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Cornell University

Cornell Outdoor Education

New Hires

New Hires

Outdoor Odyssey and PE Programs New Hires

Congratulations on being hired!

Once you have officially received an offer of employment from a Cornell Outdoor Education representative, please complete the steps below.

STEP 1 - SUBMIT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

(Odyssey and PE Staff)

Fill out the New Hire Information Form

COE Programs uses a listserv to communicate with the staff. After you enter your information, you should start to see messages about staff training, important dates, events and opportunities. (Only full-time staff post to this list.) Also, even though this is the start of your COE career, we're already thinking about after you graduate. COE has 50 years worth of alumni all over the country. We do our best to facilitate communication between this ever-growing community of adventurers.

STEP 2 -CHOOSE YOUR COURSE(S)

(PE Staff and Odyssey Staff who want to teach PE Classes)

Fill out the Fall 2025 Dreamsheet

COE uses an online resource to collect information about what courses you'd like to teach. The online "Dreamsheet," as we call it, will provide you with a list of all the courses COE offers. Indicate what classes you are interested/able to teach next semester. If you are not sure of our class schedule, just make your best guess. A guess is better than no information at all! There is also a text box for special considerations you'd like to send our way. The compiled information is forwarded to the program coordinators. They assemble the teaching teams for the next semester. 

If you are an Odyssey Guide and wish to additionally teach classes, then super! Fill out the Dreamsheet and contact the appropriate coordinator.

PADDLING, SKIING, BIKING: Chris Bode cb896@cornell.edu
ROCK AND ICE CLIMBING: Andrew McLaughlin anm67@cornell.edu
LAND, OUTDOOR ODYSSEY: Chris Leeming csl45@cornell.edu
WILDERNESS MEDICINE, TREE CLIMBING, CAVING: Mark Holton mh45@cornell.edu
TRAIL RUNNING: Sandy Gregorich sgl284@cornell.edu

STEP 3 - ATTEND NEW STAFF ORIENTATION

(Odyssey and PE Staff)

Mark your calendar NSO2: August 29th through 30th.

NSO1 and NSO2 are required trainings for all new PE instructors and Outdoor Odyssey guides. New staff will learn about COE logistics and the basics of outdoor teaching.

NSO1 is a self guided Canvas course. You will be added to this soon and should start completing the various modules at your pace, due by August 29th.

NSO2 happens at Fall All Staff Training (FAST) near to the start of next semester. 

  • August 29th around 3:00pm, with an optional overnight campout
  • Training continues August 30th 8:30am-6:00pm

Please reach out to your coordinator with any questions.

STEP 4 - GET FAMILIAR WITH THE INSTRUCTOR RESOURCES

(Odyssey and PE Staff)

Check out the Instructor Resources Page

There are some resources in there for feedback to us, stories to record, training materials and so on!

STEP 5 -  HIRING PAPERWORK

(PE Staff Only)

If you are a student at Cornell who will be an instructor for COE, be on the lookout for information in your Workday inbox to complete an I-9 (if you haven't already filled this out for another job on campus). The I-9 process has to be completed within 2-3 days, so go through the steps as quickly as you can. Gather together your documents needed for the I-9: Form I-9 Acceptable Documents | USCIS. In the Workday instructions that come to your inbox, you will be asked to select a reviewer, and provide their email to send them a link, so they can confirm they reviewed your I-9 documents. The reviewer can be anyone you know (professor, friend, family member), and they must fill out the link ASAP before it expires. If you have any questions about this process, please email the front office manager at COE at: lts58@cornell.edu

If you are a non-student who will be an instructor for COE, the staff member hiring you will be in touch to obtain references and work with an HR manager to do a background check. Please be in touch directly with the COE staff person who will be hiring you for next steps.

STEP 6- GET COURSE CREDIT FOR YOUR WORK AT COE!

(PE Staff, Odyssey Guides, CTLC Facilitators)

Learn about LEAD 1960 and enroll in this 1 credit course!

COE training, teaching, and leadership now qualify through the CALS Lead 1960: Leadership Training Practicum. We have designed this course so you can get 1 credit for all of the trainings, classes, programs and trips that you would be doing in a normal semester. 

For example, if you are an Odyssey Guide or a PE Instructor, FAST will now count as an assignment in this class and your trip or class is like your final project.