Annual Report 2015-2016 by Cornell Graduate School

Cornell Graduate School ANNUAL REPORT 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016

Barbara A. Knuth Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

Jan Allen Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs

contents 3 About the Graduate School

Sara Xayarath Hernández Associate Dean for Inclusion & Student Engagement

4 Letter from the Dean 6 Program Assessment and Learning 8 Student Experience 10 Inclusion

Jason Kahabka Associate Dean for Administration

12 Financial Support 14 Field, Faculty, and Staff Support 16 Visibility 18 Statistics and Tables Janna Lamey Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Life

The Graduate School provides strategic leadership and support for

VISION

Cornell’s distinctive system of cross-disciplinary and integrative graduate education within which a diverse group of students and faculty thrive intellectually and professionally to achieve academic excellence.

The Graduate School enhances the intellectual life of the university by

MISSION

enabling graduate and professional students to undertake scholarly study and advanced research, and prepare for professional work in diverse career paths. The Graduate School focuses on the following strategic areas to fulfill our mission:

Learning and Assessment: To promote excellence in learning, the Graduate School coordinates the University’s graduate assessment initiatives, and pursues partnership and external funding opportunities to develop innovative structures in support of students’ scholarly and professional development.

Student Experience: Through programming and infrastructure, the Graduate School encourages the development of a diverse community, optimizes professional development opportunities, prepares students for a multiplicity of career paths, fosters skills for lifelong health and wellness, and helps students experience considerable flexibility, freedom, and independence in their academic programs.

Field, Faculty, and Staff Support: By coordinating the graduate field structure and administering 13 degrees and nearly 100 graduate fields, we strive to deliver seamless, efficient, and aligned services that enable fields to devote their efforts and resources to research, scholarship, and instruction.

Visibility: Through internal and external communications, we celebrate and promote the talent, research, and leadership of the graduate education system at Cornell and of our students and faculty, and inform our constituent audiences about important trends and initiatives in higher education.

Letter from the Dean Dear Colleagues and Friends, It is my pleasure to report on the activities, accomplishments, and data of the Graduate School during the fiscal year 2016. As in previous Annual Reports, the FY16 Annual Report highlights enhancements to the graduate student experience as well as improvements to the administration, support, and visibility of graduate education. We also supply data on admissions, enrollment, financial support, and degree completion. Reviewing this year’s accomplishments, I was struck by how much graduate education at Cornell has changed over the past several years and how much of that change has been driven by the dedicated involvement of graduate and professional students, particularly through the efforts of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA). When I began my tenure as dean six years ago, the GPSA was beginning

to update a document first created in 2007, the Graduate Community Initiative (GCI). The updated document, the Graduate and Professional Community Initiative (GPCI) aimed to enhance graduate student life in eight areas: career resources; diversity and international students; family services; housing; mental health and wellbeing; sense of community; student center; and, transportation. To address these themes, the Graduate School assembled working groups composed of students, Graduate School staff, and staff from units across campus. For example, when the GCI was first developed, Cornell provided limited resources for students with families. This year, the Students with Families workgroup helped increase child care grant funds for students with children, developed a website and Facebook presence for students with families, hosted an orientation for new student families, launched a monthly happy hour for student spouses and partners,

and co-sponsored a job search workshop series for spouses and partners. Graduate and professional students are involved in university leadership decisions, with one voting member on the Board of Trustees, and in decisions directly affecting graduate education. In fact, the Graduate School’s governing body, the General Committee, voted this year to give voting privileges to the two students who sit on the committee. Cornell is one of the few schools among our peers that includes voting student members in all levels of graduate school and university governance.

Students gain voting rights in Graduate School governance Graduate students serving on the General Committee of the Graduate School now have full voting privileges on legislation and policy, the Graduate School has announced. Student members are elected to the General Committee for a two-year term by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. The members for 2015–16 are Tiffany St. Bernard, a third-year doctoral student in the field of biomedical engineering, and Anna Waymack, a third-year doctoral student in the field of medieval studies.

Tiffany St. Bernard and Anna Waymack 4

The change was approved at the May 2015 meeting of the General Committee, the administrative, legislative and judicial

branch of the Graduate School. Its functions include providing policy guidance, establishing graduate admissions and fellowship policies, recommending stipend levels, recommending and approving additions and changes to graduate degree programs, and approving revisions to the Code of Legislation. The General Committee’s vote to extend voting privileges to its graduate student members “reflects the Graduate School’s commitment to shared governance,” said Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Barbara A. Knuth. “Cornell is pleased to take a leadership role among our peer institutions, most of whom do not grant a vote to students in their governing body.”

Graduate School leadership At the staff level, we have worked hard to maximize limited resources to make the administration of graduate education more efficient with improved customer service by fostering the smart use of technology and implementing creative solutions to problem areas. For example, we developed an email system of customized reminders to individual students to help all students stay on track to achieve their academic goals.

The Graduate School’s governing body is called the General Committee, and our “by laws” are described in the Code of Legislation. The General Committee is the administrative, legislative, and judicial board of the Graduate School and approves revisions to the Code of Legislation, approves appointments to the graduate faculty, and makes recommendations for new advanced degrees.

These improvements were informed by graduate students and accomplished by Graduate School staff collaborating with units across campus. This coming year, I look forward to continuing to work with Cornell’s talented and thoughtful graduate and professional students to enhance the graduate student experience. Best wishes, Barbara A. Knuth Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School

General Committee of the Graduate School 2015–2016 Name

Field or Affiliation

Term End

Dean Barbara A. Knuth

Graduate School

Associate Dean Jan Allen

Graduate School

Associate Dean Jason Kahabka

Graduate School

Associate Dean Sara Hernandez

Graduate School

Anna Waymack

graduate student

2017

Tiffany St. Bernard

graduate student

2016

Professor William Brown

Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology

2019

Professor Stacey Langwick

Anthropology

2019

Professor Joel Brock

Applied Physics

2017

Professor Shorna Allred

Natural Resources

2017

Professor Eric Rebillard

Classics

2019

Professor Rebecca Harris-Warrick

Music

2017

Professor Molly Diesing

Linguistics

2019

Professor Linda Williams

Development Sociology

2017

Professor Monica Geber

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

2019

Professor Paul Soloway

Nutrition

2017

Professor Lawrence Gibbons

Physics

2019

Professor Lois Pollack

Applied Physics

2017

Members-at-Large

Humanities

The General Committee has 16 or more members, including two graduate students each serving for two-year terms ending in alternate years; faculty from each of four disciplinary areas (arts and humanities, life sciences, social sciences, and physical sciences and engineering); four faculty representatives-at-large; and, as ex officio members, the Graduate School dean and associate deans. Cornell has a history of encouraging student participation and transparency in university governance. On the Cornell Board of Trustees, students elected by their peers to serve as student trustees also have full voting privileges. Learn more about Cornell’s model of shared governance here.

Social Sciences

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

PRIORITY ONE

program assessment and learning GOAL Promote a culture of learning, assessment, and continual improvement in Cornell graduate programs.

A culture of assessment is key to maintaining and enhancing graduate education at Cornell. Data collected at touch points across the student lifecycle—from prospects to alumni—improve the understanding of all aspects of graduate education by helping graduate fields assess their programs and the Graduate School enhance recruitment, student experience, and career outcomes for graduate and professional students. This year, the Graduate School created the position of director of assessment to strategically plan, lead, and implement a robust suite of quantitative and qualitative assessment tools to improve graduate education. We also continued our robust assessment of student learning outcomes, experiences, and doctoral alumni career outcomes and made these survey results accessible to the graduate fields through to help them better evaluate their programs.

Student spotlight Sachi Horibata, Pharmacology, Ph.D. Sachi Horibata was named the winner of the 2016 Three Minute Thesis competition for her work titled “PAD12 – New Approaches to Treating Breast Cancer.” What is your area of research? My area of research and expertise is on cancer biology, particularly breast cancer. What inspired you to choose this field of study? Why is this research important? During my second year of undergraduate study, my grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. That motivated me to join a laboratory that worked on understanding how and why ovarian cancer spreads. Unfortunately, my grandmother 6

passed away within a year. I was devastated and actually almost lost reason to pursue research any further. However, I presented at the undergraduate research symposium and that is when someone who lost their loved ones to cancer came up to me and thanked me sincerely for my work. That is when I realized how important research is to the advancement of treatment options for patients. That inspired me to continue my work in the field of oncology. What has influenced your thinking as a researcher or scholar? I currently volunteer at the Cancer Resource Center (CRC) for the Finger Lakes. The cancer patients who come to the CRC are like a family to me and they are the reason why I am doing what I am doing. I just simply want to do good science that I trust and truly believe in, and that can hopefully help the development of new precise treatments for cancer patients.

How did you find out about the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition and what made you want to participate? My husband is the one who informed me about the 3MT thesis competition and suggested that I sign up with him. Actually, he was one of the finalists and gave his talk immediately after me! What was the process of paring down your work to a three-minute presentation like? More than 200 pages worth of Ph.D. thesis in three minutes? The most difficult aspects were to keep it three minutes and to convey my key points in a language that is understandable to people not in the field. It took longer than preparing for a typical 30-minute or 1-hour talk. What’s next for you? I will be pursuing my postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Health (NIH) under Dr. Michael Gottesman to work on understanding the mechanism of drug resistance in cancer.

Highlighted accomplishments

Assess and Improve Academic Programs in Graduate Fields: For the past several years, the

Graduate School prioritized support of learning outcomes and assessment reporting for the graduate fields with biannual reviews of fields, and publishing best practices on the intranet. The Graduate School encourages the use of student self-assessments, field metrics, and alumni outcomes data to develop a culture of active reflection and improvement in the graduate fields. This year, we developed a new section of the Graduate School’s intranet that provides information on assessment methods for graduate education, guidelines for assessment reports, and examples of assessment activities in the graduate fields.

Assess and Improve Professional Development and Student Life Programs: Beyond the academic

fields, assessment is useful for evaluating and improving the Graduate Schools professional development and student life programs. For example, student surveys from a writing support program, Proposal, Thesis, and Dissertation Boot Camp, revealed that 100% felt more productive due to feeling less isolated, being accountable to a group, and using daily writing word count and other goals. Continuing, students recommended longer and more frequent boot camps; feedback the Graduate School is using to develop the next generation of writing support programs for 2016.

Support Student Annual Progress Reporting and Individual Development Planning: Making progress

toward a graduate degree is typically one of the biggest challenges along a doctoral student’s path to a Ph.D. To help students, the Graduate School began developing an online system for annual student progress reports. The first phase, which was completed in 2015–2016, involved obtaining and reviewing feedback from over 30 fields to develop a standardized tool that allows for customized fields to meet the needs of individual departments. The system is expected to go live in 2016–2017.

