Current Students

Academic integrity is a critical issue for all students and professors in the academic community. All students should familiarize themselves with and abide by the Code of Academic Integrity.

The code's introduction presents broad principles that should help students conduct themselves honorably:

"Absolute integrity is expected of every Cornell student in all academic undertakings. . . . Academic integrity is expected not only in formal course work but in all university relationships and interactions connected to the educational process, including the use of university resources. . . A student's submission of work for academic credit indicates that the work is the student's own. . . ."

A student who has been found guilty of violating the code may receive a penalty that ranges from the loss of a few points on a specific assignment to expulsion from the university.

Moreover, no student who has been found guilty of a breach of the Code of Academic Integrity will be eligible for Ye Hosts membership, a management internship, or academic distinction or other graduation honors and awards.

• Good Standing—duly registered full-time student, enrolled in 12 or more credit hours, whose semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) are above 2.0.
• Warning—Issued when a student's semester and/or cumulative GPA fall below 2.0.  The student is warned that a 2.0 must be attained in the following semester or he/she faces further action, such as a required leave or withdrawal.
• Required Leave (one or two semesters)—Generally issued after a student has been warned but may be issued at any time the student’s semester and/or cumulative GPA fall below 2.0. The student is advised that he/she must leave the university for a period of one or two semesters, and, if the student wishes to return in the future, he/she must follow certain readmission requirements. included with the Required Leave letter. Note: Students returning from required leaves must attain a minimum 2.3 grade point average and must not have any grades of “F” or “Incomplete” in the rejoin term. Otherwise, the student will be subject to further disciplinary action.
• Voluntary Leave—May be requested at any time by the student for any reason, by submitting a petition duly signed by the student and the academic advisor. Students are advised to check with the university bursar for tuition refund policies in the event a voluntary leave is requested once the semester has commenced.
• Medical Leave—Must be requested and approved through the university’s Gannett Health Services. If granted a medical leave, which usually is at least six months in duration, the student may not return to the university until approved by Gannett.
  
• Required Withdrawal—Issued when a student’s academic record is such that the faculty deems that the student should leave the university on a permanent basis.
• Suspension—Issued when a student has been convicted of a gross violation of the Code of Academic Integrity or the Campus Code of Conduct. A suspension generally is temporary.
• Expulsion—A permanent separation from the university wherein the student may not re-register in the future.

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

The university regards a student's enrollment status (for example: registered, on leave, withdrawn) as directory information that may be released unless a student submits a "no-release" request to the university registrar.  Additionally, where the university believes that it is in a dependent student's best interest, information from the student's educational records may, at the university's discretion, be released to the parents or legal guardians of such a dependent student.  Such a disclosure generally will be limited to information about a student's official status at the university, but parents or legal guardians of a dependent student also may be notified  when a student has voluntarily withdrawn from the university or has been required by the university to withdraw; when a student has been placed on academic warning; when the student's academic good standing or promotion is at issue; when a student has been placed on disciplinary probation or restriction; or when a student otherwise engages in behavior calling into question the appropriateness of that student's continued enrollment at the university. 

Unless otherwise indicated in writing by the student at the time of registration or thereafter, the university will presume that a full-time undergraduate student is a dependent as that term is defined in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Students who want additional information on access to their records may contact the Office of Student Services, 180 Statler Hall, or the Office of the University Registrar, B-7 Day Hall.  An inventory of those student records maintained by Cornell University offices in Ithaca, their location, and cognizant officers are available in the Office of the Dean of Student, 401 Willard Straight Hall.

You may add classes to your enrollment in the first three weeks of each term and you may drop classes before the end of the seventh week of classes. You must turn in your Add/Drop form by the specified date each term. These forms are available in the Office of Student Services, 180 Statler Hall.

