Your Undergraduate Experience: Discover the Cornell Nolan School


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Your Interests. Your Niche. Your Community.

At the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, you’ll find a welcoming culture and diverse community that offers a rich environment for nurturing your passions, relationships, and personal development, as well as your academic and career growth. From the Nolan School’s many hospitality-focused clubs, organizations, and events to the numerous offerings throughout Cornell’s vast campus, you’ll find so many ways to engage your intellect, imagination, and energy throughout your student experience.


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Diversity and Inclusion

We’re proud that our Hotelies lead the way in serving people, embracing diversity and inclusivity, and fostering community. From promoting equitable business practices to appreciating each other’s individual contributions, our Nolan School community insists on the highest personal and professional standards, encouraging academic achievement in an environment of supportive, friendly competition.

EXPLORE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT The Nolan School


Student and Alumni Testimonials

Experience the Present and Future of Service Excellence

Our alumni and our students are exceptional individuals spanning diverse industries and representing numerous backgrounds and cultures. While unique, Hotelies are united by their common love of hospitality. Our entrepreneurs, technologists, hospitality managers, not-for-profit professionals, and those in many other fields are all committed to making a difference in the world through their passion for service.

Christina Heggie ’10

Global Partnerships Lead, Travel, Google
The Nolan School
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Biography for Christina Heggie ’10

"Attending SHA [Nolan School] expanded my purview, jump-started my career, and established my skill sets of communication, problem solving, and people management that I’ve used throughout life since."

Jenniviv Bansah ’22

Student
The Nolan School
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Biography for Jenniviv Bansah ’22

“I really like how SHA [Nolan School] encourages independent work and exploration...The school also provides resources to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to [achieve] any career prospects.”

Jess Petitt ’05

Vice President, Analytics at Hilton
The Nolan School
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Biography for Jess Petitt ’05

“SHA [Nolan School] helped me build a connection between what matters most—the spirit of hospitality and taking care of fellow team members—and how I could make a difference by pursuing my strengths in understanding complex problems through data. Every year I come back to recruit that mix of passion and analytical rigor and am constantly impressed.”

Elizabeth Blau ’97

CEO, Blau + Associates
The Nolan School
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Biography for Elizabeth Blau ’97

“SHA [Nolan School] truly changed the course of my professional career! The access to students, faculty, alumni, and an extraordinary host of guest speakers is incomparable!”

Gilda Perez-Alvarado ’02

Global CEO of JLL Hotels & Hospitality
The Nolan School
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Biography for Gilda Perez-Alvarado ’02

“Being a part of Cornell is essential. The school [Nolan School] represents the future of our industry and staying connected means we can afford students future work opportunities, we can network with alumni to discuss pressing industry issues, and we have the best hospitality community in the world.”


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The Campus Students Call Home

See Why We’re So Proud of Our Campus

Nestled in the heart of one of the country’s loveliest campuses, the Nolan School adds an air of elegance to the breathtaking natural beauty of Ithaca, New York. From cutting-edge educational technology to venerable ivy-covered red brick, the Nolan School and Cornell offer you a beautiful backdrop to pursue your studies, recharge your energy, and fulfill your passions.

EXPLORE OUR CAMPUS


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Housing and Residential Life

An Optimal Environment for Living and Learning

All Ithaca campus first- and second-year full-time students are required to live on campus through the spring semester of their second academic year of enrollment. All new transfer students are required to live o campus for one academic year. Spring transfers are required to live on campus for their incoming spring semester as well as the following academic year. However, many other students choose to live on campus, which puts you right at the center of everything that’s happening at Cornell—events, activities, and gatherings with your fellow students, whether you’re studying or socializing. Take a look at the many options Cornell has to offer.

ON-CAMPUS HOUSING OPTIONS


Nolan School Events

Explore Your Interests and Fuel Your Academic Journey

At the Nolan School, you’ll find a constant stream of informative and insightful events to engage your interests. Guest lectures from top practitioners representing all facets of hospitality, hackathons to uncover real solutions for industry problems, and special themed dinners at the Nolan School’s own student-run restaurant, Establishment—these are just a sample of all the exciting ways to get your feet wet and learn more about current topics driving the latest and greatest in hospitality.

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Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series (DDLS)

Enjoy a time-honored Friday afternoon ritual at the Nolan School. DDLS features top hospitality practitioners sharing their thoughts and experiences about career paths, management, business strategies, and industry trends. Enjoy this nearly century-long tradition with your fellow Hotelies, faculty, and hospitality professionals.

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Hospitality Hackathon

Work with brilliant, innovative classmates from the Nolan School and other Cornell schools to solve real-world hospitality challenges: technology solutions for improving the customer experience, delivering better service, and other hospitality-related goals. Requiring multifunctional teams with industry, strategy, technology, and engineering expertise, these Hospitality Hackathons are a wonderful way to see how your personal strengths contribute to the larger effort to produce meaningful results.

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Themed Dinners, Courtesy of Establishment

At Establishment, the Nolan School’s own student-run restaurant, teams of students “take over” the management for an evening to plan, produce, and serve a dinner around a concept of their own choosing. Past themes have included Down by the Bay, Tuscan trattoria, Seoul cooking, it’s Greek to me, and many other inspired and exciting concepts. These dinners are connected to the required HADM 3350 – Restaurant Management course.


