Provost Scholarship at Cornell: Recognizing Teaching Excellence and Promoting Diversity

Cornell University offers several prestigious awards and scholarships, including the Provost's awards, to recognize faculty excellence in teaching and to support students from diverse backgrounds. These awards highlight the university's commitment to its mission of “… any person … any study” and its core values of fostering a welcoming and inclusive community.

Awards for Teaching Excellence

Cornell University recognizes teaching excellence through several awards, including the Stephen H. Weiss Teaching Awards and the Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in Graduate and Professional Degree Programs.

Stephen H. Weiss Teaching Awards

These awards honor faculty members with a sustained record of commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students. The Stephen H. Weiss Provost’s Teaching Awards specifically recognize nontenured faculty.

Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in Graduate and Professional Degree Programs

This award recognizes faculty who excel in teaching and academic advising in programs leading to advanced degrees (master’s, Ph.D., D.V.M., and J.D.). Recipients are expected to have a record of teaching excellence at the graduate level spanning at least five years.

Nomination Process and Criteria

Both awards require nominations and letters of support from faculty and students, along with other documentation. Nominations should highlight how the nominee's activities reflect the award criteria. The criteria emphasize:

Excellence in teaching: Innovative classroom instruction, advising (undergraduate or graduate students), and creating curricula that develop student intercultural competence.
Mentoring: Supporting undergraduate or graduate students from groups facing obstacles to inclusion in their field.
Impact: Implementing strategies/policies that address barriers preventing the full participation of students who have faced obstacles to inclusion in higher education and the professoriate.

Examples of Award Recipients

Recent award recipients demonstrate the diverse ways faculty contribute to teaching excellence at Cornell:

Stephen H. Lancaster: Teaches General Chemistry I, making complex concepts understandable and cultivating a supportive learning environment.
Rogerio M. Pinto: Teaches courses in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, incorporating active learning techniques and real-world applications.
Annalisa Raymer: An instructor in the Department of Performing and Media Arts, who fosters creativity and critical thinking in her students.
David Yearsley: Teaches music, sparking genuine interest in the field and creating a supportive academic environment.
Adam Seth Litwin: Teaches Introduction to Industrial and Labor Relations, fostering a sense of community and incorporating real-world simulations.
Marie MacDonald: Teaches introductory mathematics, making math approachable and clear and providing generous student support.
Mark Sarvary: Uses evidence-backed teaching methods and refines them based on student feedback, also training teaching assistants.
John Whitman: Provides deep knowledge and expertise in linguistics, especially with under-documented and endangered Indigenous languages.
Michael Dorf: Teaches Constitutional Law, thoughtfully designed and practical but filled with humor and discussions of real-world events.

The Provost and President Diversity Awards

These annual awards recognize two Cornell faculty members for their transformational excellence in research, teaching, and service through diversity. The award is aimed at tenure-track, tenured, research, teaching, and extension faculty members. Each recipient receives a $15,000 award.

Objective

The objective is to recognize and reward outstanding and sustained achievements in research, teaching/mentoring, and service/outreach that advance diversity in support of Cornell University’s “…any person…” ethos. Diversity is defined broadly as the variety of cultures, world views, values, and personal experiences that reflect the full diversity of our student population and their varied experiences.

Criteria

The award recognizes distinctive and outstanding accomplishments that lead to systemic and transformational change. The award looks for sustained impact in the following areas.

Research or Creative Work: Advancement of new knowledge or creative work that has driven a change in the nominee’s field of study and/or new research expanding the understanding of how diversity transformed the field and/or has the potential to improve the quality of life of community members in the nominee’s field of study. The award also recognizes engagement in innovative research that enhances our understanding of diversity and difference, attracts new scholars to the field and improves access and opportunity.
Teaching and Mentoring: Development and implementation of effective strategies for teaching that advance the education of students from all backgrounds. Activities can include innovative classroom instruction and advising (undergraduate or graduate students). Mentoring undergraduate or graduate students who are members of groups which have faced obstacles to inclusion in their field and/or whose background and experiences contribute to campus diversity. Creating curricula that enable the development of student intercultural competence to navigate today’s global and multicultural realities. Implementing effective strategies/policies that address barriers preventing the full participation of students who have faced obstacles to inclusion in higher education and the professoriate.
Service and Outreach: Promoting the professional and/or academic advancement of individuals who faced obstacles to inclusion in the applicant’s field as well as their well-being; Enhancing diversity and equal opportunity through activities such as recruitment and mentoring of faculty and students; Participating in exceptional sustained committee or administrative service that has significantly enhanced policy or processes that advance the principles of equity and inclusion; Crucial contributions to campus culture, practices, or programs that have had a demonstrable and important effect in helping the campus achieve achieve diversity and inclusion.

