Correction appended. See below.
Since 1965, the Committee on Special Educational Projects has been a driving force in promoting diversity among the Cornell student body. In a university that preaches “any person, any study,” James A. Perkins, president of Cornell from 1963 to 1969, created COSEP out of concern that black students were underrepresented in predominantly white institutions of higher learning.
Since then, the Committee has evolved into an office with various service partnerships across campus. The goal is to enroll and retain minorities and students with economically or academically disadvantaged backgrounds.