Cornell Courage

We've updated our web site to include several more universities' alumni movements that have launched!

cornellcourage.com/affiliates

There are 20+ so far. This movement can use your help since the govt pressure continues.

Recent additions include groups for Johns Hopkins, BU, Texas A&M, & more

Sign our Open Letter to Cornell's leaders - responding to the Agreement Join the "Cornell Courage" group of concerned Cornellians

Please join Cornell Courage as we continue to urge Cornell's leaders to defend Cornell's values/freedoms and to stand in solidarity with other institutions.

This link allows you to sign up for our movement by adding your name (or initials) to our "Open Letter."

cornellcourage.fillout.com/letter1

if they are affiliate with other places in addition to Texas A&M, they might like to see if those institutions have other groups they can join--we list them all here: cornellcourage.com/affiliates
Joining forces is so important, so we are happy to stand w/ Aggies Forward !

We put the link to Aggies Forward on our web page of affiliate groups, and we hope you'll continue to get support from a lot of alumni!

For reference, it's on our site here: cornellcourage.com/affiliates

We join in solidarity w/ @crimsoncourage.bsky.social, calling on Harvard's leaders to standing up to unlawful pressure.

Americans must join together in getting universities to stand up to these attacks on our universities. Find the group for your alma mater here:
cornellcourage.com/affiliates

It's Almost Time to Vote for Your Alumni-Elected Trustees! - Cornellians | Cornell University Four candidates are vying for two seats to represent their fellow Cornellians on the University's governing body

Hi fellow alumni...
Another reminder about the perhaps-mundane topic of alumni trustee elections.
We get to elect 2 ppl to the body that will set Cornell's future direction.
We suggest ppl vote after hearing from candidates at the 2/10 election webinar.
Details:

alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/...

Also, this "Harvard has no choice" excuse is bogus. We heard this in 2025 re: Cornell. (turns out the federal funding freeze $ amt was overblown)
Harvard was successful in its lawsuits re: funding. And there are intelligent people there who can figure out how to navigate federal funding disruptions.

All university leaders must join with Harvard's stance of resistance. People everywhere: please push your alma mater's leaders to do so.

We hear Princeton's leadership is pretty good on this front. Cornell's...not so much. And we are letting them know that such cowardice is not acceptable to us.

We at Cornell Courage stand in solidarity w/Crimson Courage, who've urged Harvard's leaders not to capitulate.

A main pressure tactic of Trump admin has been to launch unfounded investigations etc

We trust that Harvard won't do what Cornell's current leaders did, which was to get scared and cave.

Elections and voting - Alumni, parents, and friends | Cornell University Cornell alumni elect two members to the Board of Trustees each year.

Thanks for spreading the word!
It's important for alumni to know that these elections exist & that they have a vote. Last year, <7% of alumni voted!
There's a webinar on 2/10 where you can hear from candidates. (Cornell prohibits orgs from making endorsements)
alumni.cornell.edu/volunteer/le...

Specifically, the task force found that Cornell should "speak up" for the right thing, basically. And this includes our nation's democratic system and the rule of law, because Cornell can't fulfill its mission without those.

[Full document here: provost.cornell.edu/_assets/docu... ]

Students for a Democratic Cornell on Instagram: "While ICE terrorizes communities across the country, President Kotlikoff defends Cornell’s collaboration with ICE and CPB for Career Services events an... 438 likes, 7 comments - sdc.now on January 29, 2026: "While ICE terrorizes communities across the country, President Kotlikoff defends Cornell’s collaboration with ICE and CPB for Career Services even...

Cornell Courage has been very concerned about whether university leadership understands its role in preserving democracy.

Current students are upset:
www.instagram.com/p/DUHY0t6j74...

This news does not align with the recommendations of Cornell's 'task force on use of institutional voice."

We at Cornell Courage (mostly alumni) are very happy to see this.
We formed a subgroup to find ways our alumni can support faculty in defending academic freedom @Cornell.

Other groups like us exist. We encourage ppl to join the respective group for their alma mater
see
cornellcourage.com/affiliates

We can use your help tonight if you have a minute.
It's the last day to submit Q for the Alumni Trustee election process.

Yes, we know alumni are NOT motivated to engage w/Cornell now. (We get it!). But it's 1 lever to use to fix probs.

Please dash off a quick Q to the email👇 even if it's late

ICYMI: Cornell's alumni trustee elections matter because it's a way that alumni get a say in who is running the university and how they respond to the Trump administration...Here's one thing to do now: ask candidates the tough questions.

