Community at Cornell

Each August, all ~4,100 incoming Cornell undergraduates participate in the pre-orientation program Community at Cornell (CAC). Before they arrive on campus, CAC introduces new Cornellians to dispositions and skills for communicating across and about differences, crucial for thriving in Cornell’s diverse community. Consequently, Cornell students are prepared to learn from different backgrounds and viewpoints from the moment they set foot on campus.

The interactive component of CAC is a 2-hour live online session led by facilitators trained by the Center for Dialogue & Pluralism (CDP). Students interact with one another in small groups while reflecting on the beliefs, perspectives, and experiences that they can contribute to Cornell’s vibrant student body. Because the majority of CAC facilitators are Cornell alumni, incoming students also get to connect with recent graduates during CAC sessions. Before this interactive component, students consider how they can teach and learn from other Cornellians through an independent reading and writing assignment.

CAC is not an isolated program. It is one crucial part of a university-wide effort to equip students as future leaders who value human connection, communicate effectively across and about differences, and collaborate for the social good. It serves as a foundation for subsequent curricular and extracurricular learning on dialogue and pluralism.

About

CAC started in August 2018 as a mandatory program for incoming students. Initially part of New Student Orientation, CAC shifted to a live virtual format, so students could complete the program before orientation. Assessment indicated that offering CAC as a pre-orientation program better supported incoming students, who could apply their learning in CAC to their earliest interactions on campus.

CAC consists of two parts. Part 1 is an independent reading and reflective writing assignment completed before Part 2, the interactive 2-hour online session. Part 2 is facilitated in small groups by current students, alumni, and staff trained by CDP.

Incoming students’ learning in CAC serves as a foundation for future education on dialogue and pluralism at Cornell. CAC frameworks and skills are reinforced both through formal offerings (e.g. courses taught by CDP-trained faculty; training for certain residential student staff roles) and informal interactions with faculty, academic advisors, and student-facing staff who are deeply familiar with CDP’s educational approaches.

Goals

CAC’s main goals are to use intentional communication strategies to:

  • Connect with fellow incoming students
  • Identify opportunities and challenges associated with the transition to Cornell
  • Explore the potential of learning and collaborating across differences in perspectives and experiences

Learn more about the intentional communication strategies introduced in CAC:

Facilitators

Over 40 facilitators lead CAC sessions each August before classes start. A majority of CAC facilitators are recent Cornell alumni in addition to some undergraduate peers. All CAC facilitators are trained extensively by CDP. CDP staff/faculty provide operational, curricular, and pedagogical support for CAC.

The top 3 reasons alumni facilitators choose to support CAC year after year are:

  • Supporting incoming students as they transition to Cornell
  • Staying engaged with CDP and its work
  • Giving back to the Cornell community

Facilitation opportunities for CAC are by invitation only. Students interested in supporting connection and intentional communication at Cornell should look into taking Intergroup Dialogue (EDUC/ILRID 2610).

Assessment

Since 2019, CDP has collected post-survey data from participants at the end of their CAC sessions. This input from thousands of participants each year has enabled year-to-year improvements for the program and also revealed its profound impact on incoming students.

Some highlights from our 2025 CAC post-survey results:

91% enjoyed connecting with other students during their CAC session

85% left their CAC session feeling more confident about sharing their perspective with others at Cornell 

84% left their CAC session more interested in connecting with those whose perspectives (e.g., beliefs, ideas, values) differed from theirs

82% indicated that the skills practiced in CAC session would help them communicate more effectively across differences in perspective 

From open-ended responses:

“One thing I learned during this session is that looks can be deceiving. I was under the impression that I’d be judged for even opening up about myself, but that really wasn’t the case – I found that by the end of the session, I had already made a few friends.”

“I learned that it can be easy to understand another’s perspective and opinion by being present and being an active listener. There are times where differing opinions may make it hard to affirm, but by actively listening with an open mind, it makes the connection much more meaningful.”

“I really enjoyed listening and finding a way to make another person know I understood their ideas or perspective or identity. I plan to keep remembering those strategies, especially when it comes time for making more friends at Cornell”

85% response rate with 3,737 surveys from 4,398 CAC participants

Here’s what students have said about the program…

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I plan to use these skills in making new friends. For me, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by meeting new people, feel compelled to fill awkward silences, or spend the conversation nervous about my turn to speak. By having these communication skills to fall back on, I can take a deep breath and have meaningful conversations with much less stress.

“

One important thing I learned during this session was the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to communicate with people who are different from you. You can learn a LOT (and make plenty of friends) by doing so!

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I learned that other students share many similar thoughts and opinions as I, and that it is not too difficult to form connections with others even if we come from very different backgrounds and are very different people.”

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I plan to implement the skills I learned in this session, including active listening and affirming other people's thoughts and feelings, to form meaningful connections with people at Cornell and hopefully get the opportunity to learn from and hear about perspectives that are different from mine in order to broaden my worldview.

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That people from all different places and different background have similar hopes and fears surrounding this drastic transition and that made me feel more understood and less wary.

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I feel more equipped to successfully communicate and share ideas with people I may disagree with. I am less afraid to approach differences in viewpoints.

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I learned that even if you do not agree with someone, you can still listen to, understand, and acknowledge them and their own thoughts. This will assist me at Cornell due to the fact that I know that not everybody will agree with each other on everything, but by at least listening to and understanding where someone is coming from, I, myself, and all of the other students around me, will all be able to have a sense of mutual respect for one another.

“

I plan on actively listening more. When people were affirming the things I had said, it made me feel important because people were listening to what I had said. I want to make other people feel the same way

Contact community@cornell.edu with questions.