We're gonna be in the news again

George64
Well, it was just a matter of time! According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Kotlikoff folds. “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money,” channeling Everitt Dirksen.

Please tell me you guys understand what satire is.

stereax

George64
Well, it was just a matter of time! According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Kotlikoff folds. “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money,” channeling Everitt Dirksen.

Please tell me you guys understand what satire is.

So they switched the joke issue to 4/20. That works.

stereax

George64
Well, it was just a matter of time! According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Kotlikoff folds. “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money,” channeling Everitt Dirksen.

Please tell me you guys understand what satire is.

I was a math major, but I still understand satire. But for those who don’t, The Sun offered a disclaimer — “Editor’s Note: 4/20 content is a part of The Sun’s joke issue and contains exaggerated and factually inaccurate information.”

I shared this story with a young friend and he replied — “Back in our years, the parody came out on the Friday of Fall Weekend. I remember my freshman year’s issue well because none of us on the floor knew it was coming and that year, November 1965, the banner headline was that all student draft deferments were being cancelled, for the obvious reason. That morning, starting at about 7:00, people were lined up in the hallways to use the telephone to call home.” There was no disclaimer, so it was genuinely scary. For those of you who never knew life without mobile phones, in mercifully-gone University Halls, there was only one wall-mounted phone in each corridor!
.

George64

stereax

George64
Well, it was just a matter of time! According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Kotlikoff folds. “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money,” channeling Everitt Dirksen.

Please tell me you guys understand what satire is.

I was a math major, but I still understand satire. But for those who don’t, The Sun offered a disclaimer — “Editor’s Note: 4/20 content is a part of The Sun’s joke issue and contains exaggerated and factually inaccurate information.”

I shared this story with a young friend and he replied — “Back in our years, the parody came out on the Friday of Fall Weekend. I remember my freshman year’s issue well because none of us on the floor knew it was coming and that year, November 1965, the banner headline was that all student draft deferments were being cancelled, for the obvious reason. That morning, starting at about 7:00, people were lined up in the hallways to use the telephone to call home.” There was no disclaimer, so it was genuinely scary. For those of you who never knew life without mobile phones, in mercifully-gone University Halls, there was only one wall-mounted phone in each corridor!
.

War of the Worlds-esque. Wow.

stereax

George64
November 1965, the banner headline was that all student draft deferments were being cancelled, for the obvious reason. That morning, starting at about 7:00, people were lined up in the hallways to use the telephone to call home.”

War of the Worlds-esque. Wow.

Took me awhile to get this. I first thought of the Wells novel, not the radio broadcast.

stereax
War of the Worlds-esque. Wow.

Fun fact: there is no evidence the War of the Worlds caused a panic. It is a classic urban legend.

Trotsky

stereax
War of the Worlds-esque. Wow.

Fun fact: there is no evidence the War of the Worlds caused a panic. It is a classic urban legend.

Wikipedia (I know) says there was definitively SOME unrest and worry, but that it was also likely played up by the newspapers.

New York Times, October 31, 1938

George64
In my inbox this morning -

Livestream with President Michael I. Kotlikoff
Monday, April 21, 11:30 - 12:15 p.m. EDT

Don’t forget: Tune in today to hear directly from President Kotlikoff! He’ll share insights into managing today’s challenging higher education environment.

Should be interesting!
.

Now streaming on vimeo
.

George64
The Trump administration has frozen more than $1 billion in funding for Cornell and $790 million for Northwestern amid civil rights investigations into both schools, two administration officials said.

The funding pause involves mostly grants and contracts with the departments of Agriculture, Defense, Education and Health and Human Services, said the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the unannounced decision.

Interesting article in today’s NY Times, Where Federal Dollars Flow to Universities Around the Country. Cornell is highlighted in one of the charts. Interesting how much of Johns Hopkins research budget comes from federal funding - 87 percent, compared to 49 percent for Cornell. Another interesting comparison - Hopkins lacrosse team is currently 6-8, and 0-5 in the Big 10, while Cornell is 12-1. Think Milliman’s days are numbered?

George64

George64
Another interesting comparison - Hopkins lacrosse team is currently 6-8, and 0-5 in the Big 10, while Cornell is 12-1. Think Milliman’s days are numbered?

He reached for the brass ring and quite possibly fell off the horse instead.

 

___________________________
Al DeFlorio '65

This ticket good to redeem the next ten years of puncture snark I would otherwise have felt the need to post here. I think we can all thank the author.

Since apparently this timeline could even get worse, does the campus ever have India v Pakistan protests?

Per Reuters, Cornell and other major universities sue to block cuts in indirect costs for NSF funded research.

Trotsky
Since apparently this timeline could even get worse, does the campus ever have India v Pakistan protests?

Not that I know of.

