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In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences .
College Focus
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers men and women broad-based educational programs to provide them with technical, management, and leadership skills in four primary areas of focus. These areas were developed in response to the global challenges of the 21st century. They are fluid, overlapping, and interdependent and represent agriculture and life sciences at its broadest and most dynamic meaning. These four areas are:
- Land-grant, or agricultural sciences
- Applied social sciences
- Environmental sciences
- Life sciences
Faculty members challenge students with educational programs that promote problem solving, basic and applied research, extension, and outreach. The programs are geared to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge for the purpose of advancing agriculture and food systems, health and nutrition, food security, biological sciences, education, communication, natural resources and environmental quality, and community, urban, and rural development throughout New York State, the nation, and the world.
Administration
Kathryn J. Boor, dean
Max J. Pfeffer, senior associate dean
Jan P. Nyrop, senior associate dean
Margaret H. Ferguson, associate dean for finance and administrative services
Michael P. Riley, associate dean for alumni affairs, development, and communications
Donald R. Viands, associate dean and director of academic programs
Mark W. Wysocki, associate director of academic programs
Michael P. Hoffmann, associate dean and director of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
Helene R. Dillard, associate dean and director of cooperative extension
Christopher B. Watkins, associate director of cooperative extension
Glenn J. Applebee, associate director of cooperative extension
W. Ronnie Coffman, director of international programs
James E. Haldeman, senior associate director of international programs
Peter Hobbs, associate director of international programs
Ralph Christy, director of Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development
Department Chairs
Animal science: W. Ronald Butler, 149 Morrison Hall
Applied economics and management: Loren W. Tauer, 154 Warren Hall
Biological and environmental engineering: Daniel J. Aneshansley, 104 Riley-Robb Hall; Beth A. Ahner, associate chair, 202 Riley-Robb Hall
Biological statistics and computational biology: James Booth, 1178 Comstock Hall
Communication: Geri K. Gay, 339 Kennedy Hall
Crop and soil sciences: Harold van Es, 235 Emerson Hall
Development sociology: David L. Brown, Academic Surge A, Room 125
Earth and atmospheric sciences: Larry D. Brown, 2116 Snee Hall; Arthur T. DeGaetano, associate chair, 1119 Bradfield Hall
Ecology and evolutionary biology: Nelson G. Hairston Jr., E345 Corson Hall; Amy R. McCune, associate chair, E249 Corson Hall
Education: Arthur L. Wilson, 435 Kennedy Hall
Entomology: Jeffrey G. Scott, 2130 Comstock Hall; David M. Soderlund, associate chair, Box 15 Kennedy
Food science: Dennis D. Miller, 114 Stocking Hall; Olga I. Padilla-Zakour, associate chair, Box 15 Kennedy
Horticulture: Marvin P. Pritts, 134A Plant Science Bldg.; Susan K. Brown, associate chair, Box 15 Kennedy
Landscape architecture: Peter J. Trowbridge, 443 Kennedy Hall
Microbiology: John D. Helmann, 372 Wing Hall
Molecular biology and genetics: Kenneth J. Kemphues, 107A Biotechnology Bldg.; Tim C. Huffaker, associate chair, 365 Biotech Bldg.
Natural resources: Marianne E. Krasny, 118 Fernow Hall
Neurobiology and behavior: Kraig Adler, W363A S. G. Mudd Hall; Joseph R. Fetcho, associate chair, W103 Mudd Hall
Nutritional sciences: Patrick J. Stover, 127 Savage Hall
Plant biology: William L. Crepet, 412B Mann Library
Plant breeding and genetics: Mark E. Sorrells, 241 Emerson Hall
Plant pathology and plant-microbe biology: William E. Fry, 334 Plant Science Bldg.; Wayne F. Wilcox, associate chair, Box 15 Kennedy Hall
Office of Academic Programs
Student Services
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) provides a variety of services for students, faculty, and alumni. The hub of these services is the Office of Academic Programs on the first floor in Roberts Hall, including the director, associate director, the Admissions Office, and the Student Services Office (Career, Counseling and Advising, Multicultural and Diversity and the college Registrar). Although most of the student services are in the Office of Academic Programs, services also are located across the college in the Office of Undergraduate Biology and in various departments. Faculty members in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences consider advising to be an important and integral part of the undergraduate program. Each student enrolled in the college is assigned to a faculty advisor in his or her major field of study for assistance and guidance in developing a program of study and enhancing the student’s academic experience ultimately leading to successful graduation.
The Student Services Office is an integral part of a student’s undergraduate career as the staff work closely with a student from orientation to graduation and beyond. The office coordinates the faculty advising program, monitors underrepresented students, serves as the college’s central undergraduate advising office, coordinates the college international exchange programs, provides career development and exploration, and offers consultation and support for personal issues. There are several staff available to assist students in understanding college/university policies as well as to provide an extra network of support and referral throughout a student’s undergraduate career. Students are encouraged to use the Student Services Office to seek advising, consultation, and support on a variety of issues including academic concerns, course issues (registration, enrollment, grading) and college procedures, career development (assessment, exploration, decision making, transition to employment or futher study), graduation requirements, personal and family issues, prehealth advising, stress management, and time management.
The CALS Student Services Office is responsible for assisting students who need to file petitions, wish to waive college academic regulations, have disability concerns, are experiencing academic difficulties, take or return from a leave of absence, or have requests for tutoring.
The Student Services Office continues to serve as a college hub to monitor and support underrepresented students. This population is defined as encompassing, but not limited to, all African American, Latin American, Asian American, and Native American students. In the past academic year this represented approximately 20 percent of the college’s undergraduate population. Additionally, the office is charged with monitoring and programming for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). EOP is a state-supported program intended to assist New York State students who meet economic and academic criteria set by the college, NYS Opportunities Office, and New York State Board of Regents.
