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Working at Cornell
Cornell Employment: Career Development
Staff are encouraged to seek professional growth and personal advancement through the rich and varied resources and affiliations available at Cornell. See HR Policy 6.10.1: Career Development Opportunities for details and the Staff Performance and Learning pages on the web.
Skills for Success
Cornell has identified a number of skills for success—skills, knowledge, and attributes—that will be important in the years ahead: inclusiveness, adaptability, self-development, communication, teamwork, service-mindedness, stewardship, and motivation. Cornell offers many educational opportunities for staff to build these success skills. More information can be found on the Skills for Success pages, and for Cornell staff and managers at the additional Skills for Success pages under HR at Cornell.
Educational Opportunities
Many educational opportunities exist for Cornell staff. In addition to the workshops listed in the Guide to Workshops for Staff and Faculty, which, with your supervisor’s approval, are paid for by your department, staff may get tuition relief through the Tuition Aid Program, the Extramural Program, and the Employee Degree Program, and may get tuition relief for their children through the Cornell Children’s Tuition Scholarship Program (CCTS). See HR Policy 6.10 and the Staff
Guide to Workshops for Staff and Faculty
A variety of workshops to advance professional skills, careers, and personal growth, as well as information on other educational opportunities, are offered through the Guide to Workshops for Staff and Faculty. This publication is coordinated by Organizational Development Services (ODS), Office of Human Resources, which also provides consultations concerning resumé writing and interviewing. The guide is broadly distributed in the fall of each year. See Guide to Workshops Web pages and HR Policy 6.10.1: Career Development Opportunities for details or call ODS at 254-6400.
Cornell Children’s Tuition Scholarship ( CCTS) Program
Scholarships are provided for the children of eligible staff. Eligibility and benefit levels vary according to employment status and date of hire. Benefits may be taxable. See CCTS Web pages and HR Policy 6.8.13: Cornell Children’s Tuition Scholarship (CCTS) for details.
Staff are eligible to receive benefits through the Employee Degree Program after one year of regular full-time employment. Staff interested in pursuing a degree must apply and be selected as regular degree candidates in their field of study, and must gain the approval of their supervisor, department head, dean, or executive officer, and the Office of Human Resources. The degree chosen must be one that will improve individual competence and effectiveness as a Cornell staff member. Benefits applied to costs of certain course work may be taxable. See Employee Degree Program web pages and HR Policy 6.10.4: Employee Degree Program for details.
Extramural study through the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions is offered to eligible staff who want to take Cornell academic courses and are not enrolled in a Cornell degree program. Eligible regular full-time or part-time staff may take up to four credits of tuition-free study each semester in on-campus courses, if space is available. For certain language and science courses with laboratory requirements, up to six credits may be taken at no charge with the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources. Supervisors are encouraged to work with their staff so that opportunities provided by the university can be utilized. Staff will need the permission of their supervisor when taking a course that meets during their regular working hours, and new staff must have started working before the beginning of an academic term to be eligible for waived tuition. Staff on layoff status and Cornell retirees are also eligible for extramural study and may register for six credit hours per semester. Contact the Office of Human Resources, Benefit Services, 255-3936, with questions regarding eligibility. Benefits that cover the costs of certain course work may be taxable. See the Extramural Study Program web pages and HR Policy 6.10.3: Staff Taking Cornell Courses (Extramural) for details.
Tuition Aid Reimbursement Program
After one year of regular full-time employment and prior approval, staff may receive reimbursement for current job-related or current Cornell career-related courses offered by other institutions, including BOCES and Tompkins Cortland Community College. Regular part-time staff are eligible after three years of employment. The course need not be at the college level, but it must be successfully completed for reimbursement. Benefits that cover the costs of certain course work may be taxable. See the Tuition Aid web pages and HR Policy 6.10.5: Tuition Aid Program for details.
DISCLAIMER: The policies contained in this handbook are not conditions of employment, and are not intended to create a contract between the university and its employees. The university reserves the right to amend or revoke the policies in this handbook at any time without notice. The university reserves the right to change the content of this handbook at any time. Nothing contained in this handbook constitutes a promise or guarantee of continuing employment or benefits.