Ithaca Voice with more details on stop-work orders for cancer and defense research.

you would think if we join forces the board could buy this and people would have a place to stay when they come in for hockey games.

house for sale

upprdeck
you would think if we join forces the board could buy this and people would have a place to stay when they come in for hockey games.

house for sale

Am I mistaken, or is that where Charlie Moore invited the band over when he became AD?

upprdeck
you would think if we join forces the board could buy this and people would have a place to stay when they come in for hockey games.

house for sale

IIRC, Cornell bought the house in the 1950's when Malott's wife refused to live in the A.D. White house on-campus. It seems to me that Corson continued to live in his own house. Maybe Kotlikoff has no interest in moving, either, but surely there will be another president after him and it seems a grand place for social functions.

Not sure if it's correct but

[www.reddit.com]

Edmund Ezra Day was the last president to live in the A.D. White House on central campus. For his successor, Deane Malott, the university rented, renovated, and eventually purchased 205 Oak Hill Road. He was given this house for life as a retirement gift, and the university purchased the 511 Cayuga Heights Road property in 1963 for James Perkins—one theory being that this property was farther away from campus and therefore more difficult for students to stage protests at.

Dale Corson chose not to move in after Perkins' resignation, so Cornell sold it. They purchased 603 Cayuga Heights Road for Frank Rhodes, which too became a retirement gift. With a "special" alumni gift, the university then re-purchased Robin Hill for Hunter Rawlings in 1995, after which Lehman, Skorton, and Pollock also took residence.

nyc94
Not sure if it's correct but

[www.reddit.com]

Edmund Ezra Day was the last president to live in the A.D. White House on central campus. For his successor, Deane Malott, the university rented, renovated, and eventually purchased 205 Oak Hill Road. He was given this house for life as a retirement gift, and the university purchased the 511 Cayuga Heights Road property in 1963 for James Perkins—one theory being that this property was farther away from campus and therefore more difficult for students to stage protests at.

Dale Corson chose not to move in after Perkins' resignation, so Cornell sold it. They purchased 603 Cayuga Heights Road for Frank Rhodes, which too became a retirement gift. With a "special" alumni gift, the university then re-purchased Robin Hill for Hunter Rawlings in 1995, after which Lehman, Skorton, and Pollock also took residence.

I think that's right. I only had part of the story in my mind. [www.ithaca.com] [www.cayugaheightshistory.org]

Scersk '97

upprdeck
you would think if we join forces the board could buy this and people would have a place to stay when they come in for hockey games.

house for sale

Am I mistaken, or is that where Charlie Moore invited the band over when he became AD?

It looks like where they invited the band and hosted “hats off for hunter” to recognize his (first) retirement in 2003.

Cornell only mentioned in a table in this NY Times article. It appears that our large enrollment may soften the impact from the proposed endowment tax. At the moment, it’s progressive tax based on endowment per student.

HeafDog

ugarte

upprdeck
Harvard gonna play hardball over this stuff they are trying to pull.

so is cornell

Good. I would rather we go flat broke, and our beloved alma mater turn into a ghost town, than buckle to these clowns.

I'm not sure how this relates to Cornell's own legal action but there was a lot of press recently about how Cornell and Columbia were the only Ivies that didn't officially support Harvard's legal action. I'll leave legal terms like "Amicus Brief" to the experts.
Crimson article on who is supporting Harvard[/url

If Cornell is not offering support due to its own separate legal action then that is one thing. But I hope we are not cowering in fear.

(BTW the formatting issues with this post are due to eLynah processing of a URL insertion.)

Here is the administration’s response to my April 17 email to Kotlikoff:

Thank you for your message to President Kotlikoff, which I am sharing with leadership. President Kotlikoff deeply appreciates the engagement of our community. I wanted to share information about how Cornell is responding to recent changes in the federal and higher education landscapes.

Cornell is actively seeking details from federal officials regarding research funding freezes reported in the news media. While the university has not received any official notice confirming these cuts or the rationale behind them, we have experienced substantial federal research funding loss across every campus and within every college and school. The research at risk is vital to public health and medicine, military readiness and national security, and a range of U.S. industries.

We are responding thoughtfully and strategically – including legal, communications and policy-level engagement to reverse these cuts and protect our core mission. When federal agencies imposed funding cuts to research activities sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Cornell swiftly stepped forward, along with higher education groups and other leading research universities, to challenge these actions in court.

In April, President Kotlikoff joined more than 550 leaders and officials from other institutions to sign on to a letter from the American Association of Colleges & Universities calling for constructive engagement between higher education and government. Cornell leadership continues to be guided by our foundational commitment to “... any person ... any study” and our institutional principles.

Alongside peer institutions, we’re collectively showcasing the tangible, everyday impact of Cornell’s research to our state, nation, and world, and the value of colleges and universities to educating our nation’s citizens and workers. We hope you can join us by sharing this website with your fellow alumni and networks.

Sincerely,
Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans
Staff Writer & Correspondence Manager
Offices of the President and Provost
Cornell University
.

