Information and Criteria for CALS 2025+ Distribution Courses

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Agriculture, Food Systems & Human Nutrition distribution requirement introduce students to fundamental concepts and components of the food system as a whole or of specific aspects of agriculture, food systems and human nutrition. For the purposes of this requirement, consider the food system broadly defined as including Production, Processing, Distribution, Consumption, and Waste. Emphasis is on the integration of multiple components, rather than focusing on a single component. Examples of single component courses that would not count are those that focus mostly on agricultural equipment, irrigation management, absorption of nutrients from food, general plant pathology, entomology, or weed management. Courses should promote an understanding of the interdependent network that food systems embody and guide students through several components of a food system (e.g. from food production to processing to consumption)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Agriculture, Food Systems & Human Nutrition distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Describe fundamental concepts that are embedded within a food system.
• Analyze various components of the food system including the associated nutritional and environmental impacts of various practices.
• Identify and describe the nature of interactions among various food system components.

For a course to fulfill the Agriculture, Food Systems & Human Nutrition distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 50% of the course on at least two components of the food system.
2. Analyze components of the food system
3. Include explicit emphasis on interactions among components of the food system.

Note: Courses that address the history of agriculture, animals/plants used for food, nutrition and food access, and/or agricultural sustainability are candidates for fulfilling this requirement.

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Biological Sciences distribution requirement introduce students to fundamental concepts and unifying themes of the study of life. Courses will foster an understanding of how the theory of evolution accounts for the unity and diversity of life and how scientific inquiry and the use of evidence is applied to understanding biological processes and systems.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Biological Sciences distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Use the theory of evolution to identify relationships among or within levels of biological organization.
• Describe processes of generating scientific insights including, but not limited to, observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, and the evaluation, interpretation, and application of evidence.

For a course to fulfill the Biological Sciences distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 75% of the content on one or more Core Concept (listed below).
2. Include an evolutionary component.
3. Include explicit connections to real-world scenarios.
4. Include the ability to apply the process of science (Core Competency 1) and at least one additional Core Competency (listed below) as course learning outcomes (wording does not need to be verbatim).
5. Include a significant student-centered teaching component (e.g., laboratory sections, problem-solving or case study activities, research projects, collaborative activities. Click here for more information)

For a Biological Sciences course that meets the above requirements to be designated as suitable for non-life sciences majors, it must also:

1. Have no prerequisites.
2. Have no requirements of science comprehension beyond what could be acquired in high school.  (See NYSED High School Science Learning Standards as general reference.)

Core Concepts:  

1. Evolution: The diversity of life evolved over time by processes of mutation, selection, and genetic change
2. Structure and Function: Basic units of structure define the function of all living things 
3. Information Flow, Exchange, and Storage: The growth and behavior of organisms are activated through the expression of genetic information in context
4. Pathways and Transformations of Energy and Matter: Biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics.  
5. Systems: Living systems are interconnected and interacting

Core Competencies:

1. Ability to Apply the Process of Science (Mandatory): Biology is evidence based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.
2. Ability to Use Quantitative Reasoning: Biology relies on applications of quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning.
3. Ability to Use Modeling and Simulation: Biology focuses on the study of complex systems
4. Ability to Tap into the Interdisciplinary Nature of Science: Biology is an interdisciplinary science
5. Ability to Communicate and Collaborate with Other Disciplines: Biology is a collaborative scientific discipline.
6. Ability to Understand the Relationship Between Science and Society: Biology is conducted in a societal context.

These courses study human life in particular cultural contexts through interpretive analysis of individual behavior, discourse, and social practice. Topics include belief systems (science, medicine, religion), expressive arts and symbolic behavior (visual arts, performance, poetry, myth, narrative, ritual), identity (nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality), social groups and institutions (family, market, community), and power and politics (states, colonialism, inequality). 

*Contributes to the Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding distribution category.

Data literacy refers to a framework of competencies designed to empower all people to comprehend, interpret, and ethically use data that they collect or encounter— and to consider and analyze the implications of their behaviors being turned into data to be used by others. Data literacy is thus critical for all students and citizens regardless of discipline or career path because it equips individuals with the analytical tools needed to protect and interpret data and limit the effects of biased or misleading data use.

Courses are designated as either Data Literacy: General (DLG-AG) or Data Literacy: Statistics (DLS-AG) – they cannot be both.

