The Cornell University Biomedical and Biological Sciences (BBS) Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program consisting of outstanding graduate students conducting state-of-the-art basic, clinical, and translational life sciences research alongside their world-renowned faculty mentors and other research professionals. Housed in the heart of biomedical research at the Cornell-Ithaca campus in the College of Veterinary Medicine, the BBS program takes advantage of outstanding research facilities, the vibrant Cornell campus, and strong links to the Weill Cornell Medical College campus in New York City. 

The BBS Program fosters a nurturing, student-centered community of scholars that is accessible, engaging, and committed to ensuring that our graduate students reach their full potential in research, teaching, and professional development.  A fundamental principle of the BBS program is that scientific collaboration and cutting-edge research are best achieved through a community of individuals with diverse points of view and varied life experiences.  In BBS, we are first-generation students, students of color, veterans, and returning students. We are baccalaureates, DVMs, and Combined DVM-PhD degree students.  We study immunology and infectious disease, molecular and cellular medicine, translational medicine and wildlife conservation, and we come from different parts of the United States and the world. The strength of the BBS program lies in its students, faculty, and staff, and the many individual backgrounds, stories, and interests they bring to our community. 

The Office of Graduate Education serves the students and faculty within the Biomedical and Biological Science Ph.D. program. The office is a source of information regarding graduate education within the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as a liaison between our graduate community and the Cornell University Graduate School.  Our door is always open for questions from staff, students (past, present, and potential), and faculty.

Dr. Paula Cohen, Associate Dean, Research & Graduate Education 
E-mail: paula.cohen@cornell.edu

Dr. Cynthia Leifer, BBS Director of Graduate Studies
E-mail: cal59@cornell.edu

Arla Hourigan, Graduate Education Manager
Phone: 607.253.4448
E-mail: aj96@cornell.edu

Cicily Strong Hughes, Graduate Education Specialist 
Phone: 607.253.3276
E-mail: cs2557@cornell.edu

The members of the Biomedical and Biological Sciences Peer Mentors are a dedicated group of current students that help incoming students transition into the BBS program, provide peer support to current BBS students, and answer questions from prospective students. They are here to share their personal perspectives and experiences as a BBS graduate student with you via email. Please feel free to contact them by clicking on their name. You will be assigned a peer mentor after you matriculate into our program (after April 15^th each year).  It is common for BBS Peer Mentors to assist newly matriculated students during the apartment hunting process. 

The BBS Graduate Student Society (BBSGSS) is the coordinating student body charged with representing all students enrolled in the BBS PhD program. This group of current students monitors issues of importance to the graduate student community, represents the concerns of graduate students to BBS Program administration, and advocate for changes to enhance the quality of graduate education. They also sponsor academic and social events of interest to the graduate student community throughout the calendar year. 

The BBS Diversity & Inclusion Council is a group of current BBS students committed to educating and serving the BBS community, while enhancing cultural awareness, sensitivity, and growth. They strive to provide safe spaces for students of all backgrounds to express their concerns and challenges with their graduate school journey on a peer level and maintain active communication with faculty in hopes to promote a more inclusive BBS community. This council aims to amplify student voices, particularly those of Black, Native, LatinXs, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and other underrepresented student groups by serving as liaisons between students, the BBS community and campus wide resources to ensure well rounded support is available.

Graduate education at Cornell is organized around graduate fields. These fields are based on specific areas of research which span different departments and colleges.  Cornell faculty may join any field which aligns with their research program.  The Biomedical and Biological Sciences PhD Program is designed to incorporate and build on this structure, creating an integrated research community.   It is required that all participating faculty adhere to similar standards and expectations in specific areas to ensure that all graduate students in the Program have a similar and equitable graduate education experience.

Important BBS field specific documents are located in the Cornell Box – BBS Internal documents folder

As an umbrella program, the Biomedical and Biological Sciences PhD program fosters an atmosphere of collaboration, focusing on the interface between scientific research and clinical practice as well as a commitment to animal and human health. 

The overriding goal of the PhD program is to assemble the knowledge and skills in a discipline that enables you to perform research that will create new knowledge.  While each student’s course of study is tailored to their needs and background, students across the program will share many learning goals on the road to establishing themselves as a professional scientist, including: independent learning and mastery of the appropriate literature in the student’s subfield; integration of the current state of knowledge to formulate a cutting edge research question; acquisition of data collection skills; acquisition of appropriate analysis skills to derive conclusions for appropriately designed investigations; development of teaching skills; effective communication abilities using written, spoken and presentation skills. 

Additionally, it is essential that biomedical and biological scientists are aware of ethical issues pertaining to the conduct and dissemination of research, in collaborative research endeavors as well as instances that may arise concerned with the teaching arena.  Opportunities to participate in training concerned with ethical issues will be provided and must be completed by all students. 

Proficiencies 
A candidate for a PhD degree in the BBS PhD Program is expected to demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the field, and to contribute significant, original research to our understanding of biology within their sub-discipline.  In so doing, the candidate will have demonstrated the following upon completion of the program:   

1. Made an original and substantial contribution to the field.
2. Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of one area of expertise.
3. Demonstrated a broad knowledge of theory and research across several sub-disciplines in the field.
4. Learned and followed ethical guidelines for working in the field.
5. Written and spoken effectively to professional and lay audiences about issues in the field.

