Cornell MBA council advises non-marginalized students to skip minority recruiting events, sparking campus debate
Email guidance links allyship to potential impact on recruiters and university relationships as DEI programs face broader scrutiny and economic uncertainty.
A campus email from Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management urged MBA students who are not members of marginalized or underrepresented groups to avoid attending diversity-focused recruiting events, according to documents obtained by National Review and reported by Fox News. The message, circulated Friday by the school’s student council, described an initiative called Allyship in Action and defined it as the ongoing practice of using one’s privilege to support and stand with marginalized groups. The guidance warned that a student’s presence at such events could harm their own recruiting prospects and Cornell’s relationships with participating organizations.
Cornell’s DEI programming routinely features a range of conferences and networks aimed at expanding access to career 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, while other offerings include the National Black MBA Conference, AfroTech, Women in Investing, and the Prospanica National Conference for Hispanic students. The university emphasizes core values of inclusion, engagement, impact, and community on its DEI pages.
Reaction to the guidance was swift among students and observers. An MBA student who spoke to National Review on condition of anonymity said the guidance appeared to limit access to meaningful networking opportunities and could run counter to equal-opportunity principles, particularly in a tight job market. The student added that access to intimate networking events should not be restricted on the basis of identity when many graduates face scarce job prospects. Cornell’s own messaging frames DEI work as central to creating opportunities for all students, including programs designed to connect graduates with recruiters through diverse conferences and student groups. The campus has a large, active set of affinity organizations and courses focused on inclusive leadership and cross-difference collaboration. 
The controversy underscores a broader debate about DEI recruiting at elite business schools, particularly as job markets for MBAs remain competitive. Cornell lists more than 25 diversity-related student groups and courses such as Inclusive Leadership for Organizational Impact and Leading Across Differences, while stressing its pledge to provide a welcoming environment for all students. The clash also comes amid federal scrutiny of Cornell’s civil rights practices. In April, the Trump administration froze more than $1 billion in federal funding to the university amid investigations into civil rights concerns. In August, Cornell renamed its Office of Academic Diversity Initiatives to the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact, a change some observers connected to the funding dispute, though university officials have framed it as strategic branding.
Academic and student-facing officials have not provided a public comment to Fox News Digital about the current guidance. The question for many in the MBA community remains whether allyship guidelines strengthen protections for underrepresented groups or inadvertently restrict equal access to career opportunities at a moment when recruitment ecosystems face heightened scrutiny and legal risk. As Cornell navigates this controversy, observers will be watching how the school balances its stated commitments to inclusion with practical pathways for students to connect with employers in a precarious employment landscape. 