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Cornell University Strategic Plan

Positioning Cornell University as a Leader in the 21st Century

Introduction
Mission
Vision
External Assessment
Assessment of Cornell's Strengths and Challenges
Overarching Goals and Strategies
Appendix:

INTRODUCTION

Cornell has identified five overarching goals for the university that serve to unite and guide the institution's long-term course. What follows is a presentation of those goals and the specific strategies the university is using to reach them. Some of the strategies are necessarily general; others are quite specific, and their outcomes can be measured. Some of the strategies will evolve over time or be replaced by new strategies as circumstances change.

Cornell will track progress on these goals and specific strategies and periodically report on them to the Board of Trustees and the Cornell community.

MISSION

Cornell is a private, Ivy League university and the land-grant university for New York State. Cornell's mission is to discover, preserve, and disseminate knowledge; produce creative work; and promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of our students, the people of New York, and others around the world.

VISION

Cornell aspires to be the exemplary comprehensive research university for the 21st century on the basis of our distinctive status as a private university with a formal public mission. Faculty, staff, and students will thrive at Cornell because of its unparalleled combination of quality and breadth; its high standards; its open, collaborative, and innovative culture; the opportunities provided by beautiful, vibrant rural and urban campuses; and programs that extend throughout the state of New York and across the globe.

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Higher education has been essential to the nation's economic, social, cultural, and technological development for a very long time, but at no time has its role been as critical as it is now. In an age of rapid technological development and digital information, when knowledge is increasingly integrated across the globe, higher education, knowledge, and the ability to use it for good have never been as important to society. The benefits to individuals beyond the direct, incalculable value of a liberal education include higher income levels and better health.
Through state and federal governments, the public spends tens of billions of dollars on higher education each year, and millions of families save and sacrifice to send their children to U. S. colleges and universities, not only for formal education, but also as a rite of passage into adulthood.
The costs of higher education continue to rise to support innovative education, research, and scholarship, which require state-of-the-art facilities, robust infrastructure, competitive salaries, and more services and amenities for students. As a percent of total expenditures, the government's share has failed to keep pace with costs; universities are, therefore, increasingly dependent on private funding and on tuition, over which they have considerable control.
Private philanthropy in support of higher education continues to grow and accounts for an increasing proportion of discretionary funding at many colleges and universities.
A growing commitment to higher education in other parts of the world is increasing opportunities for collaboration, but also competition for students, faculty, and private investment. Globalization and competition require that American universities maintain their quality, extend themselves far beyond the borders of the United States, and offer their students an education that will prepare them to be responsible, global citizens.
The retirements of faculty and academic staff hired in the 1960s present all major research universities in the United States with the challenge of replacing hundreds of scholars and scientists over the next ten years.
Technology needs and developments, competition for the best scientists, and the interdisciplinary approach to science are increasing costs of scientific research. This increase is putting pressure on limited resources at the nation's research universities at a time when the federal government's support of research is constrained by competing social and political demands.
Public demand to prepare undergraduates to enter the job market with defined skills has created a need to provide pre-professional education in the curriculum that competes with the traditions of a liberal arts education, especially in exposure to the humanities and arts.
Higher education in the United States is facing increased criticism and politicization, in part as a result of the political polarization in the country as a whole, and, in part, because universities have not done an optimal job of helping the public to understand their value.
The college-age population is expected to be significantly more diverse and to increase by more than 13 percent in the first decade of the 21st century, presenting universities with the challenge of educating more students and taking advantage of their changing needs and interests.

ASSESSMENT OF CORNELL'S STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES

