Cornell University Dean of Students: Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources

The Office of the Dean of Students (DOS) at Cornell University plays a pivotal role in fostering a supportive and enriching environment for students. The DOS cultivates the holistic growth and development of students through advocacy, empowerment, and education. By offering comprehensive support and resources, providing co-curricular opportunities, and fostering a sense of belonging, the DOS enhances the student experience. This article delves into the responsibilities of the Dean of Students, the structure of the office, and the resources available to students.

Role of the Dean of Students

The Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students (DOS) serves as a strategic partner to the Vice President for Student and Campus Life (SCL), providing strategic vision and oversight for all aspects of the student experience. The Dean ensures the successful delivery and cultivation of co-curricular programs, initiatives, and support. The Dean of Students facilitates student transformation and represents student concerns as an advocate, educator, and campus partner. The Dean also advises undergraduate (UA) and graduate and professional (GPSA) student assemblies.

Dr. Marla Love currently serves as the Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students within the Division of Student and Campus Life (SCL).

Structure and Key Areas of Responsibility

The Dean of Students oversees several key areas that provide comprehensive support to students:

Office of the Dean of Students: Serves as a central point of contact for the advocacy, empowerment, and education of all students.
Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment, and Belonging: Headed by Senior Associate Dean Michelle Van-Ess Grant, Ed.D., these centers focus on fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus environment.
Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS): Led by Senior Associate Dean Christina, this office upholds community standards through the student conduct process under the Student Code of Conduct (Code).
Student Support and Advocacy Services (SSAS): Provides assistance to students navigating difficult life events and crisis situations. Greta Kenney serves as the Senior Associate Dean of Students for Student Support and Advocacy Services. The office utilizes a student-centered and individualized approach to support and empower students.

Student Support and Advocacy Services (SSAS)

The Office of Student Support & Advocacy Services assists students in navigating difficult life events and crisis situations that impact their ability to be successful. We utilize a student-centered and individualized approach to support and empower students. The office serves as the central point of contact for students, families, and community members and collaborates with campus partners to holistically support students.

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The Assistant Dean of Students for Student Support & Advocacy Services (SSAS) reports to the Associate Dean of Students for SSAS and serves as a member of the office’s extended leadership team, supporting the collaborative development, management, and evaluation of SSAS in the Division of Student and Campus Life on Cornell University’s campus of 24,000 students. This position serves primarily as a case manager and facilitates non-clinical interactions with students in distress and/or navigating crisis situations through trauma-informed care and identity-conscious support, including managing an individual caseload of students, crisis follow-up, and supporting the university-wide behavioral intervention team (CARE Team) in the absence of senior SSAS staff. This position also participates in campus-wide educational and training efforts, departmental operations, projects, and committees.

Additionally, the Assistant Dean serves in an Administrator On-Call rotation and responds to crisis-related situations after-hours, including navigating high-level issues of physical and psychological safety.

This position is an in-person role but can work remotely for (3) months to support relocation needs.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Success Factors: Demonstrated success in implementing case management and crisis response efforts grounded in trauma-informed care, and identity-conscious support. A commitment to working collaboratively in a student-centered environment committed to the important values of shared governance, with enthusiasm for supporting a student body that is broadly diverse with regard to gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and (dis)ability, among other factors. An ability to build relationships and maintain trust, assess and balance the needs of various stakeholders, and identify and advocate for achievable solutions. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, planning, reasoning, organizational, and project management skills, with an ability to multi-task in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

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Qualifications for the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Support & Advocacy Services (SSAS)

Required Qualifications: Master’s degree and a minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of professional experience in Student Affairs, Higher Education, Counseling, Social Work, or a closely related field with two (2) years of experience working in college student support and advocacy services. Applied knowledge of student development theory and student affairs trends related to student support and advocacy services in higher education. Demonstrated experience working with college student case management processes, including intake and triage, tailored care plans, resource referrals, and trauma-informed care. Experience working with crisis response processes, including serving on-call, responding to crisis situations, and participating in training initiatives. Experience building collaborative partnerships with faculty, administrators, students, parents/families, community partners, and alumni. Familiarity with higher education legal issues, including Clery, FERPA, and HIPAA. Ability to serve on-call and respond to crisis situations according to organizational protocol, including evening and weekend work as required.
Preferred Qualifications: Advanced degree in a related field and/or clinical experience. Experience working with a Behavioral Intervention Team/CARE Team. Familiarity with campus-wide educational efforts focused on student support and advocacy services, supporting students in distress, and managing difficult situations. Experience with case management software systems.

