We're gonna be in the news again

[Dafatone]

If you fall for, like, a sextortion scam, paying the scammer doesn't stop them from demanding more money.

The terms the of the deal provide that the government cannot stop additional grants or discriminate against granting funds to Cornell.

What part of this presidential administration gives you the impression that it will abide by the terms of a deal it signed?

It can still conduct investigations. At best, they'll say "hey we found more nonsense, fuck you, pay me."

Cornell could take them to court and win. I agree this administration isn't trustworthy, but this is still the clear best outcome IMO.

Cornell could also take them to court instead of agreeing to terms. I believe that is what Harvard did.

Harvard is going to end up settling for a far bigger amount than Cornell did, or otherwise they are going to be litigating this for years while the Trump admin hits them harder and harder. They're in a terrible position in large part because they've chosen to fight. Harvard is also orders of magnitude richer than Cornell and can afford to keep fighting.

Cornell needed to restore the grants and end the investigations ASAP. Getting extorted sucks but $30m over three years is worth saving the university and all the people who get to keep their jobs now.

As far as I understand it, Harvard is currently getting its funding while the legal battle plays on.

Maybe Cornell doesn't have the option to do that today, teetering at the edge of a financial cliff. But they could have gotten the ball rolling on a legal battle earlier and been better positioned now by a court order restoring funding.

[Chris '03]

If you actually read the deal there's nothing really problematic in there. Sure it feels icky to give the government 30 million to leave us alone but if we didn't do this they would just keep all of the research funding instead, which is a hell of a lot more. Not ideal circumstances but they had to do it to look out for their students and staff and I am glad they did.

Not problematic? Turning over applicant data to create the basis for the next "investigation" and shakedown?    The agreement says "we can still come at you again tomorrow."

Agreeing to this? https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1409486/dl

It's bad precedent and a stain on Cornell's reputation.

[Ben Rocky '04]

If you actually read the deal there's nothing really problematic in there. Sure it feels icky to give the government 30 million to leave us alone but if we didn't do this they would just keep all of the research funding instead, which is a hell of a lot more. Not ideal circumstances but they had to do it to look out for their students and staff and I am glad they did.

Not problematic? Turning over applicant data to create the basis for the next "investigation" and shakedown?    The agreement says "we can still come at you again tomorrow."

Agreeing to this? https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1409486/dl

It's bad precedent and a stain on Cornell's reputation.

an unforgivable stain

[BearLover]

Yeah, let's just halt research for the next three years, fire thousands of people, cancel programs, operate under tremendous uncertainty, spend millions in legal fees. All for the benefit of...*checks notes* being the scorn of the Trump administration, being subject to more investigations, more fines, more frozen funds. Sorry, I hate the Trump administration as much ans anyone but I'm not going to blow up Cornell for no upside (actually, tremendous downside). 

[The Rancor]

Surely, they'll stop with Czechoslovakia.

[Chris '03]

Yeah, let's just halt research for the next three years, fire thousands of people, cancel programs, operate under tremendous uncertainty, spend millions in legal fees. All for the benefit of...*checks notes* being the scorn of the Trump administration, being subject to more investigations, more fines, more frozen funds. Sorry, I hate the Trump administration as much ans anyone but I'm not going to blow up Cornell for no upside (actually, tremendous downside). 

You were harder on Ben Robertson being "disloyal" by transferring than you are on the Cornell administration paying a bribe. All for the benefit of... "*checks notes* ... being subject to more investigations, more fines, more frozen funds" and turning over demographic data to allege new ways in which privileged white kids are being harmed and start the cycle all over again. And that added bonus of being on the wrong side of history.  I'd love to be wrong but why should we expect anything less?

[nshapiro]

If you actually read the deal there's nothing really problematic in there. Sure it feels icky to give the government 30 million to leave us alone but if we didn't do this they would just keep all of the research funding instead, which is a hell of a lot more. Not ideal circumstances but they had to do it to look out for their students and staff and I am glad they did.

From the pdf of the agreement:

"Cornell shall provide the United States with anonymizcd undergraduate admissions
data consistent with 34 C.F.R. § 100.6 and similar regulations broken down by
Cornell's individual colleges and schools, race, grade point average, and
performance on standardized tests, on a quarterly basis, in a form permitting
statistical analyses for each year of the Agreement. Admissions data will also be
subjected to a comprehensive audit by the United States. "

This meets my definition of really problematic (sorry to be snarky but I couldn't resist.  I enjoy your posts, and your efforts to curb thread drift)

[George64]

Yeah, let's just halt research for the next three years, fire thousands of people, cancel programs, operate under tremendous uncertainty, spend millions in legal fees. All for the benefit of...*checks notes* being the scorn of the Trump administration, being subject to more investigations, more fines, more frozen funds. Sorry, I hate the Trump administration as much ans anyone but I'm not going to blow up Cornell for no upside (actually, tremendous downside). 

Agreed, I wish we were in the position to give trump the middle finger, but we're not.

[Chris '03]

If you actually read the deal there's nothing really problematic in there. Sure it feels icky to give the government 30 million to leave us alone but if we didn't do this they would just keep all of the research funding instead, which is a hell of a lot more. Not ideal circumstances but they had to do it to look out for their students and staff and I am glad they did.

From the pdf of the agreement:

"Cornell shall provide the United States with anonymizcd undergraduate admissions
data consistent with 34 C.F.R. § 100.6 and similar regulations broken down by
Cornell's individual colleges and schools, race, grade point average, and
performance on standardized tests, on a quarterly basis, in a form permitting
statistical analyses for each year of the Agreement. Admissions data will also be
subjected to a comprehensive audit by the United States. "

This meets my definition of really problematic (sorry to be snarky but I couldn't resist.  I enjoy your posts, and your efforts to curb thread drift)

Any person. Any study. Provided they are first deemed demographically worthy by the state.

[George64]

Yeah, let's just halt research for the next three years, fire thousands of people, cancel programs, operate under tremendous uncertainty, spend millions in legal fees. All for the benefit of...*checks notes* being the scorn of the Trump administration, being subject to more investigations, more fines, more frozen funds. Sorry, I hate the Trump administration as much ans anyone but I'm not going to blow up Cornell for no upside (actually, tremendous downside).

Agreed, I wish we were in the position to give trump the middle finger, but we're not.

To put things in perspective, in 2022, Cornell's research expenditures, including the Weill Cornell, were $1.18 billion.  $636.5 million came from the feds.  Much already goes to CAL, the Vet College and Bowers, so the $10 million per year that trump extorted to help farmers is probably already accounted for.  The $30 million "fine" pains me, but it's a relatively small price to pay to keep the federal spigot open.  Still, it reminds me of gangster movies, "Ya wouldn't want your restaurant to burn down?"

[Ben Rocky '04]

it's a relatively small price to pay to keep the federal spigot open.  Still, it reminds me of gangster movies, "Ya wouldn't want your restaurant to burn down?"

Morals are truly cheaply sold aren't they?

I am not giving this university another dollar, because I don't know if that $ goes towards the next shake down. I took a big bequest out of my will, and I am giving it to the Finger Lakes Land Trust instead. Fuck MAGA mike kotlikoff, fuck the board of trustees, and fuck anyone else sucking donald trump's tiny orange dick.