Statements Prod

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Increase in COVID-19 cases and change in campus operations

    Aug. 27, 2021 Dear Ithaca campus community, As students arrived in Ithaca for the start of the semester, we expected to see a significant number of positive COVID-19 cases identified through our arrival and surveillance testing. In fact, our decision to reinstate mandatory surveillance testing for almost all students recognized this likelihood and was instituted…

  • Cornell Community Welcome

    Aug. 26, 2021 Dear Cornellians, It’s been wonderful to see the campus come alive over the past week, as our new and returning students, and so many of our faculty and staff, have arrived and returned to campus. Whether you are here in Ithaca, in New York City, in Geneva, or somewhere else in the…

  • Update on the Mental Health Review

    Aug. 19, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, A new academic year is about to begin, and we’d like to extend a warm welcome to the newest members of our Cornell community, and to all returning students, staff and faculty. Today we are pleased to share two new developments related to the campus Mental Health Review—a multi-year…

  • In-person operations for the fall semester

    August 13, 2021 As a follow up to Wednesday’s virtual town hall, in which a number of faculty and staff expressed concern about our approach to in-person operations for the fall semester, I wanted to provide some additional context. Cornell cares deeply about our faculty and staff, who have demonstrated tremendous resiliency throughout the COVID-19…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Student Code of Conduct

    June 2, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, As previously announced, the Board of Trustees approved a new Student Code of Conduct (Student Code) in December 2020. I am pleased to share with you today that the new Student Code (PDF) and procedures (PDF) will take effect August 2, 2021. The new Student Code focuses on making…

  • 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…

  • Vice President Lombardi offers condolences on the death of Allen Hyunwoo Park ’23

    May 27, 2021 It is with deep sadness that I share the news that Allen Hyunwoo Park ’23, a sophomore from Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, died last evening as a result of injuries he sustained at his apartment complex. A student in the College of Arts and Sciences, Allen had not yet declared a major.…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • Vice President Lombardi offers condolences on death of Phillip Zukowski ’23

    May 9, 2021 It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Phillip Zukowski ’23 was found deceased yesterday in the Ithaca Falls Natural Area. The Ithaca Police Department is leading an investigation into the circumstances of his death. Anyone who may have been in the area of N. Willard Way and…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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.…

  • 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,…

  • 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…

  • Vice President Lombardi offers condolences on death of Shawn West ‘24

    April 10, 2021 Dear Cornellians, I write to share the news of a tremendous loss within our community. Yesterday afternoon, Cornell Police, Bang’s Ambulance and the Ithaca Police responded to a North Campus residence hall where Shawn West ’24 was discovered deceased within a residence hall room. Shawn was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon. At…

  • Message from Vice President Lombardi

    April 8, 2021 Dear Cornell Community, The Cornell University Police are actively searching for missing Cornell student Shawn West. Shawn was last seen in his residence hall on North Campus the morning of Tuesday, April 6. A parent, who resides in New York City, reported him missing yesterday afternoon. Shawn is a first-year student in…

  • 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…

  • 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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