New and Revised Programs Field Deactivations

• M.A.T. In Education

(Final students graduated in May 2014)

Field Mergers

Five life sciences fields (Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Immunology and Infectious Disease, Molecular and Cell Biology, Pharmacology, and Zoology and Wildlife Sciences) were merged into one field, Biological and Biomedical Sciences

New Degree Programs

• M.P.S. in Management • Ph.D. in Systems Engineering

Spotlight on assessment In August, Anne Laughlin was named director of assessment. Laughlin comes to Cornell from Virginia Tech, where she was assistant director in the Office of Assessment and Evaluation, and earlier held positions in career services and information systems. While in Virginia, she also served as a program evaluator and consultant for community-based education and service programs. What drew you to the Cornell Graduate School? My interest in assessment springs from a belief that, when done well, assessment addresses meaningful questions and builds community around shared commitments to educational values and outcomes. I was drawn to the Cornell Graduate School because the approach advocated here is in line with that view. While Cornell’s graduate programs are recognized as some of the best in the nation, there is support for a purposeful, systematic approach to continual improvement of the academic experience. Also, I was intrigued by the graduate field system, a distinct characteristic of Cornell, and which facilitates the collaboration that is important for addressing real-world problems that cross academic disciplines. How will your position impact the Graduate School? My role is to support the faculty and staff of the Graduate School, serving as a consultant and collaborator in efforts to systematically collect and interpret information that is used to improve programs and policies, and ultimately, the educational experience for graduate students. Much of the impact will come from building on the good work that is already started. For example, I will work to increase the use and usefulness of student survey results and to recognize and share good practices that result from assessment efforts in the graduate fields. In the long term, the position should lead to more informed decision making based on evidence about what is working well and what can be improved—in the graduate fields and in the Graduate School as a whole. What are your priorities in the new position? Developing a system for tracking doctoral students’ progress while they are at Cornell and a strategy for tracking their career pathways after they leave Cornell. In both cases, I’ll be joining collaborative efforts that are already underway. Leveraging and supporting assessment efforts in the graduate fields. Each field director submits a biannual assessment report to the Graduate School; the next step is to assemble and share examples of good practice and lessons learned. Supporting the associate/assistant deans and directors with assessing their programs and looking for opportunities to apply what is learned from student survey results. The aim of both is to increase student engagement and the effectiveness of professional development programs. 7

PRIORITY TWO

student experience GOALS Enhance academic and professional development opportunities

for students. Enhance graduate and professional student and postdoc life.

Cornell’s strong graduate programs are enhanced by a rich student experience with an array of activities, professional development workshops, clubs, social events, and other opportunities to engage in the greater Cornell community. This year, many of our new student life initiatives began in working groups associated with the far reaching Graduate and Professional Community Initiative (GPCI). Beginning in 2007 and updated in 2013, the Graduate and Professional Students Assembly (GPSA) developed a strategic plan, the Graduate and Professional Community Initiative (GPCI), for making sweeping improvements to graduate and professional student life. Several working groups developed initiative that have already improved the student experience. For example, the Students with Families working group developed a website and Facebook presence to help students further acclimate and integrate into the Cornell community. The Sense of Community and Graduate Student Resource Center working groups developed a new model for food service in the Big Red Barn and created several interdisciplinary initiatives, including a Lab Crawl and an Ethics Café.

185 8,413 573 PROGRAMS

PARTICIPANTS

HOURS OF PROGRAMMING Website launches for Cornell students with families On Nov. 13, 2016, Cornell launched a new Web portal for students with families to address their unique concerns and help

student families acclimate and integrate into the Cornell community. The website centralizes Cornell policies, resources, and support structures for students with families. To complement the new website, a virtual Facebook community launched in midOctober to establish connections between student families. “The Facebook page is great for finding something to do and to connect with people we met at previous events but whose contact information we didn’t get,” said doctoral student Brandon Gheller. The website and accompanying Facebook page were created in response to the Graduate and Professional Community Initiative (GPCI), a strategic plan devel-

oped by the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly to enhance graduate student life. The Graduate School and Student and Campus Life division created working groups around eight themes from the GPCI, including family services. The Family Services Work Group, under the leadership of Janna Lamey, assistant dean for graduate student life, made the website and virtual community a top priority and included staff from units across the university and student representatives, including student-parents Martin and Gheller and student partner Collier. “We recognize that families are important allies in encouraging student academic success and well-being. We heard that many students were unaware of resources and support structures available to their family unit,” said Lamey.

Highlighted accomplishments

Child Care Grant for Students with Children: This

year, child care grant funding for students with children doubled. Funding available increased from $100,000 to $250,000.

Website and Facebook Page for Students with Families Launch: In November, a website and Face-

book page for students with families launched to help student families acclimate and integrate into the Cornell community. The website centralizes Cornell policies, resources, and support structures for students with families.

Programming for Students with Families: The

Family Services Work Group partnered with Tompkins Workforce to provide employment assistance to spouses and partners, and opportunities to volunteer on campus and in the Ithaca community; the group also started “Time Out,” a monthly discussion and networking session for student parents with childcare provided, and a monthly Big Red Barn happy hour for spouses and partners.

Mental Health and Wellbeing: To better understand and be more proactive on issues of graduate student mental health and well-being, the Graduate School developed a series of workshops for faculty and staff focusing on the health and welfare of students. In addition, we worked with the Empathy, Assistance, and Referral Service (EARS) to create special hours and locations just for graduate and professional students, and to initiate an EARS Graduate Outreach Team to provide training for graduate students interested in being EARS volunteers. Time Out: In partnership with the Office of Human

Resources, the Graduate School periodically provided free childcare and meals to help graduate student parents connect with one another as part of the monthly Time Out program. The program included a Study Break for Student-Parents where they could receive a three-hour block of time for free childcare while they prepared for finals.

Job Opportunities for Student Partners: Student

partners often arrive in Ithaca interested in working, but have difficulty finding jobs in the area. The Graduate School, in partnership with other units, developed job search opportunities for student partners, including a workshop series and targeted listservs to facilitate job hunting.

Military Service Veterans: In response to an increased number of student veterans, the Graduate School hosted a welcome dinner for all incoming veterans this year. Future plans include creating regular meetings and a listserv for veterans to network and get information.

Promoting Career and Professional Development:

Big Red Barn as Community Hub: To continue

cultivating the BRB as the graduate and professional students’ campus hub, the BRB began hosting events for the Graduate School, including the Ethics Café, the Lab Crawl, the daily Write Ins, and the Perspectives and Transitions workshop series for new and continuing students.

Student Financial Literacy: While less than 4 percent of Cornell’s graduate and professional students took a Direct Federal Loan in 2015-2016, personal finances continued to be a source of stress for graduate and professional students. To help educate students, the Graduate School, in partnership with the Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment, developed a new financial literacy website, personalfinance.cornell.edu, to bring together resources and online information about finances and budgeting for all students on campus.

The Cornell University Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CU-CIRTL) provided small grant funding to eight graduate fields/DGSs for projects supporting career development and professionalization opportunities, ranging from an alumni panel on career directions and digital humanities opportunities for English Language and Literature to a near-peer mentoring program for Economics Ph.D. students.

Career and Professional Development Programs:

This year, the Graduate School offered a wide variety of career, personal, and professional development workshops.

LEARN MORE

Events by Topic Pathways to Success CU-CIRTL Future Faculty Students with Families 9

PRIORITY THREE

inclusion GOAL Build recruitment and student support programs to develop a more diverse graduate student body in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity, focusing particularly on those fields underrepresented in these metrics.

At Cornell, inclusion is in our DNA. At the university’s founding, most colleges in the United States admitted men only—we awarded our first doctoral degree to a woman eight years after Cornell’s very first bachelor’s degree was awarded. Continuing our tradition of fostering diversity and inclusion, the Graduate School continued to focus on composition through our recruitment programs, engagement through our support of student groups and activities, inclusion through forums and structures, and achievement through our partnerships, workshops, and programs fostering student success.

Knuth on diversity: ‘How do we build on our successes?’ By Natalie O’Toole Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, delivered the keynote address, highlighting student data and survey findings on the graduate student experience. Over the past decade, Knuth said, doctoral student completion has increased while time needed to complete a degree has shortened for students who identify as members of an underrepresented minority (URM) group. Today international, URM, and non-URM doctoral students have similar outcomes. Knuth observed that while URM students respond more positively to questions dealing with campus climate, there remains room for improvement. In 2013, 32 percent of URM doctoral students rated their student life experience as “poor” or “fair;” in 2015 this number dropped to 19 percent. Also in 2013, 52 percent of URM doctoral students disagreed that Cornell faculty and staff are actively engaged in building a campus community that is concerned about issues 10

regarding power and privilege, but by 2015 that number dropped to 33 percent. “Perhaps we’re making some progress in that area. It would be helpful to know what factors might have contributed to those changes, and have those changes been sustained. … What is it that we can be doing to keep that momentum going?” Knuth asked. After the survey data were presented, attendees participated in roundtable discussions about issues of concern and brainstormed solutions to make Cornell a more inclusive community, especially for graduate and professional students. Ideas students presented included hiring more diverse faculty and administrators, increasing diversity and inclusion training for all faculty to help relieve the burdens on faculty of color, have an expanded central space for graduate students to interact, bringing students together through teambuilding activities with Cornell Outdoor Education, and department-level recruiting of students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in graduate education.

Yet students acknowledged these initiatives may not be easy to implement. “Something that I consistently think about for trying to bring in more minority or marginalized students is, ‘How do you try and provide funding and incentives for them to come to Cornell for their graduate education without seeming like you’re meeting a number?’” said one doctoral student. “Am I getting [admitted] based on merit or because of my ethnicity, the color of my skin?” Student feedback from the event will inform the ongoing work of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly’s (GPSA) Diversity and International Students Committee, which works to improve graduate and professional students’ academic and social experiences. The event was organized by the GPSA Diversity and International Students Committee with sponsorship from the Graduate School’s Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement, the International Students and Scholars Office, the International Students Union and the GPSA Programming Board.

Highlighted accomplishments

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Part of a long-term project to address

recruitment, the Graduate School’s CRM system became fully functional this year. Through this software, we are able to track prospective graduate students from first interest to matriculation, and be more responsive to their individual information needs.

Recruitment Events: To cultivate a diverse pool of applicants, Graduate School recruitment staff along with select faculty and student ambassadors traveled to recruitment events across the United States and Puerto Rico. We increased the number of faculty who were able to attend and developed electronic devices to capture prospective student information. These electronic devices allow for quicker response time from Cornell faculty to prospective students. Best Practices: This year, in partnership with the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity and the Counsel, we reached out directly to faculty with a workshop on recognizing bias in the admissions process. Support of Student of Color Groups: The Office of

Inclusion and Student Engagement (OISE) Leadership Council met monthly this year to discuss common issues and support signature events for student groups, including the Welcome Reception for Students of Color, the Renaissance Ball, the Spring Recognition Banquet, and Works in Progress.

My Voice/My Story: The Graduate School developed a

proposal for an interactive theater presentation that will foster awareness across students, staff, and faculty of the diverse lived experiences of graduate and professional students. The two-year timeline for this project will allow for focus groups and surveys to ensure accurate and complete representation of graduate student voices.

Let’s Talk Diversity and Inclusion Dinners: As part of the Graduate and Professional Students Work Group, we supported two dinners for students, staff, and faculty to discuss issues around diversity and inclusion on campus.

Support Inclusive Teaching Practices: The Graduate School partnered with units across campus to provide programming for students interested in future faculty positions and inclusive teaching. CU-CIRTL created the Inclusive Teaching Institute to expand participants’ understanding of diversity through readings, activities, and discussion, and then provide strategies for implementing improvements into their future teaching practices. Sponsored by OISE, CU-CIRTL, and the Office of Postdoctoral Studies, the Future Professors Institute was a partnership with alumni and faculty at Cornell and other institutions to advance our collective efforts to broaden diversity in the academy.

