The Cornell Urban Scholars Program's class of 2009 mourns its recent demise and calls for a place for CUSP in the reimagined Cornell.

Sun columnists, Julie Block, Andrew Daines and Munier Salem join Associate Editor Tony Manfred to talk about the stories and controversies that have defined their time in Ithaca in an epic, 10-part podcast.

The emphasis on making Cornell a more centralized university in the latest draft of the Strategic Plan suggests a more common educational experience. This is an intriguing prospect, and can be a positive step if the University handles it the right way.

On March 25, Provost Kent Fuchs released a second draft of Cornell’s Strategic Plan for moving our university forward during the recession — a central component of the “Reimagining Cornell” campaign. The goals outlined in this plan include promoting excellence in faculty, education, staff, research and outreach. Of these five areas, excellence in faculty is perhaps the most important: The decisions regarding the hiring and management of Cornell faculty will have lasting implications on the quality of teaching and research at Cornell for years to come.

Recently, a few of the nation’s top colleges and universities have begun to adjust their need-based student aid programs to reflect difficult budgetary realities. Despite our own budget pressures, Cornell is resisting this trend because providing an extraordinary academic environment for the most promising students from all backgrounds is one of our foundational principles and fundamental values: along with a diverse faculty and staff, a diverse student body enhances the Cornell experience for all.