BBS PhD students may be awarded financial support in the form of an assistantship. The two typical assistantships that BBS students are awarded are the Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) or Teaching Assistantship (TA).   Graduate student assistantships (Policy 1.3) are an arrangement in which financial support is awarded to a graduate student who engages in teaching (TA) and/or research (GRA) in furtherance of the university’s academic mission, as well as their graduate education.  All assistantships include a tuition credit, a stipend at least at the university’s published minimum rate, and health insurance coverage.

Students may hold different assistantships during their time at Cornell or may receive funding from a variety of other funding arrangements such as fellowships or external awards.  Because assistantships include a service component the stipends are processed semi-monthly through Cornell’s payroll system with applicable tax withholdings. 

Because students funded through assistantships are expected to make progress towards their research degrees, students funded on teaching assistantships work on average 15 hours per week and may never exceed 20 hours in any given week. Hourly limits for GRA appointments are not explicitly defined because they, by definition, are “An academic appointment focused on thesis or other degree-related research of a type that is required from all candidates for the degree. Because a student devotes considerable time to dissertation research, the time spent on research connected with the project is variable. GRAs are awarded full tuition credit and a stipend.” GRAs may accept a combined total of up to eight hours per week of an additional assistantship, hourly student appointment, or outside employment during their GRA assignments.

A fellowship provides financial support to graduate students to pursue graduate studies without associated teaching or research responsibilities (as they are in a teaching or graduate research assistantship). Fellowships are generally merit-based internal or external awards to support a student in a full-time course of study.  Fellows are paid three times a year in lump sum payments and taxes are NOT withheld for U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. The Internal Revenue Service classifies grant aid in excess of tuition and mandatory fees as taxable income and requires Cornell to withhold 14% in taxes if you are a non-resident alien and not eligible for exemption from taxes under a tax treaty.

Approximately 20 percent of our doctoral students studying on campus receive Cornell University Fellowships. These fellowships typically include full tuition, a 12-month stipend, and Cornell individual student health insurance.  

For more information on your payments and responsibility to pay taxes please visit this website on tax information.

Training in research design, translational science, oral and written scientific communication, and research ethics.  The student will also select a BBS concentration that is associated with the area of their thesis research: Immunology and Infectious Disease, Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Population Medicine and Epidemiology, Translational Medicine, and Zoology and Wildlife Conservation. 

As part of your PhD, you will complete academic coursework for two minors: a primary minor and secondary minor.  You must enroll in at least 12 credits per semester, which includes a combination of coursework and research credits.  Graduate-level courses are numbered 6000 and above. While you may take lower-level courses if needed to build competency, they will not count toward your graduate degree requirements.

To simplify things for students, you may use a concentration in BBS as your primary minor, and also BBS as the secondary minor as described more detail below. For the BBS secondary ‘minor’ students complete the following:

1. BIOAP 6100  By Scientific Design: Skill Building for a Career in the Life Sciences (Fall) 

2. BIOAP 7100 By Scientific Design: Skill Building for a Career in the Life Sciences II (Spring) 

3. VTBMS 7200 - BBS Seminar - Work-in-Progress (WIP), four years with satisfactory attendance 

4. Attendance at 8 seminars per semester (e.g. BBS3, IID, CVG, stem cell, etc.). You should track your seminar attendance for use in your annual Student Progress Review (SPR)

5. Ethics, which includes both BioMG7510 AND annual RCR training (BIOMG7510 is offered in the spring and must be taken in year 2 or 3)

6. Teaching experience (ie TA)

BBS PhD students are required to complete three rotations during their first year enrolled in the program. These rotations are designed to: 1) provide a range of research experiences that will give you a broad knowledge of methodologies and techniques; 2) provide you with the opportunity for more substantial contact with various faculty (and faculty with you) in order for both to make an informed decision about your thesis laboratory and Special Committee membership; 3) provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your scientific abilities and enthusiasm for research to various faculty, with the ultimate goal of finding a mentor who is willing to accept you into the lab and provide your funding for the duration of your research project.  

BBS rotation timeline 2025-2026

Rotation #1 - 9/2/2025 - 10/24/2025
Rotation #2 - 10/27/2025 -12/19/2025
Rotation #3 - 1/5/2026 – 2/27/2026

Decisions for labs made around March 9th
Students should discuss timing with their faculty mentor, but they should anticipate beginning work in their home lab by March 10th.

The BBS rotation evaluation process provides a framework for constructive discussion of the student’s laboratory rotation. The rotation evaluation has three components:

1. Student Evaluation – ONLINE FORM Student completes online self-evaluation and emails the rotation mentor.
2. Mentor Evaluation – ONLINE FORM Faculty submits online response which will then be emailed back to faculty rotation mentor to be shared with student prior or during the required face-to-face dialogue.

3. Face-to-Face Discussion – Student and faculty rotation mentor meet to discuss the rotation.  In addition to the faculty rotation mentor meeting the student should schedule a meeting with the DGS.  

Note: A student may request a reduction in required lab rotations if they have extensive research experience and demonstrate a strong rationale for their selection of a Special Committee chair. Students may discuss this possibility with their DGS and petition for a reduced rotation requirement. Approval is at the discretion of the DGS and the chair of the BBS Oversight Committee. Students should be aware that such requests are approved only rarely.

To encourage communication between students and their faculty mentors, formal opportunities have been established to review student progress.  Upon joining a lab, students will complete an expectations discussion (HERE) with their PI within two weeks of officially joining the lab.   The discussion should cover responsibilities, expectations and identify effective channels for communication.  A copy of this document needs to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Education. 