CIRTL prepares future faculty members at Cornell Housed in the Graduate School, the Cornell branch of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CUCIRTL) develops and coordinates programs to prepare graduate students and postdocs for future faculty careers. Established in 2003 with support from the National Science Foundation, the CIRTL Network, which Cornell joined in 2011, aims to improve undergraduate education by training aspiring faculty in teaching and research mentorship strategies shown to be effective for a diverse student body. In response to increased demand at Cornell and nationally for future faculty development, the network of CIRTLparticipating universities has more than doubled in size from 21 to 46 institutions, with the acceptance of 25 new research universities in February 2016. As CIRTL members, participating schools establish local learning communities of graduate students and postdocs. Students interested in the professoriate can also learn firsthand about other institutions and participate in online professional development activities to become better scholars, researchers, mentors and educators. Nirav Patel, a doctoral student in the field of natural resources, received a travel grant to visit fellow CIRTL institution Northwestern University, where he presented his dissertation research. He also met with faculty and learned how to reach more students by incorporating spatial intelligence and learning into his research on renewable energy education. “The CIRTL resources that allow such attendance between campuses are crucial for an interdisciplinary engagement in research and teaching for emergent fields such as mine,” said Patel. The expanded CIRTL Network will provide even more opportunities for students and postdocs. “The CIRTL Network is a forum that brings together some of the brightest and most engaged faculty and faculty-in-training,” said Colleen McLinn, director for Cornell’s CIRTL programs. “The scholars who volunteer to teach network-wide courses and host exchange visitors really model what a meaningful and productive academic career can look like.” 11

PRIORITY FOUR

financial support GOAL Enhance financial support for graduate education.

Cornell University’s generous support package for doctoral students includes tuition, health insurance, and stipend, with about 97 percent of doctoral students fully funded.

Highlighted accomplishments

Standardize Financial Package Email: To help clarify graduate funding packages, we developed an email template that standardizes the information sent to students. These messages include details on the award, information about disbursement schedules, tax policy, academic requirements, employment limits, and the names of people who can assist with questions. Fellowship Application Writing Workshops: For graduate students

interested in competitive fellowships, we offer fellowship application workshops and peer review sessions. This year, a record number of National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships were awarded to Cornell graduate students.

Graduate students earn record number of NSF fellowships By Daniel Aloi With 249 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF) recipients on campus this year, Cornell is giving its graduate students an edge in competing for the prestigious awards. The total number of students with NSF GRFs at Cornell has risen steadily, from 81 in 2008–09 to 249 in 2015–16. The NSF currently awards 2,000 fellowships annually, providing $34,000 in funding for each of three years. Barbara A. Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, said 59 new NSF GRF awardees are beginning their fellowships this semester. “We are incredibly proud of you 12

for the initiative and hard work you demonstrated,” Knuth said Sept. 15 at a reception for fellowship recipients. “You are part of an elite and very successful group of students.” To help students be more competitive, the Graduate School began hosting regular fellowship workshops in September 2012, offering technical information and advice from successful NSF recipients. Additional sessions focus on the NSF application and review process, how to write a competitive fellowship application, and consultation and reviews of application drafts. Many of Cornell’s graduate fields also host fellowship-writing seminars, and graduate field faculty members assist students by giving feedback on their application essays.

97%

OF PH.D. STUDENTS ARE FULLY FUNDED

700

STUDENTS RECEIVE COMPETITIVE

EXTERNAL FELLOWSHIPS

INCREASE IN STIPENDS

“The ability to describe your research in a clear, concise and persuasive way is a skill transferrable to any position that our Ph.D. students might seek,” said Jan Allen, Graduate School associate dean of academic and student affairs, who leads the workshops. “Whether you become a faculty member or work in government or industry, persuading reviewers to fund your research is an important skill.” Bertrand Ottino-Loffler, a second-year graduate student in the field of applied mathematics, is among recent NSF fellowship winners. “The workshops gave me a lot of helpful feedback that really sped up the editing process,” Ottino-Loffler said. “Having a good essay is one of the most important aspects of an NSF application, so Jan’s workshops were pretty important to getting this result.”

Stipend Equalization: After an analysis revealed

that most fields were providing graduate research assistantship stipends at the higher research assistantship rate, President Garrett equalized the stipends for the 2015–16 academic year. The Graduate School coordinated the communication process and provided stopgap funding to cover the stipend differential for fields that had budgeted for the lower rate.

Stipend Increases: The

minimum stipend rates for graduate teaching and research assistants and fellowship awardees increased by 2 percent for the 2016–17 academic year. With the increase, minimum stipends for teaching and research assistantships became $25,152 for a 9-month appointment, averaging no more than 15 hours per week. The 9-month fellowship minimum stipend rate ranged from $25,152 to $28,998, depending on the discipline.

He submitted his proposal to the NSF last year, detailing research on constructing simplified vehicle traffic models for urban environments. The fellowship, he said, will “free up my schedule, so I can devote myself to classes and research without needing to spend time securing funding.” Eliad Peretz, a Ph.D. student in mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE), emigrated to the United States from Israel in 2013, joining Cornell as a visiting researcher in former professor Hod Lipson’s Creative Machines Lab. “I knew what I wanted to research after I did some initial work on different projects,” he said. Peretz approached Lipson, whose work involves computation, 3-D printing fabrication and evolutionary robotics. “He opened the door for me, and we talked about my research idea—basically, how to create an optimized solar cell,” Peretz said.

External funding secured for Graduate School programs (Knuth-PI) The CIRTL Network: 22 Research Universities Preparing a National Faculty to Advance Undergraduate Success: Subaward from University of Wisconsin-Madison from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation award. $129,300 2014–2017. (Knuth-PI) NYC ASCENT: Advancing Computer Science Careers through Enhanced Networking and Training: A Proposal for the Implementation of Best Practices in the Computer Science and Engineering Postdoc in New York City. Subaward from Computing Research Association from National Science Foundation award. $78,501 2014–2017. (Knuth-PI with Co-PI Jed Sparks) Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). University of Wisconsin-Madison (NSF subaward). $143,850 2016–2021 (reauthorized and extended). (Knuth-PI) Enhancing Student Financial Education and Literacy Across Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Programs. Council of Graduate Schools. $40,000 2013– 2015. (Knuth-PI) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, NSF, $4,481,999 2016–2021. (Knuth-Co-PI with A.T. Miller, PI) Building Skills, Nurturing Success, and Emulating the Academic Achievements of Ronald E. McNair Through an Expanding Community of Practice. Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at Cornell University. U.S. Department of Education. $1,100,000 2012–2017.

Peretz also enlisted as a principal investigator associate professor of chemical and biological engineering Tobias Hanrath, who works with nanostructured materials with energy applications. “We’re using computational evolutionary design tools to create systems that nature has not yet had the opportunity to work with,” Hanrath said of the collaborative project. In late 2014 Peretz applied for, and later won, both NSF and NASA Space Technology Research fellowships for his idea—and was among 50 finalists for an even more competitive Hertz Fellowship— after attending every fellowship information meeting he could find in the Graduate School and the College of Engineering. “I was always asking questions and always chasing people,” he said.

Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Jan Allen 13

PRIORITY FIVE

field, faculty, and staff support GOAL Provide efficient and effective services to graduate fields to support faculty, students, and staff.

The Graduate School provides data, administrative tools and processes, and communication services to support the graduate community. Leveraging technology to make our processes more efficient has been a major priority along with supporting effective and consistent practices in graduate fields and promoting best practices.

Highlighted accomplishments

Student Milestones: The graduate student milestone data structure in

PeopleSoft has been enhanced to allow greater transparency and more effective reporting on studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; deadlines. All anticipated milestones are now created and pre-populated at the time of matriculation so that students and fields will have the ability to visualize upcoming deadlines and academic milestones in the form of a checklist to support studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; achievement of their degree completion goals.

Student spotlight David Agyeman-Budu, Materials Science and Engineering, Ph.D. David Agyeman-Budu is one of six Cornell doctoral students to receive a Commercialization Fellowship, a new entrepreneurship initiative offered by the College of Engineering. What is your area of research? My area of research is developing an x-ray scanning probe technique called confocal x-ray fluorescence (CXRF) microscopy at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS). What we have been able to achieve is a 14

high-resolution setup which does not suffer degradation in resolution for different fluorescent x-ray energies. CHESS is a high energy x-ray facility on campus that produces very intense x-ray beams: about four to five times order of magnitude higher compared to standard x-ray sources. What inspired you to choose this field of study? My interest has been in using nanotechnology to develop instrumentation techniques and I had worked on projects in that field as an undergrad. After my MEng, I had the opportunity to do so in a new context: Combining nanofabrication methods to developing novel x-ray instrumentation and I took advantage of it. Can you tell me a little bit about the technology youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be developing during your fellowship?

The technology that I will be developing is directly related to my research with CXRF where I hope to explore commercialization opportunities in the marketplace for a scanning probe x-ray microscope. The optic that we have developed enables high depth resolution and a non-destructive way of obtaining the composition vs depth information of layered materials. Depth resolution gives us is the ability to tell the physical separation of thin layered materials. In some industries knowing this information and being able accurately quantify it is a critical part of their manufacturing process. The advantage of the setup is that, with a non-varying resolution, when probing a multi-elemental (or heterogeneous) sample you are able to get a more accurate measurement for different elements. It is my goal to find a way to translate what I have to something useful for a customer.

Petitions: The Graduate Student Service Office now systematically tracks petitions from students seeking additional time to meet academic milestones. The improved tracking functionality allows the Graduate School leadership to more easily identify students who have submitted multiple petitions, may be experiencing academic difficulties, and may benefit from the Graduate School reaching out to offer support and encouragement. Self-service Financial Data Dashboards: Several multi-function financial self-service dashboards were created by Data Solutions this year. Based on overwhelmingly positive response from field staff, access to the reports was expanded to 250 financial staff members from across campus so they can better track student appointees in their own units and more effectively implement student funding awards across campus. Training for Graduate Fields: The Graduate School

offered monthly staff training events for graduate field assistants on thesis/dissertation and conferral, admissions systems, demystifying leave and in absentia policies, financial awarding and appointing assistantships, and field assistant orientation.

Records Systems Advisory Committee: With

members representing the Graduate School and graduate fields, the committee advises on how new Graduate School systems can best support field staff and faculty needs.

Communication Campaigns: The Graduate School now sends up to three messages per event as the student nears or misses an academic milestone deadline. In response to feedback from faculty and fields, the Graduate School has acquired software that allows the GFA, DGS and/or committee chair to be selectively included on messages.

Student spotlight Eilis Monahan, Near East Studies, Ph.D. This spring, Eilis Monahan received an NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant and a Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship to fund her dissertation research in Cyprus. What is your area of research? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m an archaeologist, and my main area of interest is social and political developments in the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East. What inspired you to choose this field of study? My interest in the politics and cultures of the Mediterranean Bronze Age is longstanding, starting with an obsession with Ancient Egypt in elementary school! What I really love about archaeology is the breadth and depth of questions that the subject poses about both the fascinating cultures of the past and more broadly about how human societies develop, interact, and adapt. Archaeology can, and sometimes does, combine the study of history, art history, politics, economics, languages, geography, chemistry, physics, geology, and so on. Archaeologists pull from any perspective that might help us better understand where we as humans have been, where we are now, and where we might be heading. What will you be researching in Cyprus? My dissertation research consists of archaeological investigations: primarily the surveying and mapping of sites and museum collections from previous excavations into a group of fortresses and surrounding settlements in the central region of Cyprus between the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, around 3,700 years ago. This is a very exciting period in Cypriot history when the island transitioned from a village-based and relatively insular society to a complex urban-focused society involved in trade and diplomacy with the major polities of the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Egyptians, Hittites, and Babylonians. My project investigates how the introduction of fortifications to the landscape alters social relations, and the roles that fortresses and their control of the landscape may play in the development of political regimes.

