PUBPOL 2700

Pathways to Purpose - Civic Leadership in Law, Health, Tech, and Business

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2025-2026 Catalog.

How can your Cornell education help you lead a life of purpose and impact while on campus and in your future career? How can we engage with complex social, political, and scientific challenges, and contribute to thriving communities and resilient democracies? What knowledge, skills, and competencies are essential for future leaders, and how can we communicate effectively across differences to foster collaboration and progress? This one-credit course - held in person over a day and a half - invites students to reflect on these questions while exploring how their academic journey can serve as a foundation for civic leadership and professional purpose. You will learn alongside students from across Cornell’s colleges and disciplines, gaining exposure to diverse perspectives, fields, and approaches. You will also connect with Cornell faculty, staff, and alumni with a range of professional expertise to explore how research, education, and intentional practices can drive meaningful change. In addition to broad exposure, you’ll choose a focus area - law, health, technology, or business - and examine its role in advancing democratic principles and practices. Through this lens, you’ll engage with varied perspectives, challenges, and solutions, while practicing communication skills and participating in small group dialogues with peers.

Distribution Requirements (CA-HE, SBA-HE)

Last 4 Terms Offered (None)

Learning Outcomes

• Examine the connections between their college experience, professional pursuits, and broader efforts to strengthen civic discourse and democracy in the world.
• Identify the relationships between freedom and responsibility in their individual and communal lives.
• Formulate ways to practice discourse across differences and democratic practices in formal and informal settings.
• Recognize their role as advocates for civic engagement within their communities.
• Apply skills for communication, connection, and collaboration across differences.

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