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Data Literacy distribution requirement introduce students to concepts and skills needed to extract meaning from, and develop arguments with, quantitative and qualitative data. Courses emphasize the development of competencies including discovery and collection, curation, security, reuse, analysis, evaluation, or application of data.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Data Literacy distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Identify the strengths and limitations of different data types.
• Extract meaningful insights from data with quantitative and/or qualitative methods.
• Identify ways that data can be misused or abused to cause harm.

For a course to fulfill the Data Literacy distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 75% of the course content on at least three Data Literacy Competencies (see list below).  ​
2. Include at least one Data Literacy Competency as a course learning outcome (wording does not need to be verbatim)​.

Data Literacy Competencies:

1. Data Manipulating & Analysis: Ability to draw conclusions from data with quantitative and/or qualitative methods, which may include statistical or computational methods and may include tools like R, Python, Stata, Tableau, Unix, NVivo, QGIS, Excel, SPSS, etc. ​
2. Data Thinking & Discovery: Ability to determine type of data needed and through which qualitative or quantitative methods (web scraping, participant observation, interviews, quizzes) can be collected, and to locate secondary data or acquire primary data.  May include tools like Python scripts, browser extensions, surveys, notebook, camera, etc. ​
3. Data Reading, Cleaning, Curating, Securing: Ability to read data for patterns, gaps, and confusion, to describe and enhance dataset with metadata or annotations, and to standardize missing data entries and format for analysis. May include tools like Excel, Google Sheets, Atlas.ti, etc.
4. Data Interpretation & Critique: Ability to understand strengths and limitations of data and analysis, including: data provenance and collection method, from whom & where it was collected, what the data cannot tell us, impact of sharing findings, and the broader societal, economic and/or political forces that influence its collection (the “data economy”).
5. Communicating & Arguing with Data: Ability to create tables, graphs, maps, and charts to visualize data, sharing with ethical considerations and cognitive empathy. Ability to use data to support arguments. May include tools like Tableau, DataWrapper, Observable, Vega-Lite, D3.js, etc.

To be designated as a Data Literacy: Statistics course, the following criteria must also be met:

1. The course provides explicit instruction on mathematical approaches to collection, description, analysis, and inference of conclusions from quantitative data.
2. Course content focuses on the Data Manipulating & Analysis competency: Ability to draw conclusions from data with quantitative and/or qualitative methods, which may include statistical or computational methods and may include tools like R, Python, Stata, Tableau, Unix, NVivo, QGIS, Excel, SPSS, etc.

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Ethics distribution requirement will introduce students to ethical principles that guide self, interpersonal, social, societal, and global interactions, and ethics in research, practice, and communication of knowledge relative to the student’s educational and career-related objectives and interests. Courses encourage students to think critically and to identify, articulate, and provide sound reasoning for their own values and to explore differences in perspectives.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Ethics distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Reflect effectively on their own moral values and ethical perspectives.
• Identify and articulate ethical theories or considerations associated with a field or topic.

For a course to fulfill the Ethics distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 50% of the content on ethical principles and considerations (issues, dilemmas) associated with the primary class topic.
2. Include a component on historical or contemporary ethical arguments or perspectives.
3. Emphasize reflection and application of ethical principles and considerations at a personal level.
4. Include at least one course learning outcome that is devoted to ethics.

note: Courses with the EEE-AG tag represent one of several ways in which students can fulfill the E3 Learning Milestone. Courses do not have to be 3+ credits to fulfill the milestone.

Learning is most meaningful when it is experiential – when it involves practice and application of knowledge in a real context, creating opportunities for students to develop skills while advancing and refining their understanding of theories, concepts, and principles as they test them and critically reflect on outcomes generated through application. Learning happens as the diverse expertise and skills of faculty, staff, or students and community members are combined to address issues and advance long-term well-being for all (e.g., ecological, social, economic, etc.). Experiential activities that are ‘engaged’ are those that take place in and with communities, and entrepreneurial activities are those that facilitate “the acquisition and development of knowledge, skills, and mindset” necessary to turn “creative ideas into action”.

Milestone Objectives

Experiential, engaged, and entrepreneurial activities foster a process wherein students integrate their academic learning by actively participating alongside diverse knowledge holders at local, regional, or global scales. These experiences advance knowledge, address challenges, create opportunities, and nurture connections with fellow practitioners in their chosen field(s) of interest. The E3 Learning Milestone aims to empower students, encouraging them to recognize their worth as contributors to wider communities and to prepare them for active involvement as responsible, conscientious, and well-informed members of the global community.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course or experience that fulfills the E3 Learning Milestone requirement, students should be able to:

• Make connections between their disciplinary and scholarly learning and the practice or application of that knowledge.
• Explain how their course/experience contributes to and is informed by their learning goals at Cornell (i.e. in their major or course of study, as they define it).
• Explain how they engaged with and contributed to, or served, a community or cause greater than themselves.