Key Personnel in the Dean of Students Office

Jessica Edwards: Serves as the Executive Assistant to the Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students.
Kevin Williams: Serves as a Senior Associate Dean of Students and supports the development of co-curricular programs and services.

Contacting the Dean of Students Office

The Office of the Dean of Students is located at 626 Thurston Av.

Academic Policies and Resources

The Dean of Students' responsibilities also extend to academic policies and resources that support students' educational journey.

Instruction Syllabi

Syllabi serve as a formal communication tool, covering essential course elements such as modality, learning objectives, materials, expectations, policies, and student support services. The New York State Education Department and the Center for Teaching Innovation offer best practices for creating effective syllabi. Instructors are encouraged to attach their syllabi to the Cornell Class Roster, even in draft form, to provide students with the prospective course experience and make informed registration decisions. Additionally, the university-wide Cornell Academic Materials Program (CAMP) provides undergraduates with access to required textbooks and coursepacks for a flat fee, regardless of their field of study.

Academic Calendar

The university bylaws define the academic year as a roughly nine-month period, starting two working days before fall term registration and ending with final examinations in the spring term. Summer spans from the last day of one academic year to the first day of the subsequent academic year. Faculty members, regardless of appointment length, are expected to be present throughout the academic year, except for leaves of absence, holidays, and professional travel. Faculty members must remain on campus until they submit grades for spring term courses. The provost, in consultation with the Student Assembly and Faculty Senate, determines the academic calendar details, occasionally introducing small variations announced in advance to the university community.

Class Meeting Times

The Office of the University Registrar oversees the Courses of Study catalog, which lists the current standard class meeting patterns. Class meeting patterns are listed by duration and the number of times the class meets per week: 50 Minutes, 75 Minutes, 115 Minutes, 150 Minutes, and 180 minutes. Offering a course during a nonstandard meeting time requires approval if the course is numbered 4999 or less or it is cross-listed with a course that is numbered 4999 or less or co-meets with a course that is numbered 4999 or less. Approval is also required for Law School, Johnson Graduate School of Management, or Veterinary College classes numbered 5000 or above that meet between 7:30 am and 4:25 pm in buildings that are not part of their space. The granting of exceptions partly depends upon the specific type of class and the credit hour policy. Instructors must work with their unit chairperson to make every effort within the academic unit to comply with the above standard class meeting times. Only when local resolution proves impossible may the faculty member request, in writing, an exception. The exception request must first be approved by the unit associate dean, or an equivalent individual designated by the unit dean, who must then seek final approval from the vice provost for undergraduate education.

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Free-Time Zone

The ‘free-time zone’ is a designated time that provides a reliable time for relaxation and extracurricular activities. According to faculty legislation, the free-time zone spans Mondays through Thursdays from 4:25pm to 7:30pm, Fridays after 4:25pm, Saturdays after 12:05pm, and all-day Sunday. It is important that the intent of the free-time-zone policy be respected during the process of course scheduling. For that reason, the scope of teaching in the free-time zone will be reviewed annually by the Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Dean of Faculty, and the University Registrar. Courses numbered 4999 or lower are considered ‘undergraduate-level,’ even if cross-listed with higher-numbered courses. All other courses fall under the ‘graduate-level’ category. Graduate-level courses can meet during the free-time zone unless they are cross-listed with or co-meet with undergraduate-level courses.

