Cornell University Registrar

This course brings together students, faculty, and invited guests to discuss the art of leadership and the opportunities and challenges women in leadership roles have encountered in their careers and how they have managed them. The sessions will be held in North Campus faculty residences and will feature prominent women from different professions and walks of life. Potential speakers include politicians; artists; writers; scientists; women in spiritual life; and business owners and entrepreneurs. Speakers will share their stories with students in an informal way, opening up faculty-facilitated discussions about gender, leadership, accomplishment, work-life balance, and mentorship. These talks may be interspersed with or supplemented by reading and discussion of recent writing on women and leadership.

The purpose of this course is to give students the opportunity to explore the international field of film studies by watching, discussing, and writing about films that depict youth from a global perspective. This introduction to movie analysis will help students acquire basic analytical tools to critically approach a movie. We will examine the cultural elements of each film as well as some elements of film forms and explore how these elements come together to create meaning and film esthetics and how they are culturally relevant to the background the film is set in.

Students will learn a series of meditation routines. Students will first learn breathing techniques for relaxation and for training the ability to stay focused. Students will also learn practices that conscientiously cultivate such positive emotions as gratitude, joy, compassion, empathy, equanimity, and forgiveness. Through regular practices students will grow their attentiveness, compassion, and empathy that are vital for effective intercultural and interpersonal communication.

Art and science have always been fundamentally linked. Before the invention of photography, illustration was the main documentation tool in science; even now, artistic representations are used to communicate important scientific discoveries. In this course students learn the basics of bird anatomy in tandem with sketching techniques to foster an appreciation of how science and art can reinforce each other in enriching one's life and study. Led by the staff biological illustrator at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, students begin with the fundamentals of observational drawing to improve accuracy before moving onto watercolors. Interwoven into art lessons are scientific lectures produced by Cornell ornithologists, blending art with current science to cover a range of interconnected topics.

An introduction to why, where, when, and how to save (invest) money and issues involving managing debt and assets. This includes defining the concept of the time value of money (interest), identifying, and comparing the various options for investing and their associated risks, the pros and cons of credit and debit card use, tax deferred retirement plans, evaluating and comparing house renting or house buying alternatives, types of life or long-term care insurance and when, if at all, to buy it, and the effects of income taxes and inflation.

You are a sentient collection of chemicals that interacts all day long with chemicals in the world around you. You smell them, taste them, touch them, inhale them and ingest them. Some will kill you, others you can't live without. Through readings, videos, experiments (predominantly edible) and discussions, students will explore the rich world of chemicals, with a particular emphasis on chemistry-based marketing.

In this course, students will explore the surprising ways economics can shed light on the contemporary challenges we, as humans, face. There is no math in this course and no prior economics experience is needed - just come with curiosity and an open mind! TED talks/videos and the framework of economics will be used to discuss questions ranging from how our minds work, to how we interact with others and the world around us.

Get ready for an adventure and prepare to embark on a journey through Cornell's beautiful campus in this one-of-a-kind course! From hidden gardens to majestic gorges, students will explore nature's wonders every week, building their toolkit of resources and knowledge about nature and well-being, exploring cultural perspectives on nature, and dismantling barriers to time in nature. With studies showing that nature boosts focus and reduces stress, expect this class to be an educational breath of fresh air. Whether a seasoned outdoor enthusiast or a nature newbie, be ready to foster your connection with nature!

This course aims to equip students with the knowledge and tools to understand and address climate change from various angles, including the physical sciences, engineering, public policy, and social sciences. Topics include climate leadership at Cornell, renewable energy integration, transportation electrification, food and agriculture, waste management, and sustainable behavior change. This course invites leading experts at Cornell to share cutting edge practices with students in a small group setting.

Ithaca earned the moniker The Biggest Little City when, from 1914-1919, it was home to Wharton Studio Incorporated, a bustling movie production company that produced dozens of films and serials starring some of the best-known movie actors of the day. We will study the history of silent film production by exploring Ithaca's dynamic natural and architectural landscape; visiting university special collections that hold related archival materials; watching and discussing silent films; and producing our own Ithaca-inspired short silent films. We will pay particular focus to the aesthetics of film production, including aspects such as costuming, set design, framing, editing, typeface and graphics.

How have fashion and the creative arts shaped the limits and possibilities of constitutionally protected free speech in the United States? What circumstances, conditions, and criteria are needed to determine what is legally safeguarded as symbolic speech and expressive conduct? How have Cornell students, both past and present, used fashion to push boundaries, make change, and express ideologies and identities? In this course, we grapple with these questions and explore the bleeding edge of Cornell's Indispensable Tradition of free speech through the lens of art practice, embodied aesthetics, and the regulatory forces at play.

Optimizing Your First Year Experience: Queer Identities & Beyond is designed to provide community, education and supportive matriculation for our LGBTQIA+ and ally identifying students at Cornell University who are connected to Loving House in their first year. This course will provide support to students as they navigate the ambiguity that arises from their transition to college. This course will promote and encourage self-exploration of your queer identities, ways to be successful at Cornell and beyond while keeping in mind the importance your identity plays into your experience as a student and as a global citizen. This course will look at the historical context of the LGBTQIA+ community and how that interacts with the queer experience.

