Vision

The vision of the Office of Community Belonging and Well-being (OCBW) aligns with that of the College: To lead, enable, and inspire others to attain a healthier world for animals and people.

Mission 

The OCBW is dedicated to serving the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) community by advancing a culture of inclusion, diversity, belonging, respect, and holistic well-being. Through collaborative, evidence-informed programming and community engagement, we strive to empower students, staff, and faculty with the tools, resources, and support needed to take individual and shared responsibility for building a flourishing community.

Values

Our College’s well-being is made stronger through:

• Free open inquiry and expression
  • Empathy and compassion
• Community of belonging
  • Equity, respect, and representation
• Exploration across boundaries
  • Collaboration and communication

The Community Belonging and Well-being Committee

Charge

The Community Belonging and Well-being Committee promotes and executes events and initiatives that disseminate resources; educates our community; facilitates communication via liaisons regarding topics that align with belonging and well-being; contributes to the improvement of systems and our shared environment; encourages networking and community building; and promotes events related to mental health and well-being.

The Community Belonging and Well-being Committee meets monthly, and includes representatives from the entire CVM community, who serve as liaisons and bring input from the diverse groups that encompass the CVM, while informing these groups about events and initiatives organized with support from the OCBW. 

Programs

Many Voices, One College

A monthly dialogue series providing an open forum for honest discussion where the college and university communities can cultivate learning and understanding.

Popcorn and Pups

 A monthly community event that highlights Cornell Companions and features additional resource groups from across CVM and the broader Cornell community. The event includes popcorn for attendees and is designed to foster connection, engagement, and a sense of community.

What’s on Your Mind

A series of presentations that aim to elevate mental health-related resources, research, and skills that are relevant to all staff, students, and faculty.

Well-being Events

Regularly-scheduled seminars, meetings, and trainings related to mental health and well-being.

Community Belonging Speaker Series

Semi-annual presentations and discussions led by distinguished thought leaders to present diverse ideas and perspectives on a variety of topics in a college-wide/large audience setting.

Other Programs

• Discover the Cornell's Health Promoting Campus.
• Learn about Cornell University Diversity and Inclusion and Belonging.
• Report a bias incident: If you have heard, seen or experienced bias, you can make a confidential report.

Land Acknowledgement

Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York state, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ people, past and present, to these lands and waters.

This land acknowledgment has been reviewed and approved by the traditional Gayogo̱hó:nǫɁ leadership.

Please see the Cornell Agricultural and Life Sciences' Land Acknowledgement page for more information.

For the first time in Cornell’s 154-year history, students can take a class to learn the language of the Cayuga Nation, whose traditional territory is now home to Cornell’s Ithaca campus. Watch the full video of instructor Stephen Henhawk, a Cayuga speaker and historian, to learn more.