Cornell University
- Campus issues, Cornell University, DEI, Department of Education, Diversity equity and inclusion, DOE, Ithaca, News, On Campus, race-conscious decisions, Trump Executive orders, Trump policies
Department of Education Appears to Relax Stance on DEI Ban
The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights released a “Frequently Asked Questions” document on Feb. 28 clarifying its stance on the Feb. 14 directive urging the elimination of race-conscious decisions in higher education. The ED’s Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter instructed schools to eliminate “racial preferences” and otherwise race-conscious decisions in areas including admissions, hiring and institutional programming within two weeks or risk losing federal funding. However, after this sweeping directive sparked weeks of confusion and controversy, the ED has signaled a softer stance on race-conscious programs. The FAQ document indicates that not all diversity programs are banned outright — offering some flexibility for institutions to continue certain DEI…
- Cornell, Cornell University, District 3, ILR, ILR Cornell, Ithaca, Ithaca County Legislature, ithaca news, News, Off Campus, Packman
ILR Research Associate Iris Packman ’06 Announces Candidacy For County Legislature
School of Industrial and Labor Relations faculty member and Ithaca native Iris Packman ’06 announced her candidacy for the Tompkins County Legislature seat for District 3 on Feb. 24, receiving endorsements from Susan Currie, the current county legislator for the district, and the Working Families Party. Packman currently works as a senior research and policy development associate at the ILR School’s Climate Jobs Institute, noting that she hopes to utilize her expertise in labor and climate policy when in office. “As a lawyer, to watch the constitution at a federal level be really threatened is terrifying [and] kind of shakes the foundation of what I believe in and what I…
- adpro, advocacy, advocacy project, advocate, Charlotte Nelson, Cornell, Cornell University, cornellians, empower, News, News Story, On Campus, student voices, the advocacy project
The Advocacy Project at Cornell University: Empowering Student Voices Through Advocacy Training
Whether it’s on a college campus or in an interview, advocacy can be daunting. However, it is necessary on a day-to-day basis — a fact not lost on The Advocacy Project at Cornell. The student-led organization, known as “AdPro,” has been working since 2020 to equip underrepresented individuals or anyone else struggling with advocacy on and off campus with the skills to advocate for themselves personally and professionally. According to Chief Executive Officer Charlotte Nelson ’27, AdPro uses a student-authored curriculum to inform members how to properly advocate for those around them. This includes trainings on “Advocacy 101,” “Public Speaking 101” and “Professionalism 101” — subjects that are a pillar…
- Chili Cook-off, Chili Fest, Cornell, Cornell University, downtown ithaca, Ithaca, Ithaca Commons, ithaca news, News, Off Campus
27th Annual Chili Cook-Off Draws Thousands to Ithaca Commons
Thousands of attendees braved cold weather and wind on Saturday to crown the best chili in Ithaca at the 27th Annual Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off, hosted by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. The event, which ran from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Ithaca Commons, boasted over 40 vendors serving chili or chili-inspired products. 29 businesses and nonprofits served vegan, vegetarian and meat chili to compete for the first-place People’s Choice Award. Last year, Statler Hotel’s Taverna Banfi won first place for the best chili. Taverna Banfi executive chef Eric Szymczak said “there’s no doubt” that his chili will take home first place again this year. Szymczak credited his untraditional…
- Cornell, Cornell University, cornell university protest, enviroment and sustainability, enviromental protection agency, EO, executive orders, News, On Campus, Plant Science, President Trump, Protest, rally, school for integrated plant science, Science, science is real, science protest, SIPS, Trump administration, Uncategorized
‘Human Need, Not Corporate Greed,’ Cornell SIPS Advocacy Members Urge the Public to Stand Up For Science Amid Recent Executive Orders
About 150 School of Integrative Plant Science students, faculty and supporters assembled outside of Mann Library at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Protestors carried signs demanding access to science for all in the face of recent executive orders and echoed chants for “human need, not corporate greed.” Speakers called for members of the Ithaca community to “stand up for science,” emphasizing the loss of research funding through National Institutes of Health grants and the backpedaling of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at universities under the Trump administration. In response to President Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order on Unleashing American Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently froze funding to the Partnerships…
