One of Cornell University’s top donors has called on the school’s president to resign and said he will no longer donate to the institution if it continues to implement diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
In an open letter to Chairman Kraig Kayser and the Board of Trustees, Cornell trustee emeritus and presidential counselor Jon A. Lindseth urged the university to abandon its “misguided commitment” to DEI, claiming the adoption of such an initiative has produced “disgrace” rather than “excellence .”
“I am proud to consider myself one of several generations of Lindseth who are Cornell alumni and investing donors, but I am concerned about the recent decline in the quality of education offered by my alma mater due to its negative involvement with DEI policies that have infiltrated the every part. university,” he wrote.
“I have spent years listening to the story of Cornell and its leadership, participating as a student, and sponsoring and funding some of the University’s exemplary past works including the Library (which I continue to fund). I can no longer make public contributions until the university reformulates its approach to education by replacing DEI groupthink with the original good intentions of Cornell,” he added.
Jon A. Lindseth, one of Cornell’s most prominent donors, called for the school’s president to resign. External Education YouTube/Cornell
Lindseth, who has been one of the school’s biggest donors for decades, contrasted President Martha E. Pollack’s “shameful” response to antisemitism and Hamas violence with her “strong response” after the killing of George Floyd. He suggested the discrepancy showed schools were no longer concerned with “discovering and disseminating knowledge” but rather “obeying DEI groupthink.”
“Today, the instruction that Cornell offers is in DEI groupthink that is used for every field of study. The result is a moral decay, some call it ‘rot,’ which is in line with the prevailing ideology and disrespects the basic principles of justice and freedom of speech,” added Lindseth.
The Cornell alumnus listed several concerns, including the rise of antisemitism and “general intolerance” on campus and the elimination of SATS and grades, which he claims promotes a system based on equal outcomes rather than proven merit.
Cornell’s response to antisemitism was one of the concerns listed in the letter. AP
Lindseth also said that the new campus “biased reporting system” has helped foster an “Orwellian environment” among classmates, colleagues and neighbors.
“Cornell alumni have organized to offer support and feedback over the past year, providing policy proposals and whistleblower accounts of problematic behavior on campus by students, faculty and administrators,” he said. “The intent is to see Cornell’s excellence restored by the persistent return of DEI and the toxic academic environment it has created.”
Lindseth revealed he had asked for the call for Pollack’s resignation to be added to the Jan. 26 emergency board meeting.
The letter also denounced the new campus’s “biased reporting system.” Getty Images/iStockphoto
He also cited recent information provided to alumni by the Cornell Free Speech Alliance, which included reports that the school hired faculty based on race to meet DEI requirements and incidents where faculty were singled out and disciplined for expressing minority opinions on national events and policies. .
“By writing this letter, more and more Cornell alumni are refusing to continue donating to their alma mater. Unfortunately, President Pollack and his administration have refused to engage with concerned alumni and their strong policy proposals to correct Cornell’s course,” added Lindseth.
He also submitted various recommendations to the Board of Trustees, including the removal of DEI staff, a return to Open Inquiry, Academic Freedom, Free Expression and Diversity of Views on campus and the cancellation of the proposed “Cornell Center for Racial Justice.”
“No alumnus, student, or faculty member should accept that Cornell is in this shameful position. We need new leadership to correct this unacceptable situation and to redeem Cornell’s legacy and honor as soon as possible,” said Lindseth.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
