Dear community,
Congratulations, Cornellians! You’ve made it to the start of the Fall 2023 semester, and we're so grateful that you're here.
New beginnings often bring different emotions, sometimes all at once. Maybe you’re eager to return to a familiar place with familiar people. You might feel excited to lead a specific team or organization, TA for your favorite professor, or conduct research you're passionate about. Or perhaps, you’ve just moved far away from home and are dealing with uncertainty about how this semester will actually play out. You might feel unsure about how you’ll balance everything, make new friends, and whether you chose the right major. Maybe you’re grieving a recent loss, or wondering how to find belonging in a new city, state, or even country. Wherever you are on your journey, we’re here to support you and give you the tools to promote your well-being. We hope you find value in the resources provided below.
In community,
The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health
part of Student and Campus Life at Cornell University
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Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo_hó:no' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo_hó:no' are members of the Haudenosaunee 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 Gayogo_hó:no' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo_hó:no' people, past and present, to these lands and waters.
Hello, my name is...
Returning to campus can mean spending time with friends and meeting new people. For those new to campus, almost every interaction can be with new people! Set your intentions and decide what you want from social encounters. Stay safe and use the buddy system when exploring new places and experiences!
- When: Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 9:00am to 10:00am
- What: Join guides from the Botanic Gardens and the Lab of Ornithology for combined bird walk and plant walks this summer. We’ll alternate between tours of Sapsucker Woods and the F.R. Newman Arboretum in search of summer birds, and enjoy the trees and other plants we find along the way.
- Where: Newman Arboretum
- Fee: Walks are $12 per person general admission, or FREE for Members of either the Lab or Botanic Gardens. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
Tour: Seeds of Survival and Celebration --- Plants and the Black Experience
- When: Friday, August 25, 2023 at 12:00pm to 1:00pm
- What: Join us for a guided tour of this plant display and exhibit that includes dozens of plants that were grown and used by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Americas. This garden installation and exhibit illustrate the deep connections enslaved Africans in the Americas had with plants that provided medicines, materials, and supplements to their often-meager food rations; and how today the plants provide joy and hope to generations of descendants of the enslaved and enrich the cuisines enjoyed across American society.
- Where: Brian C. Nevin Welcome Center.124 Comstock Knoll Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Fee: Free; pre-registration is not required
- When: Saturday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m.
- What: Festival 24 is a once-per-semester festival where Cornell students write, direct, and perform a compilation of 15-minute plays and films all within 24 hours! Join the Department of Performing and Media Arts on Saturday, August 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts. The Festival 24 team is looking for anyone interested in taking part in this awesome production! No experience is necessary for any role, and this is a great way to get involved with the performing arts on campus!
- Where: Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Class of '56 Flexible Theatre. 430 College Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards Salon: CU Music
- When: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 5:00pm
- What: Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards Salon: “A Transatlantic Liederabend:” Baritone Jean Bernard Cerin and pianist Xak Bjerken explore the German “evening of song” in salons on both sides of the Atlantic. The program begins with works by German and Austrian composers, including Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe, to 20th-century settings of German poetry by Black American composer Robert Owens, culminating with German-Haitian composer Werner Jaegerhuber’s music for the salon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and its echoes in Brazil. Seating is limited and is first-come, first-served.
- Where: A.D. White House
- When: Sunday, August 27, 2023 at 12:00pm to 2:00pm
- What: Meet 40+ student clubs representing sustainability on campus to learn about their activities, how to get involved, and the full range of amazing projects happening on campus! Students will have a chance to chat with upperlevel students and learn how to make a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. This event is open to all members of the Cornell community.
- Where: RPCC Lawn (between RPCC & Donlon Hall)
Sustainability GooseChase: Cornell Scavenger Hunt
- When: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 12:00pm
- What: Join Cornell's annual sustainability scavenger hunt and complete sustainability missions across campus to earn points & win prizes. Who will win? All Cornell students & employees can participate from September 1st to September 8th, 2023. Prizes will be awarded to the top four finishers.
See more events on the Cornell Calendar
Let's Meditate
The Victim Advocacy Program
Patient Advocacy
Patient Advocates are Cornell Health staff members who work with patients and clients who have concerns, needs, or questions that were not (or could not be) addressed by staff members directly involved in the patient/client's visit. Click here for more information.
Self-Care Vending Machine Open 24/7
A new vending machine fully dedicated to the 24/7 distribution of self-care supplies is now located just inside the Ho Plaza entrance of Cornell Health! The self-care vending machine at Cornell Health includes non-prescription medications and supplies easily dispensed outside of Cornell Health hours to address common concerns among Cornell students. Credit card, debit card, and Apple Pay accepted. Click here for more information.
Let's Talk Drop-In Consultation
“Let’s Talk” is a FREE drop-in service for students, that offers informal, private consultation with a Cornell Health counselor.
Let's Talk consultations are:
- Offered first-come, first-served (no appointment necessary)
- Typically about 20-25 minutes in length
- Informal, and not a substitute for counseling
- Not appropriate for urgent concerns or mental health emergencies
Student Disability Services (SDS)
Student Disability Services (SDS) provides academic and/or environmental accommodations and services for qualified students with disabilities.
Student Disability Services:
- Establishes and disseminates criteria for disability services
- Meets with students to discuss access needs
- Receives and stores confidential disability documentation to support a student’s eligibility for disability services and accommodations
- Collaborates with faculty and staff regarding essential course and/or program requirements and appropriate reasonable accommodations
- Is a leader of diversity efforts on campus that promote disability equity and inclusion
Student Disability Services is a Cornell Health program within Student and Campus Life. Information shared with SDS is confidential. Your health care records with Cornell Health are NOT shared with SDS staff, and vice versa (unless you sign a release for specific records to be sent).
International Students
International Student Process Group
- Tuesdays, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, in-person at Cornell Health, September 19 to November 28
- Open to undergraduate and graduate / professional students
- Weekly semester group – no drop-ins; group orientation required
- Facilitators: Karen Williams, PhD and Theo Bizimana, LMHC
LGBTQ+ Students
When: August 23rd, 4pm-6pm ET
Where: 626 Thurston Lawn
