By Jonathan Laurence '98
During a recent visit to the Cornell Center in Washington, D.C., President Hunter Rawlings told a group of students in the Cornell-in-Washington program that he was ready to quit his job and join them.
The president's enthusiastic endorsement of the program came after he learned of the students' extracurricular activities, which have included a visit with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg '54, a visit to a taping session of the PBS talk show "The McLaughlin Group," attendance at Folger Shakespeare Theatre productions and extensive tours of Washington's world -famous museums.
It's easy to understand, then, why many who have participated in the program de scribe it as one of their best Cornell semesters.
The Cornell-in-Washington (CIW) program enables juniors and seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0 to earn full academic credit for one semester in the nation's capital.
The program gives the approximately 60 students who take part in the program each semester the opportunity to study in a cozy environment replicating that of a small liberal arts college. Students live in the top three floors of the Cornell Center, located near Dupont Circle, and attend classes on the first floor.
"It is an amazingly different kind of environment for people used to the big university of Cornell," said Bill Goldsmith, the program's acting director, who said the close interaction among faculty, tutors and students helps create a small intellectual community.
Ken Levinson, a junior majoring in American studies and currently in the CIW program, agreed. "It really is a neat experience -- perhaps more of what college should, or could, be."
Levinson said he relishes the opportunity to be on a first -name basis with his professors. "My classes are all pretty small, five to 15 students, so we can really discuss things," he said.
But he acknowledged that, even with abundant opportunities for interpersonal and cultural exchange, there is still plenty of studying to be done.
"I really have a lot more work than I expected," he said. "It seems that most people are finding that."
Every student engages in a rigorous academic program that includes 12-16 credits of course work, a three-day-per-week externship at a Washington organization, and an extensive research paper on a special topic of the student's choosing. Many of the electives are regular Cornell classes taught by professors who commute once a week to the capital. But some courses take advantage of the program's unique location; for example, "History of the United States Senate in the 20th Century" is taught by the Senate's associate historian.
The eight-credit course forming the core of the semester is either "Public Policy" or "The American Experience," depending upon the student's interest. "Public Policy" provides in-depth exposure to the American policy-making process, while "The American Experience" introduces students to the nation's political, social and economic history and American contributions to art, literature and philosophy.
Steven Jackson, Cornell professor and associate director of CIW, who teaches both courses, requires each student to write a 20- to 30-page thesis on a specific American political or cultural issue that can be easily researched in Washington.
"It is a semester in which you'll take charge of what you're going to learn about," Jackson said.
For application forms or further information about Cornell-in-Washington, stop by the program office at 131 Sage Hall or call 255-4090. In Washington, information is available at the Cornell Center, 2148 O Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, (202) 466-2184.