If we are to have a for-credit antiracism requirement for all undergraduates, then it is necessary to understand the “requirement interplay” between the colleges and the university. The swim test and the two-course physical education requirement are mandated by the university. Taking two Freshman Writing Seminars (FWS) is not. (Some units require just one FWS and for others it is just a recommendation.)
So who exactly is in charge? The University Bylaws (XIV.2) give the colleges authority over requirements and the curriculum:
Subject to the authority of the University Faculty on all matters affecting general educational policy, it shall be the duty of each separate college or school faculty to determine the entrance requirements for its own students; to prescribe and define courses of study for them; to determine the requirements for such degrees as are offered to students under its jurisdiction; to recommend to the President such candidates for degrees as may have fulfilled the requirements therefor; to enact and enforce rules for the guidance and supervision of its students in their academic work; and in general to exercise jurisdiction over the academic interests of students and all other educational matters in the particular college or school.
That said, it is instructive to look at degree requirements across the units to see how they might “make room” for a new university-wide requirement. Consensus is that required course load as measured in credit hours should not increase. Thus, we need to get a handle on what can be realized through electives. In particular, we need to gauge how easy it is for students to take courses in the social sciences and humanities through “outside the major” electives that are designated for that purpose.
Some units describe these opportunities using the mnemonics CA (Cultural Analysis), FL (Foreign Language), HA (Historical Analysis), KCM (Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning), LA (Literature and the Arts), SBA (Social Behavioral Analysis).
College requirements are something of a moving target. They undergo constant revision and changes only apply to students who enter after they “become the law”. To the best of our ability the following is based on most recent renditions.
| AAP | ART: Any academic class at Cornell chosen in consultation with faculty advisor. At least 37 credit hours. |
| ARCH: Thirteen out-of-department courses (at least 39 credits) some of which must be out-of-college. | |
| CRP: Free electives selected in consultation with a faculty advisor or from a course list organized by planning interest areas. | |
| CALS | Students must complete four courses of 3 or more credits each from the following seven categories of courses in the humanities and social sciences: CA, FL, HA, KCM, LA, SBA, and D where D is the CALS Human Diversity course list. At least one course category must be completed in three different categories. Human Diversity (D) is a required category and must be completed. No more than two courses in the same department will be counted toward the distribution requirement. To view a searchable list of allowable courses in the above categories use this search tool. |
| CAS | At least one course in each of these categories: (a) Arts, Literature, and Culture, (b) Social Difference, (c) Ethics and the Mind, (d) Social Sciences, (e) Global Citizenship, and (f) Historical Analysis. |
| CHE | In general, each of the college degree programs requires two social science courses (6 credits) and one humanities course (3-4 credits). |
| COE | The liberal studies requirement identifies twelve categories of courses across the humanities and social sciences. Engineering communication is a thirteenth category. To satisfy the requirement students must take at least six courses totaling at least 18 credit hours taken from at least three different categories. At least two courses must be at the 2000 level or higher. |
| ILR | Students are required to complete one course with a letter grade from this cultural perspectives course list. |
| JCB | SHA: Students must take a minimum of 18 credits outside the School of Hotel Administration. The First-Year Writing Seminar (3 credits) is required for graduation and counts toward the non-HADM elective total. |
| DYS: Same as CALS (see above). This is because the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management is part of two colleges. Thus, all AEM majors must meet the following CALS distribution requirements . |
