Cornell announced the “Presidential Task Force On Institutional Voice,” a task force to examine “how and when the University should speak institutionally on matters of politics, ideology, current affairs, and world events” in a statement by Interim President Michael Kotlikoff, Provost Kavita Bala and Provost for Medical Affairs Robert Harrington on Tuesday.
The task force, led by Cornell Law School’s Dean Jens Ohlin and Prof. and Deputy Provost Avery August, immunology, will define Cornell’s approach to responding to societal and global issues.
The University has also tasked the group with discussing how the University’s “mission as an academic enterprise” influences its institutional voice, in addition to exploring how institutional voice impacts individual voices of the Cornell community.
As one of his first presidential actions, Kotlikoff announced in August that the president and provost would refrain from commenting on national or global events that do not directly impact the University.
“Administrative actions must be consistent and content neutral,” Kotlikoff wrote. “In furtherance of institutional neutrality and deference to the many and diverse views in the Cornell community, the President and Provost will refrain from opining on national or global events that do not directly impact the university.”
Throughout this semester, the task force plans to develop a framework for “institutional speech,” including guidelines for when Cornell should speak publicly.
An increase in protest activity in the past year, such as the Arts Quad encampments during the spring 2024 semester and the Statler Hotel career fair disruption on Sept. 18 during the fall 2024 semester, sparked an administrative debate about balancing students’ rights to free expression and the University’s obligation to provide a safe learning environment.
Cornell will soon release a final version of its Expressive Activity Policy, which will outline expectations and guidelines for students engaged in expressive activity. The Interim Expressive Activity Policy, originally released in Jan. 2024, restricted student protest on campus through limitations on expressive activities.
On Monday, Cornell received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education sent to 60 universities warning them to address antisemitism on their campuses or face “enforcement action,” according to an ED press release.
“This task force reflects our commitment to fostering an environment that supports and encourages open dialogue and freedom of expression by individual faculty, students, and staff while permitting space for Cornell to speak institutionally on fundamental issues that warrant response,” the statement reads.
According to Tuesday's statement, the task force’s final report will provide recommendations for when and how Cornell should issue institutional statements at various levels of the administration, including at the level of individual colleges, departments, centers, academic sub-units and other faculty, staff or student groups.
“The existence of some guiding principles would provide the campus community with the tools for supporting and promoting the expression of diverse viewpoints … as an institution that includes among its five core values ‘free and open inquiry and expression,’” the statement said.
The task force will not consider questions about “the individual voices of the university community.”
In his August letter, Kotlikoff wrote that while the “expressive activities of individuals necessarily unfold within the context of our broader university community … they are bounded by the need to protect the core functions of the university and the reciprocal rights of others.”
There is no set timeline for the task force’s recommendations outlined in the announcement, however, it stated that the group will work on developing the framework for the “remainder of the semester.”
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to share questions and feedback with the task force at tfiv@cornell.edu.