This class will experimentally investigate the science that underlies food preparation techniques and the tastes they produce. We will read about and discuss the relevant science for different culinary techniques, and then take things into the kitchen for food labs, where we will explore how the science and culinary approaches we learned about impact how things taste (while we prepare a meal we will share together). Topics include the neuroscience of seasoning and spices, the chemistry of browning and carmalization, and the polymer physics of emulsions and meringues. Working in teams of two, students will also research and present to the class on the science of a food preparation technique of their choice, and then design and conduct food lab experiments for us all to taste and learn from. There will be three hour-long meetings and four three-hour food labs over the course of the term.

This course aims to develop food literacy skills through nutrition education, exploration of locally (upstate NY) produced food products, food preparation and consuming products prepared in class. The overall objective is to develop foundational knowledge about nutrition, food production and food preparation. Students will gain knowledge and skills to make informed food choices relative to health, community, and the environment. Farm to Table 101 will address the interconnected food literacy domains of planning and management, selection, preparing and eating, through introductory nutrition lectures, presentations from local farmers and food producers and Cornell faculty as well as cooking skill demonstrations, food preparation, and taste evaluation of products prepared in class.

This course will introduce students to the LGBTQAI+ umbrella experience through interactions with community partners and scholars specializing in issues of power, desire, sex, gender, race, and sexuality. These conversations will be supplemented with limited readings that will give a solid framework on LGBTQAI+ advocacy to students and allow them to understand the parameters in which these partners evolve, as well as the history of the LGBTQAI+ communities.

Each spring, this seven-week LWYL course will focus on a different novel by Nobel Laureate and Cornell alumna Toni Morrison (MA '55). Students will read and discuss each novel in the context of Morrison's life and career, her place in African American, U.S. and world literature, and her exploration of crucial questions regarding identity, race, gender, history, oppression, and autonomy. Please visit Class Roster for the current semester's featured novel.

Hip Hop is embraced as one of the most important movements of the past half-century, offering a unique opportunity to examine issues such as art, music, dance, identity, and politics. Students will examine Hip Hop's trajectory-from a 1970s grassroots community-based phenomenon in the Bronx, to a force that continues to shape music, fashion, and other aspects of pop culture and society today-and learn about the multicultural, cross-generational dimensions of Hip Hop's evolution, while sharing their own perspectives and experiences. Through reading, listening, and viewing a variety of media, and guided discussions with visiting artists and community members, students will explore the history of Hip Hop's core artistic elements and its cultural perspectives and contributions.

Rose Scholars program is an interdisciplinary course available only to residents of Flora Rose House. The program requires weekly participation in one of about five guided trips, workshops, discussions, lectures, and performances in social sciences, natural sciences, arts, humanities, and other fields. Participants reflect on their experiences with weekly digital media postings. The program is designed to introduce participants to the breadth of intellectual resources and activities on the Cornell campus and in the nearby community.

Life Hacks for College and Beyond is a practical course designed to equip students with essential skills for navigating adulthood with confidence. This course will cover a range of foundational life skills that are often overlooked in traditional education but are critical for personal and professional success. Topics include: Financial Literacy, Negotiating Salary, Succeeding in College, Forming Healthy Relationships, and Civic Engagement. Through interactive discussions and real-world scenarios, students will leave the course with practical tools to tackle the challenges of adulthood and achieve success in their personal and professional lives. This course is open to all students and is designed to be highly engaging and applicable to everyday life.

This interdisciplinary course serves as a gateway for engagement in the Alice Cook House living and learning community, which is part of the West Campus House System. This guest speaker series is an informal way to interact with Cornell faculty and administrative leaders, and dialogue with visitors to who leads a conversation on a topic or passion that is dear to them. From discussions with faculty about their research and career paths to understanding the inner workings of Cornell Dining, there is something for everyone in this course. Each week features a different guest speaker and these intimate and informal conversations are designed to cover a breadth of topics that allow students to explore fields in which they have no specific background knowledge. As such, the topics are as varied and stimulating as the extraordinary lives and minds of those who come to chat with students about the things they care most about. Spaces (both physical and digital) will be provided for students to engage in informal discussions with Cornell faculty members, other invited speakers, and each other. The goal is to provide a platform for critical thinking and reflection within and beyond the boundaries of one's own discipline(s). Join House Professor-Dean Chantal Thomas in informal conversations on a range of interesting issues that shape our lives.

Bridging Disciplines is a course requirement for the Active Citizens program at Alice Cook House. One pillar of active citizenship is learning about different academic disciplines and gaining a sense of the questions being asked and the research being done currently on the Cornell campus. This weekly informal discussion series brings together speakers from across departments to talk with undergraduate students about their research at Cornell. Cook House residents who are not in the Active Citizens program may attend the class on a drop-in basis.