Student and Instructor Attendance Responsibilities

Students are expected to attend all course meetings throughout the term. While some courses enforce penalties for absences, others focus on students’ responsibility for class material rather than physical presence. Attendance rules are set by the unit or the instructor In cases of missed work, cooperation with the instructor is essential for makeup opportunities because only the course instructor can grant an exemption to a student. However, it may be particularly challenging to make up missed work for tests, laboratory sessions, or field trips, as the instructor’s discretion plays a significant role. Academic employees bear essential responsibilities, including teaching, advising, and research mentorship, and scholarship. In cases of unforeseen absence (due to illness, transportation issues, or emergencies), course instructors should arrange for substitutes or inform students and others dependent on their presence. For planned absences, provisions must be made to fulfill academic obligations, with communication to affected parties. When makeup classes are scheduled outside regular hours, instructors should consider potential conflicts for students. If, in attempting to avoid such conflicts, the instructor arranges to have the class taken by a substitute, that person must maintain continuity and coherence in their presentations as well as the level of presentation provided by the regular instructor. For these and other reasons, the missing of classes should be held to a minimum, and assignments of makeup classes and coaching of a substitute should be done with care. Having such plans approved by the unit chairperson is advised. In 2023, the Faculty Senate enacted a policy prohibiting faculty from assigning graded academic coursework during scheduled breaks. Consequently, faculty cannot administer graded exams or quizzes, conduct in-class graded assignments, or set due dates for graded assignments immediately after a break. This measure aims to reduce the demand on students’ time during their breaks. If a course is offered for credit, then the instructor of record is the individual who assigns the final course grade. The instructor of record must be an academic titleholder if the course is numbered 4999 or lower. An individual who is not an academic titleholder can serve as the instructor of record if the course is numbered 5000 or higher and is not a requirement for any degree program affiliated with the sponsoring unit. Co-teaching with an academic titleholder is always allowed provided the academic titleholder serves as the instructor of record. No member of the instructional staff, including assistants, may engage for profit or gain in tutoring a student in a university course taught by himself or herself or by colleagues in the same unit. University buildings or equipment are not to be used by any member of the instructional staff for tutoring for profit.

Academic Integrity

Cornell University places a strong emphasis on academic integrity, expecting unwavering honesty from its students. It is a shared responsibility where both students and faculty play a role in maintaining these values. Whether in formal coursework or any other educational context, students must: acknowledge any outside assistance received for all academic endeavors; respect the intellectual efforts of themselves and others, which is undermined by plagiarism and cheating; respect the fact that academic integrity extends beyond the classroom to all interactions related to the educational process. By submitting work for academic credit, students truthfully affirm that it is their own. Plagiarism-detection software, like Turnitin, is activated by default in all Canvas courses. It scans student submissions for matched text by comparing the work to a large database of other student submissions, publications, and materials on the internet. Instructors who use or anticipate using plagiarism-detection software must provide notice to students. This notice should be included in the course syllabus. If plagiarism-detection software is instituted after the syllabus is distributed, faculty should provide written notice at that time. For example:“Students agree that by taking this course, all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to plagiarism-detection software. All submitted papers will be submitted as source documents solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. Use of such services is subject to their Usage Policy.” The course instructor has the authority to decide the technology use policy, which should be included in the syllabus and communicate it to students on the first day of class. However, accommodations must be provided for students with disabilities. Some students buy and sell course materials online, including exams and exam answers, lecture notes, problem sets and answers, and student papers. Commercial vendors have been known to falsely tell students that instructors have approved the sale of course materials and then post them online for resale. Some Cornell students have engaged in ‘contract cheating,’ subscribing to study sites like Chegg, CourseHero, and Slader to obtain answers for exams and assignments and then submitted them as their own work. Such behavior constitutes “Unauthorized Assistance” under the Code of Academic Integrity. Online learning management systems, like Blackboard and Canvas, emphasize that course materials posted there are intellectual property belonging to the author, and students are not allowed to buy or sell them without the instructor’s express permission. To discourage such behavior, course instructors are encouraged to explicitly prohibit buying and selling course materials in their syllabi. Additionally, including a copyright notice on any course materials that you author, including class notes and exams, helps protect against unauthorized distribution. If students were to remove a copyright notice, that behavior would create a higher level of culpability. Such a notice would also make it easier for you to take down materials from commercial sites. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), to have materials removed from a web site, the copyright holder must personally request the removal. Although student-produced course materials, like lecture notes, are owned by the student, course instructors can still set conditions on their use. For instance, they may prohibit distributing notes derived from their lectures on internet sites, such as recommended above. Original course materials are copyrighted intellectual property of the creator of the content and are not a student’s property to share, distribute, or sell; sharing or selling course materials or lecture content, even a student’s own class notes, without authorization, is subject to a charge of “Classroom Misconduct” and possibly copyright infringement. Instructions on how to locate and request removal of copyrighted course materials sold on Internet sites.

