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A Message from the Dean of Students

I am pleased to welcome you to the Cornell community.  Families are our most important partners in supporting students’ growth and development, and we look forward to working with you while your student is at Cornell. 

We know that sending a child off to college signals the beginning of a transformation in family relationships.  You have been actively involved in your student’s education since preschool, and while parental support is also critical in college, it will take a different form.  You will need to take a step back as they learn to govern their own lives and explore different beliefs and values.  For many parents this is a challenge.  Listening, raising questions, and identifying sources of information are the best ways to help your student learn how to make decisions and make the best use of Cornell’s resources. 

We appreciate how much growing up is left to do in college.  Students experience a great deal of emotional and social development during their years at Cornell.  Of course, as students learn to make decisions for themselves, they sometimes make mistakes and face the inevitable ups and downs of the undergraduate experience.  We strive to create a community in which students have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes in a supportive environment. 

This Guide identifies many of the resources and support services that you can encourage your student to use.  It also outlines some common situations, such as changing majors or even colleges and schools at Cornell, so you will not be surprised by these developments should they arise.  In addition, to help you understand our principles and legal obligations to treat your children as young adults, these policies have been outlined in the student privacy section of this Guide.  Cornell embraces the tradition of freedom with responsibility, as aptly stated by Carl Becker, former Cornell professor emeritus of history and university historian:

“If there be any intangible possession which distinguishes this university, it is the tradition of freedom united with responsibility—freedom to do what one chooses, responsibility for what it is one chooses to do.”

We hope this Guide and the wealth of information outlined on Cornell’s website, www.cornell.edu, will help you guide your student to the appropriate services at Cornell.  Learning how to find answers to their own questions is one of the most important skills your student can gain at Cornell.  With each successive year Cornell students acquire a sense of mastery over their academic and personal lives.

I hope to see you at Family Orientation in August.  Having sent two children to Cornell, I appreciate what an exciting and challenging time this can be.  Enjoy this time as your student becomes a Cornellian and an adult!  I look forward to getting to know you and your student and stand ready to help as needed.

Cordially,

Kent Lovering Hubbell ‘67
Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students