has received major philanthropic support. In 2011, Chuck Feeney, a 1956 alumnus and founder of DFS Group, became Cornell's largest private donor, contributing $1 billion to fund the campus and other initiatives. In 2015, Irwin M. Jacobs, a 1956 alumnus and Qualcomm founder, and his wife, Joan, donated $133 million to establish the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech.
Other major gifts have supported research and sustainability efforts. In 2010, David and Patricia Atkinson donated $80 million to establish the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, funding research on environmental and sustainability challenges.
== Academics ==
Cornell is a large and primarily residential research university, and a majority of its students are enrolled in undergraduate programs. Since 1921, the university has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and its predecessor. Cornell operates on a 4–1–4 academic calendar with the fall term beginning in late August and ending in early December, …