Career development offers a variety of helpful services to all students and alumni of the college. Career development includes self-assessment, career exploration, decision making, and transition to employment or further study. Services are designed to assist students and alumni with those activities and to help them develop the career planning and job search skills they will find useful as their career paths progress and change.
140 Roberts Hall also houses the CALS Career Library which contains an extensive collection of current and useful material, including web sites, career information books, extensive internship files, employer directories, and job listings. Alumni Career Link is a database of more than 600 college alumni who have offered to help students and alumni with their career development in a variety of ways. Job search talks on topics such as résumé writing, cover letter writing, and interview skills are presented throughout the semester and are available on DVD for in-office viewing. An active on-campus recruiting program brings more than 50 CALS-specific employers to campus each year to interview students for full-time and summer jobs. Additionally, the office provides information on hundreds of internships.
The Student Services office is responsible for coordinating new student orientation, award ceremonies, commencement activities, on-campus recruiting, and the activities of Ho-Nun-De-Kah, the college’s honor society. The Office is located in 140 Roberts Hall. Staff members include Amy Benedict-Augustine, Jo-Lynn Buchanon, Geva Demache, Jennifer DeRosa, Laurie Gillespie, Torrey Jacobs, Ann LaFave, Shawna Lockwood, Vicki Parker, Christine Potter, Lisa Ryan, Catherine Thompson, and Pamela Torelli.
The CALS Admissions Office is responsible for admitting and enrolling a talented and diverse class of students each year. The process and outcome reflects and supports the college mission and meets college and institutional enrollment goals. This includes freshman, transfer, and intra-university transfer student processes. The office hosts on- and off-campus information sessions for prospective students, evaluates and makes decisions on more than 5,000 applications each year, and coordinates events for admitted students. The Admissions Office staff advises and supports the CALS Ambassador program. The office is located in 177 Roberts Hall. Staff members include Jeri Nyrop and Victoria Watts.
Enrollment
Undergraduate enrollment is approximately 3,200. Each year about 850 students graduate, while 650 freshmen and 275 new transfer students enroll. College faculty members serve as chairs of the Special Committees of roughly 1,000 graduate students.
Admission
A significant factor taken into consideration by the CALS admissions committee is how well a student’s academic interests relate to the mission of the college. Applicants for admission to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will choose from more than 20 major fields of study. As a part of the application process, applicants write about their academic interests and articulate how those interests blend into CALS programs, contributing to the mission of the college. Majors fall within these broad areas: life sciences, environment, social sciences, and agriculture and food. Appropriateness for the college must also align with high academic achievement. While approximately 60 percent of CALS students come from New York State, about 40 percent come from other parts of the United States or abroad. Slightly more than half of the undergraduates are women.
The CALS Admissions Office is in 177 Roberts Hall, (607) 255-2036; www.cals.cornell.edu/admissions; e-mail: cals_admissions@cornell.edu.
Transfer Students
All accepted transfer credit must be from an accredited college or university. Transfer credit is awarded based on review of official transcripts. Additional course information may be required. A maximum of 60 non-Cornell credits may be transferred.
Approximately 30 percent of CALS undergraduate students are transfers who have completed part of their collegiate work at community colleges or two- and four-year institutions. Detailed information on transfer admission is available on the CALS Admissions website.
Transferring within Cornell (Internal Transfer)
A Cornell student in good standing may apply for direct-internal university transfer to pursue an academic program unavailable in his or her current Cornell college. Guidelines are available on the CALS Admissions website. The procedure involves attending an information session (only if applying to AEM), meeting with a faculty member in the proposed area of study, and submitting an application and essay.
Consideration is given to students who have demonstrated an interest in their proposed new field of study by taking appropriate prerequisite courses. Academic achievement is also considered. Students are encouraged to spend two semesters in their home college before applying. In certain cases where a direct transfer is not possible, a student may be sponsored by CALS through the Office of Internal Transfer for one semester of study before entering the college. During this internal transfer semester, the student must achieve a predetermined grade point average and take approved courses to assure acceptance. Students who are unsure of their interests can consult with the director of internal transfer. More information can be found at: internaltransfer.cornell.edu.
Special Students
A limited number of nondegree candidates who want to take courses in the college are admitted each year. Applicants should complete the Transfer Common Application including the Cornell Supplement to indicate the special/visiting student intentions and courses. For more information and guidelines, students should utilize the CALS Admissions website.
Off-Campus Students
Programs in which students study off campus but enroll for Cornell credit include SEA semester, Semester in Environmental Science with the Marine Biology Laboratory, field study in Human Ecology or Industrial and Labor Relations, Capital Semester, Cornell in Washington, and IPM internship.
Facilities
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is located on the upper campus on land that was once part of the Ezra Cornell family farm.
Buildings around the area commonly known as the Ag Quad house classrooms, offices, and laboratories. Flanking them are the greenhouses, gardens, and research facilities. Nearby orchards, barns, field plots, forests, and streams extend as far as the Animal Science Teaching Research Center at Harford and the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva.
Roberts Hall serves as headquarters for the administrative units, including offices of the deans and directors of academic programs, Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station, and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Included in the Office of Academic Programs are the director and associate director, the Admissions Office, the Career Development Office, the Counseling and Advising Office, the Office of Multicultural and Diversity Programs, and the Registrar’s Office.
Mann Library, with its extensive collections of materials in the agricultural and life sciences, is at the east end of the Ag Quad. Public computer facilities are available in Mann Library. |