University Statements

Dear Cornell community,

Today the university is forming a new task force to examine critical questions concerning how and when Cornell should speak institutionally on matters of politics, ideology, current affairs, and world events.

The Task Force on Institutional Voice, led by Jens Ohlin, the Allan R. Tessler Dean of Cornell Law School, and Avery August, deputy provost and professor of immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will define the university’s approach for responding to complex societal and global issues while also upholding our core value of free and open inquiry and expression.

The task force will work throughout the remainder of this semester to develop a framework for institutional speech that offers principles and best practices for university leadership and for colleges, departments, centers, and other campus units. Its final report will provide recommendations for when, how, and by whom institutional statements should be issued at various levels of the university.

This task force reflects our commitment to fostering an environment that supports and encourages open dialogue and freedom of expression by individual faculty, students, and staff while permitting space for Cornell to speak institutionally on fundamental issues that warrant response. Cornell’s founding principle of “… any person … any study” includes not only a diversity of educational experiences and opportunities, but also a diversity of views and expressions. The task force will keep this ethos at the center of its efforts.

As this work advances, the task force co-chairs welcome your insights and perspectives, which can be shared at tfiv@cornell.edu. Your input will be valuable in developing Cornell’s approach to exercising our institutional voice.

Sincerely,

Michael I. Kotlikoff
Interim President

Kavita Bala
Provost

Robert A. Harrington, M.D.
Provost for Medical Affairs