President Michael Kotlikoff gave a State of the University Address at the 75th Trustee-Council Annual Meeting on Oct. 24, emphasizing the vitality of universities to the nation and urging people to “stand up” in support of them.
Kotlikoff spoke about moving forward as a University in an “incredibly difficult climate,” touching on federal funding tensions, AI and the recently established Committee on the Future of the American University — and urging attendees to fight for the University in a speech that evolved into a call-to-action.
“This is a report on the state of our university. And I could not give you an honest accounting of the state of Cornell, without speaking honestly about the space that we now inhabit,” Kotlikoff said.
He discussed the significance of the partnership between the federal government and universities — a relationship he said has historically given rise to an “unparalleled ecosystem of discovery and innovation.” But now, federal funding cuts have damaged that relationship.
Kotlikoff said the federal government has failed to pay $74 million in contracted work, adding up to nearly $250 million in funding lost when including stop-work orders.
“Government research funding is not a gift to universities. It’s a contract between an institution and a specific federal agency, awarded to the most meritorious applicant,” Kotlikoff said. “As long as Cornell’s federal contracts are in force, we are legally obligated to perform the contracted work. And that’s what we’ve continued to do, even when the government has stopped paying its bills.”
The stop-work orders came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 titled “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism,” which aimed to address “anti-Semitic harassment in schools and on university and college campuses.” This followed an eruption of pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses starting in 2023, including at Cornell, where a protest encampment was staged on the Arts Quad.
In March 2025, Cornell was one of 60 universities to receive a letter from the U.S. Department of Education warning them to address antisemitism on their campuses or face “enforcement action.”
One month later, Cornell University received over 75 stop-work orders from the Department of Defense, and reports circulated that over $1 billion in funding had been cut from the University. The number was later confirmed to be around $250 million by University administrators.
"Although we’ve never received a formal letter as Harvard did, the government has indicated publicly that it has taken these actions because of concerns around antisemitism following pro-Palestinian activities on campus beginning in fall of 2023," Kotlikoff said.
Kotlikoff criticized the government’s lack of a formal letter detailing the reasoning behind funding cuts, as well as the lack of adjudication of accusations of discrimination.
“The government has not used established legal processes to investigate accusations of civil rights violations, or to resolve them,” he said.
He underscored the detrimental impact of these abrupt funding changes.
“Research isn’t like a light switch that you can flip off and back on. If work stops, cell lines die, samples degrade, experiments are aborted, data is lost. If salaries aren’t paid, advanced educations are interrupted or ended, faculty and staff go elsewhere, and the harm becomes irreparable,” Kotlikoff said.
As talks with the federal government continue, Kotlikoff emphasized that Cornell will stand firm in its refusal to “allow the government to dictate our institution’s policies.” He urged the audience to fight for the University.
“I can’t emphasize enough that, especially now, we need your advocacy,” He said. “Call your representatives. Stand up for universities, and stand up for Cornell.”
Kate Turk is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is an assistant news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board. She can be reached at kturk@cornellsun.com.
