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.

Cornell points to “core values of inclusion, engagement, impact, and community” on their DEI page. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

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.”

The Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York, US, on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. (Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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.

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.