Each year, students will complete the Individual Development Plan (HERE and see below) with their PI to assist in identifying areas for scientific and personal development.  A copy of this document needs to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Education. 

All students are required to hold an annual committee meeting (typically scheduled around the student’s WIP presentation).  At each annual committee meeting, an explicit point of discussion should be the student’s progress to date.  And finally, the annual Student Progress Review (SPR) form (see below) also includes a section for PIs and students to discuss progress to date. 

Progress toward a graduate degree at Cornell is measured in successful academic semesters earned.  The minimum academic registration requirements for earning a PhD equals six semesters, two of them being after the A exam. Summer semesters do not count towards the six academic semesters needed to earn the PhD.  Students are expected to remain in good academic standing and make timely progress toward meeting Graduate School milestones in to receive continued funding.  Examples of unsatisfactory progress include such things as a GPA or grade in a course that falls below a B-, unsatisfactory work in the lab or in your teaching experience.  It is important to communicate with your faculty mentor, the DGS and/or the Office of Graduate Education immediately if you are experiencing academic problems or problems that affect your academic performance.  All of these individuals are committed to your success and can offer assistance and, in some cases, solutions.

The BBS PhD student progress review (SPR) provides a framework for constructive discussion of a student's progress toward their degree. Students will participate in self-evaluation, and faculty mentors will provide students with a written evaluation of their progress and performance.

Students are then required to meet with their Special Committee yearly to review their progress and discuss future academic plans. If a student fails to fill out the SPR, a hold may be placed against the student's record until it is completed.

The SPR must be completed annually by ALL BBS students, including first year students, on or before April 1st. Faculty need to submit their portion by April 15th.   Students who present their WIP after April 1st can request an extension to this deadline. 

1. Students are required to schedule an annual meeting with your Special Committee.  Students are responsible for setting up this meeting, and are strongly encouraged to hold it in conjunction with their WIP presentation.  First year students should meet with the DGS.
2. Complete the Student Section of the SPR, save and distribute to your Special Committee 10 days prior to your committee meeting.
3. To access a previously saved draft of the SPR Form, visit the SPR Forms Portal.
4. Meet with your Special Committee to discuss your progress and plans for the coming year.  Refer to the BBS Checklist for Annual Meeting for guidance HERE.
5. After the meeting, finalize the Student Section of the SPR and submit it.
6. Your Committee Chair will submit their portion of the form and your milestone will be marked complete. 

Please contact the DGS or the Office of Graduate Education if you are unable to fulfill this requirement.  These reports will be saved in your permanent file as evidence of progress in your program. 

General information, tips and FAQ about the SPR for students 

Please note:  Not all questions are relevant for all students (e.g., you may not yet have a publication, etc.).  If a question is not applicable, simply enter "NA". 

BBS students, in conjunction with their faculty chair, are required to fill out an Individual Development Plan (IDP) (fillable PDF available on the BBS internal box site) annually by the start of classes each Fall semester. 

BBS views the annual individual development plan (IDP) as a tool to assist graduate students in identifying areas for scientific and personal development. The IDP is an opportunity for graduate students to reflect on where they are in their development journey and identify meaningful goals to further their growth in the coming year.  It serves as an opportunity for dialogue between graduate students and their PIs to set goals for the year and pinpoint how best to achieve those goals.  For PIs, this is an important opportunity for you to mentor your graduate student and provide guidance. 

Once you have completed your discussion with your PI, please send BBS GFA a note confirming you have completed the meeting.  A copy of this document needs to be submitted to the Office of Graduate Education. 

Registration is the first step in your study at Cornell. Once registered with the University, you will have established your status and be able to use Cornell’s many resources.

Checking Your Registration Status

To check your registration status, log in to Student Essentials (https://studentessentials.cornell.edu/) and view your "Registration Status" at the top of the page.  If you are registered, your Registration Status will state "Registered" with a green checkmark.

The absence of a green checkmark means there is a hold preventing your registration. After the third week of classes, you will lose access to university services and will be charged a $350 late fee in addition to finance charges. If you register after the sixth week of classes, you will be charged a $500 late fee in addition to finance charges.  Unresolved holds will prevent you from enrolling in classes and receiving bursar refunds/fellowship stipends. 

Course Requirements
To be considered a full-time student, you are required to enroll in a minimum of 12 credits each semester. You should discuss with your faculty mentor your plan for next semester’s course enrollment.  Students not enrolling in sufficient courses must be enrolled for research. The Graduate School research courses will be automatically adjusted at the end of the drop period to bring your enrollment to a total credits to 12.​

Enrolling in Courses
Enrollment must be completed within 15 calendar days of the start of the semester and is accomplished using Student Center. 

Dropping Classes
The last date to drop a class is seven weeks after the start of the term. All drops and changes must be made through your Student Center

Auditing Classes
Auditing a class means you regularly attend the class but do not participate in all aspects of the course. You won't receive any credit hours and the course will be marked with a "V" on your transcript. Some courses do not lend themselves to auditing, and in such cases, instructors may not allow it.