For a course or experience to fulfill the E3 Learning Milestone requirement, it must:

1. Involve practice and application of knowledge in a real context.
2. Provide learning outcomes at the outset of the course or experience, including but not limited to the learning outcomes articulated above.
3. Include an assignment or activity that promotes student reflection on their experience.

Any non-native language course offered. 

*Contributes to the Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding distribution category.

These courses interpret continuities and changes-political, social, economic, diplomatic, religious, intellectual, artistic, scientific-through time. The focus may be on groups of people, dominant or subordinate, a specific country or region, an event, a process, or a time period. 

*Contributes to the Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding distribution category.

CALS Human Diversity Rubric

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Human Diversity distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of the cultural practices, values, and beliefs of diverse groups of individuals.
• Demonstrate understanding of systemic oppression at multiple levels.
• Assess one’s own cultural perspective and the potential for associated biases.

For a course to fulfill the Human Diversity distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 50% of course content on the critical analysis of historically or contemporary marginalized communities and the culturally specific contexts that produce unequal power relations in terms of race, nationality, ethnicity, indigeneity, sexuality, disability, religion, gender, and economic status.

Definition of “marginalize”: Any groups with reduced access to social status, political influence, economic advancement, educational advancement, health care, information, or any of the goods, services, and powers of a society can be considered “marginalized.” Causes of marginalization may be related to ethnic status, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, geography, economics, and government policies. Those who exist on the furthest margins of a society are frequently subject to several of these forces.

These courses explore literature and the arts in two different but related ways. Some courses focus on the critical study of artworks and on their history, aesthetics, and theory. These courses develop skills of reading ,observing, and hearing and encourage refection on such experiences; many investigate the interplay among individual achievement, artistic tradition, and historical context. Other courses are devoted to the production and performance of artworks (in creative writing, performing arts, and media such as film and video). These courses emphasize the interaction among technical mastery, cognitive knowledge, and creative imagination. 

*Contributes to the Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding distribution category.

CALS Oral Expression Rubric

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Oral Expression distribution requirement focus on practicing the principles of effective oral communication. While students may speak on a variety of topics, the course is about the process of how to best communicate the topic(s).

For a course to fulfill the Oral Expression distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 50% of instruction on principles of effective communication; topic-related reading content is less of a focus than improving overall oral communication skills.
2. Use English as the language of instruction.
3. Require at least five (5) formal oral presentations.
4. Include at least four (4) graded assignments that go through a process of development and revision under the instructor's guidance.
5. Limit enrollment to 25 students to allow for individual attention to student progress.
6. Provide students with the opportunity for individual or small-group review with the instructor, TA or peers.
7. Cover the following topic areas and monitor student improvement in each area through clear, extensive, and timely feedback: structuring speech, clarity and strength of thesis, use of evidence, appropriate documentation, adapting content to the context, use of language, and effective delivery.
8. Include examples of strong and weak presentations and clearly identify expectations for assignments through a rubric or check-list.
9. Include some low-stakes or ungraded oral assignments in or out of class.
10. Include the expectation that students use the feedback they are given to improve subsequent presentations.

**Course proposals should include an explanation of how the course is suitable to the requirements. This explanation will be placed in the final syllabus.

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Physical Sciences distribution requirement introduce students to fundamental concepts and methods of a physical science and their application to real-word systems or problems. Courses promote an understanding of the world through the application of the scientific method and cultivate the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that fulfills the Physical Sciences distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Connect fundamental components of a physical science to real-world scenarios.
• Describe processes of generating scientific insights: including, but not limited to, observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, and the evaluation, interpretation, and application of evidence.

For a course to fulfill the Physical Sciences distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 75% of the content on one or more of the physical sciences: chemistry, physics, earth science, atmospheric science or astronomy.
2. Include explicit connections to real-world scenarios.
3. Include the ability to apply the process of science as a course learning outcome.
4. Include a significant student-centered teaching component (e.g., laboratory sections, problem-solving or case study activities, research projects, collaborative activities. Click here for more information).

For a Physical Sciences course that meets the above requirements to be designated as suitable for non-sciences majors, it must also:

1. Have no prerequisites.
2. Have no requirements of science comprehension beyond what could be acquired in high school. (See NYSED High School Science Learning Standards as general reference.)

