Undergrad summer course to examine COVID-19 impacts

This summer, the Cornell in Washington program is offering undergraduates a chance to study COVID-19’s effects on the economy, politics and social policy through the eyes of politicians and policymakers working directly on the crisis response.

The online course, Enduring Global and American Issues: How the Coronavirus Pandemic Is Rewriting the Rules of America and the World (GOVT 3071), will look at how organizations are handling the pandemic. It will be taught from Washington, D.C., by David Silbey, adjunct associate professor of government in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Cornell in Washington’s associate director.

The course will run June 15 through July 31 and feature guest speakers from the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the Department of Labor, the State Department and the World Bank.

“So far, COVID-19 is the most critical crisis of the 21st century,” Silbey said. “Analyzing it is not only going to help us now, but also going forward.”

The course isn’t just for those studying government or policy, Silbey said; given the pandemic, it’s also pertinent to those interested in medicine or the U.S. health care system.

The Cornell in Washington summer term, administered by Cornell’s School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, is open to undergraduates in any major and from any college. Students can register for the program at ciw.cornell.edu.

The registration deadline for Cornell students is June 15; for non-Cornell students, it’s June 1. Visit the School of Continuing Education website to learn more about all of its offerings.

– Shelley Preston

Media Contact

Rachel Rhodes