Support for Students in Ithaca
Everyone needs a little help sometimes. There are services and resources at Cornell designed specifically to bolster undergraduate, graduate, and professional student mental health and well-being. Remember, your mental health and emotional well-being are just as important as your physical health.
"It's not uncommon for smart and talented people to sometimes think that there's been some kind of mistake and that they don't deserve to be where they are. Don't fall prey to that kind of thinking. You've already demonstrated that you belong at Cornell." - President Martha E. Pollack, in orientation film Real Students Real Stories
A continuum of resources
This page includes a continuum of campus resources available to support undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as resources for students with children/families, partners or spouses.
24/7 hotline, text, and chat services
If you are feeling stressed, fatigued, burned out, struggling emotionally, please consider taking advantage of the following resources:
Emergency
If there is an immediate threat to life, health, property, or environment:
- Call 911 from any phone on campus or use a Blue Light or other campus emergency phone. If you are using a cell phone, call 607-255-1111. Describe as clearly as possible the location and nature of the emergency.
- Cornell Public Safety Communications Center: 607-255-1111 to report an on-campus emergency, non-emergency incident, or for information and general assistance. Pick up any Blue Light phone, or one of the 275 indoor emergency phones located on campus, for a direct connection to the CU Police.
- Cayuga Medical Center (CMC) Emergency Department at 607-274-4411
Urgent concerns
- Cornell Health: 607-255-5155 for 24/7 confidential phone consultation with a medical or mental health care provider
- Guthrie Ithaca City Harbor Walk-In Care: 720 Willow Ave. Ithaca; 607-219-4600
- Immediate Care (Cayuga Medical Associates) 8 Brentwood Drive, Suite B; 607-319-5900
- WellNow Urgent Care: 607-319-4563 for non-emergency medical care
- Advocacy Center of Tompkins County: 607-277-5000 24/7 local support and resources related to relationship violence and sexual assault
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Finger Lakes Crisis/Support Information. Download/print the Crisis File (pdf)
- National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Text, Call, or Chat 988 or call 607-272-1616 or 1-800-273-TALK (8325) a local 24/7 confidential (or anonymous) hotline service sponsored by Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service
- Tompkins County Mental Health Clinic (201 E. Green St. Ithaca): Same-day intakes available on a first come-first served basis Mon through Thursday. Call 607-274-6200 for more information.
Academic support (advising, tutoring, skill-building, accommodations)
- Academic Advising/Student Services Office in the Colleges and Schools
- AAP: 607-255-6251
- Academic Diversity Initiatives: 607-255-3841
- Arts & Sciences: 607-255-5004
- CALS: 607-255-2257
- Engineering: 607-255-7414
- Graduate School: 607-255-7374
- Human Ecology: 607-255-2532
- ILR: 607-255-2223
- Law: 607-255-5839
- Postdoc Studies: 607-255-5823
- SC Johnson College of Business:
– Dyson: 607-254-1281
– Johnson: 607-255-9395
– Hotel: 607-255-9393 - Vet School: 607-253-3700
- Ask Cornell Librarians (help with assignments or research)
- Cornell Career Services
- Cornell Statistical Consulting Unit
- Cornell Writing Centers
- Executive Function Community of Practice (strategies and support for students in planning, organizing, picturing the finished product, finishing and delivering a project, etc.)
- Graduate School Academic Writing Programs
- Learning Strategies Center (office hours, tutorials, workshops, consultations, classes)
- Math Support Center
- OADI & College Diversity Programs (academic diversity initiatives)
- Office of Global Learning (support for international students studying at Cornell)
- Student Disability Services (for accommodations and Health Leaves)
Cornell Health (physical and mental health services, advocacy, disability services)
- 24/7 Phone Consultation: 607-255-5155
health.cornell.edu - Primary Care Medical Services
- Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Alcohol and Other Drug Services
- Let's Meditate
- Nutrition & Healthy Eating Services
- Pharmacy
- Student Disability Services
- Victim Advocacy
If you would like to offer feedback about services received from Cornell Health, you can do so anonymously through this Feedback Form and/or use the form to get connected to a Patient Advocate.
Financial well-being and food insecurity resources
- Access Fund: The goal of this fund is to provide enrolled full-time undergraduate, graduate, and professional Cornell students with access to financial support, up to $500, to help mitigate on-campus barriers, access basic necessities, and cover emergency expenses not covered through financial aid or other university resources.
- Bursar Office
- Financial Aid Office
- Food insecurity resources (campus and local):
- Food Distribution Programs in Tompkins County has a list of food pantries, meals and other programs providing food Monday – Sunday.
- Anabel's Grocery and the Cornell Food Pantry are two of various on-campus programs to help connect students to affordable food options.
- Swipe Out Hunger takes donated meal swipes from students and distributes them to fellow students, to be used in the All You Care to Eat Dining Halls. This program is administered by the Office of the Dean of Students through First-Generation and Low-Income Student Support. If you are a current student experiencing food insecurity, complete the Swipe Out Hunger Bonus Meals form.
- Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County offers an online food resource schedule, including listings for local food pantries and free community meals.
- Nutrition Outreach and Education Program at Catholic Charities provides free and confidential pre-screening for SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: 607-272- 5062 ext.13. SNAP helps individuals and households purchase food by helping to supplement food budgets.
- Tompkins County Department of Social Services also provides local assistance with SNAP, phone 607-274-5201.
- WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Nutrition Program, phone 607-274-6630 or wicstrong.com.
Fitness, recreation, and sports
Nature and outdoor connections
Social connection resources
- Executive Function Community of Practice: strategies and support for students in planning, organizing, picturing the finished product, finishing and delivering a project
- Student Clubs & Organizations: Consider joining one of Cornell's 1000+ student organizations for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, including these groups supporting student mental health:
- Office of the Dean of Students - Identity Based Resources
- Office of Global Learning (support for international students studying at Cornell)
- Residential Communities
- Akwe: kon
- Cooperative Housing
- Ecology House
- Equity & Engagement Living-Learning Community (EEC)
- First-Year Residence Halls
- Graduate and Professional Student On-Campus Housing
- Holland International Living Center (HILC)
- Just About Music (JAM)
- Language House
- Latino Living Center (LLC)
- Loving House
- Multicultural Living Learning Unit (McLLU)
- Off-Campus Living
- Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life
- Risley Residential College
- Ujamaa Residential College
- West Campus House System
- Public Service Center
- Resources for Graduate and Professional students
- Resources for students with families
- Tatkon Center for First-Year Students