This was shared with faculty, staff, and students on Friday, Nov. 21.
Strong and successful colleges are always evolving, revising programs, updating policies, and introducing new initiatives. As we take steps to evolve for our collective future, please keep the faith that the Cornell you know and love remains the place you know and love. Renewal and change are necessary to maintain our vibrant learning community for students today and tomorrow.
Today we have information to share about changes to our academic offerings that will be effective for the 2026-2027 academic year. In consultation with Faculty Council, we have analyzed student enrollment data and student interest to determine where we will be making changes.
We will no longer offer major courses of study in:
While the history department has been impacted by staffing changes, the history major will be sustained.
All students who are currently pursuing majors in these disciplines will be able to graduate with their intended major through teach-out plans that will be communicated with them soon.
While the changes will impact Cornell’s ability to offer majors in languages, there remain opportunities for students to take language courses through our online provider or language schools abroad. We also plan to expand our wide variety of off-campus study courses.
Affected faculty have been notified of the changes to their positions, and we are following the guidelines for separation outlined in the appropriate policies. We are working to assist them in the transition and are unable to share personnel data.
We have nothing but sincere gratitude for the contributions that members of the faculty and staff separating from the college bring to our community, and continue to be dedicated to preparing students for their futures with a dynamic, engaging, and interdisciplinary education rooted in the liberal arts tradition.
We continue to be dedicated to our identity as a liberal arts institution, and our current efforts are rooted in adapting our program to the opportunities that students want and need in a changing global economy. We look forward to sharing more in the coming months.
If you have questions, the best way to reach us over fall break is at questions@cornellcollege.edu.