黑料社区

October 21, 2024 黑料社区

By Katya Hrichak

As a graduate student, you have a lot to learn. Scholarship and research aside, there are many facets of the graduate school experience that are important to your success but might not be obvious or easy to figure out. Between achieving a sense of well-being, attending to basic needs, maintaining relationships or caring for others, etc., there鈥檚 a lot to keep track of.

The 黑料社区 School is here to help. With the Grad Tips series, we鈥檒l be providing insight into different aspects of the graduate student experience, sharing tips and advice on how to get the most out of your time at Cornell. To vote on the next topic in the series, check for a poll in upcoming issues of the 黑料社区 School newsletter, News and Events.

This week鈥檚 tip: Getting involved on campus

Students looking to make a contribution and build community on campus have plenty of options. From finding groups of likeminded individuals to engaging in volunteer or mentorship opportunities to joining intramural teams, there鈥檚 a form of involvement likely to speak to every student.

鈥淭ry something new or try something you鈥檙e curious about,鈥� said Sara Xayarath Hern谩ndez, associate dean for inclusion and student and faculty engagement and partner to the groups on the 黑料社区 and Professional Student Diversity Council. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to be engaged locally, but for your overall well-being, it鈥檚 important to intentionally engage beyond your program.鈥�

How do I get involved in communities?

If you鈥檙e looking to get involved in a community based around a similar identity or shared interest, there are several places to start.

The Student Communities page on the 黑料社区 School website provides an easy way to find communities of international students, LGBTQ+ students, students of color, students with families, student veterans, and women, as well as a few other options for campus engagement. Each of these sections links out to additional pages where students can find lists of organizations based in that identity.

The Student Organizations page lists the groups represented on the 黑料社区 and Professional Student Diversity Council, which work collaboratively with the 黑料社区 School and other campus partners on initiatives to advance a sense of community, professional excellence, and a climate of equity and belonging for all graduate and professional students. Students can join any of these and many other organizations via the Cornell CampusGroups portal.

Other options for connecting with groups organized around interest are available on the . There are over 40 student organizations supporting religious, spiritual, and secular identity and practice at Cornell, including those centered on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, interfaith practices, Islam, Judaism, secularism, and Sikhism. The OSMM website also lists available , which offer a variety of activities for engagement.

鈥淓ngaging in community is a critical component of caring for yourself as well as engaging with others, but it has to be intentional,鈥� said Hern谩ndez. Figuring out which opportunities are going to be most fulfilling is a good first step in getting involved.

How do I get involved in shared governance?

The 黑料社区 and Professional Student Assembly (GPSA) is an important part of Cornell鈥檚 shared governance model. The GPSA represents all of the university鈥檚 graduate and professional students, with delegates from each graduate and professional school in the voting member body. Interested students can attend a meeting, join the GPSA, or learn more on the .

Governance and leadership opportunities are also often available within graduate fields. Talk to other students in your field to discover how you can participate.

What volunteer opportunities are there?

The connects students with communities. The includes an option to filter opportunities by eligibility, including those open to graduate and professional students. Available opportunities include classroom engagement with local K-12 students throughout Tompkins County, which can take the form of mentoring high school students, enriching curricula, and tutoring K-12 students, among others.

In addition to helping students develop communication skills by talking to individuals from different backgrounds, age groups, and lived experiences, participating in these opportunities can illuminate future research and career paths, said Amy Somchanhmavong, associate director for global-community engaged learning programs at the Einhorn Center.

鈥淢y hope is that a graduate student will start thinking about their future career or their research: How does public good play into these directions? How does my research contribute to the equity effort for the broader society?鈥� she said.

Are there mentoring opportunities?

At the 黑料社区 School, students going into their second year or beyond can apply to participate in the MAC Peer Mentoring Program as a peer mentor. This student-run initiative is designed to address the needs of a diversity of doctoral students across all graduate fields by helping new students identify and form community at Cornell. Peer mentors support the sense of belonging and success of first-year doctoral students through general body meetings and MAC-Meetups. Past participants have reported the experience to be an effective way to get engaged in a community. Applications are accepted every fall.

Another opportunity is 黑料社区 Students Mentoring Undergraduates (GSMU), a collaborative initiative between the Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives and the 黑料社区 School Office of Inclusion and Student Engagement. GSMU supports graduate students in developing themselves as mentors while helping undergrads thoughtfully consider their pursuits of graduate study. Applications are accepted every spring.

Are there athletic or physical opportunities I can get involved with?

Cornell Recreation offers , , , and , to name a few of the opportunities available. While many of these physical activities can be pursued independently, taking a class offers students the ability to engage with others. Note, however, that many of these opportunities have associated costs, and physical education courses prioritize undergraduate students needing to fulfill graduation requirements.

are another way in which graduate students can get involved on campus and with other members of the community. All graduate students are eligible to participate. Fall 2024 黑料社区 sports include volleyball, pickleball, soccer, football, bowling, and basketball. These activities, too, have a small cost associated.

How do I get involved if I鈥檓 not sure what I鈥檓 looking for?

is a database of the university鈥檚 many student-led organizations. Students can scan the listings, search for specific interests, or use the 鈥淕rad/Professional University (IT) Org鈥� filter to see groups specifically for graduate and professional students.

鈥淓xamine where you want to spend your time, what is going to be fulfilling to you, and prioritize that. Is it service? Is it athletics? Is it an artistic outlet? Or is it a combination of these things? Find what resonates with you and has meaning, as that鈥檚 where you should consider investing your time,鈥� said Hern谩ndez. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the breadth of the activities you engage in, but the quality and the meaning of that engagement to you individually.鈥