Messages to the Cooper Community

Messages from President Laura Sparks to the Cooper community will be collected here.

President Sparks' Spring Semester Welcome -- Jan 16, 2024

A Message of Gratitude -- Nov 22, 2023

Charting A Path Forward Together: Plans for Safety, Well-being, and Learning at The Cooper Union -- Nov 3, 2023

Message from President Sparks on Student Protest -- Oct 25, 2023

Loss of Beloved Cooper Union Faculty Member and Former Dean -- Oct 20,2023

Standing Against Terrorism and for Peace -- Oct 11, 2023

A Welcome from President Sparks -- Aug 28, 2023

Update on Dean Search for The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture -- Aug 15, 2023

Welcoming Our New Vice President of Academic Affairs -- July 11, 2023

Independence -- July 4, 2023

Loss of Beloved Cooper Faculty Member -- May 27, 2023

Five-Year Anniversary of Adoption of Plan to Return to Full-Tuition Scholarships -- March 14, 2023

New Vice President of Academic Affairs to Begin in July -- March 7, 2023

Update on Vkhutemas Exhibition -- February 6, 2023

Potential Protests in the City Related to Memphis Killing -- January 27, 2023

Welcome Back - Spring 2023 -- January 17, 2023

End of Year Message from Board Chair Malcolm King and President Laura Sparks -- December 30, 2022

Message of Reflection -- November 23, 2022

The Passing of a Distinguished Cooper Colleague and Mentor -- September 6, 2022

Fall Semester Welcome from President Laura Sparks  -- August 29, 2022

Response to U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson -- June 25, 2022

Spring Academic Updates -- April 14, 2022

Message Regarding the NYC Subway Shooting -- April 13, 2022

A New Semester Begins--January 18, 2022

Important Information Regarding Start of Spring Semester – January Remote Classes and Building Access -- January 6, 2022

A Message of Gratitude -- November 25, 2021

Welcome to Cooper -- August 30, 2021

Summer 2021 Message -- August 2, 2021

Vaccine Requirements for the Academic Year 2021 - 2022 -- July 6, 2021

Honoring Juneteenth -- June 17, 2021

Planning for Fall 2021 -- March 22, 2021

Standing with the Asian Community -- March 19, 2021

Pursuing Progress, Recognizing Disparity: Reflecting on our Shared Diversity -- March 16, 2021

Founder's Day Message --  February 12, 2021

Welcome Back: Spring 2021 -- January 19, 2021

A Mid-Semester Message -- November 16, 2020

An Election Day message from President Sparks -- November 3, 2020

President Laura Sparks' Message to the Cooper Community -- August 31, 2020

Readying Your Welcome for Fall 2020 -- August 17, 2020

Rescinded International Students Rule -- July 15, 2020

Supporting Our International Students -- July 13, 2020

Update on COVID-19 Financial Impacts -- June 25, 2020

Fall 2020 Plans -- June 20, 2020

For the Faculty & Staff Regarding the Fall 2020 Semester -- June 20, 2020

Juneteeth at Cooper - A Day of Celebration, Observance, and Reflection -- June 18, 2020

Response to the Letter from Students -- June 12, 2020

A Call for Reflection, Understanding, and Action -- June 1, 2020

Reflecting on the Semester and Looking Ahead -- May 22, 2020

Welcome Back: Spring 2020 -- January 22, 2020

Welcoming New Employees & Aligning Saturday and Outreach Art Programs -- October 29, 2019

Welcome Back to School -- September 3, 2019

Message about 41 Cooper Square -- February 8, 2019

Welcome Back: Spring 2019 -- January 18, 2019

The Council on Shared Learning -- December 1, 2018

Events of the Last Few Days & Moving Forward -- October 30, 2018

Welcome Back Message from Laura Sparks -- September 4, 2018

Barry L. Shoop Named New Engineering Dean -- May 2, 2018

A new FEC community discussion; Cooper's Anti-Discrimination Policy; Diversity -- March 5, 2018

FEC Recommendations to Return to Full-Tuition Scholarships -- January 20, 2018

A message regarding the School of Art Dean -- December 6, 2017

On Safety and Security -- November 2, 2017

Message from President Sparks about Cooper Union and DACA -- September 6, 2017

A Welcome (Back) Message to the Community from President Sparks -- September 5, 2017

Opportunities for Involvement in Cooper's Future -- April 6, 2017

Campus Conversations -- February 8, 2017

On the Recent Executive Order Banning Citizens of Seven Countries from the U.S. -- January 29, 2017

Welcome from President Sparks -- January 17, 2017

Personal Safety Amid Bigotry and Violence --  November 14, 2016

The Cooper Union and Civic Discourse -- November 9, 2016

A Letter to the Community -- September 15, 2016

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.