The Courses of Study catalogs Cornell University’s diverse academic programs and resources. http://courses.cornell.edu/ Explore the online navigation links for information about colleges, departments, course offerings, and requirements for majors and minors. Course offerings are updated throughout the year and are subject to change. Policies and requirements are updated annually. The Courses of Study is published yearly by the Office of the University Registrar and is only available online. Use the Help button to find codes and definitions, and answers to frequently asked questions. 

The Class Roster is the semester by semester scheduled classes, University-Wide requirements, and select university policies, initiatives and interdisciplinary centers. You will need to go to Class Roster to get the Class number (which is used to enroll in a course in student center. 

For more information on courses commonly taken by BBS students review the “BBS class recommendations” document, please reference the Cornell Box – BBS Internal documents folder

Your PhD program is developed and supervised by your Special Committee.  You, with the advice and assistance of your faculty mentor, will choose the members of your Committee. Your full Special Committee must be formed by the end of your third semester of registration as a graduate student.  It is to your advantage to establish your committee as soon as possible after you officially join a lab so that you can be informed of their expectations for your program.  Once you have spoken to faculty who you want on your Special Committee, you need to update your record via Student Service Center. The BBS Program requires that a PhD Committee be composed of at least four faculty members, as detailed below.  

• Chair:  Your Chairperson represents the concentration chosen as the major subject in the BBS field, directs your thesis research and is responsible for your funding.
• Minors: You need at least two members representing one or two other minor concentrations.  True to the spirit of Cornell’s individualized program, these may be any graduate faculty from the more than 109 Graduate Fields in the University who you feel would contribute to your research project.
• Field Appointed:  A Field Appointed Member (FAM) is the member you choose in consultation with the DGS.   The Field-Appointed Member is a permanent member of your committee and is charged with ensuring that Field standards and requirements are upheld and serves as an advocate for you. Contact the DGS to give a short summary of your proposed project and the name of your proposed FAM. 

Communication is Key:  Since your Special Committee directs your program, decides whether you are making satisfactory progress toward your degree, conducts exams and approves your thesis, frequent communication is essential.  Once you have chosen the members of your Special Committee, you should schedule a meeting with your entire Committee to create a plan for your research project and degree completion.  Your Special Committee meets on an annual basis to complete your Graduate Student Progress Review.  You can also call additional meetings of your Special Committee at other times during the year as you feel it is necessary.

For more information and to review the “Simple Guide to BBS Committee roles and expectations” document, please reference the Cornell Box – BBS Internal documents folder

All BBS graduate students are required to complete a one-semester teaching experience, this can be a paid TAship or an unpaid teaching experience.  Typically, students complete this requirement in their second or third year.  The Office of Graduate Education coordinates teaching experience assignments each year. A partial list of available teaching experiences is distributed via the BBS student listserv during the Spring semester each year.  Students then submit a ranking of the teaching experience that best suits their experience, expertise, and area of interest. Students may submit an experience that is not on the internal BBS list to fulfill their teaching experience. The Office of Graduate Education then works with BBS DGS to coordinate teaching assignments for the following year. 

The teaching experience is designed to give you practice in aspects of teaching at a college level.  Your faculty advisor will release you from the lab to fulfill this teaching commitment.  After the teaching experience is complete, the course instructor must email the Office of Graduate Education to confirm the experience was completed successfully. Students can participate in a paid TAship or an unpaid teaching experience and are allowed to do so more than once if desired or financially necessary.

All students who are interested in teaching and improving their teaching skills are encouraged to participate in many of the workshops and symposia organized by the Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell.

Examination for Admission to Candidacy (A Exam)
The Examination for Admission to Candidacy is also known as the A exam. The BBS A-exam consists of a written research proposal (minimum of 7 pages, singled space) with at least one aim of the research proposal generated by the graduate student and an oral exam (chalk talk style). 

You can take the exam after completing two successful academics semesters in your program, but before beginning your seventh semester—unless special permission is obtained from the Graduate School Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs.  Passing the A exam means the graduate faculty believes that you are ready to proceed into the dissertation phase of your degree program.

You will need to set a date with your special committee for your A exam, and then submit the online Schedule of A exam form.  The completed/signed form MUST be received no less than SEVEN calendar days prior to your exam. 

After your exam you will need to submit the Results of Admission to Candidacy (A Exam). The results form must be completed within THREE business days of your exam. 

The field of Biomedical and Biological Sciences does not confer a non-thesis Master's Degree at the time of passing/ failing the A-Exam. If a student passes an examination conditionally, the conditions must be provided to the student and the Graduate School in writing. If the student fails an examination, re-examination is allowed only with the special committee’s approval and, then, not until at least three months have elapsed since the failed exam. 

If a special committee unanimously fails a student on an examination and refuses to allow reexamination, the student may not continue in the Graduate School. The student can continue only if the General Committee approves the student’s petition to do so.

If the student fails the examination and the minor subject members of the special committee, but not the chair, oppose re-examination, the student can continue in the Graduate School only if the General Committee approves the student’s petition to do so. 

If the chair, but not all the minor subject members, fails the student on an examination and opposes re-examination, the student can continue in the Graduate School only if the General Committee approves the students’ petition to do so.

For more information and to review the “BBS A-exam guidelines” document, please reference the Cornell Box – BBS Internal documents folder

Defense of PhD Dissertation (B Exam)
The Defense of PhD Dissertation, also known as the B exam, is an oral defense of your thesis or dissertation. This exam can be taken after completing all degree requirements, but not earlier than one month before completing the minimum registered semester requirements. At least two semesters of successful registration must be completed between the passing of the A exam and the scheduling of the B exam.