- Administration, board of trustees, conservative, cornell election, cornell trustees, Cornell University, Election, Ithaca election, News
Two Unendorsed Candidates Bring Conservative Perspectives to Alumni-Elected Trustee Ballot
Two unendorsed candidates have joined the alumni-elected trustee ballot, bringing conservative perspectives to the election. The Board of Trustees consists of 64 members, including eight alumni-elected trustees. Its responsibilities include managing Cornell’s investments, selecting the president and approving the operating budget. Voting for the annual election is open from Feb. 1 through Feb. 28, and Cornell alumni will have the opportunity to elect two new Board of Trustee members. The 2025 candidates include four candidates endorsed by the Committee on Alumni Trustee Nominations, a committee of alumni representatives across colleges and alumni organizations. The committee endorses who they find to be qualified alumni nominated for election and recommends process improvement…
- Administration, Cornell, cornell administration, Cornell finances, Cornell University, Finances, Hiring Pause, Ithaca, ivy league, News
Cornell Announces University-Wide Hiring Pause, Citing ‘Significant Financial Uncertainty’
The University announced a hiring pause, effective immediately, across all colleges, schools, divisions and administrative units in a statement on Thursday afternoon, citing a “time of significant financial uncertainty” along with “all of American higher education.” The decision comes amid Cornell and 11 other universities filing a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health for funding restrictions that would cost the University $80 million. Several other universities, including Stanford University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Northwestern University, have also announced hiring freezes in the past two weeks. “The potential for deep cuts in federal research funding, as well as tax legislation affecting our endowment income, has now been added…
- Administration, Cornell, Cornell DEI policies, Cornell President Trump, Cornell President Trump Executive Orders, Cornell statement, Cornell University, DE, DEI, DEI Cornell, Department of Education, interim president michael kotlikoff, Interim President Michael Kotlikoff statement, Michael Kotlikoff, Michael Kotlikoff statement, News, Provost Kavita Bala, US DE
Kotlikoff Affirms Cornell’s Commitment to ‘Merit-Based Decisions,’ Diversity Amid New Federal Guidance
Interim President Michael Kotlikoff sent a statement to the Cornell community on Friday morning addressing campus concerns regarding recent changes to federal regulations and guidelines relating to cuts in federal research funding and research and diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In the statement, Kotlikoff both affirmed the University’s commitment to following the law and described diversity as essential to the University’s mission. Kotlikoff announced in the statement the creation of a new university response planning team, which will be led by Provost Kavita Bala to analyze the impacts of the new federal policies. “This is a dynamic and evolving situation, and our response planning team will be prepared to address…
- Cornell, cornell administration, cornell protests, Cornell University, Ithaca, News, News Story, On Campus, student arrests
‘There’s No Due Process’: Pro-Palestinian Student Activists Speak Out About Suspension Proceedings
For Sara Almosawi ’25, the Fall 2024 semester was life-changing. Almosawi was suspended by the University following her involvement in a Sept. 18 protest that shut down a career fair featuring defense contractors Boeing and L3Harris. According to her, the suspension, which was lifted on Dec. 3 before she received an alternate resolution on Feb. 3, caused stress that led her to develop a sinus infection and digestive issues so severe that she visited the emergency room for treatment. “This process has put me through hell,” she said. At least 15 students were suspended for participating in the career fair protest organized by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation — a…
- climate adaptation, climate change, climate solutions, Cornell Botanic Gardens, Cornell University, drought mitigation, drought resilience, environmental challenges, gardening strategies, Horticulture, Multimedia, Science, sustainable practices, Video
MULTIMEDIA | How Cornell Botanic Gardens is Adapting to Climate Change
MULTIMEDIA | Weather editor Nicole Collins spoke to Emily Detrick, director of horticulture at Cornell Botanic Gardens, earlier this semester about mitigation strategies in response to recent droughts and the challenges of a changing climate. Filmed by Nicole CollinsEdited by Marian CaballoProduced by Nicole Collins and Marian Caballo