Statements Prod

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Update on the university’s COVID-19 response

    April 22, 2020 Dear Cornellians, Six weeks have now passed since we made the extraordinary decision to move instruction online and begin to deactivate our physical campus operations. Life, for all of us, is now radically different. As a community, we have adapted, transformed and sacrificed our routines and our expectations, finding new daily rhythms…

  • Update on COVID-19 Planning and Summer Programs

    April 22, 2020 Dear Cornellians, Six weeks have now passed since we made the extraordinary decision to move instruction online and begin to deactivate our physical campus operations. Life, for all of us, is now radically different. As a community, we have adapted, transformed and sacrificed our routines and our expectations, finding new daily rhythms…

  • Pollack Outlines Guiding Principles for COVID-19 Response

    April 7, 2020 Dear Cornellians, Wherever you may be as you are reading this, I want to start by asking you to picture Cornell in your mind. Many of you will picture the Ithaca campus: perhaps Libe Slope, or the Arts Quad, or West Campus, or perhaps Schoellkopf Field, or the Botanic Gardens. Others of…

  • Building community during times of struggle

    March 26, 2020 Dear Cornellians: Like all of you, I have been adjusting in the last weeks to our shared new reality, in which the mandate of social distancing drives new patterns of daily life. It feels like a very long time since I last attended an event, shook a hand or worked in my…

  • COVID-19 update: Confirmed cases within Ithaca campus community

    March 20, 2020 Dear Members of the Cornell Community, As you know, Cornell has been working with public health officials to monitor the ongoing spread of the virus. Earlier today, we were notified that the Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19 within the Ithaca campus community of faculty, staff…

  • May 2020 Commencement changes

    March 20, 2020 Dear seniors and other graduating students (and, by copy, the entire Cornell community), You have just about completed intense years of study at Cornell. You’ve done amazing things here, both inside and outside the classroom. In normal times, we would celebrate your accomplishments with commencement on Memorial Day weekend. Commencement is a…

  • To the Cornell Community

    March 17, 2020 First, let me assure you that this message does not include any new policies or procedures. Rather, I simply wanted to share some of my reflections on the enormous challenge that we are now all facing. In the past week to 10 days, all of our lives have changed in ways that…

  • Cornell suspends classes; virtual instruction begins April 6

    March 13, 2020 Dear Members of the Cornell Community, Each day brings us new information about the evolving pandemic. I appreciate the grace that so many of you have been demonstrating as we adjust to difficult changes to our lives. Things will continue to be difficult for a while, but by working together we will…

  • Message from President Pollack about the importance of social distancing

    March 11, 2020 Dear Members of the Cornell Community, I appreciate all of the input that my leadership team and I have received since yesterday’s announcement of the measures we are enacting to contain the spread of COVID-19. One thing that has been particularly gratifying in the conversations that I have had is the clear…

  • Cornell announces proactive measures to prevent spread of coronavirus

    March 10, 2020 Dear Members of the Cornell Community, As the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has spread around the world, it has challenged all of us in different ways. Some of us may have relatives in countries that were impacted early, others may have elderly relatives about whom we are worried, still others may be…

  • Coronavirus update: Enhanced policies for international travel, campus events

    March 5, 2020 Dear Cornell Community, University leadership has been meeting regularly to coordinate our response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), as state and local health officials continue to stress that the risk to the Cornell community—both in New York City and in Ithaca—remains low. We remain focused on the health and well-being of our campus…

  • Cornell expands travel protocols due to coronavirus

    March 2, 2020 Dear Cornell Community, As you are aware, guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) is evolving rapidly. Recently, the U.S. government issued new warnings against travel to Italy and Iran, as well as new screening protocols…

  • Coronavirus Update: Guidelines, travel restrictions and accommodations, summer programs

    Feb. 27, 2020 Dear Cornell Community, As you are aware, Cornell University has been closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19). While there are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York state, the World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed cases in more than 30 countries. We realize there is uncertainty about the situation, and we…

