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The Corne¬ Daily Sun Vol. 142, No. 16 News
Arts and Culture
Science
Cornell closed
Freezing films
Snow safety
Cornell’s Ithaca and AgriTech campuses closed for 24 hours due to a major winter storm on Sunday. | Page 10
16 Pages – Free
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026 n ITHACA, NEW YORK
Rentezelas shares his picks of what films to watch while snowed in.
Amid a storm that led to a 24 hour campus closure, The Sun shared tips to stay warm.
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Kotlikoff Tells Faculty Senate He Was ‘Not Thrilled’ With Trump Settlement At a Jan. 21 meeting, President Michael Kotlikoff said the University’s budget is still on “razor’s edge”
By ZEINAB FARAJ and ATTICUS JOHNSON Sun Features Editor and Sun Senior Writer
Jan. 22 — President Michael Kotlikoff addressed the Faculty Senate explaining Cornell’s recent settlement with the Trump administration, and commented on budgetary concerns, a new Code of Conduct and the United Nations Special Rapporteurs’ letter during a Wednesday afternoon meeting. The meeting, which had over 150 attendees via Zoom and in person, featured an address by Kotlikoff, followed by a question-and-answer period with professors across departments. This address was not a regularly scheduled meeting, according to the Faculty Senate’s website. Cornell’s Settlement and Agricultural Grants Kotlikoff told faculty that the grants frozen by the Trump administration, amounting to more than $250 million, were unlocked and that the $30 million in agricultural grants was the University’s idea, rather than the federal government’s. Describing the funding freeze and subsequent negotiations, Kotlikoff stated that he was “not pleased with the situation.” “What we were facing was real independent damage to faculty, to faculty
careers, to young people’s careers, to graduate studies and [to] post doc careers,” Kotlikoff said. “I believe that given the situation, we achieved the best outcome that would be possible.” Prof. Larry Glickman, history, questioned Kotlikoff about the settlement and the responsibility of the University to take a stand against attacks on higher education. “That’s why I’m not thrilled by the agreement — because of the $30 million, because of what
[Glickman] articulated — but I’m also not in a position, as president of the University, where we can say, ‘We’re going to take a political stand against an administration,’” Kotlikoff said. Specifically on the agricultural grants, Kotlikoff said they were “frankly, [the University’s] suggestion,” because the University “knew that [the Trump administration] was trying to inflict some monetary pain, and the bigger the number, the bigger the headline.” While half of the $60 million Cornell agreed to pay the federal government will go to the U.S. Treasury, the other half will be administered by Cornell for projects that will “have an impact on farming communities,” Provost Kavita Bala said. More specifically, Bala said in response to a question by Prof. Todd Schmit, applied economics, that Vice Provost for Research Gary Koretzky would administer the process, along with an external advisory board. The deans of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Veterinary College will run the external advisory board, which will also include farmers from across the country.
STEPHAN MENASCHE / SUN ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
See KOTLIKOFF page 10
Cornell To Increase Contribution to ICSD By 34% The increase in voluntary contributions to the Ithaca City School District will occur over the next five years
By VALENCIA MASSARO Sun Staff Writer
tary contributions to the district dates back to 1975. ICSD Superintendent Luvelle Brown announced the increase at the Jan. 13 school board meeting,
stating that while “nowhere near what we were asking for initially,” the increase was appreciated, especially considering “the external and internal pressures [the University is] facing right now.” Cornell’s increased contribution comes after the University’s statement released in June 2025 on “profound financial challenges” following federal funding frozen in April 2025, and a subsequent November settlement with the Trump administration to restore the funding, in which Cornell agreed to pay $30 million to the federal government and invest $30 million into agricultural research. This increase follows a long-time advocacy effort, spearheaded by the Make Cornell Pay Campaign and the Ithaca Teachers Association. These efforts call for increased funding from Cornell, as the ICSD is currently facing declining teacher retention, with only 57% of teachers NATHAN ELLISON / SUN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER tenured compared to 85% in 2015.
Jan. 26 — Cornell will increase financial contributions to the Ithaca City School District by 34% over the next five years, starting with a $50,000 increase in the 2025-2026 academic year, as announced at an ICSD school board meeting on Jan. 13. Cornell will contribute $700,000 to the school district this year, an increase from their planned $650,000 contribution. There will then be a $50,000 per year increase for the first three years, with smaller increases continuing until 2031, when the increase will reach $874,000. Cornell’s voluntary contributions to ICSD are in lieu of property taxes. As Cornell is a not-for-profit corporation, the University is exempt from property taxes, which would have supported the school district. Therefore, Cornell voluntarily provides funding to the school district, as ICSD relies on local property taxes for around 75% of its operating Cornell contributes !"#$%"&'()%*+(,-"./',*(01,%+")/21',3*(2-",/",$%"4,$3.3"5(,-"6.$//2"7(+,*(.," budget. Cornell’s history of these volun- ('"2(%1"/8"9*/9%*,-",3:%+;"
See ICSD page 5