AIP utilizes the “Full Circle” approach to Native education at Cornell, and employs the “Three Rs”: Recruitment, Retention, and Reintroduction to one's community.

Student Services staff members provide support to help students accomplish their goals. When Native students arrive on the Cornell campus, as undergraduates or graduate students, they can rely on AIP for academic and financial aid planning, as well as personal assistance. AIP connections throughout the university community help facilitate students' transitions to the rigorous academic programs and help them achieve that delicate balance between academic success and a full extracurricular life.

AIP offers students numerous supportive options during their years at Cornell. They can live in Akwe:kon, the AIP’s residential program house, which provides students from many cultural backgrounds a safe and supportive environment where Native cultures and worldviews are valued. They also can attend local or national conferences, participate in work-study programs, or take courses in American Indian Studies.  And they are always welcome to stop by our offices to say “hello” and share their news.

Through the Full Circle model, AIP enables students to fully experience the breadth and depth of the Cornell environment. We encourage students to engage in extracurricular activities and participate in organizations such as American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Native American Students at Cornell (NASAC). These student organizations have a home in the American Indian Program, complete with computers, a study and research area, and room for students to work on group projects.

Experiences in the classroom, personal growth, practical career opportunities, and the chance to be an active member of the Cornell community all contribute to the Full Circle approach to learning. The circle is complete when students graduate from their academic programs at Cornell with expertise, skill, and a commitment to return service to Native American people in some capacity.

All Cornell students are welcome to participate in AIP’s academic and socio-cultural events, and to benefit from its dedicated and accessible staff and faculty members, rigorous and multidisciplinary curriculum, and intercultural residential program house.

The American Indian Program actively recruits highly qualified and motivated Native students to Cornell University from across the globe. The Program recruits through visits to high schools, conferences, and Tribal Nation offices and programs. The Program staff will assist students with planning their educational goals, and assist students in determining which collegiate setting, Cornell or elsewhere, is a good fit for the student’s, family’s, and community’s educational needs and goals.

The American Indian Program can host a student and their family during visits to the Ithaca campus in order to help them decide whether or not Cornell is the “right fit.” During campus visits, students and their families can stay in a guest room of the American Indian Program House, Akwe:kon (pronounced “a-gway’-gohn), take tours of the campus, sit in on classes and visit important campus offices such as the Financial Aid Office or the Undergraduate Admissions Office. If you or a student you know of would like to visit Cornell, please contact the American Indian Program at  607-255-6587.

The American Indian Program at Cornell prides itself on having one of the highest graduation and retention rates for Native students in the nation. This is primarily achieved by serving as a student’s “home away from home” and building a sense of Native community by offering various supportive services, such as:

·         Akwe:kon, the American Indian Program House, provides students from any cultural background with a safe and supportive environment, where Native cultures and worldviews are valued and celebrated.

·         Supporting students in attendance at local, regional, and national conferences that support their academic, social, and personal goals

·         Supporting students with academic, personal, financial aid, and career counseling.

·         Assisting students in searching for and securing internships, fellowships, and other career related work opportunities that expose students to professional environments and give them an opportunity to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom.

·         Providing interested students with the opportunity to learn more about Native cultures through courses in American Indian Studies that can lead to a Minor.

·         Facilitating student interaction by providing lounge, Native library, and computer lab space in both the American Indian Program offices and Akwe:kon.

·         Fostering education about Native issues and concerns to the University and wider community through speaker series, lectures, and workshops.