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  • First-Year Success
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• Giving Priorities
  • West Campus Facilities
  • West Campus Positions and Programs
  • North Campus First-Year Experience
  • Helen Newman Hall
  • Carol Tatkon Center

First-Year Success

Some students call it a community. Some call it a village. Some simply call it "my place." North Campus just goes to show what a site design can do to transform a space.

"I thought it was perfect because everyone is in the same boat," says Molly Chiang '09, who lived on North Campus as a freshman. "A lot of my friends stayed close with the people they met freshman year, and that helps you throughout your time at Cornell, both as a student and as a person." Read more

Court Complex with Kay and Bauer Halls

A defining visual element within Court Complex is a bridge connecting the two wings: Kay Hall, left, and Bauer Hall.

"North Campus offers a lot of opportunities to extend academia beyond just lectures, which is a good model for the time when you graduate and what you study has an impact on the rest of your life."—Katie Cumnock '08 Read more

"I was aware of these programs as a freshman, but I didn't take enough advantage of them. I realized how important it is to know that this community is here to support you, whatever your interests are."—Adam Taylor '08, now a mentor and student manager at Tatkon Center Read more

Helen Newman Center

The Court Complex with Kay and Bauer Halls features lounges and seminar rooms for study, social interaction, and student programs that enhance the living-learning experience. Academic classes are held in first-floor seminar rooms. The first floor also contains community space and offices, while three additional floors are residential. An apartment houses a faculty-in-residence and his or her family.

Mews Complex

The Mews Complex is a three-story residence hall. Each floor has two study lounges and a TV room. There are numerous common spaces designed for social gatherings, lectures, and studying. A bike storage room and kitchen are also available for student use. An apartment houses a faculty-in-residence and his or her family, providing a multitude of opportunities for interaction with students.

Carol Tatkon Center

The Carol Tatkon Center helps first-year students connect with resources that can foster and shape their academic pursuits, career interests, interpersonal relationships, and personal values. It hosts a wide variety of services and programs for first-year students, including course review sessions, a walk-in writing service, poetry readings, art exhibits, and study skills workshops. Carol Grumbach ILR '78, JD '87 serves as associate dean of students for new student programs and director of the Carol Tatkon Center.

• Tatkon Center website

Naming opportunities include:

• Director, Carol Tatkon Center
• Tatkon Center Director’s Discretionary Fund
• Large Classroom

Helen Newman Hall

Built in 1963 and designed to accommodate women’s athletics, Helen Newman Hall cannot keep pace with the explosive demand among students on North Campus for recreational and workout spaces. The three-story building that overlooks Beebe Lake on North Campus now includes the home of the Department of Recreational Services, which directs the Cornell fitness centers, the faculty/staff wellness program, intramural sports, the bowling center, and open recreation.

A $30 million project will expand and renovate the hall by adding:

• A new lap pool
• A new lobby
• A performance studio
• A classroom
• A game area
• A two-court gymnasium
• Multi-activity court (MAC)

The plan also includes reconfiguring locker space and creating a new facade.

Exterior plans