Image from the Graduate School Photo Contest. 15

PRIORITY SIX

visibility GOAL Enhance visibility of graduate education opportunities at Cornell, and contribute to improving graduate education nationally.

To raise the visibility of our accomplishments and those of our students, the Graduate School undertook a focused campaign to bring good news stories about graduate education to the campus and alumni communities. To celebrate the strength, diversity, and excellence of the graduate community, we developed positive stories and placed them in the Cornell Chronicle, Graduate School Announcements, Newsletter, and on our website. While it’s hard to measure the effectiveness of the campaign directly, the stories themselves were well-received, with strong metrics showing student interest. As part of the campaign, the Graduate School developed 42 stories ranging from a feature on the Graduate School Ambassador Program to a report on student injuries and workers’ compensation.

Images from the Graduate School Photo Contest: TOP RIGHT: Hannah Hao, 2nd place; ABOVE: Yen Vu, 3rd place; RIGHT: Maira Zamir, runner up.

The Graduate School continued to use internal communications to foster a sense of community and pride in being a graduate student at Cornell. Two of the most effective channels for promoting community are the Graduate School Announcements and the Graduate School Newsletter, which is sent to students and alumni.

30 graduate students receive research travel grants By Sally Kral The Graduate School has awarded 30 Research Travel Grants for researchrelated travel occurring during the fall and winter of 2015-2016. Recipients comprised students from 24 different fields traveling to locations around the globe, including cities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Each fall and spring, the Graduate School awards travel grants of up to $2,000 to assist graduate students in researchfocused travels that directly relate to their dissertations. 16

Fall grant recipient Mackenzie Pierce, a Ph.D. candidate in musicology, examines the relationship between music and politics through the experiences of Polish-Jewish musicians who survived the Holocaust and World War II. His grant allowed him to travel to Warsaw, Poland and consult archival collections at the University of Warsaw Library, the contents of which he expects to inform two chapters of his dissertation. “This trip allowed me to carry out in-depth work with primary sources, and hence better understand the political and artistic decisions made by two key protagonists of

my dissertation,” Pierce explained. “Since these sources have not been published or digitalized, it was essential to consult them in Warsaw.” “I love reading travel grant applications and seeing examples of the fascinating research being conducted by our students,” said the Graduate School’s Associate Dean Jason Kahabka. “We fund these awards fully from Graduate School endowments, recognizing that so many of our alumni and donors value the experience and perspectives gained through travel.” Elizabeth Kelly, a Ph.D. candidate in the field of neurobiology and behavior, is

Highlighted accomplishments

Graduate School Announcements: With an open rate that averages around 60 percent, the Graduate School Announcements remain one of our best tools for keeping the graduate community informed and connected. To build pride in community and recognize outstanding achievement, we highlight student achievements—from published papers to external fellowship awards—post image galleries from student-oriented events, and spotlight students and programs.

Newsletter: This year, we sent two issues to 34,000

alumni, 5,500 students, and various staff and faculty on campus. Overall response was positive with 32 percent of recipients opening the electronic newsletter. (Average open rates in higher education are about 18 percent.) A few alumni took the time to email us with remarks like, “Great publication to keep Graduate School alumni up to date. Keep up the good work!” and “I was delighted to receive the Grad School Newsletter…it is refreshing to see something aimed toward those of us who had an equally rewarding education at the graduate level.”

Highlighted news releases Graduate students earn record number of NSF fellowships Students gain voting rights in Graduate School governance Website launches for Cornell students with families Improved procedure clarifies handling of grad student injuries Child care funding for students with children more than doubles Grad students aim to make nanotech fun, accessible for kids Man completes his sociology Ph.D. at age 90 Graduate Writing Program Offers Peer-focused Support Winners Announced in 2016 Graduate School Photo Contest Knuth on diversity: ‘How do we build on our successes?’ Symposium Focuses on Students’ Teaching Innovations Graduate Student Ambassador Program Sees Results 30 Graduate Students Receive Fall 2015 Research Travel Grants Symposium for Ph.D. Student Success CIRTL prepares future faculty members at Cornell Future professors learn academia’s unwritten rules Graduate stipends to increase 2 percent for 2016-17 6 Ph.D. students learn to commercialize their research

Other approaches to increase community and visibility for higher education included our annual photo contest. This year, the “inspiration” theme garnered over 150 entries and illustrated the global reach of graduate student research with images from around the world. To capitalize on the strong and powerful images, we used them as part of an inspirational slideshow at orientation. http://cornellgradschool.tumblr.com/

RIGHT: Image from Amy VanNocker, grand prize winner of the Graduate School Photo Contest.

studying how society shapes behavior at the physiological, ecological, and evolutionary levels. Kelly applied for a travel grant to spend 29 days at the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona, where she will observe and study how two closely related wild bird species, the Mexican jay and the Western scrub jay, distinguish between two quantities—for instance, food supplies— for survival and how interactions between the species inform their decision-making. “The Graduate School’s research travel grants help students access remote field sites, visit unique archival resources, and interact with other researchers. These can be transformative experiences, and

Cornell is committed to making sure students can achieve their goals as safely as possible. Some of the most impactful research takes place in areas where crime, disease, or even natural disasters create increased risk, so students need the appropriate support structures for safe travel,” said Senior Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School Barbara A. Knuth. Cornell’s program for keeping students safe while traveling, particularly overseas, provides emergency medical and evacuation assistance at no charge and without prior registration. To support emergency communications and travel insurance, students traveling internationally must enter their travel

itinerary and contact information into Cornell’s International Travel Registry. “Events like natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Nepal last spring, really underscore the value of this service,” said Jan Allen, associate dean for academic and student affairs. “As soon as we learned of the earthquake our office, Risk Management and Insurance, and the International Travel Registry were able to pull up the registry very quickly to find out if Cornell graduate students were there and take the necessary steps to ensure their safety.” Learn more about Graduate School research travel grants here. 17

statistics

applications, admittances, and matriculations Graduate Student Admissions by Degree Type, 2006–2015 11500

10,913

11000 10500

9,831

10000 9500 9000

8,949

8500

8,228

8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

5,198

5500 5000 4500 4000 3500

2,730

3000 2500

1,748

2000 1500 1000

995

793

500 0

2006

2007

2008

Doctoral Degree Applications Research Master's Degree Applications Professional Master's Degree Applications Doctoral Trend

2010

2011

2012

Doctoral Degree Admittances Research Master's Degree Admittances Professional Master's Degree Admittances Research Master's Trend

2013

2014

2015

Doctoral Degree Matriculations Research Master's Degree Matriculations Professional Master's Degree Matriculations Professional Master's Trend

Over the past 10 years, the Graduate School has experienced steady growth in applications for all degrees; the overall application growth rate between 2006 and 2015 was 59%.

Yield 6060

Overall applications to Cornell University Graduate School reflected 4% growth since last year, with application growth reflected in both the research and professional master’s programs; doctoral applications to Cornell University had 0% growth during this same time period.

5555 5050 4545 4040

For all degrees, the “admit rate” over the past 10 years has declined, indicating the increasing competitiveness of Cornell graduate programs. In those same 10 years, yield for all degree types has increased—an indication of the high caliber student Cornell has matriculated. The doctoral admit rate in 2015 was 13%; the yield was 42%.

3535 3030 2525 2020

Fall 2006–2015 Admissions Notes

1515 1010

2009

2006 2006

2010 2010

2015 2015

Doctoral Students Doctoral Students

Professional Master’s Students ResearchMaster’s Master’s Students Research Students Professional Master’s Students

2014–2015 2010–2015 2006–2015 change change change

Doctoral Degree Applicants

-10%

-18%

-3%

76%

120%

Research Master’s Degree Matriculants

63%

119%

Professional Master’s Degree Applicants

10%

58%

201%

Professional Master’s Degree Matriculants

14%

80%

Doctoral Degree Matriculants Research Master’s Degree Applicants

10%

Graduate Student Admissions* by Citizenship and Gender, Fall 2006–2015 APPLICATIONS 2,593 21%

3,058 25% 2,278 18%

4,543 36%

3,623 21% 5,697 33%

4,556 27% 3,230 19%

5,020 26%

3,968 21% 2,814 15%

7,250 38%

5,294 27%

4,071 20% 2,895 15%

7,547 38%

Fall 2006

Fall 2010

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

TOTAL: 12,472

TOTAL: 17,106

TOTAL: 19,052

TOTAL: 19,807

ADMITTANCES 489 15% 882 27%

1,103 34% 769 24%

674 17% 1,050 26%

1,337 34%

1,056 24%

1,127 26% 869 20%

1,315 30%

908 23%

1,185 26%

1,116 25% 820 18%

1,399 31%

Fall 2006

Fall 2010

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

TOTAL: 3,243

TOTAL: 3,969

TOTAL: 4,367

TOTAL: 4,520

MATRICULATIONS

242 17% 375 27%

442 32% 333 24%

351 17% 493 24%

724 35% 493 24%

445 23% 522 27%

560 28% 437 22%

503 24%

570 28%

590 28%

416 20%

Fall 2006

Fall 2010

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

TOTAL: 1,392

TOTAL: 2,061

TOTAL: 1,964

TOTAL: 2,078

US Male

US Female

Int’l Male

Int’l Female

*Degree-seeking students only

Over the past 10 years, the largest application growth in citizenship and gender demographics has come females representing countries outside the U.S., with a 10-year growth rate of 104%. This same population experienced a 142% increase in admittances and a 108% increase in matriculations over that same time period. Over the past year growth in international applications increased 5%, and growth in domestic application increased 3%, for a combined overall application growth rate of 4%. 20

Consis10t with trends reported by the Council of Graduate Schools, applications from China and india dominated the fall 2015 admissions cycle; at Cornell, the combined application count from these two countries represented 70% of international applications. Cornell University received applications from students representing 140 foreign countries in the fall 2015 admissions cycle, and matriculated students from 70 of those countries.

