Category: Uncategorized
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Public Safety Advisory Committee final recommendations
Aug. 10, 2021 Dear Ithaca campus community, In summer 2020, I charged the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) with evaluating and reimagining Ithaca campus safety and policing protocols and structures. The PSAC, comprising students, faculty, and staff, sent me their Public Safety Reform report on July 27 and earlier today I sent the committee the…
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Transfer of Republic of Iraq cuneiform tablets
Aug. 4, 2021 We are very pleased to transfer to the Republic of Iraq these cuneiform tablets documenting events in history. We thank the Iraqi government for their partnership as we continued the crucial work of preserving these important artifacts for future generations to study. This historically significant collection has been at Cornell and under…
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Gift to name and endow Cornell’s School of Public Policy
June 10, 2021 Dear Cornell community, In February 2020, following a multiyear review by a series of faculty committees, the university announced plans to create a new School of Public Policy: one that would further elevate Cornell’s excellence and prominence in the social sciences, and provide a unified home for our many scholars of public…
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Reflections and gratitude
May 30, 2021 Dear Cornellians, As we celebrate this historic Commencement, and the many achievements of the Class of 2021, we celebrate, as well, all of you: the students, faculty, staff, and families who came together, in our remarkable Cornell community, to bring us to where we are today. The success of this on-campus pandemic…
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Standing against hatred and bias
May 26, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, As we arrive at the end of the academic year, our nation is again grappling with disturbing acts of hatred and bias, the latest being an alarming national rise in anti-Semitic hate crimes, including several reports of bias incidents on our Ithaca campus, amid ongoing tensions in the Middle…
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Public Safety Advisory Committee focus groups report
May 13, 2021 Dear Ithaca campus community, Throughout this academic year, the university’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) has been examining the views and experiences of Ithaca campus students, faculty and staff regarding public safety and policing on our campus. Last month, we reported the results of a quantitative survey of the Ithaca campus community,…
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Commencement ceremonies, public health requirements
May 5, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, Following on last week’s announcement, we have now adjusted the Commencement schedule to allow graduates to bring up to two guests. In accordance with New York state guidelines, we will hold four Commencement ceremonies that will span both Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30; the Ph.D. Ceremony will…
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Commencement update: Limited number of guests can attend
April 30, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, Late yesterday, New York state released updated public health guidance (PDF) for commencement ceremonies. In particular, where we were previously limited to using only 20% of the capacity in Schoellkopf Field, we are now permitted to use up to 33%, with our graduating students seated separately and not counting…
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Message from President Pollack on Chauvin trial verdict
April 20, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, Today marks a pivotal moment in our nation’s ongoing reckoning with racism. George Floyd’s murder follows a centuries-long series of senseless killings of Black people in this country; and while today’s verdict cannot bring Mr. Floyd back, today his murderer was held responsible by our justice system. This verdict…
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Confronting anti-Asian bias: Interactive teach-in scheduled for May 7
April 15, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, For the last 14 months, we have been fighting a global pandemic that has caused great suffering. With the arrival of vaccines, we seem to be containing the virus, but unfortunately the last year has highlighted and exacerbated longstanding racism against all communities of color. While prejudice can take…
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Update on course drop deadline
April 14, 2021 Dear Faculty and Staff, Last night, I sent this message to students* explaining that, in an effort to alleviate the unusually high academic stress they are experiencing at this time, the colleges have collectively agreed to extend the course drop deadline without a W through the last day of instruction, May 14.…
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Public Safety Advisory Committee survey findings
April 14, 2021 Dear Ithaca campus community, In February, Cornell’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) invited Ithaca campus students, faculty and staff to participate in a confidential, secure email survey to capture our community’s perspectives and experiences related to police practices and procedures on campus. PSAC members, comprising students, faculty and staff, initiated the survey…
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Supporting student mental health and well-being
April 13, 2021 Dear Students, I write today to offer my support to the Cornell student community in light of our recent loss of student Shawn West. This past year has been extraordinarily difficult, having navigated intersecting stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including xenophobia, health disparities, national reckonings related to racial injustice, political upheaval,…
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Supporting students mental health and well-being
April 12, 2021 Dear Colleagues, We write today to offer support to the Cornell community in light of our collective loss of student Shawn West in the context of an extraordinarily difficult year. In 2020-21, we have navigated challenges from converging stressors related to the COVID pandemic, including xenophobia, health disparities, national reckonings related to…
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Commencement update
April 6, 2021 Dear Members of the Cornell Community, I am delighted to be writing you today to share good news about our plans for in-person Commencement celebrations for the Class of 2021. We are still awaiting additional guidance from New York state on COVID-19 public health measures for graduation events. But we are moving…
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Cannabis use remains prohibited on campus
April 2, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, As many of you may know, this week New York state legalized the recreational use of cannabis for adults over the age of 21. However, Cornell University is subject to federal laws that expressly prohibit the possession, use or distribution of cannabis on university property or as part of…
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COVID-19 Vaccination and Fall Instruction
April 2, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, Although we all appreciate that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and that we must remain vigilant around public health measures to protect ourselves and our community, there is reason to be hopeful as we plan for the future. More than 90 million U.S. residents have safely received one…
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Update on May 2021 Commencement planning
March 25, 2021 Dear Cornellians, On a beautiful spring day like today, my thoughts quickly turn to what, for me, is the highlight of the season – the opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of our graduates at Commencement. My expectation remains that I will be able to announce…
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Increase in COVID-19 cases and the future of campus operations
March 19, 2021 As you recently learned, a disturbing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases within our student body has forced the university to move to COVID-19 Alert Level Yellow. Even more disturbing than the number of new cases is what is behind those numbers: a blatant disregard by some students for the public…
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Statement on Anti-Asian Violence
March 17, 2021 Members of the Cornell Community, The recent string of shootings in the Atlanta area, which left at least six Asian women dead, is appalling, and my heart goes out to the victims and their families. While the details of these killings are still forthcoming, we do know that throughout the course of…