Appointment Guidelines

During Cornell’s hiring restriction (beginning in the the 2025–2026 academic year), please submit the following items to SrAD in addition to the usual documents required for approval of an unpaid academic appointment (CV, PD, and justification). SrAD will review and send approval for the case to move forward to Pause Review, with cc: to CALS HR:

Documentation showing that the applicant has a paid appointment by another institution. This could be in the form of a letter from the applicant’s chair or HR representative and must verify the applicant’s appointment and disclose their salary, noting that their salary will continue during their absence from that institution. Note that the documentation must provide evidence that the funding meets the guidelines set out by International Services for visitors.
If the applicant will be funded through external fellowship rather than their university salary, they must provide documentation of the funding. This funding must meet the minimum guidelines noted above.
If you will provide the applicant a housing allowance, please note the reason for providing this funding and the account number for that support.
Account number for charging the $2277 library fee. A departmental account must pay the fee on behalf of the applicant. The department can require reimbursement from the applicant. (If a visiting fellow title please follow instructions below)
The name and title of the sponsoring faculty member and attestation. Note that the sponsoring faculty member or assigned host must attest to being physically present during the entirety of the visitor’s stay.
A Position Description is required for all academic titles. Please use this template: Academic Position Description Template UNPAID
Position Justification HR Form
Candidate's CV

Guidelines for Visiting Scholars, Visiting Fellows, Intern Paid, Intern Unpaid, and Non-degree Graduate Students

Preamble

Mutual benefits may accrue when scientists from other countries with advanced degrees are able to visit Cornell/CALS to collaborate with faculty and students.

Those who are clearly not students elsewhere, have a Ph.D., and are paid a Cornell salary* may be appropriately appointed as Visiting Scholars.
Those who are clearly not students elsewhere, have a Ph.D., and are not paid a Cornell salary may be appropriately appointed as Visiting Fellows.
Those who are students elsewhere may be appropriately appointed as Intern Paid, Intern Unpaid, or possibly non-degree graduate students (must be discussed with the graduate school). As of Fall 2025, SrAD is no longer approving waivers of advanced degrees. There are limitations to these titles as detailed below.

Please see the categories and criteria below. If a unit has questions regarding which circumstance applies, the unit chair or director should consult with HR or, if appropriate, their senior associate dean (SrAD).

The initial request to approve appointments of visiting scholars, visiting fellows, research interns, or non-degree graduate students should be sent from the faculty member to their chair/director. The chair/director has the authority to review and work with HR (or the graduate school for non-degree graduate students) regarding appointment protocols, including the selection of an appropriate title. When considering requests for visitor appointments, the chair/director should consider the capacity of the unit, including the physical and staff resource implications, the availability of specific faculty members to mentor or supervise the visitors, and the impacts of such appointments on opportunities for regular Cornell staff and degree students.

Visiting scholars, visiting fellows, research interns and non-degree graduate students are required to have health insurance coverage while at Cornell.

Invitation Letters

Requests are often received for an invitation letter (sometimes called a 'support' or 'acceptance' letter) to be sent with fellowship applications when individuals are trying to obtain funding for a Cornell visit. These letters are sent by the departments/units and required the unit head's awareness and approval but do not require SrAD or HR approval at this stage. Invitation letters should include the following statement: "Your formal appointment is contingent on approval of the Dean, external funding, visa eligibility, and a successful visual compliance screening to be performed by the Cornell CALS human resources office." Please use the template provided below.

Invitation Letter Template

These letters are signed by the sponsoring faculty member, after discussing with the unit head, and copied to the unit head's office.

Visiting Scholars and Visiting Fellows

A visiting scholar at CALS draws a Cornell salary; a visiting fellow at CALS draws no Cornell salary*. These titles allow visitors to be affiliated with and to participate in a Cornell research program. According to the Cornell Faculty Handbook, these titles ordinarily hold advanced degrees and are well established in their disciplines. Visiting scholars/fellows are not permitted to enroll in classes or to receive course credit. All visiting fellows (unpaid) are subject to the Visiting Fellow Fee Policy (as Visiting Scholars are paid a salary they are exempt from the fee policy).

