Around the Ivies

Brown University: Funding for new research proposals at Brown University has been roughly thirty percent higher in the first half of fiscal year 2015 than in 2014, the Brown Daily Herald reports. Available funds at the University had declined by roughly 13.7 percent in the period between 2013 and 2014 in the aftermath of federal sequestration, according to the Herald, and funding has still not returned to its peak 2011 levels.

Columbia University: Following the appointment of Cristen Kromm as Columbia University’s new dean of undergraduate student life, student members of the University’s search committee have released a statement opposing the decision, the Columbia Spectator reported. In a press release published on Feb. 2, the student members of the search committee claimed that student voices had been silenced throughout the process.

Cornell University: In a Feb. 2 profile, the Cornell Daily Sun reported on the work of John Lowry, a Cornell junior,who successfully brought the Food Recovery Network to Cornell following his realization as a Cornell Dining employee that a large amount of usable food was being wasted by the University. At Cornell, the Network —a national organization devoted to providing food to those without —has focused on gathering recoverable food from University dining halls and distributing it to volunteer organizations.

Harvard University: Students interested in watching the New England Patriots compete against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX had a number of unusual options, according to the Harvard Crimson. While many chose to view the game in their residential communities or in Harvard dining halls, some students and community members also opted to attend an “anti-Super Bowl” party, held at the University’s Humanist Hub in conjunction with a Super Bowl party. At the “anti-Super Bowl” party, television screens displayed Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl” instead of the National Football League’s broadcast.

Princeton University: Following the repeal of a grade deflation policy at Princeton at the beginning of this academic year, the University will began attaching a letter to the transcripts of upperclassmen explaining the decision, the Daily Princetonian reported. Although some students had expressed concerns about how the policy would affect upperclassmen, the removal of the grading policy will not apply retroactively to the grades earned under the old policy.

University of Pennsylvania: Analysis of data on undergraduate employment collected by the University’s career services office reveals that the percentage of students opting to work in finance has decreased each year over the past five years, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Despite this trend, finance and consulting remain the two most popular professional sectors for undergraduates at the University, followed by education and technology.

Yale University: Until Feb. 16 faculty at Yale University will have the opportunity to voice feedback about a newly proposed faculty code of conduct, the Yale Daily News reported. The code, which is currently in draft document form, is intended to ensure that the University’s ethical expectations are explicitly stated in published documents.