By wpengine January 17, 2002
As students slaved in the library preparing for final exams, Cornell faculty members were working relentlessly to improve conditions inside the classroom. A program entitled “University Faculty Forum for Faculty Who Teach Large Courses,” held on Dec. 10, drew 60 professors to North Campus Community Commons to discuss effective teaching and learning practices, specifically in large courses. Co-sponsored by the offices of the University Faculty and the Provost, the forum was a joint effort to encourage a dialogue about managing large classes and anxieties among faculty members. The result was a spirited, candid discussion involving teaching techniques, logistics and facilitation of large classes. Utilizing a wireless microphone, professors from varying colleges and departments shared ideas and concerns common to the class setting. Organizers praised the dialogue and pledged to extend the discussion beyond the three-hour session. “We have never had that group of people in the same room at the same time to share ideas,” said J. Robert Cooke, dean of the University faculty. “I give it high marks, clearly, it was something the faculty members were interested in thinking about and caring about.” Early in the session, professors shared methods to encourage active learning by students in large lecture sessions, such as “think-pair-share” work with partners and “one-minute papers” assigned during the lecture period. Emphasis was placed on heightening the interaction between students and professors. “We’re trying to bring the students to the faculty,” Cooke said, who contributed opening remarks. “We want to have intellectually alive engagement that is inherently interesting to both the faculty and the students.” Later, conversation concerning the facilitation of large lectures spurred more heated debate. Faculty members expressed concern over the University’s current backing for courses with large enrollments. James Maas, psychology, who teaches the world’s largest single lecture at 1,600 students, according to the Psychology 101 Website, condemned the administration for allowing the lectures to operate on “minimal support.” “Instructional funds for audio-visual equipment and support staff have been constant for two decades while enrollment and expenses have increased,” he said. “I saw that many of us share common needs such as support for course coordinators, better teaching facilities and greater involvement of outstanding TA’s including undergraduates.” Debate focused on the lack of quality lecture facilities on campus large enough to accommodate oversized classes. Currently there are only eight classrooms that hold more than 350 students, most of which are long and narrow rather than circular — a format professors believe is prohibitive toward listening and involvement. Bailey Hall, home to Maas’ psychology lecture, is slated to undergo renovation later this year to improve acoustics, install air conditioning and reduce the number of seats available. “We have a very limited number of classrooms and there are issues of availability, scheduling and quality,” said Patsy Brannon, the Rebecca Q. and James C. Morgan Dean of the College of Human Ecology. “In a big class, the acoustics can really make a difference and small noises can carry throughout the room.” At the forum’s conclusion, Brannon pledged to present the support issues raised by the faculty to the Provost and the academic deans for discussion, while Cooke agreed to relay concerns to the faculty senate. “As a faculty, we must have these courses succeed, so it’s absolutely essential that the appropriate resources are allotted,” said Cooke. “There were also a lot of things mentioned in the forum that wouldn’t take a lot of money to implement, just good leadership.” Maas, however, believes that the success of the forum will ultimately depend on the University’s response in the form of “dollars of support.” “[Financial support] is so badly needed to improve undergraduate education for thousands of students,” he said. “I have great hopes that the University will finally begin to listen because at this point, the situation is critical.” Moderated by Brannon, the forum also served as an opportunity to acknowledge those faculty members with a recognized flair for the lecture setting. Although all members were welcome to attend, special invitations were extended to Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellows, recipients of the University’s prestigious teaching award. Among those in attendance were Maas, David Levitsky, nutritional sciences, David Gries, computer science, Isaac Kramnick, vice provost for undergraduate education, Daniel Schwarz, English, and Rosemary Avery, policy analysis and management. Brannon, who once headed a 500-person nutrition lecture at the University of Maryland, praised the “commitment and passion” of those faculty members involved. “Many of the discussions could have gone longer,” said Brannon, adding that several participants have suggested an expanded format concerning the same topic at a future date. “Some very innovative strategies were discussed about how to make a large class an excellent learning experience. I learned a lot.”Archived article by Jason Leff
By wpengine January 17, 2002
Men’s Basketball The cagers were a busy bunch over the winter recess, kicking off their Ivy League campaign after visiting Georgia Tech for a rare chance to battle an ACC team. The Red captured its first win of the season back on Dec. 22, topping Patriot League foe Lehigh, 69-61. Any hope of a winning streak was quickly dashed as Cornell suffered back-to-back setbacks at the Spider Invitational, dropping a 52-41 decision to Richmond in the consolation game following a 56-40 loss to James Madison — despite a 12-point effort from freshman guard Cody Toppert. Despite a valiant effort later that week, Cornell was simply outclassed by host Georgia Tech. Freshman Grant Harell and Jacques Vigneault both posted career highs, tallying 11 points each. Senior guard Tony Akins turned in a triple-double with 22 points along with 10 assists to lead the Yellow Jackets’ cause. Cornell returned to the friendly confines of Newman Arena Jan. 5, when it dismantled Army by a 90-65 count. The Red was on fire all night, shooting a blistering 54% from the field. The home side, paced