A Welcome from President Sparks

Dear Cooper Union,

Welcome! It is such a joy to see new and familiar faces on Cooper Square, and your energy is contagious. The intersection of the new and unfamiliar with ritual and tradition are cornerstones of this time of year. Our practice of preparing for the academic year ahead is familiar and necessary. We gather the things we need, make moves – whether across town or across the globe – ready our physical spaces and our mindsets, reconnect with friends and colleagues, seed new relationships and experiences, and set expectations for embracing all the possibilities of the weeks and months ahead.

The process of giving ourselves the best foundation from which to start something new is one that’s played out here on Cooper Square for generations, for exactly 165 “first days” since 1859 when Peter Cooper welcomed the first students to this institution – and even earlier when on Sept. 17, 1853, he laid the very cornerstone of the Foundation Building. Marking that milestone, Peter Cooper set an expectation for The Cooper Union that we steward to this day; he said, “...it will become the positive duty of all with whom power at any time be lodged to use that power and all the privileges of this institution in such a way as will secure the greatest good of the greatest number of the youth of our city, our country and the world.”

There’s no better way to begin than with that as our guide. The issues confronting us today may be different from those of Peter Cooper’s time, but the imperative of seeing our work in local, national, and global contexts, in relation to the social progress that we can create, is as urgent as ever. One of the greatest strengths of this Cooper community is that even in our individual paths and disciplines, and even in the face of global challenges and systemic problems, we are never without impassioned partners and co-creators who help us make meaningful impacts in pursuit of good.

I hope we can each – individually and together – see this semester as an opportunity to immerse ourselves in this charge. Engage with each other, and make the most of our community, formally and informally. Connect early and often throughout the semester. There are many programs and events designed to support you in that effort. They began with last week’s Welcome Week for new students and continue with tomorrow’s Convocation and concert with Jon Batiste. (CooperConnect is a great place to find all that’s happening on campus!)

The first weeks of the semester go so quickly. My hope for each of us is that we take in the experiences of each day with intention, that we lead with care and with kindness, that we pay attention to our own needs and the needs of those around us, and that we make space for the multitude of perspectives and viewpoints that make The Cooper Union a vibrant community.

Wishing you all the best!

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.