Nomination Process

Faculty, staff, and students may nominate tenured, tenure-track, research, teaching, and extension faculty. Faculty may also submit a self-nomination. All nominations must include:

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Stage 1: A letter of nomination, paying particular attention to how the nominee’s activities reflect the criteria noted above (Max 500 words)
Stage 2: Candidates selected to move to the final selection stage will have to submit:
- A letter of support from the chair and dean of the nominee;
- At least two (and no more than five) letters of support (from individuals who can provide testimony to the transformational impact and sustained effectiveness of the nominee’s contributions; at least one letter should be form a member of the Cornell community;
- A CV demonstrating the track record of the nominee in the areas described above;
- Any supporting documents as appropriate (e.g., media coverage, teaching evaluations). Complete packet should be limited to no more than 60 pages.

Graduate School Fellowships

Cornell University offers a variety of fellowships to support graduate students in their academic pursuits. These fellowships provide financial assistance, allowing students to focus on their studies and research.

Cornell University Fellowships

Approximately 20% of doctoral students receive Cornell University Fellowships (Sage Fellowships or Cornell Fellowships), which typically include full tuition, a nine-month stipend, and Cornell individual student health insurance.

Graduate School Founder’s Excellence and Dissertation Fellowships

These fellowships support Cornell’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Graduate School Founder’s Dissertation Fellowships are competitive one‐semester (fall or spring) or summer dissertation completion fellowships funded by the Graduate School or SUNY system. They are available on a competitive basis to domestic advanced Ph.D. citizens, permanent residents, or Indigenous peoples of Canada eligible to register as domestic students under the Jay Treaty, or students with DACA status. Applicants demonstrate excellence in their academics, leadership, and service and have made significant contributions to Cornell’s core value to provide a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect.

Cornell College Scholarships

Cornell College also offers a range of scholarships to support undergraduate students.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Trustee Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen and transfers.
Presidential Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen and transfers.
Dean's Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen and transfers.
Keeler Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen who are residents of Iowa and rank in the top 10 percent of their graduating class or are members of the National Honor Society.
William Fletcher King Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen and transfers. Freshmen must be invited to apply for this award.

Need-Based Scholarships

Carver Scholars Program: Open to full-time sophomore students who are struggling to overcome significant social and economic obstacles.

Other Scholarships

Bowman Scholarship: Open to entering freshmen who have been members of the United Methodist Church for at least the past two years.
Ellis W. Rowe Scholarship: Available to undergraduate and graduate students who are attending a Methodist college, are residents of Gloucester County, and are majoring in specific fields such as marine science, nursing, or ministry.

Additional Programs and Resources

Cornell University provides various programs and resources to support graduate students' academic and professional development.

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Graduate School Dean’s Scholars Program

The Graduate School Dean’s Scholars are nominated and selected scholars who have demonstrated academic excellence and strong potential to significantly contribute to Cornell’s founding principle of “… any person … any study” and core value to provide a Community of Belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect. The core purpose of the prestigious distinction of Dean’s Scholar is to develop a community of scholars through which connections are established and maintained across all graduate fields.

Dean’s Scholars Engagement Seminar

The Graduate School Dean’s Scholars Engagement Seminar provides structured opportunities for Dean’s Scholars (especially pre-A exam scholars) to establish a sense of community and develop skills foundational to their academic and personal success. This virtual series serves as an early opportunity for incoming Graduate School Dean’s Scholars to engage with one another and begin to establish a sense of community and belonging at Cornell.

Summer Success Symposium

The Summer Success Symposium is a professional and community development event for new and continuing research students from across all graduate fields. Through this symposium, participants have the opportunity to form connections and establish community. This symposium also provides participants with the opportunity to engage with successful alumni, faculty, and professionals.

Fall Gratitude Mixer with OISE

All Dean’s Scholars are invited to attend the Fall Gratitude Mixer with OISE to network with current students, staff, faculty, and other community members. This event also provides participants with the opportunity to learn about student organizations represented on the OISE Student Leadership & Engagement Council.

Pinning Ceremony

The inaugural pinning ceremony for the Graduate School Dean’s Scholars took place in Fall 2017. This event marked the beginning of an annual fall tradition where the Graduate School publicly recognizes and celebrates the Dean’s Scholars for their academic achievements, commitment to excellence, and potential for making meaningful contributions to their respective disciplines.

Power Mentoring Sessions

Power Mentoring Sessions are space-limited discussions that provide graduate students and postdocs with the opportunity to engage in candid, closed-door conversations with invited faculty and academic leaders about their lived experiences and strategies for navigating various aspects of academia.

