The Cornell AAUP chapter has a new piece up at the Daily Sun. Read and share!
[T]he deal leaves many questions about our past and future unanswered. There has been no real transparency or accountability. Let’s begin with transparency. When the AAUP met with President Kotlikoff and Provost Bala in August 2025, we were told transparency about the negotiations with the government wasn’t possible. They were worried that any leaks might damage the University’s negotiating position. Reasonable or not at the time, this logic no longer applies.
We touch on the deal, but try to step back and reflect on what got us here, on who has been accountable for the decisions that made us vulnerable and have led to austerity, and what we can do going forward.
We end with a call for renewed democratic governance:
Now, more than ever, we need a university that can serve as a beacon for democratic society, by deepening our commitments to academic freedom, shared governance and the public mission of higher education. Instead of doubling down on a narrowing corporate base, we should deepen our reservoir of public support through expanded access and by bringing Cornell into more people’s lives.
This is the mission of the AAUP. The AAUP has no political agenda beyond the defense and expansion of higher education and its core principles. It is not an alternative to shared governance, but does fight to strengthen it. It is an inclusive and broad based association of teachers and researchers that has been the driving force behind academic freedom, and the critical organization for its defense, for over a century. The Cornell chapter is eager to work with all persons, and to welcome eligible members, to defend and expand higher education at Cornell and across the country. We look forward to working with you.
Cornell Chapter of the AAUP 