George64
Here is the administration’s response to my April 17 email to Kotlikoff:

Thank you for your message to President Kotlikoff, which I am sharing with leadership. President Kotlikoff deeply appreciates the engagement of our community. I wanted to share information about how Cornell is responding to recent changes in the federal and higher education landscapes.

Cornell is actively seeking details from federal officials regarding research funding freezes reported in the news media. While the university has not received any official notice confirming these cuts or the rationale behind them, we have experienced substantial federal research funding loss across every campus and within every college and school. The research at risk is vital to public health and medicine, military readiness and national security, and a range of U.S. industries.

We are responding thoughtfully and strategically – including legal, communications and policy-level engagement to reverse these cuts and protect our core mission. When federal agencies imposed funding cuts to research activities sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Cornell swiftly stepped forward, along with higher education groups and other leading research universities, to challenge these actions in court.

In April, President Kotlikoff joined more than 550 leaders and officials from other institutions to sign on to a letter from the American Association of Colleges & Universities calling for constructive engagement between higher education and government. Cornell leadership continues to be guided by our foundational commitment to “... any person ... any study” and our institutional principles.

Alongside peer institutions, we’re collectively showcasing the tangible, everyday impact of Cornell’s research to our state, nation, and world, and the value of colleges and universities to educating our nation’s citizens and workers. We hope you can join us by sharing this website with your fellow alumni and networks.

Sincerely,
Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans
Staff Writer & Correspondence Manager
Offices of the President and Provost
Cornell University

You might also want to read President Kotlikoff’s State of the University address.

Roy 82

HeafDog

ugarte

upprdeck
Harvard gonna play hardball over this stuff they are trying to pull.

so is cornell

Good. I would rather we go flat broke, and our beloved alma mater turn into a ghost town, than buckle to these clowns.

I'm not sure how this relates to Cornell's own legal action but there was a lot of press recently about how Cornell and Columbia were the only Ivies that didn't officially support Harvard's legal action. I'll leave legal terms like "Amicus Brief" to the experts.

Crimson article on who is supporting Harvard

If Cornell is not offering support due to its own separate legal action then that is one thing. But I hope we are not cowering in fear.

(BTW the formatting issues with this post are due to eLynah processing of a URL insertion.)

Roy, bud, you forgot this: ]

Friday’s NY Times: “And in a statement on Wednesday ominously titled “a message on financial austerity,” leaders at Cornell, which also has a substantial endowment, described a dire landscape.”

This from the Ithaca Voice. Says Cornell headcount [one assumes this to mean to employees not stoners] grew wildly the last 3-4 years. Maybe Cornell did not replace some departed staff during the Covid years and then overdid the hiring:

Matt Butler, EIC, The Ithaca Voice
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other university leaders delivered the news via a campus-wide email Wednesday [6/18/25] afternoon.

The letter announced the initiation of a “comprehensive review of programs and headcount across the university,” caused by a 15% growth in the workforce since 2021 that has, in Kotlikoff’s words, “greatly outpac[ed] our revenue.”
[ithacavoice.org]

Our 15th president, in addition to being a solid hoops fan, is master of the dry understatement.

billhoward
This from the Ithaca Voice. Says Cornell headcount [one assumes this to mean to employees not stoners] grew wildly the last 3-4 years. Maybe Cornell did not replace some departed staff during the Covid years and then overdid the hiring:

Matt Butler, EIC, The Ithaca Voice
Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff and other university leaders delivered the news via a campus-wide email Wednesday [6/18/25] afternoon.

The letter announced the initiation of a “comprehensive review of programs and headcount across the university,” caused by a 15% growth in the workforce since 2021 that has, in Kotlikoff’s words, “greatly outpac[ed] our revenue.”
[ithacavoice.org]

Our 15th president, in addition to being a solid hoops fan, is master of the dry understatement.

No doubt they overhired like many other private organizations within and outside of the higher education sector. They're just a bit late in reducing headcount because it looks much worse when a university does it compared to a Deloitte or a Meta.

I think they forget that the head count has been down and they are trying to fill lines that were in the budget but have been empty.

When headcount is relative to the Covid years then maybe there was some extra positions to fill. But a little part of us all suspects academia doesn't run as lean as, say, Google.

Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

Al DeFlorio

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

Try archivebuttons.com: [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/insider/math-revealed.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare]

George64

Al DeFlorio

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

Try archivebuttons.com: [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/insider/math-revealed.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare]

Thanks, George. Read the piece today in the good old, paper edition.

Al DeFlorio

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

Was that "IDE"? That fucking rocked.

Trotsky

Al DeFlorio

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

Was that "IDE"? That fucking rocked.

