New Cornell Course: Finding Purpose–On Campus & Beyond

/in , /by

Three weeks ago I sat in on a pilot course on campus designed to help students “find purpose” in their college experience and their lives after Cornell.  Called Pathways to Purpose, this class was born out of the belief that Cornell can do a better job preparing our students to participate in a meaningful way in private and public entities, schools, communities, companies and more.

The one-credit class took place over a Saturday and Sunday and involved 350 undergraduates from across the University. It led off with a panel titled What Cornell Owes Democracy (inspired by the 2021 book “What Universities Owe Democracy”, by Johns Hopkins president Ronald Daniels).  The panelists—Cornell faculty members–mentioned:

  • The University must emphasize thinking (as a process) and thought (as an outcome)
  • What happens in classrooms and labs must be relevant outside Cornell
  • The importance of advancing pluralism of thought on campus.  Steven Jackson, Professor of Information Sciences, had the best soundbite: “Differences are the rocket fuel of learning”
  • The need to build the skills necessary to protect and defend democracy

As reported in the Cornell Chronicle, students enrolled in the course were asked “to step back from their other assignments and distractions to think about what it means to lead a life of impact and purpose, and consider what and how they could contribute to the Cornell community and beyond.”

It was a remarkable couple of days on campus, with students participating in break-out sessions and hanging around for the evening reception and networking.  Course organizers observed,  “Coming together around Cornell’s core values – exploration across boundaries, community of belonging, and public engagement – was a powerful experience.”

Here’s to our alma mater for encouraging innovative learning and teaching

PS: One of the course instructors, Professor Anthony Burrow, has done some interesting research about the personal “benefits of purpose”—purpose can make us happier and healthier.  Check out this interview with Anthony.