These courses examine human life in its social context through the use of social scientific methods, often including hypothesis testing, scientific sampling techniques, and statistical analysis. Topics studied range from the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes of individuals to interpersonal relations between individuals (e.g., in friendship, love, conflict) to larger social organizations (e.g., the family, society, religious or educational or civic institutions, the economy, government) to the relationships and conflicts among groups or individuals (e.g., discrimination, inequality, prejudice, stigmas, conflict resolution). 

*Contributes to the Cultural, Social & Historical Understanding distribution category.

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Sustainability Challenges distribution requirement provide in-depth focus on a sustainability challenge and include a systems-level evaluation of interdependencies among economic, socio-political, and environmental factors.  Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. Any one of these goals provide an important focus for studying sustainability, but the UN also emphasized that it is the intersection of these goals that structure our challenges and must be investigated to build sustainable solutions. Similarly, the framework for sustainability embraced by Cornell includes integrative analysis of economic, socio-political, and environmental factors to evaluate decisions. Thus, this type of integrative content is required for a course to fulfill the Sustainability Challenges distribution requirement.

Defined here by building from the Sustainability Framework at Cornell, sustainability considers how our actions, culture, and systems help maintain biodiversity at all scales, ensure the wellbeing, equity, and vitality of people, and support a thriving economy - including education, healthcare, and goods and services.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of a course that meets the Sustainability Challenges distribution requirement, students should be able to:

• Identify connections between different fields and their relation to sustainability challenges.
• Describe interactions among three or more UN Sustainable Development Goals in the evaluation of an economic, socio-political, or environmental issue.

For a course to fulfill the Sustainability Challenges distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Align the primary class topic with at least one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (see list below). In other words, a class mostly not about sustainability, with some sustainability content at the end, is not eligible no matter what words are used in the class title. For example, a ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ course with sustainability theory/topics mostly in the last few weeks would not be eligible because sustainability is not set up as a conceptual and integrative context for the course.
2. Focus at least 30% of the course on the interactions among at least three UN Sustainable Development Goals (see list below) with respect to the primary class topic.
3. Include at least one of the proficiencies listed below as a course learning outcome (exact wording will vary).
   1. Systems thinking – ability to identify patterns and make connections across fields or disciplines to evaluate sustainability problems and solutions.
   2. Decision making and uncertainty – ability to critically examine assumptions, identify uncertainty, and evaluate sustainability pathways that account for uncertainty.
   3. Driving factors – ability to identify and describe interacting factors that can support or constrain sustainability.

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

The 17 SDGs are integrated—they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.

1. No poverty
2. No hunger
3. Good health and well-being
4. Quality education
5. Gender equality
6. Clean water and sanitation
7. Affordable and clean energy
8. Decent work and economic growth "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all."
9. Industry, innovation, and infrastructure  "Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation."
10. Reduced inequality within and among countries
11. Sustainable cities and communities  "Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable."
12. Responsible consumption and production
13. Climate action "Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy."
14. Life below water "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development."
15. Life on land  "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss."
16. Peace, justice, and strong institutions  "Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all, and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels."
17. Partnerships for the goals  "Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development."

CALS Written Expression Rubric

Course Objectives

Courses that fulfill the Written Expression distribution requirement should teach students to not only write better prose, but also to argue well, to work with evidence, to self-edit, and to explore and explain issues relevant to a particular subject. 

For a course to fulfill the Written Expression distribution requirement, the course must:

1. Focus at least 50% of instruction on improving writing skills and proficiency; topic-related reading content is less of a focus than improving overall written communication skills.
2. Use English as the language of instruction.
3. Require at least five (5) formal writing assignments.
4. Include at least four (4) graded assignments that go through a process of development and revision under the instructor's guidance.
5. Limit enrollment to 25 students to allow for individual attention to student progress.
6. Provide students with the opportunity for individual or small-group review with the instructor, TA or peers.
7. Provide clear, extensive, and timely feedback on student assignments. Feedback should include guidance on structure of the overall content, the strength of the assertion, or argument, as well as specific skills, including grammar, audience-appropriateness and style.
8. Include examples of strong and weak approaches and effective writing strategies.
9. Include explanations of disciplinary conventions, and the nature of evidence and expected documentation style for the discipline.
10. Clearly communicate expectations for assignments to students (i.e. through a rubric or check-list).
11. Include some low-stakes, or ungraded essays, or other writing assignments in or out of class.
12. Include the expectation that students use the feedback they are given to improve subsequent presentations.

**Course proposals should include an explanation of how the course is suitable to the requirements. This explanation will be placed in the final syllabus.