Intellectual Diversity Initiative Believing in the need to affirm the importance of the principles of pluralism of thought and intellectual diversity within the University community, and seeking to further promote an intellectual environment of free inquiry and free speech without intimidation of any given set of beliefs, we, the undersigned, representing the Cornell community of undergraduates, graduates, and faculty, do hereby declare our desire for the following principles to be observed: 1. We affirm that students should be solely graded on the basis of their reasoned answers and appropriate knowledge of the subjects and disciplines they study; professors must never allow a student\'s political affiliation, religious beliefs, ethnic origin, national origin, or opinions expressed contrary to the norm to affect his/her academic performance. 2. Teachers are entitled to freedom in teaching their subject as they see fit, but not to the point of political, ideological, religious or anti-religious indoctrination, or to the exclusion of other opinions or viewpoints. Such actions represent a violation of the principles of free and open sharing of ideas and negatively impacts the intellectual diversity the university espouses. WE urge that incidents of such biases of the sort be taken into account when making hiring or tenure decisions. 3. It is an abrogation of the University\'s commitment to the pursuit of truth for the hiring, firing, promotion or granting of tenure to ever be based on a professor