Student Disability Services

Instructors play a crucial role in ensuring equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Under Federal law, disabilities such as learning disabilities, certain physical and mental health conditions, vision and hearing impairments, and traumatic brain injuries qualify for accommodations. Students with documented needs are entitled to appropriate access accommodations. Student Disability Services collaborates closely with students to determine eligibility and provide necessary accommodations for each course. Faculty should provide the accommodations specified in the accommodation notification letter prepared by Student Disability Services. Student Disability Services also supports faculty. Instructors should promptly discuss modifications with Student Disability Services if an approved accommodation would significantly alter the course’s structure or essential requirements. Additional accommodation resources are provided by other entities on campus, such as the center for teaching innovation, Cornell Office of Civil Rights, student campus life, and the student-athlete handbook.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Role of Student Disability Services: Review disability documentation, determines eligibility, and ensures equal opportunity. Collaborate with students and instructors to address unique course accommodations. Provide adaptive equipment, exam laptops, lab assistants, and other necessary support.
Key Points for Students: Self-identify to Student Disability Services. Provide disability documentation. Student Disability Services issues accommodation notification letters to registered students. Notify faculty promptly to facilitate necessary arrangements. Discuss specific needs with instructors.
Role of Faculty: Maintaining Confidentiality - Students’ disability status is confidential. Instructors may share accommodation information with academic support staff. Disability documentation is maintained by SDS and reviewed only by SDS staff.
Key Points for Instructors: Create an Open Climate - Encourage students to communicate their needs. Use the first week of class or the syllabus to express appreciation for the accommodation process. Remember that new students may feel hesitant to request accommodations. Timely Requests - Emphasize that accommodation requests should be submitted promptly to allow for logistical planning. Avoid Last-Minute Requests - Clearly state that last-minute accommodation requests made are problematic due to procrastination. Timeliness Matters - Instructors should act promptly to accommodate students, as delays could impact a student’s ability to remain in the course. Confidentiality - Ensure that students can submit accommodation requests confidentially. Consistent Accommodations - If the same accommodation applies throughout the term, set this up from the start to avoid reminders. Flexible Arrangements - While two weeks’ notice is reasonable, faculty should accommodate requests with shorter notice if possible. Episodic Health Conditions - Some students with episodic health conditions may need flexibility (e.g. makeup exams) due to unexpected episodes.

Syllabus Statement: Instructors are encouraged to include an accommodation statement in the syllabus, informing students of their rights and minimizing last-minute accommodation requests.

Sample language for accommodations syllabus statement: If you have a disability-related need for reasonable academic adjustments in this course, provide the (Instructor, TA, Course Coordinator) with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Students are expected to give two weeks’ notice of the need for accommodations. If you need immediate accommodations, please arrange to meet with your (Instructor, TA, Course Coordinator) within the first two class meetings. Students have the right to confidentiality of their disability status. Instructors may share accommodation information with academic support staff for the purpose of the provision of accommodations. Instructors should refrain from making any disability related comments in front of the class or in presence of other students, faculty or staff who are not directly involved in the accommodation process.

Additional Resources and Support

College Registrar Directory: For assistance with course registration.
Advising and Support Offices: For academic support and resources.
Student Disability Services (SDS): For accessibility accommodations.
Student Support & Advocacy Services: For students of concern.
Cornell Health: For confidential care and support related to bias incidents.
Family Newsletters: For families to connect with the Cornell community.

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