Academic Excellence Workshops

Work with undergraduates who have previously taken the course.

Join a group of students who are enrolled in the same courses.

Review lecture material in an engaging, collaborative way.

Groups work on problems at or above the level of course instruction.

Academic Excellence Workshops at Cornell Engineering are one-credit, small-group, active-learning sessions that complement core engineering courses. The workshops are led by trained peer facilitators and offer a collaborative environment where students work together on concepts and problems to enhance their understanding of material.

Students who enroll in workshops benefit from an immediate gain in depth of understanding of course material. Other benefits include:

• Improved academic performance,
• Improved confidence,
• Enhanced satisfaction with your educational experience,
• Increased connection to your class and college community,
• Mentorship from peer facilitators, and
• Personalized feedback on performance.

Data shows that students enrolled in Academic Workshops outperform their peers in core courses.

If it is within the add/drop period, you can drop the course online through Student Center. If it is after the last day to add or last day to drop, you will need to complete a petition and an online add/drop form. Add/drop forms can be found on the Registrar’s website. Both forms must have your advisor’s signature.

When people Collaborate, they work together to achieve goals that benefit everyone involved. In the classroom, collaborative learning uses small groups to help students learn together and help each other succeed.

Our experienced facilitators often comment that working as a facilitator in an Academic Excellence Workshop is both personally and professionally rewarding. Workshops foster a sense of community. Enabling the learning and success of others is rewarding and fun. Facilitators also gain skills that are highly attractive for future employers, including:

• Effective public speaking
• Facilitating group activities
• Encouraging and supporting teamwork and collaborative efforts
• Learning from one’s peers
• Understanding and effectively responding to different communication and learning styles
• Leading and mentoring others.

Access the online add/drop instructions through Student Center. In general, enrollment for Academic Excellence Workshops runs on the same schedule as registration for classes. The workshops start at the beginning of the third week of classes. The workshops function as one-credit courses and are graded S/U based on attendance. Those who miss more than three workshops will automatically receive a grade of U.