20,000 20,000 20,000

15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000 15,000

18,988 18,988 18,988 18,988

13,971

Graduate Student Admissions by Ethnicity 13,971 13,971

13,076

12,399 12,399 12,399 12,399

10,000

GRADUATE STUDENT APPLICATIONS BY ETHNICITY, 2006–2015 8,301

10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000

7,160

5,000

7,160 7,160 7,160 7,160 4,176

4,139

5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

4,17616000 4,176 4,176 4,176 1,740

4,139 4,139 4,139 4,139 1,531

0 0 0 0 0

12,399

13,971 13,971

13,076 13,076 13,076 13,076

8,301 8,301 8,301 8,301

20000

16000 1,740 1,740 1,740 1,740 58012000

20000 2004 580

580 580 58012000 2004

2004 2004 2004 8000 16000

4,420 4,420 4,420 4,420 2,169

US Underrepresented Minorities

2,169 2,169 2,169 2,169 1,014

1,531 1,531 1,531 676 1,531

2005

2006

2007

2008 676

2009

2010

2011

2012

1,014 2013

2005 2005 2005 2005

2006 2006 2006 2006

2007 2007 2007 2007

2008 2008 2008

2009 2009 2009 2009

2010 2010 2010 2010

2011 2011 2011 2011

2012 2012 2012 2012

2013 2013 2013 2013

676 676 676 2008

Total Degree-Seeking Applications, Admittances, or Matriculations

4,420

Total (incl. URM) US Minorities US White and Unknown

1,014 1,014 1,014

International

8000 4000 12000

80000

5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 4,500

4,500 4,500 4,500 4,500 4,000

4000

4,000 4,000 4,000 4,000 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,500 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 2,500

4500 0 3,202

4000 4500

2007

2006

2007

2008 2008

2009 2009

2010 2010

2011

2012

2011

2012

2006

2007

2008

1,362 1,362 1,362 1500 1,3622000 1,198

1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 500

1,198 1,198 483 1000 1,198 1,1981500

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2005 2005 2005 2005

2006

2006 2006 2006 2006 2006

2007

2007 2007

2007 2007 2007 2007

701 701 701 273 701

2009

2010

2011

2008 2008 2008 2008

2009 2009 2009 2009

2010 2010 2010 2010

2011 2011 2011 2011

181

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012 2012 2012 2012 2012

273 2013 273 273

2012 273 2012

2013 2013 2013 2013

500

1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500

2006

2007

500 500 500 500 500 0 0 0 0 0

2014

2015

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2,014 2,014 2,014 2,014

2013

2014

2015

1200 2000

1,020

1200

1,020 1,020 1,020 1,020

800 1600

617

632

598 800 598 598 598 400 437 1200

617 648 617 617 617 648 648 264 648 648

632 632 632 632

437 437 238 437 437 400

2004 2004 2004 2004

400

39% overall increase in admittances Matriculation Highlights

95% increase in total minority matriculations 49% overall increase in matriculations

362

264 264 264 264 103

Yield Highlights

362 362 362 144 362

2005 2006

2006

2007 2007

2008 103 2008

2009 2009

2010 2010

2011 2011

2012 2012

2013 144

2005 20052006 2005 2005

2006 2007 2006 2007 2007 2007 2006 2006 2007

2008 2008 20082008 2008

2009 2009 2009 2009 2009

2010 2010 2010 2010 2010

2011 2011 2011 2011 2011

2012 20122012 2012 2012

2013 2013 2013 2013 2013

103 103 103

49% increase in total minority admittances

83% increase in the number of matriculations from underrepresented minorities

1,529 1,529 1,529 1,529

1,3631600 1,363 1,363 1,363

90 238 0 238 238 800 238 2004 90 90 90 90 0

2015

1,529

1600 2400

1,363

598

2014

2013

GRADUATE STUDENT MATRICULATIONS BY ETHNICITY, 2006–2015

1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

2013

2,014

2000

1,500

39% increase in the number of admittances from underrepresented minorities

1,248 1,248 1,248 1,248 701

2400

2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000

59% overall increase in applications Admittance Highlights

2008 181

181 2008 181

107% increase in the number of applications from underrepresented minorities

1,248

1,113 477 1,113 1,113 1,113 477 477 477 477 181

2004 159 5000 2005 159

2000 0

2015

Application Highlights

2,413

1,394 1,394 1,394 1,394 1,113

2500

2,000

2014

1,394

483 483 483 500 483 1000 159 2000

0 1000 2400

2015

2,413 2,413 2,413 2,413

3000

159

2014

2015

97% increase in total minority applications

2,984 2,984 2,984 2,984

2500 3500

159 1500 2004 2004 2004 2004

2014

2,984

2500 3000 4000

1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,000

2013

4,362 4,362 4,362 4,362

3000 3500 4500

1,362 2000

2013

4,362

GRADUATE STUDENT ADMITTANCES BY ETHNICITY, 2006–2015

3500 4000

2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000 1,500

0 0 0 0

2006

3,202 3,202 3,202 3,202

2,500 2,500 2,500 2,500 2,000

500 500 500 500 0

10 Year Review

4000

5,000

144 144 144

2013

2014 2014

2015 2015

2015 yield for underrpresented minorities: 55% 2015 yield for total minorities: 53%

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Graduate School Admissions by Graduate Field, Fall 2015

APPLICATIONS ADMITTANCES MATRICULATIONS

Graduate Field

2014

Aerospace Engineering

2014

166 161 -3%

Africana Studies

44 51 n/a

Animal Science

35 41 17%

2015 % change

2014

41 34 -17% 6 3 n/a 11 14 27%

2015 % change

18 13 -28% 5 1 n/a 10 10 0%

Anthropology

134 147 10% 14 18 29%

Applied Economics and Management

327

341

-19%

Applied Mathematics

178

135

-24%

24%

14%

Applied Physics

227 206 -9%

49 51

18 18 0%

26 22 -15%

16 16

7 7 0%

Archaeology Architecture

748 768

Art

100 93 -7% 62

Asian Studies

74 66 -11%

Astronomy and Space Sciences

Atmospheric Science

52 35 -33%

Biological and Environmental Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biophysics

Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology

105

-29% 12%

219

237

25%

509 509

34 26 -24%

14 13 -7% 8

-25%

5 14 180% 18

-61%

6 3 -50%

55 51

-7%

6 8 33% 3

33%

3 8 167% 7

-86%

5 2 n/a

-13%

-18%

27%

19%

89 106 19%

223 266

11 8 -27%

483 529 251

273

-1%

31%

City and Regional Planning

304

305

140

149

10%

Civil and Environmental Engineering

629

653

232

236

-16%

Comparative Biomedical Sciences

69 74 7% 130 126

-3%

44 72 64%

Comparative Literature

104 71 -32%

Computational Biology

130 118 -9%

Computer Science

1,665 2,039 75

22%

Design and Environmental Analysis

Development Sociology

62 58 -6%

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

103

Economics

667 571 -14%

Education Electrical and Computer Engineering English Language and Literature

107

-3% 4%

24 0 -100%

-1%

3 7 133% 11 12

15 14 -7% 2 7 250% 26 34 31% 306 343 15

12% 73%

6 8 33% 13

-23%

39 45 15% 0 0 n/a

112 99 -12%

3 5 67% 5 9 80% 9 12 33% 2 3 50% 8 14 75% 162 186 15% 9

44%

5 2 -60% 12

-50%

21 13 -38% 0 0 n/a

1,268

1,280

381

407

152

170

12%

987

1,071

-16%

-14%

Entomology

53 56

Environmental Toxicology

15 13 -13%

Fiber Science and Apparel Design

226 224

4 1 -75%

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Communication

10%

144 149

7 8 14%

Chemical Engineering

Classics

7 11 57%

5 11 120%

1 0 -100%

0 0 n/a

16%

-50%

-42%

211

239

13%

86%

100%

Genetics, Genomics and Development

48%

21%

-30%

Geological Sciences

86 54 -37%

17 10 -41%

13 7 -46%

Germanic Studies

22 23

8 11 38%

2 3 50%

Global Development

61 61

37 36 -3%

17 20 18%

Government

344 315 -8%

29 25 -14%

15 15 0%

History

173 162 -6%

21 22

Food Science and Technology

2015 % change

8 10 25%

APPLICATIONS ADMITTANCES MATRICULATIONS

Graduate Field

2014

2015 % change

History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies

Horticulture

35 29 -17%

2014

-20%

2015 % change

2014

25%

2015 % change

9 10 11%

9 7 -22%

57 70 23%

55 55 0%

Human Development

91 84 -8%

12 18 50%

10 10 0%

Immunology and Infectious Disease

41%

88%

400%

Industrial and Labor Relations

291

330

13%

120

32%

101

46%

Information Science

332 340

36%

33 60 82%

Landscape Architecture

170 116 -32%

Law

n/a 40 n/a

3 2 -33%

Linguistics

101 81 -20%

10 8 -20%

6 2 -67%

Management

394 349 -11%

22 22

6 11 83%

Materials Science and Engineering

464

Mathematics

247 270

Mechanical Engineering

660 693

Hotel Administration

125 136

477

Medieval Studies

33 23 -30%

Microbiology

72 80 11%

Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Music

117%

105 143

53 51 -4%

0% 11%

34 33 -3% 165 156

-5%

4 3 -25% 17 18 3

10%

15 13 -13% 82 79

-4%

3 2 -33% 5 8 60%

100%

8 4 -50%

49 52

Near Eastern Studies

-7%

100%

n/a

Neurobiology and Behavior

-40%

-71%

106 90 -15%

Operations Research and Information Engineering

977

Pharmacology

1,068

29 24 -17%

Natural Resources

Nutrition

14 14

144 139 -3% 12 4 -67% 6%

18 25 39%

15 10 -33% 287

302

2 2 0%

Philosophy

317 283 -11%

21 23

Physics

10%

7 11 57%

12 7 -42% 83

19%

0 0 n/a 6 5 -17%

468 558 19%

95 77 -19%

32 20 -38%

Plant Biology

54 47 -13%

13 9 -31%

4 5 25%

Plant Breeding

58 41 -29%

11 4 -64%

8 3 -63%

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

20%

38%

50%

Policy Analysis and Management

160

186

16%

57%

43%

Psychology

173 199 15% 12 9 -25%

Public Affairs

609 562

-8%

Real Estate

92 70 -24%

Regional Science

16 22 38%

Romance Studies

33 62 88%

Science and Technology Studies

Sociology Soil and Crop Sciences

242 213 -12% 36 32 -11% 7 6 -14% 15 15 4

-11%

902 1,038

15%

Systems Engineering

121 155

28%

226 180 91 104

120 86 -28% 22 23 5% 5 4 -20%

6 8 33%

151 169 12% 19 21 11%

Statistics

8 6 -25%

0% -20% 14%

9 6 -33% 6 50

5 72

-17% 44%

63 69 10%

Theatre Arts

19 14 -26%

3 3 0%

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

-12%

-43%

Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

24%

-100%

Graduate Student Admissions: Research Degrees by Discipline, Fall 2006â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2015

APPLICATIONS

17%

27%

14%

13% 43%

14%

13%

2006

2010

24%

29% 13% 14%

23%

43% ADMITTANCES 9% 24%

14%

23%

53% 9% 12%

2006 53%

23% 25%

25%

MATRICULATIONS

26%

53% 9%

15%

9% 10%

15% 22%

2010

10% 22%

25%

18%

50% 9% 23%

18%

50% 9% 23% 24%

2015

50%

24%

23%

23% 44%

22%

24%

9% 23%

43%

44%

2006

2010

2015

Admissions statistics for research degrees indicate healthy gains over the past 10 years, with application growth over that time period at 19%. The largest discipline-related growth was reflected in the

18%

44% 9%

37%

Humanities

16%

47%

10%

12%

11%

23%

43%

Social Sciences

14% 15%

25%

37% 26%

43% 12%

26%

15%

53%

37%

16%

2015

53% 14%

11%

47%

42%

53%

24%

26%

42% 17%

27%

16% 47%

15%

29%

43%

11%

26%

42% 17%

27%

26%

15%

29%

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences and Engineering

life sciences and physical sciences and engineering (42% and 27% increases respectively). Applications to the humanities over the past 10 years showed a 9% decrease.