NextGen Professors Program

NextGen Professors is a career-development program focused on preparing Cornell graduate students and postdocs for faculty careers across institutional types. The primary audience for this program is doctoral students (in year three or beyond) and postdocs with a demonstrated commitment to advancing access to higher education and supporting inclusive learning, mentoring, and research environments. Participants are members of a cohort who together engage in a series of professional and career development activities including monthly NextGen Professors meetings, Power Mentoring Sessions with faculty, and the biennial Future Professors Institute. Participants also engage in other offerings of the Future Faculty and Academic Careers program and partners, which focus on effectively integrating research and teaching skills for career development.

Academic Integrity and Support at Cornell College

Cornell College emphasizes academic integrity and provides resources to support students' academic success.

Academic Integrity

The College expects all members of the Cornell community to act with academic integrity, respecting the work of others. Students are expected to explicitly acknowledge ideas, claims, observations, or data of others, unless generally known. All direct quotations must be placed within quotation marks and accompanied by a specific citation. Students are always encouraged to consult their professors and guidelines included in their syllabi for appropriate acknowledgement of sources.

Policies on Class Attendance

Policies on class attendance are the responsibility of individual professors. Students who know that they will be absent should notify their instructors in advance. Those who are unable to do so because of illness or personal or family crisis should notify their instructors as soon as possible. Students who participate in College-sponsored trips or will be absent due to religious observances are expected to secure the permission of their course instructors in advance of their absence and to arrange with their instructors to make up the work they will miss.

Disability Services

Cornell College is committed to compliance with federal law regarding students with disabilities. A student qualifies for disability services at Cornell when the student provides current documentation of the disability from a medical doctor (M.D.), educational or school psychologist (Ph.D.), or other individual licensed by the state of origin to diagnose learning or physical disabilities, to the Office of Academic Support and Advising, where it is placed on file as a confidential record.

Academic Advising

Cornell students and faculty have a long tradition of working closely together both in and out of the classroom. When possible, entering students are assigned an academic advisor on the basis of the interests indicated in the admissions application. Students should always feel free to discuss their thoughts and concerns with their advisors and are expected to inform their advisors as soon as they encounter a problem.

Registration and Course Information at Cornell College

Cornell College provides detailed information about registration and course selection.

Registration

Enrolled students register in the spring for all Blocks of the following academic year. Registration follows a first-come, first-served process based on the number of credits earned. Full-time degree candidates must register for eight Blocks and must earn at least seven Block credits every academic year during their first, sophomore, and junior years in order to remain in good standing.

Course Information

Before registering for and entering any course, the student is responsible for reading the description of that course in this Catalogue or in the registration system. If there is a prerequisite, the student must satisfy it before the course begins or must obtain the permission of the instructor before entering. Independent study courses and internships numbered in the 200s and 300s, whether on or off campus, are open only to students who have completed the required minimum number of courses in the same department/interdisciplinary major, and for Independent Studies, a writing-designated course.

Adjunct Courses

Adjunct courses are partial credit (0.25 or 0.5) courses taken over the course of 1-4 consecutive blocks, concurrently with a student’s full-credit block courses. Students may enroll in a maximum of two 500-level adjunct courses (.25 credits each) in any one semester, and no more than two full credits in 500-level adjunct courses may be counted toward satisfying the minimum 31 credits required for the B.A. or B.Mus. degree.

Auditing Courses

Full-time students who wish to attend a course without receiving academic credit or a grade may, with the approval of the instructor, audit the course without charge.

Repeating Courses

Any course for which a student has received a grade of F or NC may be repeated. In such cases, the second grade earned in a repeated course does not replace the previous grade of F or NC and does not erase it from the transcript.

Provost Award FAQ

The Provost Award FAQ provides useful information about the award. Courses numbered less than 5000 are regarded as undergraduate courses even if cross-listed with a 5000-level course. The award is not used to recognize a one-time achievement no matter its brilliance. It is up to the nominator to decide if something longer than a five-year snapshot strengthens the case. Numerical course evaluation scores by themselves are a somewhat flawed teaching-excellence metric. However, they provide a useful snapshot when other evaluation mechanisms are integrated into the assessment. The CV should mention all teaching-related accomplishments, such as teaching awards, advising awards, service on education-related committees, etc. With respect to research, a snapshot suffices, e.g., a brief selection of the most recent or influential publications. The most important thing is to substantiate claims. If the nominee is inspiring, explain why. If the nominee affects career paths, explain how. If the nominee renovates a whole curriculum, explain how.

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