Dean of the Hotel School, Michael Johnson
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Steven Carvell
Associate Dean for Business Administration, David Strong
Dean of Students, Judith Brownell
Managing Director, The Statler Hotel, Richard D. Adie
Director of Communications, Cydney Peters
Academic Director, Center for Hospitality Research, David Sherwyn
Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, Brad Walp
Director of Student Services, Lisa Shaffer
Associate Director for Admissions, Neoma Mullens
Associate Director for Career Management, Molly de Roos
Assistant Director for Graduate Programs, Hilary Diekow
Assistant Director for Multicultural Programs, Amber Cohen
Interim Director of Alumni Affairs and Development, Meg Keilbach
Director of Alumni Affairs, Christine Natsios

The primary purpose of Advanced Placement (AP) credit is to exempt students from introductory courses and to place them in advanced courses. In the case of Hotel School students, credit may be awarded only in free electives, with two exceptions: microeconomics and the Freshman Writing Seminar. If you receive AP credit, you may not subsequently enroll in the course for credit at Cornell unless the AP credit is removed.

Students may earn AP credit from one of the following:

1. The requisite score on a departmental examination at Cornell (usually given during Orientation Week) or on a College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) test. The requisite scores for the CEEB exams are determined by the relevant department at Cornell, vary by subject, and are published in Courses of Study.
   
2. A regular course taught at an accredited college to college students and approved by the relevant department at Cornell. Some departments have delegated the review of courses to college staff according to guidelines they have formulated. Some departments review each request individually. Some departments accept credit from virtually all accredited colleges; some do not.
   
3. Credit for the international baccalaureate, the German Abitur, the GCE A levels, etc. is evaluated individually.
   

Note: Cornell does not accept credit for courses sponsored by colleges but taught in high schools to high school students. This is true even if the college provides a transcript of such work. Students who have taken such courses may, however, take the appropriate CEEB test to qualify for credit as in paragraph 1 above.

For information and limitations on AP credit, see Courses of Study.

Every student in the School of Hotel Administration is assigned a faculty advisor. The faculty advisor’s role is to be of assistance in matters concerning academic guidance, personal counseling, and professional development. It is a good idea to make an appointment with your advisor soon after you arrive on campus.

You can change your advisor at any time by filling out the required form in the Office of Student Services, 180 Statler Hall, once your new advisor has agreed to serve in this capacity. The form is also available online.

In addition, student services advisors are available in the Office of Student Services, 180 Statler Hall.

Created by Archibald Crosswell Weeks (1872) and Wilmot Moses Smith (1874).

First Verse
Far above Cayuga's waters,
With its waves of blue,
Stands our noble Alma Mater,
Glorious to view.
Refrain
Lift the chorus,
Speed it onward,
Loud her praises tell;
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater!
Hail, all hail, Cornell!
Second Verse
Far above the busy humming
Of the bustling town,
Reared against the arch of Heaven,
Looks she proudly down.
Refrain

The Office of Alumni Affairs and Development is the bridge that unites alumni and the general public with the academic activities of the Hotel School. The Alumni Affairs staff and the Development staff work together to meet the needs of their various constituencies. For example, Alumni Affairs helps produce the CHS Bulletin for alumni, works with students to engage them with alumni in a mentor program, and helps organize the various Cornell Hotel Society (CHS) chapters worldwide. Development works toward providing the financial resources necessary to carry out the Hotel School’s mission. Many of you already communicate class information and chapter activity directly to the Alumni Office, but you may not know how you can assist with the school’s fund-raising efforts.

Development raises money for both restricted and unrestricted uses to support various Hotel School programs and activities. Examples of uses of restricted dollars include establishing endowed scholarships for Hotel School students, endowing professorships, and directing any gift toward a specific purpose. Unrestricted gifts are typically referred to as the Annual Fund or the Cornell Fund. These important gifts provide budget relief as they enable the school to direct the funds to needs such as general student financial assistance, hardware and software for the computer learning labs, and classroom equipment. Unrestricted funds also allow the school to take advantage of unanticipated opportunities that arise throughout the year. While 60 percent of Hotel School alumni pay CHS dues, only 18 percent make a gift to the school. As a chapter president, you can play an important role in increasing this giving percentage by emphasizing the importance of gifts to the ongoing success of the school. Dues paid to CHS support the organization of the society, and gifts from alumni will support the Hotel School only if they are designated as such. Annual Fund gifts can be made via annual dues mailings, through the Cornell Fund pledge cards received periodically throughout the year, in conjunction with a Reunion effort, or online.

