UA R3 (2016-2017): Endorsing The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy

Returned by the President

• Resolution:
  UA R3 (2016-2017): Endorsing The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy
• Day:
  January 6, 2017
• Action:
  Returned by the President
• Summary / Notes:
• File Attachments:
• Text Attachment:
  Dear Gabe,
  
  Thank you for submitting UA Resolution 3 – “Endorsing ‘The Ithaca Plan: A Public Health and Safety Approach to Drugs and Drug Policy.’” I appreciate the efforts of the UA and members of the UA’s Campus Welfare Committee to examine the critical issues brought forth in The Ithaca Plan and their impact on our community.
  
  As noted, Cornell is committed to fostering strong relationships with local and regional agencies to bolster campus health and safety. This includes looking at ways to understand and address – as appropriate for Cornell – the unprecedented national crisis unfolding from alcohol and other drug abuse. While statistics show the use of opioids by Cornell students has remained low, many members of our community have been affected by the loss of friends or family members to overdose or addiction.
  
  Cornell supported the effort by the City of Ithaca to convene community leaders and experts involved with responding to drug use to develop a strategy to address the issue. Two of Cornell’s public health experts were members of Mayor Myrick’s Municipal Drug Policy Committee (MPDC), which was charged with developing innovative recommendations in the areas of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and law enforcement.
  
  The 58-page “Ithaca Plan” that resulted from the work of the MPDC is a complex report that, if implemented in full, would require considerable financing, collaboration, and data tracking, requiring a countywide approach to education, recovery, and public safety. While the plan focuses on the City of Ithaca, the execution of many of the recommendations would cross multiple jurisdictions, agencies, and systems to be effective.
  
  There are many elements and recommendations in the plan that are worth exploring and pursuing, and Cornell will continue to be a key partner in the process, working with city leaders and county health officials. The university will also work with, when appropriate and possible, the local health community to explore the recommendations alongside emerging research and its implications. Cornell will and should play an important role in that dialogue, and will do so within the context of our longstanding, comprehensive public health approach to reducing alcohol and other drug-related harm among our students.
  
  Although I believe the legal requirements for full implementation of this detailed plan deserve further exploration at the state and federal level, Cornell is not in a position to lead a legislative lobbying effort to change drug policy. Therefore, I do not support, for several reasons, the resolution asking Cornell to partner with the City of Ithaca to advocate for approval of the full plan in the upcoming state legislative session.
  
  I also do not support the recommendation for Cornell leadership to provide annual progress reports on a plan put forth by city and county elected officials. Cornell is a single member within a network of stakeholders – including local administrations and leaders that will change over time – and it is impractical to commit the university to report out on an annual basis on a plan that will require a coordinated and long-term response across many jurisdictions and systems.
  
  I appreciate the commitment of the University Assembly to address these and related issues which have developed over time and will not be resolved in quick order. There is no issue of greater university importance than the health and safety of our campus, and your role in supporting Cornell’s caring community is invaluable.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Hunter Rawlings