by five double-digit scoring performances, also controlled the boards, holding a 44-25 advantage on the glass at the conclusion of the game. Once again, the Red failed to put together a winning streak following the Army contest. Senior point guard Wallace Prather led Cornell with 16 points in the Ivy opener against Brown Jan 11. However, his efforts were to no avail, as the Red dropped a 72-59 decision. A late run the following night at Yale was too little too late as the Red came up on the short end of a 79-74 score. But Prather netted his 1,000th point in the effort. Women’s Basketball The Red women had a strong showing over the winter break and find themselves atop the Ivy League after posting consecutive wins to open the conference campaign. Led by senior tri-captain Do Stevens’s 21-point effort, the Red upended host Stetson 73-63 on Dec. 29. Two days later on New Year’s Eve, the team had its four-game win streak snapped by Bethune-Cookman. The difference came down low as the Lady Wildcats controlled the glass , with a 46-34 advantage. The Red followed the losing effort with a loss to San Francisco on Jan. 4. Junior forward Ify Ossai posted a career high 14 points, but despite her efforts, Cornell could not match the Lady Dons who were led by a stellar effort by Lindsey Huff’s 6 for 6 shooting from the floor, including 3 for 3 from behind the arc. Cornell snapped the skid with a stunning 71-60 win at Lafayette. Sans senior tri-captains Breean Wallace and Do Stevens, sophomore tri-captain Karen Force had an eyebrow-raising performance, netting 22 points with nine assists to boot. The team returned to action on Jan. 11 to open its Ivy schedule. The Red posted a second half comeback against the visiting Brown Bears en route to a 58-56 win. Cornell followed up the victory with a thrilling win against Yale the following night. Junior Lynell Davis was a defensive stalwart for the Red, blocking seven shots. Walas hit a layup in the closing seconds of the game to lead the Red to victory. Thanks to a Dartmouth win over Princeton, Cornell is the only undefeated team in the Ivy League. Track and Field Both the men’s and women’s track teams earned third-place finishes at the Penn State Meet on Jan. 12. In the women’s bracket, the Red finished behind Penn State and Seton Hall. Freshman Kate Boyles had a stunning showing in the 3000-meter run, winning the event with a time of 10:00.8. She finished 22 seconds ahead of the second place finisher. Senior Sarah Herskee also found herself in the wing on92s circle — taking the top spot in the shot put, throwing 13.3 meters. The men — who also finished behind Penn State and Seton Hall — were led by sophomore Travis Offner — the only Cornellian to win an event. Junior Pete Combe split the shot put title, throwing 16.31 meters. Wrestling The grapplers concluded 2001 by placing 11th in the Midland Championships in Chicago on Dec. 20. Junior co-captain Clint Wattenberg had the Red’s top performance, taking fifth at the meet. Wattenberg has enjoyed success since moving to the 184 pound weight class. Classmate Scott Roth and senior co-captain Jim Stanec also turned in fine performances. Roth, competing in the 165 pound class, made it to the quarterfinals of the winner’s bracket before eventually falling to Iowa State’s Joe Haskett — the eventual champion. Stanec was dropped from contention early on, but pieced together solid showings in the consolation brackets. The Red concluded the winter break portion of its schedule with a trip to the Lone Star Duals. Cornell opened the get together with a 21-15 win over Cal-Poly before bowing to Nebraska and Oklahoma 24-18 and 23-9, respectively. Gymnastics The Red returned to action on Jan. 12, defeating Ivy foe Pennsylvania. Freshman Shellen Goltz captured the All-Around, leading a strong performance for Cornell. The tumblers broke the school record on the uneven bars, posting a score of 47.75. The Red took the top spot in three of the four events. The team will hit the road to participate in the George Washington Invitational on Jan. 19. Squash Junior Jeff Porter went undefeated on Jan. 12. That day, despite a loss to Dartmouth, the men’s team steamrolled Amherst 9-0 at the Belkin International Courts. Porter did not lose a game that day with back to back 3-0 wins. Porter could not repeat the performance the following day, as Cornell dropped its match against Williams, 6-3. Senior Darryl Chow, junior Kenny Greer and Brad Mosier all won their matches 3-1. The women’s team competed in one match over the break on Jan. 12 also on East Hill. The Red lost to Dartmouth 7-2. Senior Olga Puigdemont-Sola swept the Green’s Sarah West, 3-0 in the first seed. Senior Melinda Lee had the other victory on the day in the third slot. Swimming & Diving The men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams were back in action last weekend as both squads went on the road. The men visited Navy with Yale to compete in two dual meets. Saturday, the Red edged out the Midshipmen 128-115 but couldn’t repeat against the Elis, falling 137-106. Sophomore John Dyste, who was competing in the 200 breaststroke and the 400 freestyle relay garnered the Red’s only first places. The following day, the women’s team had its chance against Yale in New Haven, Conn., winning only one-fourth of the 16 events. Backstroker Whitney Yates won the 200, Deanne Moyer the 100-breaststroke, Alyson Melin the 200-individual medley and the 400 freestyle relay. Kara Neal finished in third- and fourth-place in the 1-m and 3-m dives, respectively. Women’s Hockey The women’s hockey team (3-10) got down to business after the holidays, playing six games in a two week span and going 2-3-1. The women started off at the Purple Eagle Invite with a 2-2 overtime tie against Toronto in the Dec. 29 exhibition game. The following evening, the team fell to host Niagara 3-0. The following weekend the Red participated in another tournament, the Humes Invitational, where it met Toronto again. Cornell did not settle for a tie as it won 3-2 to advance to the championship game against Concordia. But in the title contest, a late goal gave the Stingers a 4-3 victory. On Jan. 11, the squad returned to ECAC play, traveling up north to Vermont and Dartmouth. Against the Catamounts, Cornell recorded its most lopsided win of the season, 5-0. However th