You will need to set a date with your special committee for your B exam, and then submit the online Schedule of B exam form.  The completed/signed form MUST be received no less than SEVEN calendar days prior to your exam. BBS GFA will then contact you for your B exam seminar information to announce to the BBS community. For a complete list of steps and associated deadlines in the thesis/dissertation submission and degree conferral process please refer to the Graduate School Thesis & Dissertation website.

What happens after you pass the B exam? 

After your exam you will need to submit a Results of Final Defense of PhD Degree (B Exam). The results form must be completed within THREE business days of your exam. Conditional passes are allowed. Students who are given conditional passes must meet those criteria by the given deadline in their result form. 

A full Pass of B exam cannot receive funding or be enrolled in the summer semester if done in May and cannot receive funding for the coming semester following the one they pass their B exam in. 

 The graduate school states that if a student passes their B exam in a semester, they will no longer be eligible for enrollment and will not have active student status for future semesters.

• Your deadline to submit your dissertation with all revisions to ProQuest is expected to be the same semester you passed your B exam unless taken after the dissertation submission deadline. 

• If a student is unable to complete the required thesis edits by the expected conferral date, they will be placed on a leave of absence. During this leave, they may submit the thesis by the next conferral date, but a $100 late submission fee will apply if it is finalized beyond the 60-day deadline.

• The thesis must be submitted no later than two conferral dates after passing the B exam. For example, if a student passes their B exam in April, they are expected to graduate in May. However, they may extend the submission of their final dissertation until the December 1 deadline for a December conferral. This extension will incur a $100 late submission fee.

The Graduate School provides grants to all graduate students who are invited to present papers or posters at professional conferences. Recipients must be enrolled (full-time or In Absentia) in a graduate research (MA/MS, MFA, DMA, JSD or PhD) degree program through the Graduate School and be a registered student during the term in which the conference takes place. Students must be presenting a paper or poster at the conference for which funds are requested. Historically, all qualifying applications have been funded!

The Graduate School also awards grants for research-related travel in the United States and abroad. These grants are for travel that is directly related to dissertation research, not conference travel. Awards of up to $2500 are offered, with priority given to post-A exam doctoral candidates who have not received a prior award. 

BBS students are encouraged to submit their application materials as early as possible, preferably before the conference start date, however, applications will be accepted up to 30 days after the start date of the conference.  Additional deadlines and application instructions for the Graduate School conference grant are located here.

In addition, the Office of Graduate Education provides top-off awards to Graduate School conference grants. If your expenses exceed the amount of your Graduate School conference grant and your committee chair is appointed to the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) please contact your GFA.
 
See the BBS Funding website for additional funding opportunities and details on the CVM conference grant top-off.

The health and mental well-being of our students is a top priority of the BBS program. We recognize that stresses unique to the responsibilities of performing PhD-level research contribute to creating mental health challenges that are new or overwhelming. In the BBS community, we seek to dismantle the stigma associated with these commonly encountered experiences. Our goal is to provide resources to encourage students to reach out and access a variety of available mental health support systems, without fear that it will be negatively viewed or impede their progress. The PhD journey is a marathon, and we believe that actively caring for students’ mental wellbeing is vital to ensure that they flourish as scientists.

Within BBS, we offer the BBS Faculty EARS program. Graduate students in BBS can speak to any member of a rotating group of EARS faculty about difficulties they are facing in graduate school.  The intent is to create a safe and confidential listening space where students can discuss their concerns.  All EARS faculty were nominated by students and have gone through basic training with the Cornell EARS program.  Students wishing to talk to a BBS faculty EARS member can contact any of the faculty listed and meet with them at their convenience. Faculty participants will rotate each year.  

In addition, the BBS GSS offers students a safe and confidential space to discuss issues of concern.  Further, the peer mentor group also offers the opportunity to discuss concerns in confidence.  And finally, the DGS and Office of Graduate Education staff are always available for consultation and support. 

A wide range of Counseling and Psychiatry Services are offered to all students across campus including, individual, group, drop-in, and crisis intervention. Please see the CVM Mental Health / Wellbeing Flow Chart for information and help. 

A complete list of services can be found at https://health.cornell.edu/services/mental-health-care

Check out the BBS Mental Health & Wellbeing WEBSITE – to read BBS PhD student testimonials on seeking support. 

24/7 phone consultation  If you have a physical or mental health concern – for yourself or for someone else – you can call Cornell Health any time for consultation and support. We'll help you determine what care is needed, and how, when, and where to get it.  Call 607-255-5155 

If you need immediate care, consider these options:

A leave of absence (LOA) is when a student takes time away from their graduate program due to experiences of out-of-the-ordinary circumstances that impact their engagement and progress.  There are two types of leaves: Personal Leave of Absence and Health Leave of Absence (HLOA).

Under compelling circumstances, students may request a leave of absence for personal, medical, or parental reasons. https://gradschool.cornell.edu/policies/leaves-of-absence/

• For medical reasons unrelated to childbirth or adoption, request a health leave, available for up to 12 months and renewable for a maximum of four years.
• Maternity and paternity leave (parental accommodation), although not technically a leave, offers six weeks of paid accommodation (eight weeks for the birth mother for a cesarean section delivery) OR up to two semesters of reduced load status depending on your circumstances.
• Leave of absence is available to any student for personal reasons other than health and parental accommodation for up to 12 months and renewable for a maximum of four years.