Yep. As good an example of instructional software as I've seen, and I've seen many hundreds. Review here:

[www.tandfonline.com]

George64
Here is the administration’s response to my April 17 email to Kotlikoff:

Thank you for your message to President Kotlikoff, which I am sharing with leadership. President Kotlikoff deeply appreciates the engagement of our community. I wanted to share information about how Cornell is responding to recent changes in the federal and higher education landscapes.

Cornell is actively seeking details from federal officials regarding research funding freezes reported in the news media. While the university has not received any official notice confirming these cuts or the rationale behind them, we have experienced substantial federal research funding loss across every campus and within every college and school. The research at risk is vital to public health and medicine, military readiness and national security, and a range of U.S. industries.

We are responding thoughtfully and strategically – including legal, communications and policy-level engagement to reverse these cuts and protect our core mission. When federal agencies imposed funding cuts to research activities sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Cornell swiftly stepped forward, along with higher education groups and other leading research universities, to challenge these actions in court.

In April, President Kotlikoff joined more than 550 leaders and officials from other institutions to sign on to a letter from the American Association of Colleges & Universities calling for constructive engagement between higher education and government. Cornell leadership continues to be guided by our foundational commitment to “... any person ... any study” and our institutional principles.

Alongside peer institutions, we’re collectively showcasing the tangible, everyday impact of Cornell’s research to our state, nation, and world, and the value of colleges and universities to educating our nation’s citizens and workers. We hope you can join us by sharing this website with your fellow alumni and networks.

Sincerely,
Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans
Staff Writer & Correspondence Manager
Offices of the President and Provost
Cornell University
.

Cornell has really amped up commentary on research activities on its website and asked for help in reaching elected officials. So far, the response has been very disappointing, 3260 out of an alumni base of about a quarter million! Ultimately, a reduction in research income will filter down to things that really matter, like financial aid for student-athletes. Take a few minutes this weekend and contact your elected representatives. Even, if you didn’t go to Cornell, your school may be next.

[https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellmatters/]
.

Al DeFlorio

George64
Finally, some good news! Will Professor Steve Strogatz do for math what Carl Sagan did for science?

Can't access the Times, but Strogatz co-authored a brilliant piece of instructional software for differential equations that was sold by Addison-Wesley back in the 90s.

I read a few of his Times columns years ago, they made some fairly complex stuff readily accessible.

Had I known about this software when I was in college my life might be very different, but I didn’t and neither did the guy teaching math 213 at the time. I nearly flunked the class and had to alter my major, and it all worked out for the best.

Maybe we shouldn't have tied the solvency of our higher education apparatus to political processes subject to the whims of voters who topped out intellectually in the 4th grade.

Today’s NY Times: Professor Jim Maas, dead at 86. He was a TA when I took Psych 101. Awhile after he became a professor, his course was moved to Bailey Hall as it was so popular. He taught an estimated 65,000 students and allegedly sexually harassed several coeds.
.

George64
Today’s NY Times: Professor Jim Maas, dead at 86. He was a TA when I took Psych 101. Awhile after he became a professor, his course was moved to Bailey Hall as it was so popular. He taught an estimated 65,000 students and allegedly sexually harassed several coeds.
.

I took the course from him in fall '78 (in Bailey). Fun course.

George64

George64
Here is the administration’s response to my April 17 email to Kotlikoff:

Thank you for your message to President Kotlikoff, which I am sharing with leadership. President Kotlikoff deeply appreciates the engagement of our community. I wanted to share information about how Cornell is responding to recent changes in the federal and higher education landscapes.

Cornell is actively seeking details from federal officials regarding research funding freezes reported in the news media. While the university has not received any official notice confirming these cuts or the rationale behind them, we have experienced substantial federal research funding loss across every campus and within every college and school. The research at risk is vital to public health and medicine, military readiness and national security, and a range of U.S. industries.

We are responding thoughtfully and strategically – including legal, communications and policy-level engagement to reverse these cuts and protect our core mission. When federal agencies imposed funding cuts to research activities sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Cornell swiftly stepped forward, along with higher education groups and other leading research universities, to challenge these actions in court.

In April, President Kotlikoff joined more than 550 leaders and officials from other institutions to sign on to a letter from the American Association of Colleges & Universities calling for constructive engagement between higher education and government. Cornell leadership continues to be guided by our foundational commitment to “... any person ... any study” and our institutional principles.

Alongside peer institutions, we’re collectively showcasing the tangible, everyday impact of Cornell’s research to our state, nation, and world, and the value of colleges and universities to educating our nation’s citizens and workers. We hope you can join us by sharing this website with your fellow alumni and networks.

Sincerely,
Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans
Staff Writer & Correspondence Manager
Offices of the President and Provost
Cornell University
.

Cornell has really amped up commentary on research activities on its website and asked for help in reaching elected officials. So far, the response has been very disappointing, 3260 out of an alumni base of about a quarter million! Ultimately, a reduction in research income will filter down to things that really matter, like financial aid for student-athletes. Take a few minutes this weekend and contact your elected representatives. Even, if you didn’t go to Cornell, your school may be next.