Graduate Student Admissions: Professional Degrees by Discipline, Fall 2006â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2015

APPLICATIONS

37%

35%

20% 42%

37%

35%

20%

37%

26%

42% 42%

1% 26% 7%

56% 7%

36%

51%

56% 7%

42% 39%

2006 51%

36%

8% 1%

41%

6% 5%1%

38%

2015

58%

55% 38%

5% 2%

41%

55%

51% 8%

41%

38%

41%

2006

Humanities

Over the past 10 years, there has been robust growth in interest in Graduate School professional degree programs. Overall application growth reflected a 201% increase since 2006. The physical sciences

51%

55%

2010

2015

Life Sciences

5% 2%

12%

Social Sciences

6% 1%

35%

1%1%

35%

58%

1% 6%

MATRICULATIONS 12%

39%

58%

51% 41%

20% 6%

48%

56%

35%

1% 7%

2010

12%

41% 39%

32%

20%

2015

38%

51% 42%

32%

48%

36%

1%1%

ADMITTANCES

2010

35%

48%

38%

1% 20%

20%

38%

2006 42%

32%

26%

Physical Sciences and Engineering

and engineering disciplines experienced an application growth rate of 242% over the past decade and a 31% matriculation growth rate over that same time period.

enrollment Reflecting similar trends as seen in the admission statistics, overall enrollment over the past 10 years reflects a 20% increase, with significant growth in professional master’s degree programs (72% over the 10-year period.)

professional master’s programs comprised 25% of the total; in 2015, those figures are 56% and 36% respectively. Over the past 10 years, enrollment in the physical sciences and engineering has grown 44%, averaging 4% growth each year. Enrollment in fields in the humanities and social sciences, while fewer in headcount, has also increased over the same period, with the humanities enrollment growing an average of .4% each year since 2006, and enrollment in the social sciences growing an average of 1.5% over that same time period. Enrollment in the life sciences reflects a 7% decrease over the past 10 years.

Since last year, enrollment in research and professional master’s degree programs experienced modest increase, whereas doctoral enrollment declined slightly (-3%); first-time doctoral enrollment has also declined since 2014 (-10%). In 2006, doctoral enrollment comprised 71% of the total, whereas

Graduate Student Enrollment by Degree Type, Fall 2006–2015

3,500

3,500 3,240

3,000

3,164

3,188

3,075

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,768

2,000

1,130 1,000

1,932

1,666

1,498

1,500

1,500 1,126 1,000

500

212 0

3,197

3,209

192 0

2005

2006 2006

2007 2007

2008 2008

420

392

247

272

2009 2009

2010 2010

2011 2011

2012 2012

2013 2013

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Doctoral

Research Master’s Trend

Professional Master’s Trend

Doctoral Trend

2014 2014

2015

(includes in absentia students)

Graduate Degree-Seeking Student Enrollment by Discipline, Fall 20065–2015 2,500

2,436 2,122

2,000 2,000

1,500 1,500

2,032

2,000 1,697

2,419

1,730 1,586

1,500

1,383

1,586

1,464

1,499

1,367

1,000 1,000

500 500

945

1,000

859

931

532

500

524

559

881

855

863

565

542

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

2012 2014

551

2013 2015

Humanities

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Social Sciences

Humanities Trend

Life Sciences Trend

Physical Sciences Trend

Social Sciences Trend

2014

Graduate Student Enrollment by Citizenship and Gender, Fall 2006–2015

DOCTORAL

811 25% 510 16%

833 26%

1,055 33%

691 24% 467 16%

2006

805 27% 984 33%

2010

798 25%

876 28%

481 15%

1,009 32%

782 25%

872 28%

478 15%

1,015 32%

2014

2015

RESEARCH MASTER’S 35 18% 35 18%

76 40%

41 16%

31 12%

97 38%

2006

115 29%

101 26%

89 34%

46 24%

100 26%

2010

76 19%

80 23%

105 30%

84 24%

2014

78 23%

2015

PROFESSIONAL MASTER’S

278 24%

312 28% 189 17%

347 31%

373 23%

370 22% 284 17%

628 38%

457 26% 466 26%

347 20% 498 28%

329 17%

564 29% 546 28%

493 26%

2006

2010

2014

2015

US Male

US Female

Int’l Male

Int’l Female

Overall enrollment in doctoral programs over the past 10 years has dipped slightly (-4%), with little or declining growth across both citizenship and gender dimensions. Overall enrollment in research master’s programs has shown steady growth over the past 10 years (119%), with a significant jump in the international populations: research master’s enrollment by both females and males from international countries increased at an average annual rate of 14.5% over the decade, resulting in an overall

international enrollment increase of 197%. In the same 10 years, research master’s enrollment for students from the US increased 74%. Enrollment in professional master’s degree programs increased all demographic dimensions over the past 10 years, with an overall growth of 72%. In the past decade, significant growth has come within the population represented by females from international countries, an average annual growth rate of 13% resulting in a 10-year leap of 189%. 27

Graduate Student Total Enrollment by Ethnicity, Fall 2006–2015

6,000

5,000

2,573

2,039 1,892

4,000

3,000

2,000

257

165

2,067

1,986

1,852

291 160

406

376

1,000

2006

227

208 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

International

White

Asian

Multi-Ethnic URM

Unknown

Multi-Ethnic Non-URM

Hispanic or Latino

Black or African American

Fall 2006–Fall 2015 Enrollment Notes

Black or African American

-13%

-27%

-43%

-38%

Hispanic or Latino

42%

Multi-Ethnic URM

83%

n/a

Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander

50%

n/a

Asian

-3% -7% 29%

American Indian/Alaskan Native

Multi-Ethnic Non-URM White Unknown

2014–2015 2010–2015 2006–2015 change change change

n/a

-1% -7% -10% -21% -36% n/a

International

7% 26% 36%

Grand Total

20%

“To be on the cutting edge in our fields and practices, we are committed to enhancing our culture to provide for the full participation of all members of our community.”—Toward New Destinations; Institutional Diversity Planning Over the past decade, Cornell University Graduate School has embraced this vision, increasing US under-represented minority enrollment 45%. In 2006, students of color represented 12% of the population; in 2015 students of color comprised 15% of total enrollment. (Note that ethnicity is not officially reported on international students; detailed ethnicity information and statistics are on US citizens or permanent residents only.)

Graduate Student Enrollment by Field, Fall 2015 Graduate Field

Aerospace Engineering African and African-American Studies

(includes inabsentia students)

Doctoral

Research Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Professional Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Non-Degree

Total

Animal Science

Anthropology

51 0

1 52

Applied Economics and Management

Applied Mathematics

Applied Physics

0 15

Archaeology Architecture Art Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

0 15 10

0 0

114 12

103

0 128 0 12

Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology

106

107

Biological and Environmental Engineering

Biomedical Engineering

194

Biophysics

15 0

Chemical Engineering

204

164

City and Regional Planning

110

Civil and Environmental Engineering

135

Classics

16 0

Asian Studies Astronomy and Space Sciences Atmospheric Science

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

0 15

0 16

Communication

33 0

0 33

Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Comparative Literature

Computational Biology

121

145

319

Development Sociology

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Economics

98 0

1 99

0 1

Computer Science Design and Environmental Analysis

Education Electrical and Computer Engineering

1 0 145

201

346

English Language and Literature

Entomology

21 5

Environmental Toxicology Fiber Science and Apparel Design

0 26

Food Science and Technology

Genetics, Genomics and Development

Geological Sciences

Germanic Studies

Global Development Government

79 0

3 82

History

57 0

2 59 29

Graduate Student Enrollment by Field, Fall 2015, continued Graduate Field

Doctoral

Research Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies

Horticulture

24 8

Professional Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Non-Degree

Total

0 39

Hotel Administration

Human Development

Immunology and Infectious Disease

Industrial and Labor Relations

160

195

Information Science

109

Landscape Architecture Law

10 0

0 10

Linguistics

28 1

1 30

Management

41 0

6 47

Materials Science and Engineering

Mathematics

67 0

Mechanical Engineering

11 0

105

2 69

103

165

Medieval Studies

Microbiology

28 0

0 28

Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Music

33 0

0 33

Natural Resources

Near Eastern Studies Neurobiology and Behavior

Nutrition

60 0

Operations Research and Information Engineering

Pharmacology

10 0

Philosophy Physics

128

36 0 151

0 0

10 70 1

174

0 10

3 39

1 152

Plant Biology

Plant Breeding

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

Policy Analysis and Management

Psychology

35 0

1 36

Public Affairs

201

Real Estate

Regional Science

Romance Studies

Science and Technology Studies

Sociology

47 0

1 48

Soil and Crop Sciences

Statistics

Systems Engineering

10 1

0 104

127

Theatre Arts

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

3,075

420

1,932

5,498

Grand Total 30

(includes inabsentia students)

degrees awarded Graduate Student Degrees Awarded within Discipline, by Degree Type, Award Years 2007–2016

HUMANITIES DEGREES AWARDED BY DEGREE TYPE, 2007–2016 197

200

172 150 200 100 150 50 100 0

145 197 78

172

145 43

24 78 2007

83 2008

2009

2010

2011 58

2012

2013

2014

Doctoral 0

33% -2% -19%

2007 2008 2009 -31% -4% -2% 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

150 200

154%

-27%

200

2007–2016 2011–2016 2015–2016 Humanities change change change

200

61 2016

2015

187

Humanities

Life

Doctoral

Doc

2016

Research Master’s

Res

Professional Master’s

Prof

182

LIFE SCIENCES DEGREES AWARDED BY DEGREE TYPE, 2007–2016 140

127

200

117 182

187

100 150

140 56

127

50 100 0 50

117 42

33 27

4 56 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

23 2012

2013

2014

2015

33 27

2016 42

0 1,400

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2007–2016 2011–2016 2015–2016 Life Sciences change change change

1,200

Doctoral Research Master’s 1,000 1,400 869

Professional Master’s

800 1,200 600 1,000 400

Humanities

-16% -8% -1% 1066 Doctoral -25%

27%

475%

-15%

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s 10%

2015

2016 1278 Life Sciences

Doctoral

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Pro

1278 719

649 1066 450 869

329

127 27

4 100

117 23

0 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Graduate Student Degrees Awarded within Discipline, by Degree Type, continued 56 50

PHYSICAL SCIENCES DEGREES AWARDED BY DEGREE TYPE, 2007–2016 1,400 0 1,200

23 1278

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

1066 1,000

869

800

719 649

1,400

1278

600 450

1,200

1066

400 1,000 200 800 0 600

215 869 204

329

210 230

207

719

649 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

450

400

2007–2016 2011–2016 2015–2016 Physical Sciences change change change

329

Humanities 215 Life Sciences 210 Doctoral 13% 11% 4% 200 Doctoral Doctoral 204 207 Research Master’s 53% 57% 20% Research Master’s Research Master’s 800

Professional Master’s 0 700 600

2007

2008

2009

60% Professional Master’s 2010

2011 640

11%

2012

Professional Master’s2%

2013

2014

2015

Physical Sciences

Soci

Doctoral 230

Doct

Research Master’s

Rese

Professional712 Master’s 2016

Prof

521

472

500

410

SOCIAL SCIENCES DEGREES AWARDED BY DEGREE TYPE, 2007–2016 400 800 300 700 200 600 100 500 0 400 300 200 100 0

301 712 121

640 125

147

521 99

105

93 472

2007

2008

2009

2010

410 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

301

121

125

105

2007

2008

2009

2010

147 93

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2007–2016 2011–2016 2015–2016 Social Sciences change change change Humanities

Physical Sciences

Social Sciences

Doctoral

-6% -11% -7%

Research Master’s

21%

Professional Master’s Professional Master’s

57% Professional Master’s

Doctoral

Research Master’s

Life Sciences

Doctoral

Research Master’s

18% 15%

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Graduate Student Degrees Awarded by Gender, Citizenship and Degree Type, 2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2016 GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH U.S. CITIZEN AND PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS

