Elevating Learning

CALS is dedicated to excellence in teaching and the continuous development of innovative, inclusive pedagogies, alongside a strong commitment to mentorship and advising in research and academic settings.

As the second largest undergraduate college at Cornell University and the third largest college of its kind in the United States, CALS educators contribute to the development of thousands of researchers, lawmakers, educators, innovators, and game-changers who will address global challenges.

Faculty benefit from robust support through both the Cornell Center for Teaching Innovation (CTI) and a dedicated CALS Office of Curriculum Development and Instructional Support. The CALS office provides specialized support tailored to the college’s mission, offering expert guidance on inclusive, student-centered teaching practices, course design and transformation, solutions to teaching challenges, and strategies for fostering critical thinking and belonging in the classroom. CALS faculty also enjoy professional development opportunities, including monthly Lunch and Learn Sessions and our annual CALS Teaching Experience.

Complementing these teaching-focused resources, CALS and Cornell provide faculty with a comprehensive ecosystem of support for mentoring and advising graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and academic staff in their research and professional development. Faculty can engage with Cornell’s Faculty Advancing Inclusive Mentorship tools to strengthen mentoring practices that promote equity, clarity of expectations, and mutual success within research groups. Within CALS, the Office of Access and Community Empowerment (ACE) partners with faculty, departments, and research teams to support the implementation of these tools in ways that align with disciplinary contexts and lab environments. Additional guidance and programming are available through the Provost’s Office of Faculty Development and Diversity (OFDD), which offers resources on effective faculty mentoring and advising, and the Cornell Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, which supports faculty in cultivating positive, productive postdoctoral training environments.

These resources are complemented by a vast suite of Cornell’s CTI workshops, consultations, and grants that support course design, active learning, and inclusive teaching practices across the university. CALS provides comprehensive resources and training for undergraduate course assistants, while graduate teaching assistants benefit from university-wide preparation and training through CTI-led initiatives such as the TA Online Orientation, GET SET workshops, and teaching portfolio development, along with specialized support for international TAs. Together, these efforts reinforce the interconnected roles of faculty as teachers, mentors, and advisors across undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral education.

Through thoughtful course design, high-impact teaching practices, and intentional mentorship, CALS faculty and academic staff have the opportunity to embody and promote our core values: seeking knowledge, supporting free and open intellectual inquiry, sustaining excellence in teaching and research, using knowledge to benefit the world, rewarding creativity and innovation, treating all individuals with dignity and respect, embracing diversity, promoting cross-cultural understanding, fostering a collaborative and caring community, and remaining accessible to all who meet high academic standards. Many CALS educators connect classroom learning with extension practice—engaging students and trainees in applied, community-facing projects, field demonstrations, and evidence-based communication that reflect our land-grant mission. Faculty are supported within CALS’s collaborative and interdisciplinary academic culture, where teaching, mentorship and advising are valued as core components of scholarly impact.

CALS and Cornell further affirm the value of teaching and mentorship excellence through formal recognition and reward. Faculty who demonstrate outstanding commitment to innovative, inclusive, and impactful teaching and mentorship may be honored through college- and university-level distinctions, including CALS Teaching Awards and the SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching. These honors celebrate educators who elevate student learning, advance pedagogical and mentoring practices, and contribute meaningfully to Cornell’s academic mission, further reinforcing teaching and mentorship as central dimensions of faculty excellence and scholarly impact.