Statements Prod

Tag: Pollack

  • External advisory committee recommendations

    May 31, 2024 Last November, I laid out a series of actions that we would take to build on our commitment to combatting antisemitism and all forms of hatred at Cornell. Our comprehensive approach included rapid and forceful response to harassment or incitement to violence; a thorough review of university policies; new academic offerings and…

  • Response to student referendum

    May 30, 2024 Dear Patrick, Thank you for conveying to me the results of the student referendum of April 22, 2024. The ongoing situation in the Middle East is extremely distressing. The loss of so many innocent lives, starting with the horrific terrorist attacks on October 7 and continuing to today with the war in…

  • Encampment Update

    May 14, 2024 Dear Cornellians, Last evening, the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (CML) voluntarily took down their encampment on the Arts Quad. While I do not condone the encampment, which was in clear violation of university policies, I want to acknowledge and express gratitude that in contrast to what has taken place at some other…

  • Some news

    May 9, 2024 Dear Cornellians, April 17 marked the seventh anniversary of my joining Cornell as its president. I am writing today to announce that this will be my last year in that role, and that I will retire on June 30. It is only after extensive reflection that I have determined that this is…

  • Update on campus events

    April 29, 2024 Dear Cornellians: Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen turmoil at campuses across the country. Universities are grappling with the inherent tension that I have often mentioned between free expression, which includes the right to peaceful protest, and ensuring that protests do not encroach upon the rights of our students,…

  • Patient safety programs at Weill Cornell Medicine

    April 22, 2024 Dear Weill Cornell Medicine Community, This week you will likely see updates on serious allegations of misconduct against a former faculty member, which are extremely disturbing. We feel deeply for the survivors and their families. No patient who entrusts us with their care should ever experience such appalling behavior. Shortly after learning…

  • Patient safety programs at Weill Cornell Medicine

    April 22, 2024 Dear Weill Cornell Medicine Community, This week you will likely see updates on serious allegations of misconduct against a former faculty member, which are extremely disturbing. We feel deeply for the survivors and their families. No patient who entrusts us with their care should ever experience such appalling behavior. Shortly after learning…

  • Patient safety programs at Weill Cornell Medicine

    April 22, 2024 Dear Weill Cornell Medicine Community, This week you will likely see updates on serious allegations of misconduct against a former faculty member, which are extremely disturbing. We feel deeply for the survivors and their families. No patient who entrusts us with their care should ever experience such appalling behavior. Shortly after learning…

  • Resources for navigating these challenging times

    April 19, 2024 Dear Cornell students, We know the past several months have been difficult for many students and, more recently, that further strain has emerged as both sides passionately advocate their positions on the recent referendum. We want to remind students of the many resources available to you – as well as to highlight…

  • Protecting the rights of our community to teach and learn without disruption

    March 27, 2024 This letter first appeared in The Cornell Daily Sun on March 26, 2024. In light of ongoing protests by the Coalition of Mutual Liberation — a group that has stated its intention to repeatedly disrupt the activities of the University — The Cornell Daily Sun has published several letters from our faculty…

  • Statement on Islamophobic incident in Collegetown

    March 19, 2024 Dear Ithaca campus community, I write today after being made aware that a Muslim Cornell student was spat upon yesterday while walking in Collegetown. If the individual who committed this awful, Islamophobic act is identified as a member of the Cornell community, they will be held fully accountable for this deplorable and…

  • Update on Interim Expressive Activity Policy

    March 11, 2024 Dear Cornell Community: Over the past weeks, the University Assembly (UA) has been soliciting feedback from our community on the Interim Expressive Activity Policy. We are very appreciative of the thoughtful input received from faculty, staff, and students, and we thank the UA for its continued work on this important issue. We…

  • Spring semester updates

    Feb. 8, 2024 Dear Cornellians, I hope all of you had a chance to rest and relax over the winter break, and that you’ve come back to campus with a renewed sense of commitment to our academic community. We experienced a difficult fall, indeed, but through it all I have seen many instances of Cornellians…

