Difference between revisions of "Cornell University"

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Cornell University
City:	Ithaca, New York
Type:	Private
Sports:	baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, equestrian, fencing, field hockey, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, rifle, rowing, rugby, skiing, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, ultimate, volleyball, water polo, wrestling[1]
Colors:	carnelian (shade of red), white
Mascot:	Big Red
Degrees:	Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral[2]
Endowment:	$5.1 billion[3]
Website:	http://www.cornell.edu/

Cornell University is a university in Ithaca, New York, founded in 1865 by the New York State Legislature. Ezra Cornell, a farmer who had made a fortune as a pioneer in the telegraph industry, was serving in the New York State Senate where he met Andrew Dickson White. The two sponsored a bill to create New York State's land grant university under the Morrill Act of 1863. Cornell is the youngest member of the Ivy League, the last of eight. Cornell accepts applications from homeschooled children.^[4]

Of the Ivy League schools, Cornell is unusual in many ways. Educational historian Frederick Rudolph called Cornell the first "American university." That is, it was the first university on the pattern that many American universities—particularly the land-grant state universities—were to follow: coeducational, nonsectarian, and comprehensive. From the beginning, it was intended to compass far more than the classics and the liberal arts. This is shown by Cornell's motto, “I would found an institution where any person can find instruction in any study," and by the fact that it is the only Ivy League school whose motto is not in Latin.

Organization

Cornell is a non-profit institution governed by a 64-member board of trustees consisting of both privately and publicly appointed trustees. Three trustees are appointed by the Governor of New York; one seat is reserved for the eldest lineal descendant of Ezra Cornell; two members from each of the fields of agriculture, business and labor in New York state; eight trustees to be elected from among and by the alumni of the university; two trustees to be elected from among and by the faculty of the university at Ithaca and Geneva; two trustees to be elected from among and by the membership of the university's student body at Ithaca (one undergraduate and one graduate student);^[5] and one trustee to be elected from among and by the nonacademic staff and employees of the university at Ithaca and Geneva, 37 trustees at large and finally, the Governor, Temporary President of the Senate, Speaker of the Assembly, and president of the university serve in an ex officio voting capacity.^[6][7] Robert S. Harrison (a former student trustee) was elected the chairman of the board in March 2011.^[8] The Board elects a President to serve as the chief executive and educational officer.^[6] The Board of Trustees hold four regular meetings each year, and portions of those meetings are subject to the New York State Open Meetings Law.^[9]

Cornell consists of nine privately-endowed colleges as well as four publicly-supported "statutory colleges" that are also a part of the State University of New York (SUNY): the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Human Ecology, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and College of Veterinary Medicine. These statutory colleges received $131.9 million in SUNY appropriations in 2010-2011 to support their teaching, research, and service missions, which makes them accountable to SUNY trustees and other state agencies. The budget also includes $3.9 million of state funds for Cornell Cooperative Extension^[10][11][12] Residents of New York enrolled in these colleges also qualify for discounted tuition.^[13]

Cornell is decentralized, with each college and school exercising wide autonomy. Each defines its own academic programs, operates its own admissions and advising programs, and confers its own degrees. The only university-wide requirements for a baccalaureate degree are to pass a swimming test, take two physical education courses, and satisfy a writing requirement.^[14] A handful of inter-school academic departments offer courses in more than one college.^[15][16] All academic departments are affiliated with at least one college.^[17]

Seven schools provide undergraduate programs and an additional seven provide graduate and professional programs. Students pursuing graduate degrees in departments of these schools are enrolled in the Graduate School. The School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions offers programs for college and high school students, professionals, and other adults.^[18] Of the 13,515 undergraduate students, 4,251 (31.5%) are affiliated with the largest college by enrollment, Arts and Sciences, followed by 3,153 (23.3%) in Agriculture and Life Sciences and 2,680 (19.8%) in Engineering. By student enrollment, the smallest of the seven undergraduate colleges is Architecture, Art, and Planning, with 515 (3.8%) students.^[19]

There are a number of controversies surrounding Cornell's structure. First, Cornell has been a leader in "grievance studies" having one of the first Africana Studies and Research Centers in the nation. In 2011, this department was merged with the College of Arts and Sciences. Cornell's Arts College also has a Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department which was named "Women's Studies" until 2002.^[20] Second, Cornell recently established the Johnson College of Business by combining the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management MBA program with the School of Hotel Administration and the Agriculture School's Department of Agricultural Economics.^[21] Third, in response to a competition organized by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cornell formed a joint venture with Technion to start the "Cornell Tech" program on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Some people have questioned the independence of Technion from the Israeli government.

