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Working at Cornell is about more than the work: it's a place where you belong, a place where you can thrive.

Values

What matters in our workplace.

At Cornell, all of our efforts are united by what President Martha E. Pollock calls "educational verve" -- a vitality infused by the spirit of discovery, a passion for ideas, and a commitment to seeking truth, for the benefit of our community and the world at large.

In our workplace, this verve is shaped by our values: integrity, inclusion, vision, communication, initiative, judgment, and growth, and expressed by our Big Red Spirit: bold, caring, passionate, and dedicated to excellence. We truly believe that working at Cornell is more than a job; it's an opportunity to be your best, most authentic self, within a vibrant, welcoming community.

 

Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity of perspective and experience is crucial to an institution of higher learning and research.

This extends to every member of our community, in every role in our workplace. 

An inclusive workplace empowers each person to bring their whole self to work and contribute fully to the mission and objectives of the university.

Learn more about Cornell's commitment to diversity and inclusion. 

 

Wellbeing

Cornell recognizes that employee wellbeing extends beyond the workplace.

Wellbeing is a multifaceted and continually changing process. Cornell provides a wide variety of support and resources to help employees thrive in all the dimensions of wellbeing.

Learn more about Employee Wellbeing at Cornell.

Video Transcript

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[Christine] Wellbeing for me is just a state of being in a good place um... emotionally, psychologically, physically. 

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It just means happiness, you know, 
um... whether that's in an emotional sense, a physical  

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sense um... just being okay. [Cortney] I think it's as simple as a campus that supports structures that promote  

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wellbeing for everyone there; student, staff and faculty. [Kathryn] It means to have a sense of peace and  

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serenity. And the kind of peace and serenity that allows me to be my best. [Michelle] To me, wellbeing is about  

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having access, to having the skills, to having the resources that I need to care for my mind, body,  

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spirit and the environment that I live in. [Ryan] For me I want to make sure that I'm performing well in  

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my work responsibilities. I want to make sure I'm a good partner to my spouse. I want to make sure  

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I'm a good dad to my children. I want to make sure that I'm making a difference in my community. 

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[Travis] It's just feeling good about yourself. Being yourself. Feeling comfortable in all situations while you're  

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at work. Staying calm and collected and knowing what to do when when you are stressed out and  

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getting away and, and, and preparing for that I think is, is, is important. [Lisa] And to try to do  

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my part in helping other people feel good about themselves and their work and their contributions.  

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We're all in this together. [Ten] I can say that when I felt an absence of wellbeing was when I didn't  

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have space to either slow down and breathe. Also I felt a the lack of wellbeing when I didn't  

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have space to speed up and to grow and to have like, a grand success that would be appreciated  

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and and get me new places. So I think you have to have both. [Julie] When I think about wellbeing, I always  

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um... really talk about the fact that individuals can't pour from an empty cup. And so what am I  

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doing to continually fill my cup, so that I'm able to then help other people. Wellbeing is how can I  

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live a meaningful and fulfilling life and how can I encourage other individuals to do the same.

Appreciation

Our culture of appreciation is an expression of a community that genuinely cares for one another.

Cornell is an extraordinary workplace that depends on the excellence of our staff and faculty. The university is proud to celebrate staff excellence with awards and appreciation events throughout the year. 

Our culture of appreciation goes much deeper, though.  Our workplace is a tightly-knit community where staff members show appreciation for colleagues in countless unseen ways -- like a surprise cup of coffee on a busy day, a handwritten thank you note on a desk, or copying in a supervisor on an email to congratulate a job well done. It's the appreciation and care shown by our community that makes working at Cornell rewarding on a daily basis. 

Learn about Employee Appreciation & Recognition

 

Sustainability

Sustainability goes deeper than recycling and conserving energy.

Sustainability is about exercising responsibility to manage the needs of the present without compromising the quality of life for future generations. Sustainability extends far beyond ecology to include technology, business, society, and even personal sustainability.  

Cornell is a global leader in sustainability and climate change research, teaching, and engagement. At Cornell, you'll find that our commitment to sustainability infuses every level of the university, from policymaking to procurement to personal wellbeing and more.

Learn more about Cornell and sustainability.

 

Health Promoting Campus

  • Health Promoting Campus: Our work as a Health Promoting Campus is designed to transform the health and sustainability of our current and future societies, strengthen communities, and contribute to the wellbeing of people, places, and the planet.

Video Transcript

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[Christine] I think what it means to be a health 
promoting campus is for us to really  

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set an environment where that promotes health and  

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wellbeing amongst all of our faculty and 
staff and students. Um... it changes the culture.

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[Avery] What does it mean to be a health 
promoting campus or university, it's a great question.

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[Julie] It means looking at the systems and the 
structures and the settings here at Cornell.

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[Michelle] The policies that we have in place to help people 
thrive. [Aaron] It's not just an add-on it's 'not maybe  

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you do this'. It means you... you feel it in small 
ways everywhere. [Christine] And we make sure that we have a  

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place where folks feel like they can take care 
of themselves. [Avery] We exist to support students. As  

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faculty and staff um... we're not able to do that 
unless we're our best selves.  

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[Cortney] I think it's as simple as a campus that supports structures that promote wellbeing for everyone there;  

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students, staff and faculty. [Avery] And what that means is 
not just physical best selves, but... but mentally as well.

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[Michelle] It's also about seeking to understand how 
people interact with those systems and those  

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policies to understand their impact. [Julie] And the 
ways that we can improve upon things so that  

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we are supporting holistic health and wellbeing 
for everyone. [Aaron] Through, through colleagues, you see  

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it through leadership, um you feel it. [Michelle] And how 
the wellbeing of one population impacts the  

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wellbeing of another. [Avery] We need to bring um... you 
know, the best parts of us to our classrooms and  

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to our engagements with the students. And so when 
I think about a Health Promoting Campus I think  

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about how do we support our faculty and staff 
so that they can do that. [Ryan] For me this commitment  

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is foundational to making sure we always stay focused on that in all of our decisions, all of  

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our policies and all the ways we think about 
supporting this campus holistically.