Provided

Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, joined by Sara Xayarath Hernandez, associate dean for inclusion and student engagement, accepts the ETS/CGS Award on Cornell's behalf during the 56th Annual Meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools.

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) presented Cornell University with this year’s ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education: From Admission through Completion.

Barbara Knuth, senior vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, accepted the co-sponsored award on Cornell’s behalf Dec. 9 during the CGS 56th Annual Meeting, held Dec. 7-10 in Washington, D.C.

The award recognizes promising, innovative proposals to enhance student success and degree completion at the master’s or doctoral levels while promoting inclusiveness. The winning institution is selected on the strength of its proposal to meet the award’s goals and to serve as a model for other schools. The winner receives a two-year, $20,000 matching grant.

“Our goal is to achieve a campus climate in which all graduate students feel valued and accepted by faculty and peers, and where incidents of bias are minimized,” Knuth said. “This recognition from ETS and CGS will help us to provide an environment in which all members of our graduate community understand and value the diverse identities, experiences and perspectives present on our campus. I am honored to accept this award on behalf of my Graduate School colleagues and our partners across many offices at Cornell.”

Through the project Innovative Inclusion Interventions (I3): Promoting Graduate Student Success through Advancements in the Climate of Graduate Education, Cornell intends to promote graduate student success and an inclusive climate through four interventions supporting the academic and social engagement of graduate students across identities. These interventions include a summer success symposium, an interactive theater project, an intergroup dialogue project immersion program, and an inclusive teaching institute for graduate students and postdocs.