452

500 450

365

400

283

350 300

172

134

131

150 108

400

122

123 144 112

450150

156

176

179 170

200

500

204

226

250

100

350

324

300 50 250

1,011 degrees

1,234 degrees

1,162 degrees 250

0 2007

200

2008

162

142

150 100

310

308

2009

2010

2012

2013

2014

2016 177

2015

157

137

128

110

2011 181

159

144

151

GRADUATE STUDENTS WITH INTERNATIONAL STATUS 121

154

156

369

50400 0

2007

2008

2009

2010

250

169

150

133 97

724 degrees

2007

Doctoral Female

115 89

856

1,182 97 degrees

63degrees

2006

2008

Doctoral Male

2007

2009

2010

2008

Research Master's Female

155

137

0 2005

110

120 79

137

114

100

151

100 131

257

222

114

150

250

2014

190

200

150

2013

298

300

200

2012

235

300 350

2011

301

2006

337

2005

350

2011

2009

2012

2010

Research Master's Male

2013

2011

2014 2012

Professional Master's Female

2015

2013

2016

2014

Professional Master's Male

10%

Hispanic 4% Black/African

International

Graduate42% Student Degrees Awarded American by Ethnicity, Award Years 2007–2016 Asian 10% White 39%

2007 International

Asian 10%

42%

White 39%

Unknown 3% International

Hispanic 4% Black/African American 2% Hispanic 4%

42%

White 39%

Unknown 3%

Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander <1%

Multi-Ethnic URM <1%

Unknown 3%

Multi-Ethnic Non-URM <1% Black/African American 2%

Asian 9%

2011

International 41%

Hispanic 4%

Asian 9% White 37% Asian 9%

International 41%

White 37%

Unknown 5% International 41%

White 37%

Unknown 5%

International 51%

Black/African Multi-Ethnic American Non-URM 2% 2% Hispanic 4% Black/African American 2%Multi-Ethnic Non-URM 2% Hispanic 4% Multi-Ethnic Non-URM American 2% Indian/ Alaskan Native <1% Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander <1%

Multi-Ethnic URM <1%

Black/African American 2%

Asian 9%

2016

American Indian/ Alaskan Native <1%

Hispanic 3% Black/African American 2%

Asian 9%

Hispanic 3% White Black/African 30% American 2%American Indian/ Alaskan Native <1% Asian Hispanic Native Hawaiian/ 9% 3% Islander <1% Pacific

Unknown 3% International 51%

Unknown

White 30%

Multi-Ethnic URM 1% Multi-Ethnic Non-URM 1%

In 2006, Cornell granted 724 degrees to international students. By 2016, that number increased 63% to 1,182, and represented 92 countries from Albania to Zimbabwe. Of the 2,344 total degrees awarded in 2015–2016, 54% were professional master’s degrees, 24% were research master’s degrees and 21% were doctoral degrees. Doctoral degrees awarded increased 2% over the past 10 years, and the number of professional degrees presented to graduate students grew 64% over that same time period. In award year 2016, degrees granted in the physical sciences represented 55% of the total Graduate School degrees awarded; the social sciences accounted for 30%; and the humanities and life sciences awarded the remainder with 7% and 8% respectively. Women earned 42% of total degrees granted in award year 2016; 52% of these women were international. Of the 511 women representing nonUS countries, 66% earned a professional master’s degree. Of the total 980 women awarded Cornell Graduate School degrees in award year 2016, 41% earned the degree in the physical sciences and engineering. The percentage of under-represented minority students earning degrees over the past 10 years has increased 42%; for all students of color, that percentage increase was 24%. Students of color comprised 15% of those earning graduate degrees in award year 2016.

Graduate Student Degrees Awarded by Graduate Field, Award Year 2016 Graduate Field

Doctoral

Research Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Professional Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Total

Aerospace Engineering

3 4 7 14

Africana Studies

0 0 3 3

Animal Science

4 1 1 6

Anthropology

6 9 0 15

Applied Economics and Management Applied Mathematics Applied Physics

6 6 0 12 10

Archaeology

0 2 0 2

Architecture

Art

0 0 6 6

Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

Asian Studies

0 2 0 2

Astronomy and Space Sciences

Atmospheric Science

2 1 0 3

Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology Biological and Environmental Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biophysics

2 1 3

45 49 0 0

5 9

20 23 96 139 2 0 0 2

Chemical Engineering

18 29 59 106

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

City and Regional Planning Civil and Environmental Engineering Classics

3 3 0 6

Communication

6 4 0 10

Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Comparative Literature

6 3 0 9

Computational Biology

2 0 0 2

Computer Science

163

220

Design and Environmental Analysis

Development Sociology

3 2 0 5

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Economics Education Electrical and Computer Engineering

6 12

2 25

0 37

3 1 0 4 22

112

178

English Language and Literature

Entomology

4 2 0 6

Environmental Toxicology

1 1 0 2

Fiber Science and Apparel Design

Food Science and Technology

Genetics, Genomics and Development

Geological Sciences

3 0 1 4

Germanic Studies

1 3 0 4

Global Development

Government

History

6 8 0 14

0 12

0 18

Graduate Student Degrees Awarded by Graduate Field, Award Year 2016, continued Graduate Field

Research Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Professional Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Total

History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies

Horticulture

2 7 3 12

Hotel Administration

Human Development

8 9 0 17

Human Service Studies

Immunology and Infectious Disease

Industrial and Labor Relations

Information Science

Landscape Architecture

Law

3 0 0 3

Linguistics

2 9 0 11

Management

8 9 0 17

Materials Science and Engineering

5 49

Mathematics

Mechanical Engineering

15 23 57 95

0 21

Medieval Studies

1 2 0 3

Microbiology

4 0 0 4

Molecular and Integrative Physiology

Music

4 4 2 10

Natural Resources

11 8 1 20

Near Eastern Studies

Neurobiology and Behavior

Nutrition

10 0 0 10

Operations Research and Information Engineering

Pharmacology

2 0 0 2

Philosophy Physics

6 4 0 10 21

0 54

Plant Biology

2 0 0 2

Plant Breeding

4 3 0 7

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

Policy Analysis and Management

Psychology

9 4 0 13

Public Affairs

115

Real Estate

Regional Science

1 2 0 3

Romance Studies

7 5 0 12

Science and Technology Studies

Sociology

8 5 0 13

Soil and Crop Sciences

Statistics

59 70

Systems Engineering

Theatre Arts

5 2 0 7

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

Total 36

Doctoral

497

572

0 0

4 4 70

1,275 2,344

financial support DOCTORAL DEGREES Total = 2,853

Other Funding 3%

CU Fellow 7%

CU Fellow 18% GRA/RA 32%

External Fellow 10% GA/TA 35%

RESEARCH MASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DEGREES Total = 413

External Fellow 10%

CU Fellow 7%

External Fellow 5%

GA/TA 16%

Other Funding 58%

GRA/RA 14%

External Fellow 5%

Graduate students are supported through assistantships, fellowships and funding from other sources, including funds paid directly to the student. A fellowship is an arrangement in which financial support is given to a graduate student GA/TAto puruse his or her Other degree without any obligation 16% on Funding the part of the student to engage in teaching and/or 58% of the university academic research in furtherance GRA/RA mission. Fellowships are generally merit-based awards in10ded to support a student in 14% a full-time course of study.

Assistantships are an arrangement in which financial support is given to a graduate student who engages in teaching and/or research in External furtherance of the university academic mission, as Fellow GA/TA well as his or her graduate education. At3% Cornell, < 1% assistantships include teaching assistantships CU Fellow (TA), graduate assistantships (GA), graduateGRA/RA 1% research assistantships (GRA), and research 1% assistantships (RA). The financial support charts do not contain information on the 233 graduate students enrolled in absentia for Fall 2015. Other Funding 95%

PROFESSIONAL MASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DEGREES Total = 1,928

External Fellow < 1% CU Fellow 1%

GA/TA 3% GRA/RA 1%

Other Funding 95%

Graduate Student Financial Support by Discipline and Degree Type, Fall 2015 Discipline

Doctoral

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Total

Humanities CU Fellow External Fellow GA/TA

142 43% 2 1% 183 55%

3 30%

0 0%

7 70%

21 15%

145 2 211

GRA/RA

0 0%

Other Funding

5 2%

0 0%

121 85%

126

142 100%

484

Total

332 100%

10 100%

Life Sciences CU Fellow

121 17%

External Fellow

107

GA/TA

188 27%

21 24%

1 3%

210

GRA/RA

264 37%

26 30%

1 3%

291

Other Funding Total

15%

705 100%

19 22% 6

18%

88 100%

0 0%

140

113

94%

34 100%

73 827

Physical Sciences and Engineering CU Fellow

178

14%

184

External Fellow

156

12%

165

GA/TA

379 30%

20 11%

2 0%

401

GRA/RA

513 41%

17 9%

1 0%

531

Other Funding Total

1,262 100%

133

73%

183 100%

930

100%

935 100%

1,099 2,380

Social Sciences CU Fellow External Fellow

135

10 2%

5 4%

3 0%

161 18

GA/TA

253 46%

18 14%

35 4%

306

GRA/RA

133 24%

15 11%

5 1%

153

Other Funding Total

Grand Total

554 100%

67%

132 100%

753

92%

817 100%

865 1,503

2,853 413 1,928 5,194

Note: does not include in absentia students

24%

Graduate Student Financial Support by College and Degree Type, Fall 2015 Discipline

Doctoral

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Total

Agriculture and Life Sciences CU Fellow External Fellow

128 21% 62 10%

21 15%

2 1%

151

11 8%

2 1%

GA/TA

198 32%

33 23%

11 7%

242

GRA/RA

204 33%

35 25%

1 1%

240

27 4%

41 29%

150 90%

218

166

100%

926

Other Funding

Total 619 100% 141 100% Architecture, Art and Planning CU Fellow External Fellow GA/TA

11 39%

0 0%

1 0%

0 0%

1 0%

4 18%

5 2%

0 0%

13 46%

GRA/RA

1 4%

Other Funding

3 11%

18 82%

Total 28 100% 22 100%

195 97%

216

202

100%

252

Arts and Sciences CU Fellow External Fellow

265 24%

5 8%

1 1%

271

89 8%

3 5%

0 0%

GA/TA

529 47%

3 5%

GRA/RA

225 20%

0 0%

Other Funding

18 2%

49 82%

Total 1,126 100% 60 100%

16 14% 0 0% 99 85% 116

100%

548 225 166 1,302

Engineering CU Fellow

119 15%

2 2%

1 0%

122

External Fellow

102 13%

5 4%

0 0%

107

GA/TA

181 23%

13 10%

2 0%

196

GRA/RA

356 45%

10 8%

1 0%

367

Other Funding

102

77%

922

101%

1,052

Total 786 100% 132 100%

926

100%

1,844

Hotel Administration CU Fellow

n/a

External Fellow

n/a

GA/TA

100%

n/a

GRA/RA

0 0%

0 n/a

Other Funding

100%

96%

Total

100%

0 0%

Graduate Student Financial Support by College and Degree Type, Fall 2015, continued Discipline

Doctoral

Research Master’s

Professional Master’s

Total

Human Ecology CU Fellow External Fellow

22 22%

1 3%

9 4%

5 5%

0 0%

2 1%

0 0%

GA/TA

51 51%

GRA/RA

18 18%

Other Funding

4 4%

10 28% 3 8% 22 61%

241 96%

Total 100 100% 36 100% 252 100%

267 388

Industrial and Labor Relations CU Fellow

2 6%

0 0%

9 5%

External Fellow

0 0%

GA/TA

13 36%

3 21%

20 11%

GRA/RA

19 53%

10 71%

5 3%

141 81%

144

Other Funding

2 6%

1 7%

Total 36 100% 14 100% 175 100%

225

Law CU Fellow

100%

n/a

External Fellow

n/a

GA/TA

n/a

GRA/RA

n/a

Other Funding

n/a

Total 8 100% 0 n/a 0 n/a

Management CU Fellow

n/a

External Fellow

n/a

GA/TA

n/a

81%

n/a

GRA/RA Other Funding

Total 43 100% 0 n/a 0 n/a

Veterinary Medicine CU Fellow

18%

33%

n/a

External Fellow

17%

n/a

GA/TA

11%

n/a

GRA/RA

51%

n/a

50%

n/a

Other Funding

Total 102 100% 6 100% 0 n/a 108 Grand Total 2,853 100% 413 100% 1,928 100% 5,194 Note: does not include in absentia students 40

