Skip to main content
ILR Building in Ithaca, NY

Message from the Dean

Dean Colvin speaking with students.

The world of work has evolved tremendously in recent years and the pace of change continues to accelerate as we look to the future. At ILR, we study work, labor and employment and make sense of this complex ecosystem that impacts nearly every person on our planet. Our faculty are among the top researchers in their fields and our students are leaders in the classroom, at the university and in their communities. ILRies go on to be leaders in industry, government, law, nonprofit and academia and make significant contributions in their chosen fields. The relevance and impact of ILR education has never been greater.

- Alex Colvin, Ph.D. '99,  Kenneth F. Kahn '69 Dean and the Martin F. Scheinman '75, 'MS '76, Professor of Conflict Resolution

Our Mission

As the preeminent educational institution in the world focused on work, employment and labor, we are dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge that improves the lives of workers and transforms the future of work.

As a New York land-grant college, we positively impact individuals and society through:

  • Teaching: Creating an engaging and challenging learning environment focused on the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that develop the next generation of leaders.
  • Research: Generating innovative and relevant research in the social sciences that is focused on work, employment and labor that influences public policy, informs organizational strategy and improves professional practice.
  • Outreach: Applying thought leadership and research into practice for workers, unions, organizations and communities.

Our Vision

We exist to drive positive change in work, employment and labor that advances the world of work.

the cornell tower with cherry blossoms

Our History

Founded in 1945 as the New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations, the ILR School today is advancing the world of work through teaching, research and outreach. ILR’s mission is to prepare leaders, inform national and international employment and labor policy, and improve working lives, but as the world of work evolves, the school’s focus broadens to keep pace with that change.

Read more about our history

ILRies study work to make an impact. They represent the most diverse student body at Cornell University, and go on to be leaders in industry, government, law, nonprofit and research.

Master’s degree student persevered from prison to Ivy League

Cornell Chronicle logo
After serving two prison terms totaling more than four years, Thomas Jones, master's student in the ILR School, committed to turning his life around – through education and giving back.
MILR student Thomas Jones
Master’s degree student persevered from prison to Ivy League

Student Passionate About Education Reform

At ILR, Tofunmi Olabode ’24 is building on educational equity and justice interests that began in high school.
Tofunmi Olabode ’24
Student Passionate About Education Reform

ILRie Elected as Student Trustee

J.P. Swenson ’25 will begin his two-year term in the fall semester.
JP Swenson
ILRie Elected as Student Trustee

Our faculty make up the world's leading researchers focused on work, labor and employment. They study every aspect of the world of work from varied and interdisciplinary disciplines.

Professor Collins Honored

The National Academy of Human Resources recognized ILR Graduate Studies Director Chris Collins for his teaching, research, mentoring, leadership and other contributions to the industry.
Chris Collins. Photo provided: National Academy of Human Resources
Professor Collins Honored

Wendy Strobel Gower Challenges Assumptions at Work

With a professional mission of challenging assumptions about limits around disability, Wendy Strobel Gower is the new Thomas P. Golden Executive Director of the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability.
Wendy Strobel Gower
Wendy Strobel Gower Challenges Assumptions at Work

Einhorn Center Announces New Engaged Faculty Fellows

Cornell Chronicle logo
ILR's Claire Concepcion and Katrina Nobles have been named Engaged Faculty Fellows for the 2023-24 academic year.
Ives Hall with ILR banner
Einhorn Center Announces New Engaged Faculty Fellows

As a New York State land-grant college, we apply research into practice for workers, unions, organizations, and communities to improve the world of work. We build community partnerships and trainings to improve workers’ lives across the world and contribute to an organization’s success.

Climate Change Threatens Fashion Industry

Cornell Chronicle logo
Extreme heat and flooding are threatening key international apparel hubs, with four countries vital to the fashion industry facing losses of 1 million jobs and $65 billion in earnings by 2030, according to two new reports out of the Global Labor Institute at Cornell University.
Textile workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Climate Change Threatens Fashion Industry

New York Times: In a ‘Workers Economy,’ Who Really Holds the Cards?

This article reference the ILR School’s Labor Action Tracker, which provides a comprehensive database of strike and labor protest activity across the United States in order to better inform and support labor movement activists, policymakers, and scholars.
screenshot of New York Times story
New York Times: In a ‘Workers Economy,’ Who Really Holds the Cards?

New study documents workplace sexual harassment and violence in California janitorial industry

Today, the Worker Institute at Cornell ILR released a new report that documents experiences of workplace sexual harassment in the California janitorial industry, as well as the conditions that hinder reporting and impose silence.
Women standing at a protest
New study documents workplace sexual harassment and violence in California janitorial industry

ILR Resources

Faculty and Staff Resources

Find information and links to many departments and services within the ILR School, including technology services, room bookings, and the Dean's Office.

people walk past round window of Catherwood Library
Resources

It's quick and easy to give online. Fill in our giving form to make a one-off, scheduled, or recurring gift.

red canvas texture
Make your gift

ILR Merchandise

Show your ILRie support with T-Shirts, notebooks, totes and more.

Shop ILR merchandise

Contact US

Undergraduate Admissions
Cornell University, ILR School
216 Ives Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Tel: (607) 255-2222
ilr_admissions@cornell.edu

Graduate Programs
Cornell University, ILR School
218 Ives Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
Tel: (607) 255-1522
ilrgradapplicant@cornell.edu

Find other contact information and departments here.