The February 24th University Assembly (UA) meeting featured a presentation by President Kotlikoff, Provost Bala, and the new Vice President for University Relations, Kyle Kimball. The President typically attends one meeting with each shared governance body each semester. Kotlkoff responded to questions that UA members submitted in advance.
Kotlikoff’s prepared remarks addressed the review of Cornell’s judicial system and his concern for a “campus divide.” He wants a thoughtful process that features feedback from the community. In general, the judicial system must respond to protests that exceed areas protected by the First Amendment and extend to the point of infringing upon the rights of others. The system has successfully implemented the recommendations of the expressive activities policy. Kotlikoff emphasized that protests that create unpleasantness are not being curtailed because unpleasantness is protected by the First Amendment.
RELATED: Kotlikoff Responds to Referenda
Kotlikoff expressed concern that the debate about conduct has included online harassment targeting administrators.”Members of the community may disagree … but everyone should be treated with dignity and respect.” Kotlikoff advocated a path forward with “collaboration that is so necessary to the shared governance body.” Kotlikoff emphasized his commitment to shared governance.
The UA sought suggestions on how it could work more effectively with the President. Kotlikoff noted, “We work best if we work together.”
Future of the American University Committee
Provost Bala then commented on the Future of the American University Committee (FAU). It is still in the listening phase. They have formed a number of subcommittees as well as advisory panels filled with students, faculty, and staff. The main FAU remains an all-faculty group. The FAU will begin to formulate recommendations in March, and those recommendations will be discussed at town hall meetings in April and May. With that input, the FAU will write its report over the summer.
In response to questions about the absence of students or staff on the FAU, Kotlikoff announced a follow-on group called “Shaping Our Future,” which will include students, faculty, and staff. The FAU is also traveling to Washington DC and Albany to gather opinions about Cornell’s relationship with the federal and state governments.
The UA asked Kotlikoff to address the various drivers of Cornell’s austerity. The UA noted that the budget frame has shifted from near term challenges to more of a long term savings approach. Kotlikoff noted that the Resilient Cornell effort is more than a response to “federal research funding pressure.” Provost Bala noted that even though the November settlement lifted the freeze on Cornell’s existing contracts, overall, the research grants for federal agencies have been reduced in the 2025 budget. There are still pressures on indirect cost recovery under the research grants. Finally, Cornell’s international population (both students and faculty) has a less certain future. Bala says, “We are on the edge of our seats each year,” waiting to find out whether accepted students and scholars can come to Ithaca.
Privacy Protection
When the UA asked about the federal government’s reliability in funding the research mission of Cornell, Kotlikoff responded, “We need to invest more in research from our own resources.” He added, “We need to expand funding from non-federal sources.”
The UA raised concerns about student privacy under vendor contracts. Allegedly, Google shared confidential information about a student. Kotlkoff said that he was “not aware that Google provided any information about our students tothe federal government.”
[On a related point, the Tompkins County Legislature is investigating Flock Safety license plate readers, some of which are installed on the Cornell campus.]
The UA asked about allegations that federal agents somehow gained access to internal Cornell disciplinary documents. Kotlikoff responded that “We do not know that the federal government accessed internal disciplinary documents.” During the last academic year, two international students were targeted by the federal government, and one self-deported.
Relationship with Student Assembly
The Student Assembly charter gives the President 30 days to respond to its resolutions or to student referenda. This year, President Kotlikoff’s office has sent messages saying they needed more time and took much longer than 30 days to respond. Kotlikoff explained that his responses are coordinated with Cornell’s senior staff, and the process can take more than 30 days. He also suggested that the Student Assembly work with its advisors to get the administration to begin work on certain topics before the final resolution is passed. Kotlikoff promised to work with his team to improve response times.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
The Trump Administration has challenged DEI programs in higher education. Cornell has not changed its DEI policy, even under the terms of the November settlement. In Kotlikoff’s opinion, “diversity” is core to Cornell, and includes “diversity of expression and diversity of thought.”
He did note that programs that are exclusionary and limited to a particular identity group are illegal. In those cases, Cornell has opened up the program to all. The intent is to “uplift” those who need help, not to disadvantage anyone.
After the three panelists left, the University Assembly heard reports, including a complaint from its Codes committee that had drafted four resolutions regarding the judicial system and presented them to the UA in January. There were objections to the resolutions, but nobody responded to requests for additional feedback. The UA discussed accessing the law faculty to provide more legal expertise to resolve a number of current issues.
