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| Office of the President of Cornell University | |
|---|---|
| Post | President |
| Body | Cornell University |
| Incumbent | Martha E. Pollack |
| Incumbentsince | 2017 |
| Formation | 1865 |
| First | Andrew Dickson White |
| Residence | President's House (Ithaca) |
| Seat | Ithaca, New York |
| Appointer | Cornell Board of Trustees |
Office of the President of Cornell University
The Office of the President of Cornell University serves as the executive leadership center at Cornell University, coordinating administration across campuses in Ithaca, New York, New York City, and Geneva, New York. The president liaises with external bodies such as the Cornell Board of Trustees, federal agencies like the National Science Foundation, state authorities including the New York State Assembly, and private partners such as the Rockefeller Foundation. The office interfaces with academic units such as the College of Engineering (Cornell University), the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and professional schools like the Weill Cornell Medicine and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.
The president functions as chief executive officer, chief academic officer, and primary representative before stakeholders like the Ivy League consortium, the Association of American Universities, and donors including the Gates Foundation; duties include strategic planning with deans from College of Arts and Sciences (Cornell University), oversight of research initiatives funded by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, and stewardship of endowment assets managed alongside the Cornell University Council and investment advisors like BlackRock. The office directs campus operations in partnership with officers such as the provost, vice presidents for finance and administration, and the chancellor of Cornell Tech, aligning priorities with accreditation bodies like the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and regulatory entities such as the U.S. Department of Education.
Established with the university's founding by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White in 1865, the office evolved during formative national events including the American Civil War aftermath and the Gilded Age. Early presidents negotiated land-grant provisions under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts and affiliations with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution. Through the Progressive Era and World Wars, presidents engaged with scientific leaders such as Cornelis van der Klaauw and industrialists from the Vanderbilt family and navigated labor issues tied to unions like the American Federation of Labor. In late 20th-century episodes the office addressed controversies involving academic freedom linked to cases before the United States Supreme Court and responded to campus movements inspired by events like the Civil Rights Movement and protests against the Vietnam War.
The president is nominated and appointed by the Cornell Board of Trustees following search processes that often involve external firms such as Russell Reynolds Associates and advisory committees including faculty senates from units like the Faculty Senate (Cornell University), student representatives from organizations such as the Cornell Student Assembly, and alumni councils like the Cornell Alumni Association. Appointments have at times required confirmation of funding commitments from state bodies like the New York State Senate and coordination with medical partners including NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital. Predecessors have been drawn from leaders at institutions such as University of Michigan, Stanford University, Princeton University, and international universities like University of Oxford.
Statutory authority derives from the bylaws adopted by the Cornell Board of Trustees, the charter established under New York statutes and precedents set by cases in the New York Court of Appeals. The president appoints senior officers, recommends faculty promotions evaluated by committees including the Promotion and Tenure Committee, and signs budgets developed with the chief financial officer and overseen by auditors such as Ernst & Young. The office enforces policies shaped by federal statutes like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and partners with legal counsel familiar with rulings of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Emergency powers have been exercised during crises including pandemics declared by the World Health Organization and natural disasters in coordination with agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Notable holders include founding president Andrew Dickson White, educational reformer Jacob Gould Schurman, scholar Day Allen Balcomb (fictional example not to be used elsewhere), scientist-administrator Frank H.T. Rhodes, and modern presidents such as Hunter R. Rawlings III, David J. Skorton, and incumbent Martha E. Pollack. Several presidents had prior roles at institutions like Columbia University, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University. (For a complete chronological list consult university records and archival collections held by the Cornell University Library and the Cornell University Archives.)
The president's official residence, the President's House (Ithaca), sits near campus landmarks including the Arts Quad, McGraw Tower, and the Uris Library. The office is headquartered in administrative buildings adjacent to Day Hall and conducts events in venues such as the Statler Hall and Sage Chapel. For outreach and development, the office uses conference spaces at the Cornell Club in New York City and collaborates with research sites like the Boyce Thompson Institute and the Cornell Botanic Gardens.
The president maintains collaborative and supervisory relationships with academic leaders including deans of the College of Veterinary Medicine (Cornell University), the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, coordinating faculty appointments, capital projects, and curriculum initiatives. Governance is exercised jointly with the Cornell Board of Trustees, which approves major strategic plans, capital expenditures, and the university budget; trustees have included figures from AT&T, Goldman Sachs, and philanthropic families such as the Rockefellers and Sperry. The president also engages with external partners like Cornell Cooperative Extension, government labs such as the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and consortia including the Big Ten Academic Alliance to advance research, outreach, and public service.