This article was originally reported in November 2025. See “Latest update” for the task force recommendations released in March 2026.
Cornell University‘s 2025 Survey of Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct (SARM), released on Nov. 4, 2025, found that 15% of student respondents had experienced nonconsensual sexual contact since coming to Cornell, up from 11% in 2023. Among undergraduate women the figure rose to 35% from 23%. Cornell cautioned that the results should be read carefully because far fewer students took part than in earlier years (Cornell Chronicle, Nov. 4, 2025).
About the survey
Cornell runs the SARM every two years under New York state law. In spring 2025 it went to a random sample of 6,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students at the Ithaca, Geneva, Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Tech campuses. Only 15% (926 students) responded, compared with 36% in 2023 and 38% in 2021, and many respondents skipped key demographic and incident questions. Laura Weiss, program director of Cornell’s Sexual Harassment and Assault – Response and Education (SHARE) Office, said higher participation and complete answers give a clearer picture of campus concerns.
Key findings
| Measure | 2025 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Nonconsensual sexual contact since coming to Cornell (all respondents) | 15% | 11% |
| Undergraduate women | 35% | 23% |
| Undergraduate men | 8% | 9% |
| Transgender, gender nonconforming, questioning or nonbinary students | 11% | 13% (19% in 2021) |
| Sexual or gender-based harassment | 49% | 45% |
| Stalking | 17% | 13% |
| Contacted a formal resource after nonconsensual sexual contact | 23% | 11% |
Sources: Cornell Chronicle; undergraduate men from Cornell Chronicle, March 2026.
Many students who did not report said their experience was “not serious enough” to take to official channels. Ryan Lombardi, vice president for student and campus life, said the share who sought help was still lower than it should be. According to the Cornell Daily Sun‘s analysis of the full report, half of the cases involved a victim who was conscious but incapacitated by alcohol or drugs, and among undergraduate women the most common locations were residence halls (29%), other off-campus residences (23%) and fraternity chapter houses or annexes (20%) (Cornell Daily Sun, Nov. 2025).
Survey results vs. police reports
Cornell’s 2025 Annual Security Report, which counts only incidents reported to campus or local police and designated campus security authorities, recorded 23 on-campus rapes in 2024, down from 28 in 2023 and 25 in 2022 (Cornell Daily Sun). The gap between those figures and the survey shows how many incidents never reach official channels. The two sources measure different things, so they should not be compared directly.
Cornell’s response
Cornell pointed to its Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault, formed in February 2025, a newly formed Office of Civil Rights, and its Coalition on Sexual Violence Prevention, which reviews the survey to adjust education and prevention programs. Its Sexual Violence Framework emphasizes bystander intervention. “Sexual misconduct of any kind cannot and will not be tolerated in the Cornell community,” Lombardi said.
Latest update
On March 17, 2026, the task force, co-chaired by College of Human Ecology dean Rachel Dunifon and dean of students Marla Love, released its final recommendations after eight months of research and a dozen focus groups. They include clearer communication about support and reporting resources, new courses and programming on sex and sexual health, improvements to students’ physical safety, alcohol education, and a three-credit course on “sexual citizenship” with related themes in first-year advising, to be piloted in the College of Human Ecology in fall 2026. An implementation committee is developing a plan. “Students described uncertainty about how and when to report concerns or seek support,” Love said (Cornell Chronicle, March 17, 2026).
What students should know
- Confidential help first. Cornell’s SHARE office provides education, victim advocacy, emergency services, confidential support, health care and information on reporting options. Students can get support without filing a formal report.
- Formal reports. Cornell’s Office of Civil Rights handles complaints of sex-based discrimination and harassment.
- Know the risk factors the data highlight. Alcohol or drugs were involved in many cases, and most incidents involved residences, so look out for friends and use bystander-intervention skills.
- Outside Cornell. The National Sexual Assault Hotline run by RAINN (800-656-HOPE) offers free, confidential support around the clock (RAINN).
- For international students and families weighing campus safety, U.S. colleges publish annual security reports under the federal Clery Act; compare those reports alongside any campus climate surveys a school publishes. See Forward Pathway’s Cornell University page for more about the university.
References
- Cornell Chronicle: Survey reveals campus sexual assault and harassment (Nov. 4, 2025)
- Cornell Daily Sun: All forms of sexual assault, misconduct increase in 2025 university-wide survey (Nov. 2025)
- Cornell Chronicle: Sexual assault task force report aims to change campus culture, climate (March 17, 2026)
- RAINN: National Sexual Assault Hotline