There's a mechanism to get on next year's ballot by petition, not just by being (an insider) nominated by Cornell.

That happened on the 2025 ballot.

We encourage alumni to explore this possibility. Let us know if you'd like to step up

We also hope for the best from this year's candidates. /5

Elections and voting - Alumni, parents, and friends | Cornell University Cornell alumni elect two members to the Board of Trustees each year.

Voting will be open 1-28 Feb. Get ready by checking out candidates & ensuring that you get your ballot:
alumni.cornell.edu/volunteer/le...

Even if you're furious that Cornell caved, now's the time to participate. Let's get the highest voter turnout ever!

And maybe *you'd like to be a Trustee*?? /3

By 1/29 send your Qs to
electalumtrustee@cornell.edu

Cornell will screen submitted Qs before 2/10 webinar & likely ask just a few anodyne Qs

But we'd like to keep track of whether alumni have at least tried to ask the tough questions. Let us know

+Mark your calendar for the webinar (see link)../2

It's Almost Time to Vote for Your Alumni-Elected Trustees! - Cornellians | Cornell University Four candidates are vying for two seats to represent their fellow Cornellians on the University's governing body

Cornellians!
An easy call to action re: Trustee Elections:

By *Thurs 1/19*, submit your questions for candidates, for Cornell's 2/10 election webinar

Look for an email Cornell sent on 1/22 w/details

Didn't get it? Same here, but you can email Qs directly.../1

alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/...

None, probably. This donation will support the Engineering college, but the rest of the university (including its 8 other colleges) faces a financial crisis, and *not* just because of the payment they agreed to give the federal government.

Well said--"When you capitulate, you empower Trump to push further past your limits."

Indeed the funds are much needed as Cornell's president has repeatedly referred to its acute financial challenges. But not being upfront about the cause or magnitude of them.

Meanwhile, we suspect that the alumni pool of donations that goes to unrestricted donations is drying up after Nov.

**Big Red Flag**

Cornellians! Your alma mater needs your attention.
(We know it's hard to keep up w/ EVERYTHING, w/continuously-flooded zones etc)

We urge you to
1️⃣keep an eye on how things are being managed
2️⃣get involved in Trustee elections .
..more soon, but first:

bsky.app/profile/corn...

Engineering College Renames to David A. Duffield College of Engineering Following Largest Gift in University History Following David A. Duffield’s ’62 MBA ’64 historic $371.5 million donation pledge, the University has renamed the engineering college to the David A. Duffield College of Engineering, according to the ...

/5 A gift of this nature has naturally been in the works for a while.
Was Cornell's leadership courting this Trump-supporting mega-donor all of last year while also needing to decide how to handle the Trump admin's attack on Cornell?

Why, yes:
www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

/4 The contract *was* cancelled after it attracted attention (transparency laws👏)

But the fact stands that Duffield heavily supports political interests at odds w/Cornell's mission and values & which are undermining both higher education and democracy itself.../4

www.cornell.edu/about/missio...

OPM quietly awards large HR management contract to Workday Through a sole-source contract, Workday will take over OPM HR systems for managing federal employee payroll, benefits, performance management and more.

...Or, could it be a vote of confidence in Board/Pres's recent decisions? (or neither?)

FEC data shows that Duffield & wife have contributed $millions to Trump/GOP in recent election cycles.

& in early '25, Trump admin awarded a contract to his company:
/3

federalnewsnetwork.com/contracting/...

Engineering College Renames to David A. Duffield College of Engineering Following Largest Gift in University History Following David A. Duffield’s ’62 MBA ’64 historic $371.5 million donation pledge, the University has renamed the engineering college to the David A. Duffield College of Engineering, according to the ...

Here's the story, just out.
A generous gift. But the timing makes one wonder.
Since Nov, many alumni, we hear, canceled their donations to after it capitulated.

So...is Duffield's gift an an act of love to rescue Cornell from its financial quagmire? Or...
/2

www.cornellsun.com/article/2026...

CORNELL IN CRISIS
What should be a celebratory occasion instead raises red flags:

1) Cornell badly needs $$, & NOT simply because it's a target of the Trump admin (more on that in a bit)

2) Alum D Duffield has given so much $$ that the Cornell just re-named the Engineering school after him.. 🧐

Any UChicago alums out there? We wanted to share the news that a new independent alumni group is forming. Take a look at their petition...:
alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/uc...

We added them to our page listing all the groups ...check it out!
cornellcourage.com/affiliates

How so? (We have yet to hear the explanation of Cornell's leadership as to what, specifically, is a misunderstanding.)