Cornell professors to give talks about Israel boycott
Ithaca College will host two speakers Feb. 25 to represent each side of the debate on the academic boycott of Israeli higher education institutions.
Eric Cheyfitz, Ernest I. White professor of American studies and humane letters at Cornell University, will give a presentation titled “Academic Freedom and the American Studies Association Academic Boycott of Israel” at 7 p.m. in Klingenstein Lounge in the Campus Center.
William A. Jacobson, a clinical professor of law and director of the Securities Law Clinic at the Cornell University Law School, will give a presentation called “The Case for Israel and Academic Freedom” directly after at 8 p.m. in Clark Lounge. Both discussion forums are free and open to the public.
Cheyfitz is a national member of the American Studies Association, which voted last December to endorse a resolution supporting an academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
Jacobson is the founder and publisher of two websites, Legal Insurrection and College Insurrection. Legal Insurrection is at the forefront of opposing the academic boycott of Israel and has filed a challenge to the tax-exempt status of the American Studies Association in response to the boycott.
The Ithaca College Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity; the Departments of English and Politics; and the Park Center for Independent Media will be sponsoring Cheyfitz’s talk, and Hillel will be sponsoring Jacobson’s discussion.
Faculty paper accepted for publication in journal
Research by Ithaca College physics and astronomy professors Matt Price, Michael Rogers, Luke Keller and Andrew Crouse was accepted for publication Feb. 13 in the Journal of College Science Teaching. The paper, titled “Implementing Comprehensive Reform of Introductory Physics at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution: A Longitudinal Case Study,” discusses the repercussions of moving all 100-level courses out of lecture halls and into Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-Down Pedagogies classrooms. This model turns lectures into class-wide discussions wherein students work in teams on short, interactive tasks.
Though initial results were negative, the professors eventually found success as they adjusted their curriculum with a modified teaching of tutorials in Introductory Physics. The seven-year study began in 2006 and has concluded in improved student outcomes.
Cornell signs agreement for factory worker safety
Cornell University has announced it is requiring licensees of Cornell apparel that manufacture clothing in factories in Bangladesh to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
The accord is a legally binding, five-year agreement between apparel manufacturers and global and Bangladeshi trade unions. It was created in light of the industrial disaster that occurred outside Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, where the collapse of an eight-story commercial building on April 24, 2013, killed 1,129 workers and injured more than 2,500 workers.
The agreement would ensure that workers in Bangladesh who make Cornell apparel do not work in life-threatening situations that lack proper safety measures.
Prior to this decision, Cornell has dealt with companies that did not comply with the university’s codes of conduct by terminating or threatening to terminate their licenses.
Cornell joins Duke University, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Pennsylvania State University and Georgetown University in adding the accord to their licensing requirements.
New app organizes events around college campus
The Office of Campus Center and Event Services has announced the launching of 25Live, Ithaca College’s new web-based event scheduling application, which will go public Feb. 24.
The first user training session will be held from 12:10–1 p.m. Feb. 25 in Smiddy Hall, Room 115. The capacity is 20 people, and those interested should RSVP at [email protected].
A series of public demonstrations of the new app will begin with a session held from 12:10–1 p.m. Feb. 27 in Williams Hall, Room 323, which will highlight the basics of the program. This event does not have a cap and is open for all interested participants.
The app serves as a forum for room and services requests made by organizations and professors on campus for holding events. Organizers can use the app to check availability of rooms, create a calendar of events and check the status of events they created.
Interested parties can access the 25Live User Support web page for the latest demonstration and training times.
College to host workshop about financial decisions
Career Services, the Ithaca College Library, Student Financial Services and the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs will hold an interactive workshop for students to learn, in small groups, about financial decision-making and budgeting skills in preparation for life
beyond college.
The session will be held from 1–3 p.m. March 22 in Clark Lounge in the Campus Center, featuring life topics such as paying off student loans, buying new tires, managing monthly bills and credit cards and planning for a future with financial security.
Students will work in teams to test their knowledge of these subjects, and the winning team will win a gift card to Viva Taqueria. Snacks and other prizes will also be provided at the workshop.
Participation in the session will be limited to 50 students. Students should register by logging into OrgSync with their Ithaca College
usernames and passwords.
County forms committee for Ithaca beautification
The Tompkins County Community Beautification Program in the City of Ithaca is forming a Beautification Brigade, a group of volunteers who will work at various flower planting sites around the city. The goal of the brigade is to further the beautification of Ithaca through flower gardening and volunteerism.
The deadline to apply for the 2014 Beautification Brigade is Feb. 28, and training will be held from 6–8:30 p.m. March 3 and March 18 at Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca. No prior experience is necessary to join the effort.
To access a volunteer application, contact Martha Gioumousis at 607–272–2292 extension 123 or [email protected], or visit www.ccetompkins.org/beautification for more information.