[https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellmatters/]
.

Today’s NY Times: Mostly about Columbia, but Cornell is mentioned and may still be in the administration's crosshairs. In saner times, wasn’t this called extortion?
.

George64

George64

George64
Here is the administration’s response to my April 17 email to Kotlikoff:

Thank you for your message to President Kotlikoff, which I am sharing with leadership. President Kotlikoff deeply appreciates the engagement of our community. I wanted to share information about how Cornell is responding to recent changes in the federal and higher education landscapes.

Cornell is actively seeking details from federal officials regarding research funding freezes reported in the news media. While the university has not received any official notice confirming these cuts or the rationale behind them, we have experienced substantial federal research funding loss across every campus and within every college and school. The research at risk is vital to public health and medicine, military readiness and national security, and a range of U.S. industries.

We are responding thoughtfully and strategically – including legal, communications and policy-level engagement to reverse these cuts and protect our core mission. When federal agencies imposed funding cuts to research activities sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, Cornell swiftly stepped forward, along with higher education groups and other leading research universities, to challenge these actions in court.

In April, President Kotlikoff joined more than 550 leaders and officials from other institutions to sign on to a letter from the American Association of Colleges & Universities calling for constructive engagement between higher education and government. Cornell leadership continues to be guided by our foundational commitment to “... any person ... any study” and our institutional principles.

Alongside peer institutions, we’re collectively showcasing the tangible, everyday impact of Cornell’s research to our state, nation, and world, and the value of colleges and universities to educating our nation’s citizens and workers. We hope you can join us by sharing this website with your fellow alumni and networks.

Sincerely,
Sarah Evans

Sarah Evans
Staff Writer & Correspondence Manager
Offices of the President and Provost
Cornell University
.

Cornell has really amped up commentary on research activities on its website and asked for help in reaching elected officials. So far, the response has been very disappointing, 3260 out of an alumni base of about a quarter million! Ultimately, a reduction in research income will filter down to things that really matter, like financial aid for student-athletes. Take a few minutes this weekend and contact your elected representatives. Even, if you didn’t go to Cornell, your school may be next.

[https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellmatters/]
.

Today’s NY Times: Mostly about Columbia, but Cornell is mentioned and may still be in the administration's crosshairs. In saner times, wasn’t this called extortion?
.

Shakedowns, extortions, profiting directly off of the office. Nobody seems to care.

NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

George64
Go Harvard!

A sentiment only found in the JSID forum.

TimV

George64
Go Harvard!

A sentiment only found in the JSID forum.

Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Spatial Innovation Development, Journal of the Society for Information Display???

Duh, John Spencer is Dead! Agreed, anywhere else and I’d be banned from eLynah. BTW, who was the late John Spencer?
.

George64

TimV

George64
Go Harvard!

A sentiment only found in the JSID forum.

Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Spatial Innovation Development, Journal of the Society for Information Display???

Duh, John Spencer is Dead! Agreed, anywhere else and I’d be banned from eLynah. BTW, who was the late John Spencer?
.

John Spencer

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

Harvard will soon be forced to settle with the Trump administration as well. Hopefully Cornell’s penalty isn’t close to this bad.

Jeff Hopkins '82

George64

TimV

George64
Go Harvard!

A sentiment only found in the JSID forum.

Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Spatial Innovation Development, Journal of the Society for Information Display???

Duh, John Spencer is Dead! Agreed, anywhere else and I’d be banned from eLynah. BTW, who was the late John Spencer?
.

John Spencer

Thanks? If not for this link there would be no reason for me to waste a part of my life in search of Kim Carnes on "The Patty Duke Show".

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

This sad episode underscores how reliant on government funding even the most well-endowed universities are to support their operations. The universities are not entirely blameless, as for too long they coddled those in academia who required complete obedience to a set of “norms” that were well outside the mainstream. But the Trumpians are acting in anything but good faith, as their longstanding agenda made no secret of their desire to upend the “elites” and they used the post October 7th chaos as a pretext to do just that.

Some of the stuff the Trump world is doing to the research universities is going to cost them a ton more in the long run.

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

George64

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

I’m a complete idiot when it comes to these things, but I am a taxpayer. Where is all this shakedown money (including Paramount et al. bribes) going? “The government” or “The White House” is more vague than charges of “on campus antisemitism.” Is there a bribery account of the presidential library fund that includes more than airplanes?

And I guess it’s up to each institution as to where the extortion cash comes from. Endowment? Campus beautification allowance? Columbia hockey & lacrosse program budgets?

Alumni donations will be rethought.

Jeff Hopkins '82

George64

TimV

George64
Go Harvard!

A sentiment only found in the JSID forum.

Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology, Journal of Spatial Innovation Development, Journal of the Society for Information Display???

