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Business students at Cornell University who are not members of “marginalized or underrepresented groups” have been told to skip diversity-focused recruiting events, with a warning that attending could harm their career prospects and the school’s ties to recruiters, according to documents obtained by National Review.
The directive was circulated in an email on Friday by the student council of Cornell’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, the outlet reported.
The council introduced the initiative as “Allyship in Action,” which it defined as “the active and continuous practice of using one’s privilege to support, advocate for, and stand with marginalized or underrepresented groups,” per the email cited by National Review.
The message continued, “Students who do not identify with the specific marginalized or underrepresented group that a diversity conference is designed for… should respect that space and should not attend,” the outlet reported.
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It also warned, “Furthermore, we want to stress the negative impact your presence may have on your own recruiting outcomes, as well as Cornell’s relationship with these organizations,” according to the documents reviewed by National Review.
Cornell regularly promotes such events as key professional development opportunities. Next week’s Reaching Out MBA conference in New Orleans is billed as the world’s largest gathering of LGBTQ business students and alumni. Other recent offerings include the National Black MBA Conference, the AfroTech conference, the Women in Investing conference, and the Prospanica National Conference for Hispanic students.
A Cornell spokeswoman confirmed to National Review that the documents reflected “student-to-student conversations.” She said the conferences are officially open to all students but did not address the student council’s warnings.
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One MBA student, who requested anonymity, criticized the guidance, telling National Review, “In this tough economy, where MBA job prospects are scarce for many of us, it is abhorrent to see access to intimate networking opportunities restricted based on identity rather than merit. True equality should not equate to carving out exclusive zones that sideline most MBA students and potentially skirt equal opportunity laws.”
The debate shows tension between Cornell’s stated values and the council’s guidance. The SC Johnson College of Business pledges on its website to “create a welcoming environment for all,” citing core values of “inclusion, engagement, impact, and community.”
More than a third of students identify as Asian, Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous, and over half of its graduate population comes from outside the United States. The school lists more than 25 diversity-related student groups and courses such as Inclusive Leadership for Organizational Impact and Leading Across Differences.
The controversy comes as Cornell faces federal scrutiny of its diversity and civil rights practices. In April, the Trump administration froze over $1 billion in federal funding to Cornell amid investigations into alleged civil rights violations.
In August, Cornell renamed its Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives to the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact. Some reporting connects that change with the funding dispute, though Cornell says the name change is a strategic rebranding.
For many students, the question is whether allyship guidelines protect underrepresented groups or limit equal access to career opportunities at a time when MBA jobs are already scarce.
A spokeswoman for Cornell University did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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