One of Cornell University's most prominent donors has called on the university's president to resign and will no longer donate to the university if it continues its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. said.
in an open letter John A. Linseth, Cornell University Trustee Emeritus and Advisor to the President, urges President Craig Kaiser and the Board of Trustees to abandon the university's “misguided approach” to DEI, calling on Cornell University to abandon its “misguided approach” to DEI. He argued that the initiative had brought about “disgrace” rather than “excellence.”
“I am proud to be part of several generations of the Lindseth family of Cornell University alumni and donors, but I am proud to say that my alma mater has lost its way due to its disastrous engagement with DEI policies that permeate every field. “I am concerned about the recent decline in the quality of education provided by the University,” he wrote.
“I have spent years listening to Cornell University and its leadership, participating as a student, and learning about some of the university's past exemplary projects, including the library (which I continue to fund). I can no longer make a general contribution until the university reshapes its approach to education by replacing DEI groupthink with Cornell's original and noble intentions.'' he added.
Linseth, who has been one of the school's largest donors for decades, has spoken out about President Martha E. Pollack's “shameful” response to anti-Semitism and Hamas terrorism and her response after the killing of George Floyd. The comparison was made with a “strong response.” He suggested that this discrepancy shows that schools are no longer interested in “discovering and disseminating knowledge,” but rather “subject to DEI groupthink.”
“Today, the instruction provided by Cornell University is based on DEI groupthink, which is applied to all fields of study. The result is a moral degeneration that some refer to as “corruption,'' and a general “It is consistent with a political ideology and undermines fundamental principles of justice and freedom of speech,” Linseth added.
Cornell University alumni cited several concerns, including increasing anti-Semitism and “general intolerance” on campus, abolishing SATS and grades, based on equal outcomes rather than proven merit. He claimed that he was promoting a system that
Linseth also said the new campus “bias reporting system” helped foster an “Orwellian environment” among classmates, colleagues and neighbors.
“Cornell alumni have organized over the past year to provide support and feedback, policy advocacy, and whistleblowing of problematic behavior on campus by students, faculty, and administrators,” he said. said. “The goal was to see Cornell University’s excellence restored through decisive reduction of DEI and the toxic academic environment it creates.”
Mr. Linseth said he had requested that Mr. Pollack's resignation be added to the emergency board meeting on January 26th.
He also mentioned recent information provided to alumni by the Cornell University Free Speech Alliance. These included reports that the school hired teachers based on race to meet DEI requirements and that teachers were singled out and disciplined for expressing minority views on national events and policies. It is said that this includes incidents in which people have been arrested. .
“As I write this letter, more Cornell alumni are refusing to continue donating to their alma mater. Unfortunately, President Pollack and his administration have made efforts to correct Cornell University's policies. has refused to engage in dialogue with the alumni concerned or their sound policy recommendations,” Linseth added.
He also made recommendations to the board, including eliminating DEI staff, public research on campus, a return to academic freedom, freedom of expression, and diversity of viewpoints, and canceling the proposed Cornell Center for Racial Justice. It also includes numerous recommendations.
“Alumni, students, faculty and staff should not accept that Cornell University is in such a shameful position. New leadership is needed to correct these intolerable circumstances and restore Cornell University's legacy and honor as soon as possible. ,” Linseth said.
