Office of the Assemblies

Dear Ekarina,

Thank you for submitting Resolution 13: Calling for the Accommodation of International Students as Leaders at Maplewood Apartments. Cornell University values the international student community as an integral component of our broader university community. We look forward to working with international graduate and professional students who seek employment opportunities with on-campus entities. We welcome international applicants for GCA roles in on-campus housing, as well as any other on-campus employment opportunities.

Given the nature of the new Maplewood Apartments as a public-private partnership, international students cannot seek employment there, as it is now an off-campus entity. Furthermore, the university must maintain independent finances from Maplewood, for legal reasons, and any attempts to use university money inside the new Maplewood operation would not be permissible.

As you know, as we were planning for Maplewood, the university engaged in lengthy and substantive dialogue with members of GPSA to make sure we understood the priorities of graduate and professional students. The top priority expressed by students at that time was that the rental pricing of the new Maplewood be capped at what the old Maplewood rental prices were, plus two years of adjusted inflation. This was clearly expressed as a key priority by GPSA members, and the only way to achieve this level of rental discount was to enact a public-private partnership.

The new Maplewood is a stunning facility with extremely competitive rents as a result of this decision. A significant portion of the residents of the new Maplewood are international students, all of whom benefit substantially from this affordable rental price. We consider the new Maplewood, the public-private partnership used to build it, and the rental prices that resulted from this arrangement a reflection of the university’s commitment to creating an inclusive and welcoming space for all students, including international students. 

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

Martha E. Pollack

President, Cornell University

300 Day Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

(607) 255-5201

www.cornell.edu