This is a critical time in the life of our University to recognize how far we have come in creating a diverse and inclusive community, but also a time when we must face squarely the long distance we still have to travel. In the wake of our commemoration of the 40th anniversary of The Straight Takeover, I feel compelled to elaborate on my commitment to diversity by sharing some thoughts about what we aim to achieve and how we will know if we are successful. I also want to alert you to some upcoming opportunities to engage the administration and other Cornellians on this set of issues.

Diversity has been a defining characteristic of our University since its founding, a critical factor in its success and is a personal priority. If we are to continue to lead, we must continue to seek and nurture exceptional talent without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or other characteristics that too often divide us.

As campuses across the United States reopen after winter breaks, the recent Gaza conflict has been on many people’s minds. This is particularly true at Cornell, which has substantial and activist communities of Jewish and Islamic faiths. Many of us here feel the anguish of the situation in the Middle East.

Just a week before the Presidential election, with unsettling economic news continuing to dominate the headlines, Cornell students have been asking me what they should do in order to succeed professionally in turbulent times

My column today was motivated by a current controversy on our campus and by the larger issues it represents. Articles in the Cornell Review’s orientation issue have once again put issues of civility, diversity, and free speech squarely before our campus community and the greater Cornell family. The views as expressed in the Review articles — one focused on minority students and one satirically linking Muslims to terrorism — were clearly at odds with the values of our university. The current controversy raises three broad issues: 1. How should we as a campus respond to writings and other forms of speech that target certain groups within our campus community in ways that many find offensive? 2. How can we foster a robust discussion and civil debate of contentious issues in ways that are respectful of political and intellectual diversity? 3. When it comes to hurtful or hateful speech, is there a certain line that we as a university won’t let people cross?