Summer Session Spotlight: Dr. Chip Gagnon on "Making Sense of World Politics"

by Shelley Preston,
SCE News, April 26, 2024

Seeking a way to better understand international events? Consider enrolling in the three-week summer course GOVT 1817 Making Sense of World Politics. Taught online by Dr. Chip Gagnon from June 24-July 12, this three-credit class will examine ways to think critically about global politics and develop informed ways of discussing them. The course is open to undergraduates and adults though  Summer Session and high school students through Precollege Studies.

Cornell’s School of Continuing Education (Cornell SCE) recently asked Gagnon, the Regional Scholar for the Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies at Cornell, what students can expect from taking his course.

”This is a really great time to be studying international politics,” Gagnon said. “While the focus is not current events, the course gives students the tools to understand current events. We obviously will discuss some current events, but the main goal is to provide students with the skills and theoretical knowledge to think critically about them.”

SCE asked Dr. Gagnon what else Precollege and Summer Session students can expect from taking his course.

What inspired you to teach “Making Sense of World Politics” during Summer Session?

I started offering this course in Cornell's Summer Session in 2014.  It's basically an introduction to international relations, a course I offer during the regular school year, and one I really enjoy teaching. I like introducing students to the range of issues and ways of thinking about the international system and turning them on to international politics. 

What are some of the things you enjoy about teaching about this course?

[The students that come through Cornell’s Precollege Program] are really enjoyable—they’re really smart, highly motivated and very engaged with the topics. The in-class discussions are great, too. In the asynchronous online version of the course [offered this year], I'm really pleased with the conversations that happen in the discussion boards where students actively interact with one another by asking questions and discussing topics. When my students’ interests and curiosity are ignited in any class I teach, it fuels my passion for teaching. That excitement is contagious and really makes the class a great experience for students, and for me, too! 

What do you hope your students come away with by the end of the course?

My hope is that students gain the ability to think about the world in different ways—the ability to question their own preconceptions and to understand why people might disagree about the most basic issues of international politics.  

For any high school student that takes the class, what should they know about taking a rigorous, three-credit course in just three weeks?

Time management is the most important thing. In this three-week class, we cover the same material as in a regular semester. Every day in class covers the material covered in one week during a -15-week semester. Needless to say, it’s very intense. Students need to understand that they'll have to devote most of their time and attention to the course. 

A little about Dr. Gagnon:

Since summer is a special time in Ithaca, we’re always interested in learning how Summer Session faculty like to spend it. What activities do you like to do outside of the classroom during the warm months?

I am a cyclist, so I like ride my road bike through the beautiful landscape of the Finger Lakes region. My husband and I also like to hike and tent camp and we try to do that as much as we can. I also like to work in our garden.

We spy a dog in the classroom photo you sent from a previous class offered on campus. Should we assume you are a dog rather than a cat person?

I don't think you should have to choose! We have a cat but we also have a grand-dog who spends a lot of time with us. We really enjoy both—and they have come around to at least tolerate each other.

Any good summer beach or lake reads you can recommend? 

Some recent reads I've enjoyed include Red, White and Royal Blue, Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist and Gay Boy's Life: Living, Loving and Surviving 50 Years of Being Gay in America.

To learn more about Precollege, which is open to high school juniors and seniors, visit the website. To learn more about Summer Session, which is open to undergraduates, visiting students and any interested adult, visit the Summer Session website.