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Hotelie alumnus expands Ithaca’s bakery scene beyond CTB with Rashida Sawyer Bakery. | Page 5
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Cornell prevailed against Canisius with three new players on the starting lineup. | Page 8
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Faculty Letters Call for Classroom Safety Policies Instructors request academic accommodation By VEE CIPPERMAN Sun News Editor
With a hardline in-person teaching requirement, Cornell has pushed its instructors back into classrooms — and more than 100 have organized against its current policies. Cornell announced to faculty on Aug. 11 that it would only offer in-person classes — denying requests for remote teaching premised on disability accommodations. On Aug. 13, Provost Michael Kotlikoff released a statement saying that deans and unit leaders can grant classroom accommodations at their discretion, as well as suggesting that concerned faculty and staff consider a medical leave. According to Prof. Celia Bigoness, law, the University’s standards for granting accommodations, who they’re consulting with or how final decisions are made feel unclear. “[The statement] refers to extraordinary circumstances where some accommo-
dations, like partial or temporary remote teaching, might be provided,” said Prof. Risa Lieberwitz, law, president of the Cornell University Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. “But this still doesn’t address the people’s needs.” Faculty Letters to Cornell Administration
On Aug. 29, two faculty bodies submitted letters to Cornell administration calling for revisions to its in-person, limited accommodations policy for the fall 2021 semester. They criticized the University’s lack of accessibility measures and limited flexibility for faculty, asking the administration to provide more transparency in policy making. A group of concerned faculty members detailed their concerns in the first letter, and the Cornell chapter of the AAUP under Lieberwitz penned the second. The faculty letter’s signatories, consisting largely of professors in the College of Arts and Sciences, See FACULTY page 4
JULIA NAGEL / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Study hall | Students type away in packed classrooms, such as this lecture room in Milstein Hall, as the University mandates in-person learning.
U.A. Representatives Discuss Cornel West and Prof. Faculty Vaccination Mandate Robert George Plan Free Speech Debate By TAMARA KAMIS Sun Staff Writer
At the first University Assembly meeting of the semester Tuesday, representatives discussed encouraging the University to institute a vaccine mandate for all staff and faculty — expanding the requirement beyond students. “Cornell currently requires only students to be vaccinated, but with
this resolution, we ask that this be expanded to all students, faculty and staff,” Nikola Danev, grad, a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly representative, wrote in an email to other members of the U.A. before the meeting. “With the recent surges in cases, this is our only way forward.” While some representatives supported the mandate, which includes religious and medical
exemptions, others said they think an education-based approach to increasing the vaccination rate, combined with expanded testing, would minimize the risk of COVID-19. Students have been required to get vaccinated for the fall semester since last April — but faculty and staff are only encouraged to be vaccinated. Duke See VACCINATION page 3
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JULIA NAGEL / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Walk this way | Students traverse the campus in clusters with umbrellas as they head to classes.
By ANGELA BUNAY Sun Assistant News Editor
tions including the Yale Law Journal, the Harvard Law Review and the Columbia Law Review. He serves as the director of Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. George has also pub-
Distinguished professors Robert George and Cornel West will discuss democracy and free speech as part of The Peter ’69 and Marilyn ’69 Coors Conversation Series titled “Civil Discourse” on The series, hosted by the Cornell Sep. 9. The series, Law School is the first in an intended hosted by the four-part series to spark discussion Cornell Law among the Cornell community. School and sponsored by Cornell alumni Pete and Marilyn Coors, is lished numerous books on the first in an intended four- the topic of morality and part series to spark discussion law, such as Making Men among the Cornell commu- Moral: Civil Liberties and nity on national issues. It will Public Morality, In Defense feature a range of topics in of Natural Law, The Clash of an attempt to foster greater Orthodoxies and Conscience understanding across varied and Its Enemies. He has perspectives. received several awards for Prof. Sheri Lynn Johnson, his teaching and human law, who specializes in con- rights advocacy. stitutional and criminal law, Cornel West is the will moderate the event. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at George’s writings have See WEST page 3 been featured in publica-