The endowment’s total assets fell from $7.3 billion last year to $7.2 billion, likely owing to money distributed to help fund the University’s operations.
Cornell University is prized as being the most diverse institution in the Ivy League, with 46 percent of undergraduates identifying as minorities and 11 percent as international students. Students come from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds and often bring customs and traditions from home. The diversity of the student body brings with it a diverse palette. Cornell Dining, consistently ranked in the top ten dining programs in the country, prides itself on being able to meet the dietary needs of their students by serving diverse cuisine and accommodating various restrictions. The menus at dining halls frequently feature foods from a variety of cultures.
Cornell finds itself on an ever-shrinking list of colleges persisting with plans to conduct a hybrid semester, with both the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University retreating from such decisions on Tuesday.
The press release from the Ivy League stated that a decision on the winter and spring calendar, as well as the feasibility of fall sports in the spring, “will be determined at a later date.”
While President Martha E. Pollack’s fall reactivation plan made no mention of athletics, the Ivy League is expected to announce a decision regarding fall sports in July.
The League’s decision quickly drew criticism for holding steadfast to its eligibility requirements during an unprecedented time — the Ivy League, founded in 1954, has never canceled an entire sports season.
Across the nation, classes have begun to transition towards being fully online. In response to the worsening spread of COVID-19, Commencement plans have been affected as well, throughout of the Ivy League.