Cornell affirms commitment to fairness and due process
Recent media coverage of a Cornell tenure case in the College of Arts and Sciences has generated concerns about Cornell’s commitment to fairness. The leadership of the College of Arts and Sciences and the University Administration thoroughly disagree with the narrative and many of the details of this situation as they have been reported in the media and with the overt and, we believe, unfair attacks that have been made against the dean of that college. However, the case in question is in active litigation and involves confidential personnel issues that we are not at liberty to disclose.
What Cornell can do is to state clearly and unequivocally its commitment to a number of fundamentally important principles. First, Cornell takes fairness and due process for all members of our community seriously. Second, we are committed to a university environment of teaching, research, and scholarship that is free from discrimination, harassment or abuse of power and that welcomes critique and criticism. Third, like any large institution, Cornell welcomes thoughtful and rigorous review of our policies and procedures so that these continue to align with our values and core principles.
Joel M. Malina
Vice President for University Relations