Cornell University President Hunter Rawlings today (Nov. 6, 2000) issued the following statement commenting on a series of reported crimes and bias-related incidents that have occurred on the Cornell campus in recent weeks:

"The entire Cornell community has been shocked by the reports of bias-related verbal and sexual harassment of Asian and Asian-American students that have occurred on our campus in recent weeks. The reports of armed robberies on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods have added a new and troubling dimension to this concern.

"We deplore these incidents. The Cornell Police, in cooperation with their Ithaca City counterparts, have done everything possible to identify and apprehend those responsible. We were all gratified by the arrest of two individuals alleged to have been responsible for the robberies. While we have no evidence sufficient at this time to produce an arrest in the Sept. 30 bias-related sexual assault case, every indication leads us to believe that the perpetrators were not members of the university community. I repeat the plea that anyone who may have knowledge of these events, no matter how limited, should bring that information to the attention of the police immediately.

"Our university is committed to civility and mutual respect among the members of this community. The unanimous adoption last year of the 'Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors' statement by all campus governance bodies bears witness to that commitment, and I have been encouraged by the repeated demonstrations of dedication to these principles by faculty, students and staff throughout the university.

"That having been said, we must remain vigilant in the face of criminal activity and violations of the Campus Code of Conduct. Ours is a beautiful campus, but it is also an open campus. We do have a crime problem at Cornell, one that is substantially less than at many other institutions, but one that persists nonetheless. Hardly a day goes by without the police blotter carrying the news of yet another larceny, burglary or incident of vandalism. Fortunately, most, but not all, of these crimes have been non-violent. But they are crimes against the community, nonetheless."I urge every member of the campus community, and particularly students, to take appropriate precautions in the face of these dangers – lock your doors in the residence halls, avoid isolated parts of the campus at night and take advantage of the Blue Light Escort Service and other security measures. If you or someone you know are the target of a criminal act, a bias-related incident, or a violation of the Campus Code of Conduct, please report it to the authorities immediately – not only so that we may have an improved chance of apprehending the offenders, but also so that necessary support services can be provided promptly to the targets of the offense.

"I enthusiastically endorse the report prepared by Vice President Susan Murphy that was transmitted over the weekend to the student leaders with whom we have been meeting. I commend the students for their leadership, and I applaud the work of Vice President Murphy and the staff of her entire organization, who have pursued these issues with sensitivity and intensity along with Director William Boice, Captain Randall Hausner and the officers of the Cornell Police. I also want to applaud the efforts of Provost Biddy Martin, Dean of the Faculty Robert Cooke and Vice Provost Robert Harris, who have sought to engage the faculty on this subject.

"I wish that it were not necessary for me to address this troubling subject, but crime and bias are realities in our society and on our campus that we must confront."