After Mayor Michael Bloomberg extended an invitation to higher education institutions, the University submitted a proposal Thursday to build an applied science research facility in New York City. 18 other institutions have also submitted proposals.Provost Kent Fuchs said the “technology campus” would be primarily funded by the city and private corporations. The new facility would develop information sciences and engineering programs for graduate students away from the Ithaca campus, he said.The cost could vary dramatically, as the amount of funding necessary “will depend on the site selected and what the city can provide,” Fuchs said. The city has suggested four locations around the city for the campus.Fuchs said revenue from the Ithaca campus would not be used to fund the new campus in the city. Instead, Fuchs said he hopes that corporations could provide much of the capital for research and development for the new campus. “We don’t want to compete with Ithaca,” Fuchs said. “No Ithaca campus tuition would be used.” Fuchs said he believes that New York City provides many opportunities for collaboration with private entities. The campus “would allow Cornell to tie into industry in the city, financial markets, media and the healthcare industry,” Fuchs said. The proposal could also garner further venture capital, he said. The campus will provide concentrations in many engineering disciplines, from the computer sciences to biomedical engineering, according to Fuchs.The University will also hire additional faculty for the campus, and Fuchs suggested the possibility of this new faculty in New York assisting with teaching in Ithaca. The academic departments of the new campus will answer to the Provost’s office, Fuchs said. The new campus’ academic courses, curriculum and faculty hiring will be overseen by Dean of Computing and Information Sciences Daniel P. Huttenlocher and Engineering Dean Lance Collins.After Bloomberg invited other universities to apply to establish satellite campuses, Cornell submitted a formal expression of interest by March 16. The University will receive final notice of the mayor’s decision by December.Stanford University and Purdue University have also expressed interest in submitting proposals, according to The Washington Square News.“We’re excited and glad to be doing this — we don’t want it to be Harvard or Stanford or anyone else,” Fuchs said.Fuchs said Cornell is the best candidate for the new campus.“We bring strength in terms of technology and information science. We have the home court advantage—us having the land-grant status,” he said.
Original Author: Max Schindler