Duh, John Spencer is Dead! Agreed, anywhere else and I’d be banned from eLynah. BTW, who was the late John Spencer?
.

John Spencer

I always imagined it to be he of Blues Explosion fame.

RichH

George64

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

I’m a complete idiot when it comes to these things, but I am a taxpayer. Where is all this shakedown money (including Paramount et al. bribes) going? “The government” or “The White House” is more vague than charges of “on campus antisemitism.” Is there a bribery account of the presidential library fund that includes more than airplanes?

And I guess it’s up to each institution as to where the extortion cash comes from. Endowment? Campus beautification allowance? Columbia hockey & lacrosse program budgets?

Alumni donations will be rethought.

Honorarium from the student fund.

RichH

George64

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

I’m a complete idiot when it comes to these things, but I am a taxpayer. Where is all this shakedown money (including Paramount et al. bribes) going? “The government” or “The White House” is more vague than charges of “on campus antisemitism.” Is there a bribery account of the presidential library fund that includes more than airplanes?

And I guess it’s up to each institution as to where the extortion cash comes from. Endowment? Campus beautification allowance? Columbia hockey & lacrosse program budgets?

Alumni donations will be rethought.

Sun suggests CU close to a Columbia style deal.
[www.cornellsun.com]

Chris '03

RichH

George64

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

I’m a complete idiot when it comes to these things, but I am a taxpayer. Where is all this shakedown money (including Paramount et al. bribes) going? “The government” or “The White House” is more vague than charges of “on campus antisemitism.” Is there a bribery account of the presidential library fund that includes more than airplanes?

And I guess it’s up to each institution as to where the extortion cash comes from. Endowment? Campus beautification allowance? Columbia hockey & lacrosse program budgets?

Alumni donations will be rethought.

Sun suggests CU close to a Columbia style deal.
[www.cornellsun.com]

What a shame. Bending the knee and handing over money to a bully. Can’t believe the courts are allowing these shake downs.

pretty much the opp. of what people were told just this week on campus of what is going on.

Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I mean the fact is that Cornell doesn’t have enough money to keep running properly if they don’t get some funding back. Cornell is doing what is best for its students and that is totally logical because those are the people that pay to attend. Would it be nice to be in a financial spot where we wouldn’t have to grovel for our money back? Sure. But would it make enough of a difference to the national political landscape if we decided to stand up for ourselves and not ask for funding back? I would say no, at least not enough of a difference to put the future of the university at risk. The only people really at fault here are the trump administration.

CU2007

Chris '03

RichH

George64

George64
NY Times: Columbia capitulates. In PR-speak, they reached a negotiated settlement. Go Harvard!

More in today’s NY Times: Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next. David Bateman, Associate Professor of Government, liberally quoted.
.

I’m a complete idiot when it comes to these things, but I am a taxpayer. Where is all this shakedown money (including Paramount et al. bribes) going? “The government” or “The White House” is more vague than charges of “on campus antisemitism.” Is there a bribery account of the presidential library fund that includes more than airplanes?

And I guess it’s up to each institution as to where the extortion cash comes from. Endowment? Campus beautification allowance? Columbia hockey & lacrosse program budgets?

Alumni donations will be rethought.

Sun suggests CU close to a Columbia style deal.
[www.cornellsun.com]

What a shame. Bending the knee and handing over money to a bully. Can’t believe the courts are allowing these shake downs.

The shakedowns are an absolute joke but it’s not the fault of the colleges for acquiescing. They have no choice. The government holds all the cards. The same Trump administration chose who sits on the courts so there will be no relief there.

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

I'm with Trotsky. They have a 10 plus billion dollar endowment, plus plus. Combined with other Ivy's and wealthy universities, they should tell Uncle Sam and Big Orange to get stuffed. Fucking cowards.

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

Thank you, New York Times, but no.

They do have a choice. They are actively electing not to exercise it. It is policy, not a natural law.

A lot of people lost a lot of money opposing slavery. A lot of people lost a lot of money opposing segregation. The sensible argument by the comfortable center is always OH NOES! Don't directly oppose it; live to fight another day. So they trade other's rights for their comfort. That is how highly evil outcomes are always insulated within a democratic system. People themselves have the power of their convictions -- they go through hell to fight these thugs. But when you fold their will into institutions, those institutions' prime directive is self-preservation. Cornell wants to preserve Cornell. The world can burn if Day Hall survives.

If you don't stand for the marginalized, always, everywhere, then nobody is safe, ever, anywhere. 1860, 1940, 2020... apparently we have to relearn the lesson every 80 years that there is no compromising with these sociopathic fucks.

You either fight them now in the courts or later in your attic.

The Rancor

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

I'm with Trotsky. They have a 10 plus billion dollar endowment, plus plus. Combined with other Ivy's and wealthy universities, they should tell Uncle Sam and Big Orange to get stuffed. Fucking cowards.

