CARL LAM
Staff Writer
Our adjunct faculty come from a wide variety of backgrounds and places. Some travel from Buffalo, others from Erie and places in between. Then there are the few that come from this very campus and do what’s considered “double duty.”
Charles Cornell is an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science, and he is also the director for the Center for Regional Advancement. The title may seem a bit vague but it has been pared down from its previous lengthy name of the Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance. Cornell said the role of the center is to be about community engagement.
“Essentially what we’ve done is we’ve been out in the community providing resources to whether it be municipal governments who want studies do so they can look at how they deliver services,” Cornell said.
The purpose of the office is more than just helping out local town and village governments; it’s about helping the community.
“We also work on neighborhood revitalization issues or if they’re applying for grants. So this office is very engaged in the community and we’re trying to find ways where students and faculty can be involved in the community,” he said.
Over the past couple years, Cornell has seen an increase in participation in community engagement which, in part, could be attributed to President Horvath’s service initiatives like the Day of Service.
“I have been thrilled to see the university more and more engaged in the community. I think that the university can make and is making a significant impact on the community,” Cornell said. “I like that about this job and I can be involved with some community organizations and the university and find ways where we can match up where everyone benefits.”
Cornell earned his bachelor’s degree in management from SUNY Geneseo and went on to earn a master’s degree in public administration from SUNY Albany and the Nelson A Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. Cornell said he was certain he wanted to go into the field of political science.
“I had done an internship for Congressman Amo Houghton of this area, prior to my graduate work. At that time, I was very interested in government and politics. Once I got around that for a summer, I went to graduate school in Albany and learned the ropes about the state legislature and government.”
Like so many other adjunct faculty, teaching wasn’t Cornell’s primary focus upon graduation.
“My initial plan did not include teaching. The plan was to get my MPA and to work around elected government. The first job I got out of grad school was with the New York State Senate with their post-graduate fellowship program,” Cornell said. “That was really my intent and I didn’t specifically think of teaching nor did I rule it out.”
Cornell has plenty of experience in government at the county, state and national level.
“I have served as a Chautauqua County legislator for two terms for Jamestown, I was the clerk of the county legislature for two years. Prior to that, I was in Washington D.C. for three years where I was a press secretary,” Cornell said.
He also made a bid for Chautauqua County’s top office.
“I ran for County Executive about four or five years ago, which was unsuccessful. I think running for those offices are a big commitment and take a lot of time and energy,” he said. “I’m the father of four boys and I’m not even thinking about that. It’s a big thing for a family to have somebody run for office like that.”
Cornell shared some insight on his time spent in the legislature and how challenging it can be.
“I enjoyed the people I worked with, even those that you don’t necessarily agree with all the time. When you take 25 people and you put them in a room and tell them to come up with some things to help move a county forward, it shows you how to work with other people,” Cornell said. “People can disagree on different things but I have a lot of respect for a lot of people that I don’t necessarily agree with on everything. The fact that they’re involved and they’re putting their time and effort into making the community a better place, that to me is important.”
Since coming to Fredonia, Cornell has taught a wide range of courses including Media and Politics to Environmental Policy. He says finding the time to manage two jobs isn’t too difficult.
“I find it relatively easy to balance that kind of time. You know, at the end of the semester, you have to grade final exams and papers but you just have to stay late and get it done,” Cornell said.
Senior political science and music performance major Chris Sacco has Cornell for a class and said that he made potentially difficult topics easier to understand like objective news or super PACs.
“He transformed the meaning of politics for us. Through the use of explaining his representative duties, Cornell took the idea “politics” and guided us to understand it as a tangible meaning so that we could study various aspects of what it takes to serve constituents properly,” Sacco said.
Cornell urges students and his own children of participation wherever you live.
“You have to be involved in your community. We’re interdependent on each other and people tend to disengage in something if they don’t understand it,” Cornell said. “So if you know something about your local and state government, you tend to be more involved. Learn more about the civics, your community, how to be engaged and be part of the solution, that’s the most important thing.”