  • Provost’s Message to Students and Staff

    Feb. 27, 2020 Dear Cornellians, For the past several years, faculty with expertise in the social sciences have guided extensive discussions to consider how to further elevate these critical areas of inquiry at Cornell as we position the university for sustained, long-term excellence and prominence in these fields. Following these comprehensive reviews, which have been…

  • Fossil fuel divestment: An FAQ for the Cornell community

    Feb. 13, 2020 As Cornell’s shared governance groups consider resolutions related to the divestment of fossil fuel-related holdings from the university’s endowment, these FAQs provide some background for the campus community. What has Cornell done in the area of sustainability? Sustainability has been an important value at Cornell for decades. Cornell’s first energy conservation initiative…

  • Update on Novel Coronavirus

    Feb. 9, 2020 On Feb. 9, public health officials confirmed that the second student who met the criteria for testing does not have the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Feb. 7, 2020 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, As you are aware, earlier this week a Cornell student met the criteria for testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. We…

  • Update on Novel Coronavirus

    Feb. 9, 2020 On Feb. 9, public health officials confirmed that the second student who met the criteria for testing does not have the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Feb. 7, 2020 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, As you are aware, earlier this week a Cornell student met the criteria for testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. We…

  • Community support

    Feb. 7, 2020 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, As you are aware, the World Health Organization has declared the 2019 Novel Coronavirus a global health emergency that is impacting dozens of countries, including the U.S. Though the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has been relatively small in comparison to mainland China, Japan, Australia and…

  • Passing of Cornell President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes

    Feb. 4, 2020 Dear Cornell Community, It is with sadness that I inform you today that Cornell President Emeritus Frank H.T. Rhodes, an unparalleled leader, colleague and friend to generations of Cornellians, passed away last night at the age of 93. Frank Rhodes led Cornell for 18 years, from 1977 to 1995, nearly unheard of…

  • Public Health Update: Novel Coronavirus

    Feb. 3, 2020 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, On Sunday, a Cornell student presented symptoms that met criteria for testing for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the only entity in the U.S. able to test for Novel Coronavirus, they are currently processing the laboratory tests and results…

  • Message regarding travel to mainland China during spring semester

    Jan. 29, 2020 Dear Cornell Community, In response to growing concerns over the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all nonessential travel to China be suspended at this time. Based on this guidance, effective immediately, the university will not permit Cornell-related undergraduate, graduate or professional student travel…

  • Vice President Lombardi offers condolences on death of Paul Benton Fisher-York ’22

    Dec. 29, 2019 It is with deep sadness that I share the news that Paul Benton Fisher-York ‘22 died suddenly of a previously undiagnosed cardiac condition on December 25 while at home with his family. Paul, a major in Computer Science in the College of Engineering, developed a passion for robotics while participating on the…

  • President Pollack announces reforms for Greek life at Cornell

    Dec. 18, 2019 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, More than seven weeks have passed since the tragic death of Antonio Tsialas. Unfortunately, we still do not have a full accounting of the circumstances that led to his passing. We do know that he was last seen at an unregistered fraternity party at Phi Kappa Psi on…

  • Vice President Lombardi offers condolences on death of James Stewart

    Dec. 17, 2019 I am profoundly saddened to share the news that James Stewart, a master’s student in entomology, died unexpectedly yesterday. James joined Cornell in fall 2018 to study vector-bone diseases and how changing climate and land use patterns have influenced the range expansion of the West Nile virus mosquito vector. He loved the…

  • President offers update on investigation, Greek reforms

    Nov. 19, 2019 Dear Ithaca Campus Community, I am writing with an update on two issues that have been at the forefront of our attentions over the last number of weeks: the investigation into the death of Antonio Tsialas and the ongoing pattern of misconduct in the Greek-letter system. First, the investigation into Antonio’s tragic…

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