Common reasons cited for taking a personal leave:

• Personal reasons (i.e. family situation, financial, need to re-evaluate your interests and/or goals)
• You complete a degree prior to the end of the fall or spring semester. You can file for a leave upon completion to be eligible for prorated tuition for the semester.
• You take a job while completing your degree. 

You will not make academic progress during a leave and will NOT be eligible to receive funding from Cornell during a leave of absence.  Additionally, depending on the type of leave you may lose access to some Cornell systems (such as the library and building access). 

NOTE: If you are on a non-immigrant visa and would like to take a personal leave, you should contact the Office of Global Learning (OGL) and the Graduate Student Services Office for assistance, especially to ensure you remain in compliance with visa requirements and maintain visa eligibility for re-entry to the United States.

As you consider whether you may need to take a leave of absence you should contact the Graduate School’s Office of Graduate Student Life.  Resources and support are made available to you as you navigate the experience to enable for a smooth transition. 

Please discuss with your DGS, GFA, and special committee chair when considering a leave of absence.  

You may register in absentia to conduct approved research or study 100 miles or more away from the Cornell campus while still under the guidance of your special committee. Students in in-absentia status must show progress in their research and meeting their program goals. 

To register for in absentia status, submit an In Absentia Petition with a study plan approved by your special committee outlining how you will accomplish your degree requirements. Submit an in-absentia petition to the Graduate School by November 1 for the Spring Semester and by June 15 for the Fall Semester.  Approval by the Graduate School is required. In absentia students are charged $200 tuition/semester.

When you are in approved in absentia status you are a registered student and eligible for fellowships, assistantships, the student health plan, and educational loans. The same limitations on employment apply for in absentia students as for on-campus students; time away from campus is expected to focus on making academic progress.

Common reasons students change their status to in absentia:
1. Conducting research for an extended period at a location far from campus
2. Traveling to another institution for an extended period to use the library, archival, laboratory, or other resources to advance your scholarship.
3. Taking courses at another university that are not available at Cornell.

In absentia status will not be approved for reasons related to immigration or finances; there must be an academic justification for holding in absentia status. While in approved in absentia status you may not take classes or engage in research at another Cornell Graduate School campus location.

During in-absentia status students are limited to return to campus for a maximum of three weeks each semester to meet with their special committee. 

The Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX (OIETIX) promotes and ensures equal opportunity and access to enable all members of the Cornell community to succeed and thrive. OIETIX prevents and addresses bias incidents, sexual and related misconduct, discrimination, and protected-status harassment through data collection and analysis, incident response and resolution, and training and education.

We are guided by five core values: community, accountability, empathy, integrity, and the creation of a positive and safe environment.

Through Cornell University Policy 6.4, “Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct,” and the applicable procedures, the University provides means to address bias, discrimination, harassment, and sexual and related misconduct, including sexual harassment and sex/gender-based harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.

In addition, through Cornell University Policy 6.3, “Consensual Relationships,” OIETIX strives to protect the integrity of students’ and postgraduates’ university experience, with the freedom to pursue academic, training, research, and professional interests in an environment without preferential or unfair treatment, discrimination, harassment, bias, or coercion.

For sexual and related misconduct—including gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, or other forms of sexual misconduct—report the incident through the following options:

• Contact the University’s Title IX Coordinator or any Deputy Title IX Coordinator by telephone, email, or in person during regular office hours. See contact information for Title IX staff (http://titleix.cornell.edu/reporting)
  • By emailing: titleix@cornell.edu
  • Submit an incident report online (http://titleix.cornell.edu/reporting/cornell)
  • Contact the Cornell University Police Department (CUPD) at (607) 255-1111 or 911 for emergency assistance.

The University strongly supports a complainant’s desire for confidentiality. 
However, students should be aware that all disclosures of gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, or other forms of sexual and related misconduct to a staff or faculty member will be reported, as required by Cornell Policy 6.4, to the Title IX Coordinator. All Cornell offices and employees who cannot guarantee confidentiality will maintain your privacy to the greatest extent possible. The information you provide to a non-confidential resource will be relayed only as necessary for the Title IX Coordinator to investigate and/or seek a resolution.

The Title IX Coordinators will maintain privacy to the greatest extent possible but are not confidential resources.  For confidential help, please see the list of confidential resources at: www.titleix.cornell.edu/resources/confidential 

Cornell University has a campus-wide Code of Academic Integrity. Every student enrolled in the BBS program has already agreed to abide by this code. You have already been asked to review and sign this code; please be sure that you are well-apprised of it. (http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/aic.cfm)

The Code of Academic Integrity

Absolute integrity is expected of every Cornell student in all academic undertakings. Integrity entails a firm adherence to a set of values, and the values most essential to an academic community are grounded on the concept of honesty with respect to the intellectual efforts of oneself and others.

Academic integrity is expected not only in formal coursework situations, but in all University relationships and interactions connected to the educational process, including the use of University resources. While both students and faculty of Cornell assume the responsibility of maintaining and furthering these values, this document is concerned specifically with the conduct of students.

A Cornell student's submission of work for academic credit indicates that the work is the student's own. All outside assistance should be acknowledged, and the student's academic position truthfully reported at all times. In addition, Cornell students have a right to expect academic integrity from each of their peers. 

