Thrones are empty for a reason
Dear Cornell on Fire,
“American” politics are increasingly turning towards an un-American consolidation of power, and Cornell is no exception.
Our post today updates you on campus authoritarianism and climate inaction. Don’t have time to read it all? Skip to the last three paragraphs for action steps!
The Cornell administration was recently pleased with itself by announcing the Committee on the Future of the American University. Several features of the announcement were remarkable:
(1) Nowhere is climate change mentioned as something that might be (incidentally) relevant to the future, American or otherwise.
(2) The Committee focuses specifically on Cornell as an "American University." Not a global, international, or multicultural university?
(3) Nearly 15% of the text is spent naming four committee chairs. If the most important topics get the most words, then professorial titles are the most important paragraph in this letter. And the goal is to break down caricatures of an elitist and self-important university?
This very American announcement must be contextualized in light of its authors (named and unnamed) unilaterally canceling classes by Professor of American Studies Eric Cheyfitz and suspending him without pay. Their pretext was a “discrimination case” against Cheyfitz that not coincidentally involved his pro-Palestinian views. Following public outcry and a Faculty Senate Resolution condemning this violation of academic freedom and due process, Cornell dropped the charges in exchange for Professor Cheyfitz’s early retirement. We understand that nefarious forces are at work in Washington DC, but Cornell administrators should not count themselves among the complicit. We condemn Cornell’s politically motivated punishment of Professor Cheyfitz and express full solidarity with, and appreciation for, his commitment to free speech and a democratic university.
The acute loss of democratic shared governance at Cornell is provoking resistance among students and faculty. Both the Student Assembly and the Faculty Senate have introduced resolutions pushing back against the administration’s assumption of unprecedented decision-making power in domains where student and faculty governance should be central. We fully support both resolutions: Democratic governance is central to both disciplinary justice and climate justice.
If Cornell were actually democratic, we could collectively take action on the evidence presented in our recent public advocacy event asking “Is Cornell on track for carbon neutrality by 2035?” Here are the take-home messages:
No, Cornell is not on track for carbon neutrality by 2035, even according to their own selective accounting.
Nowhere has Cornell publicly reported their emissions reduction gap, despite annual “State of Sustainability Addresses” that ought to address such shortcomings.
Cornell still refuses to fund Earth Source Heat, despite holding it up as a game-changing technology critical to campus carbon neutrality (and despite finding plenty of money to fund new buildings far more expensive than Earth Source Heat).
Cornell remains deeply conflicted with fossil-fuel ties in research, donations, retirement funds, and the Board of Trustees.
While Cornell fails to meet their climate pledges, administrators busy themselves intimidating and punishing those who point out the evidence and call for climate action. Their actions mirror the broader authoritarian crackdown on climate activists decried by the United Nations.
We have a message for those who would be kings or authoritarian administrators: Epic repression sparks epic resistance. The uprising is growing. Preventatively dethrone would-be kings this Saturday (tomorrow!) 10/18 by joining the No Kings Rally & March from 1-4 pm at Washington Park, Ithaca. Look for us in our alter ego manifestation, Trillionaires For Trump.
To contest university authoritarianism, we are joining efforts with local and national resistance campaigns. Step 1: If you’re a Cornell student, sign the student referendum petition for an independent, community-wide Campus Code of Conduct. Step 2: No matter who you are, sign the “No Loyalty Oaths” petition telling college and university presidents and boards to reject Trump’s odious compacts.
If you can’t see yourself becoming the subject of an “American” king, on campus or otherwise, join our monthly meeting next Saturday 10/25 to chart the climate-driven resistance.
No kings!
Cornell on Fire
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View the corresponding social media posts for this blog entry on Instagram and Mastodon.
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Plurivocality: CoF Posts are written by a revolving team of writers. Our movement is diverse, so are our thoughts, and so will be our posts. If you receive a CoF Post that you think is wrong headed, can we still walk together? (We, like you, sometimes write things we later laugh at!)
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