Supportive resources and opportunities from Housing and Residential Life
Cornell University and Student and Campus Life offer countless ways for students to make connections and find community, learn from fellow students and faculty, and engage in enrichment opportunities. With a focus on overall wellbeing and success, Cornell Housing and Residential Life gives residents access to a variety of services and resources that can help offer a transformative residential experience.
Leadership & Involvement
Cornell Housing has hundreds of Resident Advisors (RAs) who enhance the residential experience of fellow students on campus while building their own skills and leadership training. So far this academic year alone, RAs have had more than 10,000 intentional conversations with students, most of which involved pillars of Residence Life (such as Academic Empowerment and Belonging), and more than half included a referral to campus resources such as academic advising, career advising, or mental health counseling. The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is another way for students to get involved in guiding the residential experience.
Religious Observance
We recognize and support students’ observances of their faith, tradition, and spirituality while living in on-campus housing. Cornell offers religious accommodations ranging from non-electronic lock access to restorative spaces for prayer or contemplation in certain residence halls and other campus buildings where feasible. Recognizing the importance of these resources, Housing and Residential Life is continually looking for opportunities to expand the availability of such spaces. Please submit the religious observance form within the Cornell housing portal for more details. Once it’s received, we will reach out to you if we need any additional information.
Gender-inclusive housing and gender-inclusive bathrooms
Gender-inclusive housing arrangements are available to students who don’t express their gender identity along the gender binary, who may not be comfortable in rooms assigned by gender, or who may want to live with a roommate of a different gender identity or expression.
In addition to welcoming everyone to use the restrooms and facilities corresponding with their gender identity, Cornell has a number of universal or all-gender restrooms throughout campus, with lockable, single-occupant facilities.
Amnesty Housing
Some students are unable or do not have the opportunity to return to a permanent residence between semesters or academic years. Whether it's due to a geopolitical conflict, natural disaster, or concern for physical and emotional safety, some students need to remain on campus or in Ithaca. Housing and Residential Life provides winter break and summer housing to assist students during these breaks. A dedicated scholarship fund helps support students who need financial assistance to remain on campus.
Disability-related housing accommodations
Working in conjunction with Student Disability Services (SDS) in Cornell Health, Cornell Housing can make accommodations available to students with a disability, which can include wheelchair-accessible rooms, ground floor rooms or rooms near an elevator, strobe alarms, air filtration or carpet-free rooms for those with allergies, and more.
Off-Campus Living
Many upper-level undergraduates choose to live off campus, in affiliated sorority and fraternity organization houses, in shared affinity group housing, or in houses or apartments in neighborhoods surrounding Cornell. The Office of Off-Campus Living provides information and referral services to students considering these options, as well as guidance and resources to help students be great neighbors in the community.
Whatever your needs...
Cornell Housing and Residential Life offers a variety of housing options to meet the needs of all Cornellians and actively provides a supporting, encouraging atmosphere that helps build engaged communities and fosters student growth. In a 2023 Cornell undergraduate survey, 74% of first-year and second-year student respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with campus housing facilities, and 70% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the sense of community where they lived. Throughout a student’s journey at Cornell, Housing and Residential Life is integral to a student’s transition and development while living on campus.