In summary, your responsibilities are as follows:

• A student shall in no way misrepresent his or her work.
• A student shall in no way fraudulently or unfairly advance his or her academic position.
• A student shall refuse to be a party to another student's failure to maintain academic integrity.
• A student shall not in any other manner violate the principle of academic integrity.

Examples of violations:

Plagiarism Definition: Knowingly representing the work of others as your own. Avoiding it: Cite, acknowledge, and give credit to all sources.

Cheating Definition: Fabricating data in support of laboratory or field work; forging a signature; obtaining unauthorized assistance on academic work. Avoiding it: Do your own original work; don’t copy the work of others.

Unauthorized collaboration Definition: Obtaining or providing unauthorized help on exams, research, papers, or other academic work. Avoiding it: Credit your collaborators and talk to your faculty member or advisor to make sure sharing your work with others or partnering to do work is acceptable.

Misrepresenting yourself Definition: Misrepresenting your academic accomplishments or credentials, including degrees awarded. Avoiding it: Be honest about who you are and what you’ve accomplished.

We hope that while you are a student at Cornell you will never need to deal with a grievance. 
However, should you need to, Cornell University and the Graduate School have a well-defined policy in place. The type of complaint will determine which action you take.

Conflict between graduate students and faculty members, while unusual, occasionally arises. Graduate education complaints by individual students against faculty will follow the Graduate School’s Grievance Procedure.

Summary of Key Steps in the Graduate School’s Grievance Procedure

At each of the steps described below, you may have a witness or support person accompany you to each meeting. In each phase of the process, clearly indicate the topic of your grievance and to the extent possible articulate what you believe a fair remedy would be. Each of the steps has a specific time frame associated with it, to encourage timely and fair resolution. The full process is described here: http://gradschool.cornell.edu/grievances-and-complaints

Step One: Speak directly to the source of your grievance. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Step One, go to Step Two.

Step Two: Contact your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). If you are not satisfied with the outcome of Step Two, go to Step Three. If the DGS is the source of the complaint, skip Step Two and go to Step Three.

Step Three: Bring the case to the Dean of The Graduate School. If you (or the other party) are not satisfied with the outcome of Step Three, go to Step Four.

Step Four: Refer the case to the Graduate Grievance Review Board (GGRB), composed of two students and three faculty members. The GGRB recommendations are reviewed by the Provost who will make the final determination. 

2. Prohibited discrimination, protected-status harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual assault and violence, and bias activity complaints are covered under Policy6.4, Prohibited  Discrimination, Protected-Status Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Assault and  Violence, and Bias Activity Procedure. To report bias incidents or related concerns, complete the form or send email to titleix@cornell.edu
    
3. Sexual misconduct complaints should be reported to the University Title IX Coordinator at titleix@cornell.edu

Health and safety considerations are paramount for students working in environments where there may be biological, fire, radiation, chemical and laboratory safety considerations. 

During the BBS PhD orientation week, you will participate in mandatory laboratory safety training with Paul Jennette, Biosafety Engineer and Director of Biocontainment Operations at Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.  Prior to this training you are required to complete the online laboratory safety course (EHS 2555 EHS-Laboratory Safety) via the CULearn system. 

Environment and Health Safety offers additional short courses on laboratory safety and other topics.  Cornell also offers training on the use of human subjects, animals, and biohazardous agents in research. For example, Cornell offers training on research with human subjects, all of which must be reviewed and approved by Cornell’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before research can begin, per federal regulations. Research with animals (live vertebrates) must also be reviewed and approved by Cornell’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before researcher’s order, acquire, or handle animals. 

Before biohazardous agents can be used in research and teaching, Cornell’s Institutional Biosafety Committee(IBC) reviews and approves proposed activities using biohazardous materials. 

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is a cornerstone of good science. All research as it is being designed, implemented, and communicated must be conducted with the highest ethical standards. All incoming graduate students pursuing research degrees must take an initial online RCR training before the end of their second semester. The Full Course on RCR training covers authorship, peer review, and research misconduct (plagiarism, data falsification, and data fabrication), and is required for incoming graduate students.

To take the Full Course on RCR, please click here For more information on RCR requirements for incoming graduate students, please see the Cornell Graduate School website.

In addition, all BBS students are strongly encouraged to attend the annual RCR symposium organized by the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance (ORIA) throughout their academic career.  The annual RCR symposium focused on a research ethics topic, such as authorship and mentoring relationships. If a student is supported by a federal grant or certain other fellowships, they will be required to participate in annual RCR training.

Cornell Health is a fully accredited university health center, consisting of a multidisciplinary staff of medical providers, counselors and psychiatrists, nutritionists, physical therapists, and behavioral health consultants. Cornell Health is located at 110 Ho Plaza, at the corner of Campus Road and College Avenue.
For hours and information visit, www.health.cornell.eduor call (607)255-5155.

Cornell Health Insurance Highlights

• Two types of health insurance (SHP and SHP-M) are available, developed especially for Cornell students to provide access to convenient and comprehensive care on Cornell’s campus and anywhere else you might live, study, or travel.
• Dental and vision care insurance plans are optional.
• SHP is a platinum-level plan, providing the highest level of coverage.
• Coverage is available through the network of Aetna providers nationwide.
• Worldwide assistance and emergency air transportation services cover you when you are away from Ithaca.
• The plan covers pre-existing conditions and is tailored for student needs.

