CFSA recognizes the campus climate and peer pressure challenges existing at Cornell which suppress Free Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, and Academic Freedom. We also recognize that serious ramifications can arise on campus for those who exercise free speech and/or push back against the Ideological Orthodoxy which now dominates the campus environment ( see 99.5% Ideological Orthodoxy article ). Many Cornell faculty members and students have attested to these Cornell realities in a shocking Report From Cornell Faculty & Students. These repressive on-campus conditions create significant headwinds for individual faculty members, students, and/or staff who are being impacted by such intolerance toward free speech and viewpoint diversity. This intolerance can result in personal attacks and ostracization -- or even threatened loss of jobs or tenure at the university. The method of such repressive Group Think is to silence opponents and terminate free speech by means of on-campus personal attack, bullying, and social isolation.
Given the above campus conditions, Cornell alumni and organizations having goals aligned with CFSA ( see Aligned Organizations ) are creating a critically important bulwark against any such abuse and intolerance directed at faculty, students, and staff whose reasonably held personal views do not conform with the Ideological Orthodoxy now dominating Cornell. CFSA is organizing off-campus alumni and non-profit enterprises to provide strong support for on-campus faculty, students, and staff who are experiencing unfair reprisal, discipline, or threats within the university environment. Regrettably, as myriad press reports have shown (see the News & Events and Archives sections of this website), such bullying tactics have become tools for advancing the Cancel Culture agenda at Cornell and many other US universities. Many have been disappointed by the Cornell Administration's lack of strong support for Cornell Community victims of such tactics. However, with thousands of dedicated Cornell alumni, faculty, students, and staff as well as outside free-speech organizations teaming with CFSA to form a unified front in opposition to Cancel Culture at Cornell, on-campus members of the Cornell Community can now draw upon this off-campus / on-campus alliance as a powerful resource to defend those who may hold minority views which do not conform to Cornell Group Think -- and, as a consequence, who may face reprisal from the Cornell Administration and/or adherents to the dominant Ideological Orthodoxy on campus.
To aid members of the Cornell Community who are facing unfair punishment and/or actions as a result of exercising their free speech and/or personal views, CFSA and our allied groups will stand behind such community members in pushing back against Cancel Culture. We encourage any member of the Cornell Community experiencing such malign actions to contact CFSA through the Get Help feature of this website to draw upon such aid and assistance. CFSA encourages faculty, students, and staff to stay strong in facing down Cornell Group Think. Substantial off-campus support is now available to redress such unfair treatment or actions suffered by a member of the Cornell Community via CFSA's Get Help resource.