Development also promotes planned giving opportunities (life income agreements, bequest arrangements, charitable trusts, etc.) and is available to assist chapters with nonevent fund-raising efforts for the School.

For further questions on the Hotel School’s development activities or to find out how your chapter can help with fund-raising, please call 607.255.9938.

See: School of Hotel Administration Ambassadors

Undergraduate students may not audit courses. Hotel School courses may be audited only by Hotel School graduate students.

The Class Marshals and Banner Bearers are selected by the faculty to represent the graduating class at Commencement. Each year two class marshals and two banner bearers (plus two alternates) are chosen based on academic excellence as measured by the cumulative grade point average.

Students are selected to receive Graduation with Distinction, also based on academic excellence, as measured by the cumulative grade point average. Out of the top 15 percent of the graduates for the academic year, up to 10 percent of the students may be selected to receive this honor.

Merrill Presidential Scholars rank among the top 5 percent in their respective schools and colleges at the university. In the Hotel School, two seniors are selected by the dean, and these students, in turn, may pay tribute to the secondary school and college teachers who have had a vital effect on their academic careers. The students and their teachers are honored at a luncheon hosted by the president of the university, generally in the week immediately preceding Commencement.

Undergraduate Research Awards, generally monetary in nature, are given to students who, individually or in groups, produce significant research projects under the direction of a faculty member.

The SHA/ACEF Writing Excellence Awards (cosponsored by the Adelphic Cornell Educational Fund) recognize students for top-quality writing and thinking in their undergraduate Hotel School courses. SHA faculty members nominate the best student writing from each course, and judging committees (composed of faculty members and hospitality-industry practitioners) determine honorees. The author of the top paper from each of the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes receives special recognition and a cash award: freshman ($500), sophomore ($500), junior ($1,000), and senior ($1,000).

The R. C. Kopf Student Achievement Scholarship Award is presented to a junior, senior, or MMH student. Applications are available early in the spring semester. A committee chooses the recipient based on the completion of core and elective food and beverage courses, demonstrated record of “hands on” experience in food service operations, and good academic standing. The student selected receives a cash award of $10,000 and a six-week European travel experience worth an additional $10,000.

The Joseph Drown Prize is the most prestigious and significant award offered to an undergraduate in the Hotel School, and perhaps anywhere in the university. This annual prize has been made possible through the generosity of the Joseph Drown Foundation, a California-based foundation established by Joseph Drown, a renowned hotelier, and endowed with major proceeds from his estate. The prize of $15,000 is awarded to a graduating senior at a student recognition ceremony held at the end of the spring semester. There also are four runner-up prizes in the amount of $1,000 each. A committee composed of Hotel School faculty and administration consider the following criteria when making their selection: academic achievement; service to the Hotel School, the university, and community; work experience in the hospitality industry; career goals; and the results of a personal interview conducted with all members of the selection committee.

For more information on any of the awards, contact the Office of Student Services, 180 Statler Hall.

The Hotel School enjoys one of the premier computer labs on campus, which is restricted to Hotel School students. The Binenkorb Computer Center maintains and supports over 125 state-of-the-art PC workstations. These computers are available for both instructional and student use from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. during the school year.

The Bin, as it is commonly called, is used to teach cutting-edge business, hospitality, and web-based computer applications. The center is equipped with the very best in overhead projection, laser and color printing, and is staffed by a team of professional managers and students.

When the Bin is not being used for instructional purposes, students can check in and use the computers to complete homework; prepare papers, projects, and presentations; send and receive e-mail; and surf the web. This popular gathering place for Hotelies is located in Room 365, Statler Hall.

The bursar's bill summarizes what you owe to the university and is issued by the Office of the Bursar, 260 Day Hall, 255-6413. You can view your bursar's bill by accessing Just the Facts.