Water competency focus of modernized swim requirement

By Stephen D'Angelo, Student and Campus Life

Cornell’s Swim Graduation Requirement has been modernized to focus on student water safety competency and promote lifelong water safety skills, over swimming proficiency, after an evaluation and recommendation by the Faculty Advisory Committee on Athletics and Physical Education. 

The updated requirement now tasks students with demonstrating their ability to safely navigate aquatic situations. To fulfill the requirement, students must complete a sequence of skills: step or jump into water over their heads, surface and float or tread water for one minute, turn in a full circle to locate an exit, swim 25 yards without stopping, and safely exit the water.

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, claiming about 236,000 lives each year, according to the Center for Disease Control. By the CDC’s estimates, there are over 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths every year in the United States.

“Water competency to promote water safety and prevent accidental drowning is the ultimate goal of the Cornell swim requirement,” said Brigitta Putnam, associate director of Physical Education and Director of Aquatics at Cornell Recreational Services. “This updated swim requirement embodies Cornell’s broader mission to equip students with life skills that have an impact far beyond the classroom.” 

Based on expert advice, including from Diversity in Aquatics, an organization that educates, promotes, and supports swimming, water safety, healthy aquatics activities for underserved, marginalized, and vulnerable populations, the committee implemented a resolution creating the Cornell Water Competency Graduation Requirement, as defined by the American Red Cross, and plans to continue ongoing assessment of the requirement including through student surveys. 

“Through this assessment and implementation, we are excited for our student population to benefit from this more modern water safety competency based on industry standards,” Putnam said. 

Any student who cannot pass the swim requirement is required to take Beginning Swimming as part of the physical education program at Cornell. If a student does not pass the swim requirement in their first Beginning Swimming PE class, then the student must take a second Beginning Swimming PE class (1100 or 1101). Successful completion of two Beginning Swimming classes (based on attendance requirements) with the instructor's recommendation will fulfill the University's swim requirement.

For some students, the program has already been transformative. Jarin Rahman ’25, an undergraduate in the Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, reflected on his experience overcoming a lifelong fear of the water.

“When I first started this class, I never thought I could learn how to swim, and I was very scared and anxious,” Rahman said. “The class helped me become more comfortable with swimming, and now I really enjoy being in the water.”

Plans are being put into place based on the advisory committee to continue ongoing assessment of the requirement, including through student survey feedback. For more information, including swim test time and availability, visit the Cornell Recreational Services Swim Requirement website.