Cornell President Calls on Campus Community to Combat Sexual Misconduct

David Skorton, president of Cornell University, has asked the university’s Executive Committee on Campus Climate, Health, and Safety to develop clear response protocols for incidents of bias. The committee was also asked to develop a campuswide framework for the delivery of services, educational outreach, and training to promote a campus climate that is free of sexual misconduct and bias.

In a letter to the campus community, President Skorton wrote, “We now need to lower the likelihood of such incidents occurring by making a deliberate commitment in how we operate to prevent sexual misconduct and all forms of bias and by focusing on how we treat each other, how we think about ourselves, and what each of us — and all of us — can do to foster a respectful, safe, inclusive and engaged academic environment.”

President Skorton noted that despite the university’s recent efforts, “persistent issues on campus and continuing feedback from our community have convinced me that we have far yet to go. I call on everyone in our community to engage in self-reflection, examine the issues and join us in efforts to eliminate sexual misconduct and all forms of bias from our campus community.”