On a weekly basis, Bethe Ansatz brings together students, Cornell faculty, and other distinguished guests for informal, substantive engagement around a wide range of issues and endeavors: intellectual, cultural, artistic, scientific, moral, social, and political. Weekly seminar meetings, chaired by the instructor, will feature a guest who is typically a member of the Cornell faculty, a visiting professor, or other visiting scientist, scholar, artist, or public figure. The conversational format, which encourages discussion and interaction, allows students to discover for themselves the intrinsic interest and reward of a life characterized by broad, vital intellectual curiosity and engagement.

Join us for "Conversations at Keeton," an engaging informal discussion every Wednesday evening. This series showcases guest speakers who share their insights and experiences, often addressing the pressing issues of our time. Held in the relaxed atmosphere of the Keeton House Professor’s apartment, you can look forward to stimulating conversations paired with delicious coffee and treats! You may join Conversations at Keeton on a drop-in basis or take it as a 1-credit S/U course.

The cafe series is a weekly informal discussion held every Wednesday evening. The cafe features guest speakers who share their experience and expertise and often speak to challenging issues of our time. Our guests are eloquent, committed people leading very interesting lives. Hosted in the Becker House Professor's apartment, at cafe you'll enjoy great conversation in a relaxed environment with coffee and treats provided! You may join the cafe on a drop-in basis or take it as a 1-credit S/U course.

This is an experiential learning course in which students are introduced to evidence-based strategies to enhance their well-being. By engaging students in hands-on experiences and reflection, students increase self-awareness and gain insight into specific practices that support their well-being. A focus of the course will be the intersection of productivity (e.g., effective study habits) and psychological well-being. Material will be drawn heavily from the field of positive psychology.

This course is designed to expose students to potential career paths in a variety of fields including healthcare, law and government, non-profits and service, tech and engineering, consulting, creative and arts-based careers, and charting your own path. Students will get the opportunity to learn about each field as a potential career path, identify the nature of work carried out in the field, talk with guests about their career paths, and learn skills for cover letter writing and resume building.

Socially Just Leadership Development will provide students an opportunity to use an enhanced social justice lens to nurture their leadership development and push past performative allyship. This interactive 12-week class will challenge students to reflect critically on their identities, learn the path from diversity to inclusion and justice, develop tangible skills and tools to interrupt injustice, and further their learning and understanding of social justice. Students will engage in small and large group discussions, guided activities, and will submit a reflection paper at the end of the semester to outline tangible action steps they can take in their time at Cornell and beyond.

Using a public health approach, Sexual Citizenship draws on the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) study from Columbia University and the work of Jennifer Hirsh and Seamus Kahn, as well as the Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct (SARM) survey data from Cornell University, to explore the social ecosystem that makes sexual assault on college campuses a common experience. Using a framework that introduces the concepts of sexual projects, sexual citizenship, and sexual geographies, we will explore the role of physical spaces, peers, and social and cultural influences that shape students' experiences and interpretations of both sex and sexual assault. A focus for the course will be individuals' agency, culture change and 'bright spots' (what is working, what is positive).

How are notions of race, gender and sexuality shaped through reality dating shows? How does reality television normalize surveillance? Why are networks and streaming services investing in new reality television content? While reality television might serve as a form of escapism, entertainment and fun, these shows are also cultural products reflecting norms about identity, relationships, and society. Through a focus on shows like Love Island and Survivor, students will be introduced to core concepts in media studies and learn how to critically examine popular culture through screenings, optional readings, and class discussions.

This course will be a space for genuine conversation about and across political differences. Throughout the course, students will connect with themselves and others about who they are, what they believe, and how they act as agents within political systems. They will: reflect on how our political identities are shaped and how they connect with social identities; examine political beliefs and opinions around current policy conflicts; and explore different forms of political engagement. Throughout the course participants will gain skills for communicating effectively across differences, reflect on the impact of engaging with others whose political perspectives are different from their own, and work collaboratively to foster a brave space where curiosity and a willingness to understand are promoted.

This class introduces students to methods used in assessment research. Course participants will learn qualitative and quantitative approaches to collecting and analyzing data. The residential community of Alice Cook House is foregrounded as the focus of this living-laboratory course. Guest lecturers from various departments will share their research methods.

This course provides students with an introduction to technology transfer. It offers an overview to the many resources on campus pertaining to the transfer of technology. Guest lecturers from across campus will discuss the work that has been done on campus and how it has transitioned from the lab to use in wider applications. Interwoven into the course is an exploration of historical and contemporary discussions, both in the US and abroad, that relate to technology transfer.

What happens to the human when it is enhanced by machines? For over a century, writers have imagined how technology might transform what it means to be human. In this seven-week course, students will examine key visions of technological enhancement alongside the technologies you use every day—from AI writing assistants to social media platforms—to explore what is enhanced and what might be diminished by our increasingly technologized lives. Through guided discussions, creative exercises, and short reflective writing, students will develop your critical analysis skills and critique the promises and drawbacks of technological enhancement today.