations
(607) 255-2223 • www.ilr.cornell.edu • 146 Ives Hall

First-Year students in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) are introduced to the field and to the faculty teaching in the School through the ILR Colloquium. Small sections of twelve to fourteen students meet regularly early in the first semester with their colloquium instructor, who also serves as the students’ faculty advisor for the entire first year. Transfer students benefit in the same way by having a faculty member assigned to them for their first semester in the School.

Counselors in the Office of Student Services are also available to meet with students individually to answer a wide range of questions and to inform students of special programs and options. Four of the five courses typically taken each semester of the first year are required. Elective course offerings may be taken in any number of departments depending on a student’s interests and previous experience (for example, in foreign language study). Peer advisors are also assigned to incoming ILR students to assist in the transition to the School and to the University environment.

During their second semester here, students are asked to identify a department in ILR from which they wish to be assigned a faculty advisor. Department chairs then assign students to faculty members and inform both the students and faculty directly. Faculty advisors can be helpful in understanding the disciplines and departments in which they teach. Counselors in the Office of Student Services can assist students in considering course workload concerns, joint-degree and special-study programs in the United States and abroad, and student organizations that may incorporate students’ academic and extracurricular interests.