  • Unanimous Vote in Support of President Martha E. Pollack

    Jan. 27, 2024 Cornell University Board of Trustees Jan. 27, 2024 Cornell was founded on the principle that ‘any person can find instruction in any study.’ Under President Martha E. Pollack’s leadership, the university has remained faithful to this principle and to the core values that unite our institution. Today, the Board of Trustees of…

  • University policies under development

    Jan. 24, 2024 Dear Ithaca, AgriTech, and Cornell Tech communities, We write regarding two interim policies, released today, related to expressive activities and doxxing. Work on these policies began in spring 2023, in the lead-up to our freedom of expression theme year, and last semester underscored the importance of such policies as we, as a…

  • Hateful social media post

    Jan. 11, 2024 Dear Cornell community, This morning we learned of a post on social media allegedly from a Cornell student explicitly stating that “Zionists must die.” Cornell Police and the Office of Student Conduct are investigating and if we determine that it was posted by a member of the Cornell community, they will be…

  • Statement on university policy

    Dec. 9, 2023 Over the past few days, a number of universities, including Cornell, have been asked by members of Congress to make clear their policies around genocide. Genocide is abhorrent, and Cornell condemns calls for the genocide of any people. An explicit call for genocide, to kill all members of a group of people,…

  • Standing against antisemitism and all forms of hate

    Nov. 1, 2023 Dear Cornell community, The past two and a half days have been difficult ones for our university. In addition to the vile antisemitic posts that threatened our Jewish community on Sunday, today we had a concerning crime alert. Even though it was unsubstantiated, it adds to the stress we are all feeling.…

  • Antisemitic threats to our community

    Oct. 29, 2023 Dear members of the Cornell community, Earlier today, a series of horrendous, antisemitic messages threatening violence to our Jewish community and specifically naming 104 West — the home of the Center for Jewish Living — was posted on a website unaffiliated with Cornell. Law enforcement was immediately notified. At this time, Cornell…

  • Statement of President Pollack and Board Chair Kayser on Prof. Russell Rickford comments

    Oct. 17, 2023 We learned yesterday of comments that Professor Russell Rickford made over the weekend at an off-campus rally where he described the Hamas terrorist attacks as “exhilarating.” This is a reprehensible comment that demonstrates no regard whatsoever for humanity. As we said in yesterday’s statement, endorsed by senior leadership of the Board of…

  • Supporting one another as we stand against hatred (Follow up on events in Israel)

    Oct. 16, 2023 Dear Cornell Community, The despicable atrocities perpetrated by the Hamas terrorist organization in Israel last week left the world reeling with shock, horror, anger and grief. The brutal attacks shattered countless innocent lives, caused unimaginable pain and challenged our very understanding of humanity. The intentional targeting and killing of innocent civilians is…

  • Follow up to Israel message

    Oct. 10, 2023 Dear Cornell Community, Earlier today, I wrote to you with the goal of providing information about the efforts that we have made over the last few days to reach out to and support our faculty, students and staff who have been impacted by the devastation in Israel, and to acknowledge the impact…

  • Response to the terrorism in Israel

    Oct. 10, 2023 Dear Cornell Community, Earlier today, I wrote to you with the goal of providing information about the efforts that we have made over the last few days to reach out to and support our faculty, students and staff who have been impacted by the devastation in Israel, and to acknowledge the impact…

  • Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions Final Report

    September 14, 2023 Dear Cornellians, The Presidential Task Force on Undergraduate Admissions has now submitted a final report of recommendations for updated policies and best practices related to undergraduate admissions at Cornell. I have carefully reviewed their recommendations, and Provost Michael Kotlikoff and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Lisa…

  • Welcome message from President Pollack

    August 24, 2023 Dear Cornellians, Welcome to the 2023-24 academic year! It’s a pleasure to see the campus again full of students and activity. While the start of every academic year at Cornell is marked by great anticipation, this autumn is especially exciting as we embark together on our university-wide theme year, “The Indispensable Condition:…