Dear Students, Faculty, Alumni and Friends of the AIISP,
We are writing to inform you that Cornell's American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP) will transition its administrative home from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) to the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). AIISP courses and staffing will remain unchanged, and we anticipate faculty growth in the coming years.
This transition, supported by an overwhelming vote of the program faculty, acknowledges that the majority of AIISP faculty are already appointed in CAS departments.
AIISP will maintain integral interdisciplinary collaborations, with CAS building upon CALS’ decades-long investment in Indigenous scholarship, students, and engagement. The transition also reaffirms Cornell’s institutional commitment to Indigenous communities, which includes Akwe:kon, one of the nation’s first student residences halls to celebrate American Indian culture and heritage.
AIISP course offerings and programming will be unaffected by the switch to CAS, and the AIISP offices will remain in Caldwell Hall for the foreseeable future. Administrative staffing for AIISP will be transitioned to CAS. Student support services will be maintained and provided centrally from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Student and Campus Life to facilitate a more comprehensive university-wide approach for supporting Indigenous communities at Cornell.
AIISP will continue to draw strength from cross-campus collaborations, including strong partnerships with CALS and CAS faculty, researchers, students, and community-engaged programs. Both CALS and CAS are dedicated to ensuring the continued success of AIISP and to advancing Indigenous scholarship across the university.
Cornell's commitment to Indigenous peoples, communities, histories, knowledge systems, and futures extends across colleges, disciplines, and missions. That resolve remains steadfast, and we look forward to supporting AIISP's continued success.
Sincerely,
Peter Loewen, Harold Tanner Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Ben Houlton, Ronald P. Lynch Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Avery August, Deputy Provost