The endowment point is immaterial. The endowment does not go towards research funding nor would it be remotely enough to cover the lost funding even if it did.

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

I think we need to define “far worse position” here. The schools that cave will pay a bribe and get their precious research dollars. And hand over their independence and soul. And then in six months get shaken down again. And again. Because it’s never one time. Ask Columbia.

All while prospective students and current and future faculty who are leaders in their fields go elsewhere. And alumni donations dry up.

Sure standing up for yourself is hard. But sometimes that’s what is needed.

chimpfood
I mean the fact is that Cornell doesn’t have enough money to keep running properly if they don’t get some funding back. Cornell is doing what is best for its students and that is totally logical because those are the people that pay to attend. Would it be nice to be in a financial spot where we wouldn’t have to grovel for our money back? Sure. But would it make enough of a difference to the national political landscape if we decided to stand up for ourselves and not ask for funding back? I would say no, at least not enough of a difference to put the future of the university at risk. The only people really at fault here are the trump administration.

lol if you think this is about the students. the students get turfed for dissenting!

Meanwhile, the Masters of the Universe are such responsible stewards of our endowments.

agreed Chris! Well said.

Chris '03

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

I think we need to define “far worse position” here. The schools that cave will pay a bribe and get their precious research dollars. And hand over their independence and soul. And then in six months get shaken down again. And again. Because it’s never one time. Ask Columbia.

All while prospective students and current and future faculty who are leaders in their fields go elsewhere. And alumni donations dry up.

Sure standing up for yourself is hard. But sometimes that’s what is needed.

I think this is fantasyland. There are no colleges standing up for themselves. Harvard tried, then they realized they had no choice but to acquiesce. That is because they are reliant on the federal government to continue operating. The Trump administration killed Harvard’s research grants, and then they killed Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. Harvard cannot continue without research or foreign students and so they were forced to settle—now reported to be for over $500m, and amount that likely would have been much less had they played ball from the start. Not to mention the months of heartache and confusion this caused its students. That’s what I mean by Harvard being in a “far worse position” by initially having chosen to resist.

So I don’t understand your post. Who are these schools opposing Trump? To me it looks like every one of them will settle, because they have no choice.

To be clear, I think this is by far the worst presidential administration of my lifetime and it has irretrievably damaged every facet of our country, including academia. But people need to be realistic about where and how resisting is possible.

BearLover

Chris '03

BearLover

Trotsky
Well I for one am shocked, shocked that an entity run to generationally perpetuate the dominance of the wealthy has no problems sacrificing every core democratic and human value to suck up to fascists.

I mean, who would have ever guessed that would be the result of universities aligning with big business?

I know you have to satisfy your quota of rants against the system, but you clearly don’t understand the power dynamic here. Colleges have no choice. Research universities are reliant on government funding. Harvard, which is far richer and far more powerful than Cornell, tried resisting, realized they couldn’t win, and now they are in a far worse position than if they had acquiesced from the start.

I think we need to define “far worse position” here. The schools that cave will pay a bribe and get their precious research dollars. And hand over their independence and soul. And then in six months get shaken down again. And again. Because it’s never one time. Ask Columbia.

All while prospective students and current and future faculty who are leaders in their fields go elsewhere. And alumni donations dry up.

Sure standing up for yourself is hard. But sometimes that’s what is needed.

I think this is fantasyland. There are no colleges standing up for themselves. Harvard tried, then they realized they had no choice but to acquiesce. That is because they are reliant on the federal government to continue operating. The Trump administration killed Harvard’s research grants, and then they killed Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. Harvard cannot continue without research or foreign students and so they were forced to settle—now reported to be for over $500m, and amount that likely would have been much less had they played ball from the start. Not to mention the months of heartache and confusion this caused its students. That’s what I mean by Harvard being in a “far worse position” by initially having chosen to resist.

So I don’t understand your post. Who are these schools opposing Trump? To me it looks like every one of them will settle, because they have no choice.

To be clear, I think this is by far the worst presidential administration of my lifetime and it has irretrievably damaged every facet of our country, including academia. But people need to be realistic about where and how resisting is possible.

Yep, the universities have become dependent on federal dollars and have blissfully assumed they would be dealing with good faith actors in Washington in perpetuity. Of course that is no longer the case and the universities have no choice but to cave, as much as it might pain us to believe that.

The Face Eating Leopards leave us no choice. Just a bunch of nerds letting the bully take your lunch money. There's a Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Colombia whatever grad in every position of power- banking, law, government etc, country wide. Get your shit together. Or don't, I guess.

The Rancor
The Face Eating Leopards leave us no choice. Just a bunch of nerds letting the bully take your lunch money. There's a Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Colombia whatever grad in every position of power- banking, law, government etc, country wide. Get your shit together. Or don't, I guess.

And what do you propose these powerful Cornell grads do, exactly?

