Boris Tsang/Sun Photography Editor

Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi will take a sabbatical during the Spring 2025 semester.

January 22, 2025

V.P. Lombardi Takes Spring Sabbatical

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Ryan Lombardi, the vice president for student and campus life, will take a sabbatical during the Spring 2025 semester, according to a statement sent to The Sun by Dean of Students Marla Love.

Cornell Student and Campus Life works to provide a variety of programs and services across campus to support the student body, including Cornell Health, Athletics and Physical Education and the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement. 

Love said that the semester-long break from the University was granted to Lombardi in May 2024 by former president Martha Pollack and the Board of Trustees and that it “reflects the institution’s deep commitment to his leadership and to Student & Campus Life’s purpose to inspire transformation.”

The sabbatical follows a turbulent year, with administration facing criticism for its response to student demonstrations and campus tragedies.

Lombardi was initially granted the sabbatical after the Spring 2024 semester, following the pro-Palestinian encampment on the Arts Quad staged by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation — a collection of over 40 campus and local organizations.

During this encampment, Lombardi was involved in communicating with protesters, expressing the University’s disapproval.

Vice President for Student and Campus Life Ryan Lombardi and Dean of Students Marla Love arrive on the Arts Quad to meet students at the encampment. (Ming DeMers/Sun Senior Photographer)

His involvement in student protests continued into the Fall 2024 semester, where he dealt with the suspension of student activist Momodou Taal, who participated in a protest that shut down a career fair featuring defense contractors Boeing and L3Harris. According to Taal, Lombardi denied his suspension appeal after one business day.

Lombardi was also a primary University spokesperson during a week of tragedies in November 2024, communicating resources and encouraging students to “lean on each other and show support, empathy and care to each other.”

According to Love, Lombardi will return to campus in the summer of 2025 and the University looks forward to “his continued leadership of the division to support the best possible student experience outside the classroom.”