Doctoral Support by Discipline, Fall 2006, 2010 and 2015 Discipline

Fall 2006

Fall 2010

Fall 2015

Humanities CU Fellow External Fellow GA/TA GRA/RA Other Funding

127 34% 6 2% 223 60%

142 38% 5 1% 222 60%

142 43% 2 1% 183 55%

1 0%

0 0%

15 4%

1 0%

5 2%

Total 372 100% 371 100% 332 100% Life Sciences CU Fellow

181 24%

103 14%

121 17%

17 2%

82 11%

107 15%

GA/TA

182 24%

184 26%

188 27%

GRA/RA

343 45%

337 47%

264 37%

External Fellow

Other Funding

40 5%

15 2%

25 4%

Total 763 100% 721 100% 705 100% Physical Sciences and Engineering CU Fellow External Fellow

165 15% 23 2%

180 14% 88 7%

178 14% 156 12%

GA/TA

320 30%

366 29%

379 30%

GRA/RA

516 48%

587 46%

513 41%

Other Funding

59 5%

47 4%

36 3%

Total 1,083 100% 1,268 100% 1,262 100% Social Sciences CU Fellow External Fellow

94 19% 2 0%

122 21% 12 2%

135 24% 10 2%

GA/TA

222 46%

256 44%

253 46%

GRA/RA

106 22%

154 26%

133 24%

Other Funding

61 13%

40 7%

23 4%

Total 485 100% 584 100% 554 100% Grand Total

2,703 2,944 2,853

Note: does not include in absentia students

Median Time to Degree—Doctoral Program by Field

Discipline

1990–1994 1995–1999 2000–2004 2005–2009

Fall Admit Cohort

Humanities

6.0 6.4 6.5 6.5

Life Sciences

5.4 5.5 5.6 5.4

Physical Sciences

5.0 5.4 5.4 5.4

Social Sciences

5.1 6.0 6.0 5.5

Humanities Architecture

8.4 5.8 8.4 7.8

Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

7.9

Classics

5.2 6.4 6.8 6.8

7.4

Comparative Literature

6.0 7.3 7.6 6.8

English Language and Literature

5.2

Germanic Studies

6.0 7.2 6.5 7.0

History

6.8 7.0 6.6 6.4

History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies

6.9

Medieval Studies

6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0

Music

6.8 6.4 6.4 6.0

Near Eastern Studies

5.9

Philosophy

6.0 6.3 6.4 6.4

6.3

5.8

5.0

7.0

6.8

6.3

7.0

5.8

7.0

5.8

Romance Studies

5.5 5.0 6.0 6.5

Science and Technology Studies

6.4

Theatre Arts

6.6 8.3 5.8 5.5

6.8

6.0

7.1

Life Sciences

Animal Science

5.0 5.2 5.4 5.2

Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology

6.0

Biometry

6.4 5.9 4.7 4.4

Biophysics

7.2 6.4 6.0 5.4

Comparative Biomedical Sciences

4.8

4.7

5.6

4.9

Computational Biology

n/a

5.7

5.2

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

6.4

6.0

6.4

6.0

Entomology

5.5 5.8 5.7 5.6

Environmental Toxicology

5.0 5.0 5.5 5.0

Food Science and Technology

4.6

5.0

4.8

Genetics, Genomics and Development

6.0

6.4

6.0

Horticulture

4.2 5.0 5.0 4.5

Immunology and Infectious Disease

5.0

Microbiology

5.4 5.4 5.7 5.4

Molecular and Integrative Physiology

5.0

Natural Resources

6.4 5.9 5.8 6.0

Neurobiology and Behavior

6.6

Nutrition

5.4 5.3 5.5 5.0

Pharmacology

5.4 6.0 6.0 6.0

Plant Biology

6.4 6.0 6.0 5.8

Plant Breeding

4.8 5.0 5.0 5.1

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

5.0

Psychology

5.4 5.0 5.4 6.0

6.0

4.8 5.4 6.4

5.4

6.3

5.4 5.6 6.1

5.9

6.0

5.4 5.4 6.0

5.8

Discipline

1990–1994 1995–1999 2000–2004 2005–2009

Fall Admit Cohort

Soil and Crop Sciences

4.8

5.6

5.3

5.0

Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

5.0

6.1

5.0

6.3

Physical Sciences and Engineering Aerospace Engineering

5.0 5.0 5.8 5.8

Applied Mathematics

5.0 5.8 5.2 5.4

Applied Physics

5.4 6.0 6.0 6.3

Astronomy and Space Sciences

5.0

Atmospheric Science

n/a 7.3 5.9 5.4

5.8 5.8

5.4

Biological and Environmental Engineering

5.0

Biomedical Engineering

n/a 8.4 5.5 5.8

Chemical Engineering

5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

4.8

5.2

Civil and Environmental Engineering

4.8

5.0

5.4

Computer Science

4.8 5.0 5.6 5.4

Electrical and Computer Engineering

5.0

4.8

5.0

5.4

Fiber Science and Apparel Design

5.0

4.3

5.0

Geological Sciences

5.8 5.4 5.8 5.0

Materials Science and Engineering

4.9

Mathematics

5.2 6.0 5.4 6.0

Mechanical Engineering

5.0 5.4 5.3 5.0

5.4

5.0

6.0

5.5

5.4

Operations Research and Information Engineering

5.0

Physics

5.8 6.0 6.0 6.0

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

4.9

5.0

5.2

5.4

5.0 5.6

Social Sciences Anthropology

7.0 7.4 7.0 6.8

Applied Economics and Management

5.8

5.6

6.0

5.2

City and Regional Planning

6.0

6.4

6.8

5.0

Communication

5.1 6.0 6.0 5.0

Design and Environmental Analysis

n/a

Development Sociology

6.3 7.0 8.0 8.0

Economics

5.0 5.0 5.9 5.4

Education

4.4 5.0 5.0 5.0

Government

5.8 7.0 7.0 6.0

Hotel Administration

5.0 6.6 6.0 5.9

Human Development

5.0 5.8 5.4 6.2

n/a

5.8

n/a

Industrial and Labor Relations

5.0

Information Science

n/a 6.4 5.0 5.2

Law

5.2 4.9 4.9 5.0

Linguistics

5.2 7.0 6.7 6.0

Management

4.2 5.2 5.4 5.4

Policy Analysis and Management

5.9

Regional Science

5.0 7.0 7.3 5.5

Sociology

5.2 6.0 7.0 7.0

Statistics

4.2 5.8 6.0 5.8

7.0

6.0

n/a

5.4

5.9

5.0

Average Completion Rate—Doctoral Program by Field

Discipline

1990–1994 1995–1999 2000–2004 2005–2009

Fall Admit Cohort

Humanities

76% 74% 74% 74%

Life Sciences

81% 82% 86% 77%

Physical Sciences

81% 80% 82% 77%

Social Sciences

74% 75% 80% 75%

Humanities Architecture

71% 63% 75% 30%

Asian Literature, Religion and Culture

73%

Classics

54% 53% 70% 56%

Comparative Literature

76% 88% 93% 94%

English Language and Literature

78%

Germanic Studies

73% 82% 79% 68%

History

66% 69% 63% 66%

History of Art, Archaeology, and Visual Studies

79%

Medieval Studies

80% 61% 67% 85%

Music

91% 83% 86% 77%

Near Eastern Studies

60%

Philosophy

75% 54% 66% 76%

Romance Studies

87% 79% 73% 81%

Science and Technology Studies

76%

Theatre Arts

83% 56% 53% 79%

63%

82%

77%

80%

81%

68%

80%

79%

33%

81%

64%

76%

69%

100%

70%

Life Sciences Animal Science

86% 84% 90% 68%

Biochemistry, Molecular & Cell Biology

88%

Biometry

38% 52% 87% 80%

Biophysics

83% 67% 70% 100%

Comparative Biomedical Sciences

75%

Computational Biology

90%

82%

79%

84%

81%

78%

n/a

100%

35%

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

86%

78%

87%

83%

Entomology

91% 90% 81% 80%

Environmental Toxicology

92% 75% 82% 79%

Food Science and Technology

78%

88%

96%

86%

Genetics, Genomics and Development

81%

70%

93%

76%

Horticulture

64% 93% 86% 68%

Immunology and Infectious Disease

89%

Microbiology

84% 85% 87% 91%

Molecular and Integrative Physiology

75%

Natural Resources

66% 76% 86% 67%

Neurobiology and Behavior

79%

Nutrition

74% 81% 79% 78%

Pharmacology

82% 85% 93% 67%

Plant Biology

80% 78% 78% 79%

Plant Breeding

89% 93% 87% 83%

Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

89%

Psychology

76% 67% 74% 85%

87% 90% 84%

80%

82% 89% 93%

87%

93% 100% 81%

77%

Discipline

1990–1994 1995–1999 2000–2004 2005–2009

Fall Admit Cohort

Soil and Crop Sciences

85%

93%

65%

Zoology and Wildlife Conservation

88%

80%

100%

80%

Physical Sciences and Engineering Aerospace Engineering

73% 80% 84% 76%

Applied Mathematics

86% 88% 87% 84%

Applied Physics

78% 78% 85% 91%

Astronomy and Space Sciences

80%

Atmospheric Science Biological and Environmental Engineering Biomedical Engineering

93%

96%

86%

n/a 71% 50% 78% 78%

78%

83%

76%

n/a 67% 88% 78%

Chemical Engineering

80% 79% 87% 76%

Chemistry and Chemical Biology

86%

82%

79%

72%

Civil and Environmental Engineering

73%

74%

66%

68%

Computer Science

72% 81% 79% 72%

Electrical and Computer Engineering

84%

82%

84%

72%

Fiber Science and Apparel Design

57%

72%

70%

Geological Sciences

81% 67% 81% 52%

Materials Science and Engineering

79%

Mathematics

72% 77% 89% 88%

Mechanical Engineering

84% 78% 84% 75%

Operations Research and Information Engineering

88%

Physics

85% 82% 83% 89%

Theoretical and Applied Mechanics

81%

75%

78% 88%

83%

83% 94%

74%

79% 88%

Social Sciences Anthropology

76% 78% 82% 59%

Applied Economics and Management

76%

60%

78%

74%

City and Regional Planning

72%

81%

74%

85%

Communication

63% 68% 73% 80%

Design and Environmental Analysis

n/a

Development Sociology

64% 73% 69% 66%

Economics

78% 85% 87% 86%

Education

76% 72% 67% 62%

Government

74% 75% 77% 69%

Hotel Administration

75%

Human Development

61% 63% 69% 79%

Industrial and Labor Relations

73%

Information Science

85% 68%

100% 85%

90% 76%

n/a 100% 100% 56%

Law

43% 100%

Linguistics

79% 75% 72% 59%

Management

89% 82% 86% 79%

Policy Analysis and Management

80%

Regional Science

77% 82% 88% 76%

Sociology

67% 67% 77% 82%

Statistics

67% 80% 88% 82%

86%

88% 88%

85%

82%