BearLover

The Rancor
The Face Eating Leopards leave us no choice. Just a bunch of nerds letting the bully take your lunch money. There's a Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Colombia whatever grad in every position of power- banking, law, government etc, country wide. Get your shit together. Or don't, I guess.

And what do you propose these powerful Cornell grads do, exactly?

You'd better come up with something, you're getting outflanked by Liberty U and Oral Roberts grads.

Brown has settled and seems to be inviting future enforcement action if its admissions policies aren't acceptable to the administration among other things.


[president.brown.edu]


[www.brown.edu]

This sounded better in the original German.

“Never before,” editorialized the New York Times days later, “did a great institution of learning joyously participate in its own degradation.”

Trotsky
This sounded better in the original German.

“Never before,” editorialized the New York Times days later, “did a great institution of learning joyously participate in its own degradation.”

As opposed to the New York Times' current self-degradation?

NYT was always an enemy inside the gates.

From yesterday’s NY Times: “A federal judge in New York declined in a ruling on Friday to order the Trump administration to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in terminated funding that had been awarded to research institutions by the National Science Foundation.”
.

Probably, not coincidently, there’s a special webinar for Cornell advocates, volunteers, and philanthropic leaders scheduled for August 20. “President Kotlikoff will discuss Cornell’s endowment—how it’s managed, what it does for Cornell, and how it compares to those of our peer institutions.”

Interesting article in today’s NY Times:

[https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/upshot/trump-college-admissions-race-wealth.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cU8.whI4.WPt2abEpXllB&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare]

Doesn’t mention Cornell directly, but has obvious implications.

Be sure to look at this related article.

[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/09/11/upshot/college-income-lookup.html?unlocked_article_code=1.cU8.-OW2.EQXASll0kS8W&smid=url-share]

There are several interactive charts. Interesting to compare Cornell to, say, Dartmouth.
.

George64
Probably, not coincidently, there’s a special webinar for Cornell advocates, volunteers, and philanthropic leaders scheduled for August 20. “President Kotlikoff will discuss Cornell’s endowment—how it’s managed, what it does for Cornell, and how it compares to those of our peer institutions.”

Interesting timing although maybe they do it every year to onboard new crime families er donors.

Ironically, I wonder if trump would have gotten into Penn if they had put more reliance on SAT scores and his military school GPA. I guess they thought they’d get significant largess from him and his spawn, but, of course, they didn’t.

Cornell among 32 schools sued over alleged early decision conspiracy per Cornell Sun. Martha Pollock exited at the right time. All she had to contend with was COVID.

Our principal antagonist in the administration per the NY Times.

George64
Cornell among 32 schools sued over alleged early decision conspiracy per Cornell Sun. Martha Pollock exited at the right time. All she had to contend with was COVID.

So lets say you apply to 3 schools hoping for early decision and you get one that says yes. How does it matter which school says yes because applying to more than 1 implies you really want to accept which ever one says yes?

upprdeck

George64
Cornell among 32 schools sued over alleged early decision conspiracy per Cornell Sun. Martha Pollock exited at the right time. All she had to contend with was COVID.

So lets say you apply to 3 schools hoping for early decision and you get one that says yes. How does it matter which school says yes because applying to more than 1 implies you really want to accept which ever one says yes?

If you apply ED, you’re applying only to one school (supposedly).

I never talked to a kid who applied for it that wasn't applying to more than one school though.

upprdeck
I never talked to a kid who applied for it that wasn't applying to more than one school though.

ED wasn't a thing in 1970 - IIRC - when I last worried about admission. If I ruled the admission committee world and found someone applying ED to two or three schools I'd not only vote no but use my veto to keep that snake out of"my" school.

Anyone who thinks the acceptance should be binding on the student as in that student has entered into a contract to attend isn't hitting on all cylinders - whether that be a Hemi V-8 or a 3 cylinder Corolla Turbo.

I think there should be honor in the application process but to think a student can't decide to go elsewhere is

George64
Ironically, I wonder if trump would have gotten into Penn if they had put more reliance on SAT scores and his military school GPA.

Dump didn't go to Penn. He went to "Penn" (Wharton) in the way that kids who get a degree milled at the Kennedy School of Government go to "Harvard."

Yet another rating, this time on LinkedIn. For what it’s worth, Cornell fifth in country, tops Harvard, and first in NY State. Might help in recruiting, as student-athletes tend to gravitate towards business.

NY Times: At Cornell and elsewhere, many international students won’t make it to class this fall.

George64
NY Times: At Cornell and elsewhere, many international students won’t make it to class this fall.

Cornell mentioned tangentially in these NY Times articles: Fight fiercely Harvard and blatant extortion.

In completely different area, I expect that this story, as reported in The Ithaca Voice and The Sun will start to circulate widely for its novelty.

Looks like an admission fail.

Has anybody seen Touchdown since Saturday???

JFK Jr left a bear cub carcass in Central Park, and look where he is today!