Posted: 10/7/2024 as part of original pending resolution 199
Extracted from original pending resolution and posted 12/6/2024

Passed: December 20, 2024
Vote results with comments

Response from Interim President Kotlikoff and Provost Bala dated February 10, 2025

Sponsors: Listed Below

Background

Whereas, on October 2, 2024, the Cornell Daily Sun reported that Cornell Vice President Joel Malina and Vice President Ryan Lombardi met with more than 220 parents in a private Zoom meeting hosted by Cornell Hillel on September 30, 2024.

Whereas Vice President Lombardi stated, at the Hillel parents meeting of September 30, 2024 that Cornell is increasing police and other security presence and is installing cameras in all new and renovated buildings;

Whereas, the Cornell University Policy Library states that Cornell University Policy 8.1: Responsible Use of Video Surveillance Systems “has been removed from the University Policy Library; the requirements are still in place and are under revision”;

Whereas, Cornell University Policy 8.1 has been removed from the Cornell archives;

Whereas, Cornell University Policy 8.1 includes the following provisions related to issues of security and privacy in the use of video surveillance systems technology:

“Cornell University aims to provide a secure environment for members of its community and to protect personal safety and property, assisted by video surveillance systems technology. Such technologies, however, must be used only to meet the university’s critical goals for security, and in a manner that is sensitive to interests of privacy, free assembly, and expression.”

“Cornell University aims to provide its community with a secure environment, which is enhanced by using video surveillance systems (VSS) technology to monitor its campus. The university is also sensitive to the privacy and freedoms of expression and assembly of members of its community. As a result, this policy limits the use of approved equipment and the circumstances in which recorded material may be released. Furthermore, VSS technology is not intended to be used as a tool for routine performance management of university employees.”

“Requests for release of recorded data must be approved by the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, who is the appropriate data steward for VSS recorded material. Recordings related directly to a criminal investigation, subpoena, or arrest are excluded from review by the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, although he or she must be informed. Release of recordings of this nature will be documented by the CUPD.”

Whereas, the Cornell community, including the faculty, has significant interest in ensuring that policing and surveillance technology are used only for appropriate security purposes without infringing on privacy, academic freedom, and freedoms of expression and assembly;

Whereas, the University administration should consult with the Faculty Senate concerning policies that affect privacy, academic freedom, and freedoms of expression and assembly;

Whereas, the University administration’s current actions and plans include increasing policing, increasing the installation of cameras, and revising Cornell Policy 8.1 on Video Surveillance systems;

Be it resolved, that the Faculty Senate demands that the Cornell administration provide public information about its plans for increased police and security presence and increased numbers and placement of security cameras on campus;

Be it further resolved, that the Faculty Senate demands that the Cornell administration engage in meaningful consultation and negotiations with the Faculty Senate and other Cornell governance bodies and unions to ensure that increased police and security presence and installation of security cameras on campus are not used for or have the effect of invading privacy or interfering with faculty, student, staff, or visitors’ academic freedom, or freedoms of expression and assembly;

Be it finally resolved, that the Faculty Senate demands that the Cornell administration engage in meaningful consultation and negotiations with the Faculty Senate and other Cornell governance bodies and unions about the revision of Cornell University Policy 8.1: Responsible Use of Video Surveillance Systems.

Faculty co-sponsors of this Resolution:
Risa Lieberwitz (Faculty Senator)
Begüm Adalet (Faculty Senator)
Noah Tamarkin (Faculty Senator)
Laurent Dubreuil (Faculty Senator)
Frans Schalekamp (Faculty Senator)
Tobi Hines (Faculty Senator)
Iris Packman (Faculty Senator)
Suman Seth
Eric Cheyfitz
David Bateman
Darlene Evans
Dan Hirschman
Wunpini Mohammed
Nerissa Russell
Shimon Edelman
Derek Chang
Paul Nadasdy
Kate Bronfenbrenner
Paul Ortiz
Richard Bensel
Sarah Besky
Alex Nading
Ileen DeVault
Matthew Evangelista
Judith Byfield
Patchen Markell
Shannon Gleeson
Shaoling Ma
Magnus Fiskesjö
Catherine Appert
Caroline Levine
Juno Salazar Parrenas
Mary Pat Brady
Rachel Weil
James Gross
David Levitsky
Kurt A. Jordan
Robert Travers
Kate McCullough
Viranjini Munasinghe
Oumar Ba
Joseph Margulies
Kenneth Roberts
Alex Livingston
Sofia Villenas
Marina Welker
Ian Greer
Paul Sawyer
Helena Maria Viramontes
Saida Hodzic
Elisha Cohn
Elke Siegel
Iliana Burgos
Adam Chandler
Elizabeth Parker
Julia Gardner
Laura Daniels
Jessica Ratcliff
Tracy McNulty
Rayna Kalas
Jim DelRosso
Eli Friedman
Gavin Walker
TJ Hinrichs
Andrew Yen