TO:University Faculty Members
FROM:Daniel Kratochvil
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Cornell University School of Continuing Education
DATE:June 2025
SUBJECT:Winter Session 2026 Teaching Opportunities

The School of Continuing Education is committed to providing year-round educational opportunities to the University’s many constituencies, and a vibrant Cornell University Winter Session is an integral part of that mission.

To those of you who have taught in the winter, thank you, and I hope you will consider doing so again this coming winter. If you have never offered a class during the Winter Session, I invite you to join us in this coming term.

Please note that Winter Session 2026 will be held from January 2 – 17, 2026 and will feature online classes as well as off-campus classes in the U.S. and abroad. No on-campus classes will be offered.

For information about online courses, contact Chris Hinman (cch224@cornell.edu).

For information about offering a short-term off-campus program, either domestic or international, during Winter Session, contact the Office of Global Learning.

Courses that have proven particularly successful in the past are those that

  • are regularly overenrolled in the fall or spring,
  • will not be offered the following year because of rotation or faculty leaves, or
  • are offered to non-majors.

Online classes are an excellent option for Winter Session. We invite proposals for courses that employ the flexibility of online learning, and we are happy to help you develop such offerings. Pre-session assignments are recommended.

If you are interested in proposing an online course for this coming winter, please visit our Course Proposals page for details. Proposals must be approved by your department chairperson, meet all CTI guidelines, and be submitted electronically by the department course coordinator.

The submission target date for Winter Session proposals is August 31, 2025. Please have your classes entered by then to be included in our marketing efforts. We will, however, continue to accept proposals until the final deadline of September 7, 2025. This deadline is necessary so that SCE can review the proposals to ensure the completion of information for the class roster publication on October 3, 2025. Please direct any questions about online learning proposals to Chris Hinman (cch224@cornell.edu).

Note about domestic off-campus courses: These site-based classes offered off the Ithaca campus but in the U.S. have a new budget model that gives instructors and departments autonomy and brings these classes in line with the international programs offered by the Office of Global Learning. SCE will limit its activities for these classes to rostering and enrollment management. The offering academic departments are responsible for all planning, financial, and logistical elements. This includes but is not limited to travel, accommodation, space rentals, instructor and TA salaries, and guest speaker honoraria. Faculty interested in offering such courses should contact their department chair. Proposals must be approved by your department chairperson and be submitted electronically by the department course coordinator.

I welcome your contributions to our efforts and look forward to working with you during the coming year. I encourage you to contact us to discuss any ideas, comments, or questions you might have. Together, I am confident we can make the 2026 Cornell University Winter Session a wonderful academic term.

B20 Day Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853
djk296@cornell.edu
winter.cornell.edu