The university also operates eCornell, which offers both certificate programs and professional development courses online.^[22] In addition to being New York's land-grant college, Cornell is also is a partner in New York's sea-grant program,^[23] is the hub of the Northeast's sun-grant program,^[24] and is a part of New York's space-grant consortium.^[25]

In 2009, Cornell ranked third among universities in the U.S. in fund-raising, collecting $446.75 million in private support.^[26] In addition to the central University development staff located in Ithaca and New York City, each college and program has their own staffed fundraising program.

Cornell's main campus is in Ithaca, New York with additional campuses in New York City, Washington, DC, Rome Italy, and Qatar.

Religion at Cornell

Cornell was atypical among higher education institutions at the time of its founding by being nonsectarian. In fact, Cornell had to compete against church-sponsored schools for its land-grant designation. Critics at the time accused it of being "godless." A.D. White noted in his inaugural address, "We will labor to make this a Christian institution, a sectarian institution may it never be."^[27] However, the university has made provision for voluntary religious observance on campus. Currently, the University Charter provides, "Persons of every religious denomination, or of no religious denomination, shall be equally eligible to all offices and appointments".^[28] Through the 20th century, the University Charter also required that a majority of trustees could not be of any single religious denomination. In 1875, Sage Chapel, a non-denominational house of worship opened on campus.^[27] Since 1929, the Cornell United Religious Works (CURW) has been an umbrella organization for the campus chaplains sponsored by different denominations and faiths.^[29] Perhaps the most newsworthy of the chaplains was Daniel Berrigan who, while Assistant Director of CURW, became a national leader in protesting the Vietnam War.^[30] In 1971, the social activism aspects of CURW were spun off into a separate Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy (CRESP). In 2006, CRESP was reorganized as Cornell's Center for Transformative Action.^[31]

John R. Mott, Cornell Class of 1888, was concerned about Cornell's "godless" reputation, and became the leader in the Student Christian Association. Under his leadership the group started raising money for a headquarters building. Alfred Smith Barnes, a publisher and Cornell trustee,^[32] funded the construction of the building next to Sage Chapel on what was then called Central Avenue. William Henry Miller originally developed two competing designs for the building, a gothic design and the more modern Romanesque. The latter was constructed. The building is an L shape with a tower containing its main stairwell in the corner. Its main entrance faces the entry of Sage Chapel and it was built from matching bricks. The top floor is a large recital room with a cathedral ceiling supported by hammer beams. The lower floors contained public spaces and meeting rooms. Barnes Hall was Cornell's first student union. In 1925, that function moved across Central Avenue to Willard Straight Hall. In 1952, its religious functions moved to Anabel Taylor Hall.

Since the 1870s, Cornell's system of fraternities and sororities grew to play a large role in student life, with many chapters becoming a part of national organizations. As of 1952, 19 fraternities had national restrictions based on race, religion or national origin, and of the 32 fraternities without such national requirements, 19 did not have "mixed" memberships. In response, the undergraduate Interfraternity Council passed a resolution condemning discrimination.^[33][34] In the 1960s, the Trustees established a Commission to examine the membership restrictions of those national organizations. Cornell adopted a policy that required fraternities and sororities affiliated with nationals that discriminated based on religion or race to either amend their national charters or quit the national organizations. As a result, a number of national Greek organizations dropped racial or religious barriers to their membership.^[35]

In 1873, the cornerstone of Sage Hall was laid. This new hall was to house the Sage College for Women and thus to concretely establish Cornell University's coeducational status.^[36] Ezra Cornell wrote a letter for posterity—dated 15 May 1873—and sealed it into the cornerstone. No copies of the letter were made, and Cornell kept its contents a secret. However, he hinted at the theme of the letter during his speech at the dedication of Sage Hall, stating that "the letter deposited in the cornerstone addressed to the future man and woman, of which I have kept no copy, will relate to future generations the cause of the failure of this experiment, if it ever does fail, as I trust in God it never will."^[36]

On the occasion of laying the corner stone of the Sage College for women of Cornell University, I desire to say that the principle [sic] danger, and I say almost the only danger I see in the future to be encountered by the friends of education, and by all lovers of true liberty is that which may arise from sectarian strife.

From these halls, sectarianism must be forever excluded, all students must be left free to worship God, as their concience [sic] shall dictate, and all persons of any creed or all creeds must find free and easy access, and a hearty and equal welcome, to the educational facilities possessed by the Cornell University.

