Characteristics for Candidates to Fill the Leadership Vacancies at Cornell University

Cornell University currently faces vacancies in its two most powerful and influential senior management positions: the university president and the provost. This unprecedented situation is akin to the simultaneous vacancy of both a CEO and COO of a large Fortune 500 company.

The university president, appointed by and reporting to the Board of Trustees, serves as Cornell’s chief executive officer. This role involves providing visionary leadership to promote a culture of academic excellence and fostering an environment where research, teaching, and innovation thrive. The president must also create policies that allow Cornellians to express and debate diverse ideas and opinions without fear of censorship or retribution, upholding the founding values of Ezra Cornell, who envisioned “an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

The provost is the president’s most senior assistant and “acts as the university’s chief academic officer, chief budgeting officer, and first deputy officer to the president,” according to Cornell’s website. The provost works to enhance the university’s excellence in teaching, scholarship, and outreach.

Cornell has set the goal to complete the provost search in time for the successful candidate to begin their term by January 1, 2025. The paradox facing the Cornell Board of Trustees is their goal to prioritize the appointment of the university’s provost before appointing the new president. This is a particularly challenging situation since they will appoint the person responsible for executing the president’s vision, policies, and leadership before appointing the president who is responsible for creating those same touchstones. This bottom-up approach to first appoint the provost: 1) will deny the next president an opportunity to appoint and empower an individual aligned with his/her vision, values, and culture; and 2) sets up the risk of further turnover in the university’s most important managerial positions.

Unfortunately, Cornell lost sight of its most basic purpose of passing on the accumulated knowledge of past generations and incrementally adding to that knowledge. Regrettably, Cornell’s recent administration took a misguided approach to eradicate generations of racial disparity in university education in one generation. It attempted to achieve that utopian goal through the implementation of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) as a guiding principle, even when the principle was at odds with the basic purpose of the university.

Although DEI appears to promote excellent concepts, these same concepts create an environment and culture that is detrimental to learning, mutual respect, and discourse. Hopefully, the Cornell Board of Trustees will follow other elite institutions in reconciling the challenges with the utopian DEI approach.

Ivy League institutions, as well as other leading universities across the nation, are revisiting the importance of hiring leaders committed to fostering intellectual diversity and free inquiry. This contrasts with recent hires who have perpetuated a monoculture that limits genuine open inquiry, academic freedom, and expression by prioritizing DEI.

It is crucial that Cornell seeks qualified candidates for the presidential and provost positions. The qualified candidates must be “true reformers”—individuals with the conviction and character to challenge the prevailing campus culture and championing the return of robust free speech and academic freedom necessary to fulfill the university’s mission in pursuit of truth and advancement of knowledge. The criteria for these roles are consistent across many top U.S. universities, making it prudent to develop a unified set of recommendations for hiring that reflect the values articulated in three highly acclaimed reports collectively known as the Chicago Trifecta: the Chicago Principles, Kalven Report and Shils Report. CFSA has created a series of reform-oriented policy recommendations including the Chicago Trifecta, and submitted these to Cornell's administration and board of trustees in our report titled Lifting The Fog : Restoring Academic Freedom & Free Expression At Cornell University.https://cornellfreespeech.com/sites/default/files/AFINALCFSAPolicyRecommendations081423.pdf.

CFSA’s policy recommendations were endorsed by multiple Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA) members, in hopes that it can serve as a powerful tool to influence hiring processes at universities nationwide. This document has been reviewed by organizations such as the Academic Freedom Alliance (AFSA), the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), the Heterodox Academy (HxA), and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), among others.

The collaboration among these organizations emphasizes their commitment to advancing academic freedom by guiding the selection of future university leaders who will prioritize free speech, intellectual diversity, and academic excellence.

The following are values and principles that should guide the hiring of new leadership. These principles embody and foster a university culture of open dialogue, academic excellence, and institutional neutrality.

Commitment to Free Expression: Ensure that the university leadership strongly supports and prioritizes an atmosphere of free speech and open dialogue. Candidates should have a proven track record of advocating for free speech and fostering open discourse within academic institutions. Leaders must create policies and environments where diverse ideas and opinions can be expressed and debated without fear of censorship or retribution. Candidates must promote a culture of respectful and constructive discourse, emphasising the importance of listening and engaging with opposing viewpoints.

Institutional Neutrality: Maintain the university's focus on education and research, ensuring that the institution itself remains neutral on political and social issues while encouraging individual autonomy in advocacy. Clearly delineate the roles and boundaries of the university in relation to political and social advocacy, ensuring that institutional neutrality is maintained. Encourage faculty, students, and staff to engage in political and social activities independently, supporting their right to personal advocacy without institutional endorsement. Develop criteria for when the university may need to take a stance, ensuring these instances are rare and aligned with core academic values.

Academic Excellence and Innovation: Promote a culture of academic excellence, fostering an environment where research, teaching, and innovation thrive. Ensure that academic appointments and promotions are based on research excellence, teaching effectiveness, and intellectual contributions. Recognize and reward outstanding teaching and mentorship, promoting a balance between scholarly achievements and educational impact. Create opportunities for interdisciplinary research and collaboration, enhancing innovation and creativity across academic fields.

Intellectual Diversity and Meritocracy: Create an academic community that values diverse viewpoints and emphasizes expertise and merit and ensures that all individuals can contribute and thrive based on their intellectual contributions. Encourage an atmosphere where diverse intellectual perspectives are both welcomed and debated, supporting a culture of open dialogue and critical thinking. Implement meritocratic practices in hiring, promotion, and recognition, ensuring that decisions are based on expertise, achievements, and contributions to the academic community. Create Opportunities for Intellectual Engagement: Develop platforms and initiatives that promote the exploration of various ideas and allow innovative and challenging viewpoints to flourish.

Collaboration and Community Engagement: Build strong partnerships and collaborations within and outside the university, enhancing community engagement and creating a culture of shared purpose. Encourage collaboration among departments, faculty, and students, promoting a sense of community and shared goals. Build relationships with external organizations, alumni, and community leaders to enhance the university's impact and reach. Encourage civic engagement among students and faculty, supporting community service and public involvement as integral components of the university experience.

By integrating these principles into the hiring process for Cornell University’s President and Provost, the Board of Trustees can ensure that their leadership aligns with and will honour and promote the foundational principles of Ezra Cornell through an environment where free speech, intellectual diversity, and collaboration are at the forefront of the university's mission, ensuring that the institution continues to be a beacon of knowledge, innovation, and academic freedom.