Parent E-News: Spring 2009

Academic Update

Great Speakers and Cultural Events, New Faculty and Distinguished Visitors

Greetings once again from the Office of Academic Affairs. Spring is just around the corner and the end of Term 7 is just a few days away. When your sons or daughters return home for Spring Break, I hope all of you have a chance to talk with them about their courses and other activities and about their plans for the year to come.

During the past couple of months, students have enjoyed numerous exciting cultural events and engaging visitors on campus including:

• Thomas Mikelson, Cornell class of 1958 and retired faculty member in theology at Harvard University, presented public lectures on black liberation theology and liberation theology in Latin America as part of the Beta Omicron Distinguished Alumni Visitors Program. Dr. Mikelson also visited religion and sociology classes.
• A wonderful production of Cabaret was produced by the Theatre and Music departments in Kimmel Theatre. The departments were assisted by Steven Smeltzer, a guest choreography instructor who has a long list of accomplishment in musical theatre in New York City and around the world. The four performances of Cabaret drew large crowds and involved dozens of Cornell students.
• Several students and professors from Aoyama Gakuin College in Japan visited Cornell for a week. The students attended classes and gave presentations to campus groups; Professor Ayako Nakai gave a public lecture entitled America’s Gifts to Japan.

In February, sophomores declared their majors and many changed advisors to a faculty member in the department or program of their major. All returning students have now completed registration for next year, and I hope your son or daughter is excited about the schedule of courses they have arranged with their advisors. (If your son or daughter is graduating this year, congratulations!)

Students had the opportunity to choose from a broader array of courses than in the past because of the expansion of the faculty. We have added faculty positions in Politics, Philosophy, and Classics for next year to enhance the curriculum. Learn more about these departments at http://www.cornellcollege.edu/academics/departments/index.shtml.

Another exciting development for 2009-10 is the initiation of our Presidential Fellows Program. This program takes advantage of the One Course At A Time Calendar by bringing to campus distinguished scholars to teach courses that we would otherwise be unable to offer. Read more about the Presidential Fellows courses scheduled for next year at http://www.cornellcollege.edu/academic-affairs/presidential/2009-10.shtml. We have already begun planning for Presidential Scholars for 2010-11.

April and May are beautiful months in Mount Vernon, and we hope your student returns from Spring Break renewed and invigorated for the last two blocks of what has been an interesting and exciting year in Academic Affairs. The annual Student Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, April 18. Students will present give presentations, performances and display their work in poster sessions. The event is a highlight of our academic year. We hope you can attend.

For more information contact the Academic Affairs Office