• Premiums for BBS graduate research assistants and students on fellowships are paid by Cornell as part of their funding packages.

   

The English Language Support Office (ELSO) offers high-quality instruction in writing and speaking to Cornell’s international graduate and professional students. All of our programs are optional for students, and through support from the Provost’s Office and Graduate School, offered free of charge to you. Visit our website, www.knight.as.cornell.eduto learn more about our services:

Courses on Writing and Speaking: These 7-week credit-bearing pass/fail courses target particular areas of writing and speaking, such as becoming a better editor of your work, writing with sources, giving presentations, preparing for the job search, taking part in discussions, and improving pronunciation. These courses are designed to provide you with opportunities to learn a range of strategies, practice skills in a supportive atmosphere, and form community with peers from across fields and professions. 

Tutoring on Writing, Presentations, and Pronunciation: This tutoring program is designed to meet the immediate needs of graduate and professional students, whether you are working on a thesis or paper for publication, preparing for a conference or an interview, or needing to focus on a specific aspect of pronunciation in order to communicate more clearly. You may also make regular appointments to work on a larger project (like a dissertation) or focus on improvement over time.

Workshop Series: Our 90-minute interactive workshops are designed to allow international graduate and professional students to learn key strategies relevant to speaking and writing in graduate school. Recent topics have included networking in English, preparing for the U.S. job search, writing research papers, and using online resources to support pronunciation.

Speaking Groups Program: This program offers ongoing practice with conversational English through small groups that meet weekly throughout the semester. Participants not only gain experience with social English, but make meaningful connections with members of the Cornell community.

Writing Groups Program: In this program, domestic and international graduate students, professional students and post-docs support each other in meeting writing goals. Through regularly scheduled meetings, writers come together to write at the same time, talk about their writing, or provide each other with peer review.

As a part of their mission, the Graduate School offers a number of services and resources. It is a great idea to be aware of them: http://gradschool.cornell.edu/

Some specific student life resources that we think you might like include the following. Please check out the full list of resources here: http://gradschool.cornell.edu/student-life.

The Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center (BRB), an old carriage house turned student center, is located in the heart of campus and surrounded by lawns and gardens. A central place for eating and relaxing, the Big Red Barn hosts more than 200 events per year, including the ever-popular T.G.I.F. (Tell Grads It’s Friday), Trivia Night, and Speed Dating. Connect with the Big Red Barn on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on BRB events and community-related news. https://gradschool.cornell.edu/student-life/big-red-barn

Office of Graduate Student Life is committed to the importance of student health and well- being as a foundation for academic and life success. In recognition that health and academic performance are intimately linked, the Office of Student Life at the Graduate School is a source of support and advocacy for Cornell graduate and professional students. The Office of Student Life serves as a coordinating hub of services that facilitate the student life experience at Cornell.  http://gradschool.cornell.edu/student-life/office-graduate-student-life

Student Communities. Individuals are central to the Grad School’s notion of community, and it’s the collection of inspiring students, dedicated faculty, and caring administrators who make Cornell a community that is easy to call home. For more information regarding student communities, clubs, engagement and Community-Building Opportunities visit, gradschool.cornell.edu/communities.

Help and Support Contact Janna Lamey janna.lamey@cornell.edu 607-255-5184 or Olivia Hopewell ho256@cornell.edu 607-255-3935 in the Office of Graduate Student Life to receive support and referrals for anything ranging from academic, wellness, policies and procedure to personal concerns.

For issues related to academic progress, conflict resolution and academic integrity contact Associate Dean Josephine Martell jem522@cornell.edu 

Diversity and Inclusion questions and concerns can be addressed by contacting Associate Dean Sara Xayarath Hernandez atsh267@cornell.edu 

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) brings together Cornell’s 7,000 graduate and professional (M.B.A., J.D., D.V.M.) students to address non-academic issues of common concern. Drawing upon the strengths of our diverse constituencies, the GPSA works with the university administration to improve the quality of life at the University. Additional information can be found at the Assemblies website, http://assembly.cornell.edu/GPSA/Home

Cornell University provides several resources to aid you in exploring career options, developing your transferable skills, and preparing for the job interview process. 

The Graduate School’s Future Faculty and Academic Careers office (website) prepares graduate students and postdocs for a wide range of academic careers.

The NextGen Professors (website) is a career-development program focused on preparing Cornell graduate students and postdocs for faculty careers across institutional types. The primary audience for this program is doctoral students (in year three or beyond) and postdocs with a demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, inclusion, access, and equity in academia, including but not limited to those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the professoriate.

The Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) (website) supports Cornell’s teaching community with a full complement of individualized services, programs, institutes, and campus-wide initiatives. CTI provides immersive experiences for those interested in academic careers. Previous BBS students have utilized the CTI Teaching Portfolio Program (website) to enhance their competitiveness on the job market. 

The Graduate School’s Careers Beyond Academia Office (website) helps doctoral students and postdocs from all disciplines explore and gain skills for their future careers through flexible, experience-based, empowering opportunities. Participants develop their skills while learning about a variety of careers, including those in industry, non-profits, government, policy, consulting, and more. 

The Graduate School’s Office of Postdoctoral Studies (website) provides career and professional development workshops for doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars. 

Cornell Career Services (website) offers expertise in career exploration, job search strategies, preparation of job applications and advise on negotiating job offers.

A list of all career and professional development opportunities can be found at the Graduate School’s (website).