According to a statement posted on its own School of Integrative Plant Science's website, Cornell University perpetuates "settler colonialism, indigenous dispossession, slavery, racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, antisemitism, and ableism."

The statement appears to have been posted in March 2021 and is still up as of this writing.  The School of Integrative Plant Science, or SIPS, is a division of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The statement is thought to have been generated by the SIPS "Diversity and Inclusion Council," which was formed last October.  The council also noted that it "recognizes that our institution was founded on and perpetuates various injustices."  The council's vision statement reads: "We seek to address and repair the harms caused by these intersecting forms of oppression."

A few thoughts: First, do we really now believe it's a bad thing for a college or university to promote "ableism"?  If we aren't sending kids to college to become competent at something, why the hell are we sending them at all?  What are we paying tens of thousands of dollars a year in tuition for?

Secondly, does it seem likely that the School of Integrative Plant Science is a hotbed of systemic settler colonialism, indigenous dispossession, slavery, racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and antisemitism?  How could that even be?  And does it need its own Diversity and Inclusion Council, separate from Cornell's?  How many Diversity and Inclusion Councils does the school sport?

Finally, is stating that your school perpetuates settler colonialism, indigenous dispossession, slavery, racism, classism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and antisemitism an effective recruiting tactic?

"Well, I was undecided between Cornell and Iowa State, but now that I've seen what its School of Integrative Plant Science says about it, I'm going to Cornell!"

Go Big Red!