President Sparks' Spring Semester Welcome

Dear Cooper Union,

Happy New Year and welcome back for the start of our spring semester. It was wonderful seeing so many of you on campus today.

Yesterday our nation commemorated the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose profound leadership and courage in the fight for civil rights – more than 60 years ago – continues to serve as a lesson for all of us. Dr. King’s words have stood the test of time, and especially given the proximity of the important national observance in Dr. King’s honor and the start of our spring semester, I have often reflected on his writings and speeches in thinking about our work together as a Cooper community. This year I was drawn to this brief passage he delivered in August of 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as part of his venerable “I Have a Dream” speech.     

“Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.”

The war in the Middle East and related conflicts elsewhere are stark reminders of how intensely bitterness and hatred can emerge in our world. The reverberations have led to moments of divisiveness across the globe, around the country, and on college campuses, including ours.  There is much we can do together to ensure bitterness and hatred do not take hold in our community. Cooper must be a safe and respectful place of learning for everyone, regardless of individual religious beliefs, ethnicities, identities, or political affiliations.  Our interconnectedness, and our differences, are what make our community so special. 

We spent much time listening last semester, hearing from and talking with individuals and groups that were open to sharing their perspectives. I want to thank everyone who engaged in that constructive work. It informs our steps forward. We also completed most of the interviews and fact-finding efforts related to the October 25th protest and in the semester ahead will bring our internal review to a close. More broadly, there is much we can do to invigorate our collective desire to learn, tackle hard questions, push the boundaries of conventional thinking, and engage in rigorous and respectful debates, all while supporting one another during a very challenging period in our world’s history. I hope we will carry Dr. King’s intentions with us and make space for each other, hear each other, and engage respectfully, knowing and understanding that we hold varied perspectives and that we feel, experience, and process differently what happens around us – near and far – as individual members of this community we share. 

This semester, we will also build on the educational momentum and accomplishments demonstrated in the fall by students, faculty, and staff, alike. Together, even in the face of the internal and external challenges we faced, we continued to reach beyond Peter Cooper’s founding vision for our institution to be “equal to the best.”  We have seen a strong showing of student and faculty exhibitions, presentations, and competitions here at Cooper and internationally, held weekly workshops and lectures organized by our extraordinary faculty on issues ranging from AI to income inequality, continued our work to bring high quality arts education to New York City public school students who wouldn’t otherwise have access, and grew our Retraining Program for Immigrant Engineers, which every year supports immigrant, refugee, and asylee engineers in increasing their economic opportunities. 

In addition to the exploration of new classes and subject matters that a new semester brings, ahead of us is also the opportunity to equip our students with the capabilities to engage in rigorous and respectful conversations from different perspectives while also taking important steps to position our academic programs for a continued vibrant future. To this end: 

  • Look for exciting developments in each of our schools: examining the applications of generative AI in engineering; showcasing Cooper’s expansive history of advanced graphic design curriculum; and the start of a unique student collaboration with Shigeru Ban AR’84 Architects for the fabrication and construction of their renowned Paper Log House.    
     
  • We will offer workshops and online resources to expand our existing anti-discrimination training and help participants build skills to engage respectfully on challenging topics from different perspectives. Additional information from Dean of Students Chris Chamberlin and Chief Talent Officer Natalie Brooks is forthcoming.
     
  • We will offer educational sessions that will review historical background on the current crisis in the Middle East, as well as a broader context of comparative histories of partition and international humanitarian law. Additional information from Vice President for Academic Affairs Demetrius Eudell is forthcoming.
     
  • Each of our schools as well as HSS is doing the critical work of preparing for the future. The School of Architecture is conducting its self-study report in preparation for the National Architectural Accrediting Board visit next academic year; the School of Engineering is completing the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology midpoint review this year; the School of Art will host its Visiting Committee site visit later this month to inform program recommendations going forward; and HSS continues its transformation with a faculty-led review and revision of the core curriculum.

I look forward to what this semester will bring, and I am optimistic for our future. Since our founding 165 years ago, this institution has committed to preparing students to question, engage, and lead in a complex world. We have a responsibility and an opportunity to continue to lead in this way, and I am confident that we will, together.

Welcome back.

Sincerely, 

Laura

 

  • 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.