Nolan School Clubs and Organizations

Focus On Specific Hospitality Interests with Nolan School Clubs

Explore your professional interests with the Nolan School’s student clubs and organizations. These groups foster collaboration between undergraduate and graduate students and focus on everything from sales and marketing, food and beverage, real estate, and entrepreneurship. These hospitality-focused organizations, bring in guest speakers, feature charity events and industry tours, and are an excellent way to learn from peers and alumni, build your network, and flex your leadership and entrepreneurial muscles. Join one or more, and even run for office!

EXPLORE AIR AND SEA

Air and Sea Hospitality

There’s much more to airline and cruise travel than buying a ticket, boarding, and disembarking. Explore the many facets of these complex industries, which carefully engineer every detail of the customer experience, from fare pricing to meal preparation and service delivery. Expand your passion for operations, marketing, finance, engineering, technology, or any other business function beyond land.

EXPLORE AH&LA

American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA), Student Chapter

The Nolan School’s chapter of this nationwide industry organization is the perfect way to learn more about one of the cornerstones of hospitality and build your network. This chapter of AH&LA aims to build meaningful professional connections between the organization and Cornell.

EXPLORE CHS, CC

Cornell Hotel Society, Collegiate Chapter (CHS, CC)

A powerful venue for building relationships with student and alumni Hotelies, the CHS, CC is the umbrella organization under which all other Nolan School clubs and organizations fall. The biggest of all Nolan School clubs (with more than 900 members), CHS, CC focuses on creating networking opportunities and helping students get involved with extracurricular hospitality pursuits. Once you matriculate in the Nolan School, you’re automatically a member of CHS, CC.

Explore CREC

Cornell Real Estate Club (CREC)

Share your passion for all things hospitality real estate: finance, banking, and development. Meet with like-minded students to explore and discuss the industry, trends in the marketplace, and current challenges, and network with influential real estate professionals.

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Hotelies Serving Society (HS2)

Encouraging Nolan School hospitality students to foster their lifelong love of service in the context of social issues and the greater community, this club helps members find volunteer opportunities to apply their hospitality learning and knowledge in the service of bettering their communities. HS2 was formerly known as Hotelies Volunteering Today.

EXPLORE THE GRID

The Grid

Have a passion for design? With its focus on the customer experience, hospitality is one of the most design-intensive industries out there, and The Grid provides a creative outlet for Cornell students to produce brilliance at the intersection of hospitality and design. Activities include general meetings, program workshops, guest speakers, and company visits.

EXPLORE WLIH

Women Leadership in Hospitality

Gain insight and learn about challenges and issues facing women leaders in the industry through this club, which provides education, resources, and opportunities to help women succeed in hospitality. Guest speakers, networking events, and a one-on-one mentorship program are some of the features of the club. WLIH seeks to provide a supportive, friendly environment for young professionals to ask questions, engage in dialogue, and work together to break stereotypes and the glass ceiling while creating strong bonds.

Cornell University National Restaurant Association

The Cornell University National Restaurant Association gathers students, alumni, and industry leaders with a focused interest in food and beverage. This club fosters the collaboration of like-minded professionals to build their gastronomical knowledge and networks in a supportive environment. Members learn from each other and share their learning and appreciation of the culinary world in this club, formerly called the Epicurean Society.

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

Bring your problem-solving skills and energy to this club, which helps hotels and their partners improve their branding and marketing. The Cornell chapter of the worldwide HSMAI organization, the club runs a consultancy called Vantage Brand Consulting that gives students a practical learning experience by helping real clients build their businesses while supporting our community.

EXPLORE HE

Hotelie Entrepreneurs (HE)

Explore hospitality-focused entrepreneurship in HE, where you’ll experiment with and express your ideas and acquire skills to turn them into tangible reality. This club offers industry-leading entrepreneur and visionary guest speakers, as well as workshops for hands-on experience to develop your business acumen.

EXPLORE NSMH

National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)

Cornell has its own chapter of this national nonprofit organization, which helps minority students further their hospitality careers with resources, tools, and information. NSMH works with industry partners around the world to foster diverse, inclusive, and supportive working environments.

EXPLORE THE 180

The 180

A communications platform produced for Hotelies by Hotelies, The 180 allows students to express and share their views on the Nolan School and Cornell culture on an ongoing blog, as well as capture community memories through an annual print publication. Championing the community’s diversity and providing a platform for all Nolan School clubs, this organization celebrates Hotelie culture and community.


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SC Johnson College of Business Clubs

Widen Your Circle

Don’t forget that the Nolan School is part of the SC Johnson College of Business, a powerful school with even more business-focused clubs and organizations. From high tech to sustainable global enterprise, from sports analytics to blockchain, you’ll find a wealth of envelope-expanding and thought-provoking groups to explore your business interests beyond hospitality.


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University-Wide Clubs

Broaden Your Horizons with Cornell’s Amazing Clubs

Not that we’re advocating oversubscribing yourself, but be aware that there’s a huge world of clubs and organizations out there—at Cornell, that is. Have a look at the many student groups that delve into a mind-boggling array of interests: brewing, languages, horticulture, drama, community service, music, exercise, step, politics, gaming, you name it. (Brace yourself—at last count, we saw more than 1,600.)

EXPLORE ADDITIONAL CLUBS HERE


Connect with Us!

Check out our Instagram and LinkedIn feeds, and be sure to follow our Nolan School, SC Johnson College of Business, and Cornell accounts so you don’t miss important events and announcements!


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Current Student?

Are you a current student who navigated here by accident, or did you want to look up a club or activity? If the latter, feel free to browse.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Apply Now

Can’t wait to become a Hotelie and discover the fascinating, rewarding world of hospitality? Start your application today.