The unit works with HR to establish the appointment. A proposed visitor who holds an advanced degree (i.e., 'terminal degree in the field, which is typically a Ph.D.), is not a graduate student elsewhere and will not draw a Cornell salary should be appointed as visiting fellow; if the credentials are the same but Cornell salary is required, the visiting scholar title should be used. Units work directly with HR to process these appointments; the SrAD office is not involved.

Cornell graduate students cannot be appointed to any visiting academic title unless all degree requirements have been met. An international student already in the United States on a student visa sponsored by another university cannot be appointed as a visiting scholar/fellow at Cornell unless all degree requirements have been completed and the visa has been extended for “practical training.” Generally, the appropriate title for a student in an external graduate program is research intern (see next section, this is a restricted title, only for one year). As of Fall 2025, CALS SrAD no longer approves 'waiver of Ph.D.' for visiting fellow or visiting scholar titles.

Visiting Scholars or Visiting Fellows who have a Ph.D. may be appointed for up to three, one-year terms.

Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid

The appropriate title for a student in an external graduate program is Intern Paid or Intern Unpaid. Per university policy, “internship programs are designed to allow qualified individuals to explore potential career interests, conduct research and learn through activities that “call upon and enhance their studies and/or relevant experiences.” The Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid positions must meet the following criteria. There is a strict one-year limit on the Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid titles, with no extensions allowed, and changing to a different title is not allowed.

The individual benefits from the learning/experience gained through the internship.
The individual does not displace regular employees, but works under the close observation of a regular employee.
The individual is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
If unpaid, the employer and the individual understand that the individual is not entitled to wages for the time spent as an Intern Unpaid.

Units should work directly with CALS HR to appoint Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid titles; the SrAD office is not involved with appointments to this title. Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid titles do not pay a visitor fee. To appoint an Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid, the following documentation must be submitted to the HR generalist assigned to the unit:

CALS-HR will work with the International Studies office as appropriate. The International Studies office may sponsor research interns for a J-1 research scholar visa if the above criteria are met.

Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid titles may be appointed for a maximum of one year with no extensions possible. Changing to a different unpaid title once at Cornell is not allowed. Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid titles have the same Cornell ID card and library privileges as visiting fellow/scholars and graduate students.

Non-degree Graduate Students

Non-degree graduate students are currently enrolled in a graduate program at another institution and wish to come to Cornell to pursue opportunities in a faculty member’s program. These external students have no intention of obtaining a Cornell degree. CALS HR is not involved in these appointments; they are done through the graduate school. According to the Cornell University Graduate School policy, non-degree status is limited to one year (two semesters). Prospective visiting non-degree graduate students must complete a Cornell Graduate School Non-degree Application form which the unit’s graduate field assistant will be able to provide, and must meet TOEFL requirements. International non-degree graduate students must demonstrate to the graduate school that they have sufficient funds to cover living expenses for themselves and any dependents for the duration of their stay, and may receive an F1 visa through the graduate school. If full tuition will be paid by or for the non-degree graduate student, the appointment may be handled by the unit without SrAD involvement.

Faculty who wish to sponsor a non-degree graduate student may request tuition support from CALS through their chair/director who will discuss the request with the SrAD. CALS will not permit students who receive such support to enroll in classes or to receive course credit. The request for tuition support should confirm that the non-degree graduate student will be automatically enrolled in SHIP and specify: the duration of the visit (maximum one year), the hosting professor, and, if the tuition support is being requested for two semesters, the appropriate account number to cover the administrative charge for the second semester (the administrative charge for the first semester is covered by CALS).

Links to university policies related to these titles:

https://international.globallearning.cornell.edu/host-departments/invite-visitors-and-interns

https://international.globallearning.cornell.edu/maintaining-your-status/maintaining-your-j-1-status

http://theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/the-new-faculty-handbook/3-titles-and-appointments-leaves/3-1-titles/visiting-scholar-and-visiting-scientist/

http://theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/the-new-faculty-handbook/3-titles-and-appointments-leaves/3-1-titles/visiting-fellow/

*established practice in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Updated 11/30/2022 for Intern Paid/Intern Unpaid university title change, Updated 12/16/2025 to remove possibility of waiver of Ph.D.