Coeducation of the sexes and entire freedom from sectarian or political preferences is the only proper and safe way for providing an education that shall meet the wants of the future and carry out the founders idea of an Institution where "any person can find instruction in any study." I herewith commit this great trust to your care.^[37]

The Cornell Religious Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences offers for-credit courses as well as an undergraduate major.^[38]

Notable Cornellians

Over the years, Cornell has had faculty and alumni from a wide variety of political view points:

• Allan Bloom - author of the The Closing of the American Mind
• Joyce Brothers - television psychologist
• Barber Conable - World Bank President and Congressman
• Ann Coulter - conservative columnist
• Charles Evans Hughes - noted jurist
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg - abortion rights advocate
• Thomas Sowell - conservative economist and social theorist
• John P. White - Deputy Secretary of Defense
• Paul Wolfowitz - World Bank President and Deputy Secretary of Defense

References

1. ↑ http://www.cstv.com/teams/corn/
2. ↑ College Search - Cornell University - At a Glance (English) (HTML). College Board. Retrieved on May 28, 2010.
3. ↑ 2011 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. Retrieved on November 20, 2012.
4. ↑ Christian Examiner, Sept. 2007, Vol 25, No 9, Pg. 12
5. ↑ "Trustees Discuss Role Students Play on Board", Cornell Daily Sun, May 12, 1981, p. 10. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Bylaws of Cornell University. Board of Trustees, Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
7. ↑ New York State Education Law §5703.
8. ↑ Robert Harrison elected next chair of Cornell's board, succeeding Peter Meinig. Cornell University. Retrieved on June 29, 2011.
9. ↑ Landsman, Jon. "Court Rules Against C.U. In Open Meetings Appeal University Limits Public Access", Cornell Daily Sun, 1981-05-27. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
10. ↑ State University of New York 2010-2011 Budget. Retrieved on December 19, 2011.
11. ↑ Ramanujan, Krishna. "State budget pleases CU administrators", The Cornell Chronicle, 17 April 2007. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
12. ↑ Graffeo, Victoria A. (17 February 2005). 3 No. 14: In the Matter of Jeremy W. Alderson v. New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, et al.. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
13. ↑ NYS Education Law §§ 350(3), 352(3) and 357. New York State Legislature. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
14. ↑ Cornell University. stateuniversity.com. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
15. ↑ Studying Computing and Information Science. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
16. ↑ Cornell Biology: Intro to the Major. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2010-09-20.
17. ↑ "Day Hall Merges Africana Center Into Arts College; Director Resigns in Protest", Cornell Daily Sun, December 2, 2010. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
18. ↑ School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2006-06-02.
19. ↑ 2009–10 Factbook (PDF). Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
20. ↑ Women's studies at Cornell evolves over 40-year history to include sexual minorities (November 4, 2009). Retrieved on 2019-08-02.
21. ↑ [https://business.cornell.edu/ Business with impact]. Retrieved on 2019-08-02.
22. ↑ About eCornell. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
23. ↑ NYSG: What is New York Sea Grant?. New York Sea Grant. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
24. ↑ Cornell tapped for regional Sun Grant hub to use $8 million in U.S. funds to spearhead next green revolution. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
25. ↑ New York NASA Space Grant Consortium. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
26. ↑ Contributions to the Nation’s Colleges and Universities Decline in 2009. Council for Aid to Education (February 3, 2010). Retrieved on 2010-11-24.
27. ↑ ^{27.0 27.1} Sage Chapel. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
28. ↑ New York State Education Law §5702.
29. ↑ Chaplains. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
30. ↑ Nancy Zaroulis (1989). Who Spoke Up? American Protest Against the War in Vietnam 1963-1975. Horizon Book Promotions. ISBN 0-385-17547-7. ; Howard Zinn (1994; new ed. 2002). You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train. Beacon Press, 126–38. ISBN 0-8070-7127-7. 
31. ↑ Lang, Susan. "Cornell's CRESP transforms its name to reflect new model for social change", Cornell Chronicle, Oct. 31, 2006. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
32. ↑ Earle, Corey. "Architectural Amusements", Cornell Daily Sun, September 27, 2006. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
33. ↑ "Proposed IFC Resolution", Cornell Daily Sun, 9 April 1952, p. 4. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
34. ↑ "IFC Passes Proposals Against Bias Clauses", Cornell Daily Sun, 5 May 1952, p. 1. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
35. ↑ Huffman, Deborah. "Trustees Implement Anti-Bias Legislation for All Living Units", Cornell Daily Sun, 23 February 1968, p. 1. Retrieved on 2011-06-29. 
36. ↑ ^{36.0 36.1 36.2} Goetz, Jill (20 March 1997). Ezra Cornell's commitment to nonsectarianism. Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
37. ↑ Sage Cornerstone Letter. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.
38. ↑ Cornell Religious Studies Program. Cornell University. Retrieved on 2011-06-29.