Strengths

Cornell's founding vision was revolutionary for its commitment to access for all students, regardless of background, race, or gender, and regardless of their ability to pay. Cornell remains one of the relatively few institutions of higher learning that has a need-blind admissions policy for undergraduates and a commitment to provide students the financial aid to meet their need. Educational access, opportunity, and success for our students remain core values for the institution.
Cornell has a proud tradition, beginning with the founders' own views, of a broad range of study, high standards for its faculty and students, strong academic values, dedication to free inquiry, and rigorous peer review of scholarship.
Cornell has an outstanding faculty and record of academic excellence that promote the best traditions of research and scholarship while engaging with the critical issues of the contemporary world.
Public service, a value derived from our land-grant mission and supported by applied research, is a priority not only for the university as a whole, but for our students' education. The breadth and depth of Cornell's contribution to the public good have a decisive impact on the state of New York. For example, through a network of 56 county offices, including New York City, Cornell Cooperative Extension imparts to the people of New York significant practical knowledge and the opportunity for life-long learning.
Student demand for entry to Cornell is high and continues to grow, as does the talent of our student body at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.
Cornell faculty are committed in time and effort to the core mission of teaching undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Cornell's clinical faculty are devoted to advancing human and animal health through education, translational research, and public service.
Cornell has a strong record of interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership in identifying new fields of study, and a commitment to flexible administrative structures that support collaboration across units and work that crosses disciplinary and college boundaries.
The university's location and academic traditions have enabled the creation of exceptional intellectual community between and among faculty and students.
Cornell has a distinguished record of international engagement, and its reach has long been focused on capacity building around the world.
The appreciation of diversity and inter-cultural competence are shared values and high priorities at Cornell.
Cornell has a recognized human resource and employment environment that is award winning and that contributes to the economic vitality of Tompkins County and other areas with a Cornell presence.
Cornell is fortunate to have a balanced mixture of revenue streams, a tradition of entrepreneurship, and responsible stewardship of its resources.
Cornell has cutting-edge facilities, resources, and services and a talented staff to support the work of its faculty and students.
Cornell University alumni are extremely loyal and supportive of the university.

Challenges

As is true for other institutions of higher education, Cornell must seek new revenue sources to avoid unsustainable tuition increases and/or limits to student access and to faculty and student achievement.
Cornell competes for students, faculty, and staff with outstanding universities, some of which have much larger endowments, smaller student bodies, or more limited programmatic scope.
Academic freedom and autonomy are being challenged by funding and regulatory bodies through proposed legislation and rules. Cornell must play a leadership role in protection of these core values.
The university needs to improve internal and external communication of its strengths and achievements.
Cornell's decentralization continues to limit interdisciplinary education and research in some areas and, in some fields, to limit academic quality.
Faculty time is a valuable asset and is under pressure from demands for increased service and administration that take time from teaching and research.
Collaboration, coordination, planning, and programming between the Ithaca campus and Weill Cornell Medical College need to be enhanced.
The university can be an even better partner in community and economic development in upstate New York. Similarly, maintaining the unique quality of our programs requires consistent and predictable support from partnering state and local agencies.
The location of the university's main campus in rural upstate New York limits Cornell's access to transportation and employment networks.

OVERARCHING GOALS AND STRATEGIES

I. Sustain and renew the exceptional intellectual quality of the university. Recruit, retain, and support a diverse and talented faculty, staff, and student body.

Continue to invest in areas of long-standing disciplinary and interdisciplinary strength, which have given Cornell a well-deserved reputation for academic distinction.
- Those areas include the humanities, the physical sciences, organismal biology, agriculture, nutrition, and our engineering fields, as well as a large number of interdisciplinary programs and colleges, e.g. Industrial and Labor Relations.
- Cornell also boasts leadership in a number of its professional schools, including Hotel Administration, Veterinary Medicine, and our undergraduate architecture program, which are recognized as the best in the world and which need continual renewal.
- Long known for its clinical advances, Weill Cornell Medical College is rapidly increasing its strengths in biomedical research; the university will continue to invest in translational research, from bench to bedside, improving the medical college's national and international research rankings in the process.
Place 25 fields in the top ten National Research Council (NRC) rankings by 2015, while placing every professional school in the top ten in its relevant ranking. (In the 1995 NRC rankings, 19 graduate fields ranked in the top ten. Four of our professional schools or programs currently rank first or second.)
- Position the S. C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and Law School to rise into the top ten in national and international rankings within five to seven years.
- Make the life sciences programs in cell and molecular biology, computational genomics, and translational biomedical research significantly stronger by 2015, while sustaining Cornell's distinction in organismal biology.
- Sustain existing strengths in applied social science departments and in specific subfields in the basic social sciences, while enhancing the quality and reputation of the social sciences overall through coordinated, strategic faculty recruitments over the next five years. Focus near-term efforts on the fields of economics and government.
Strengthen translational research and teaching in the life sciences on the Ithaca and Weill Cornell campuses through administrative and financial support for faculty and student collaboration and through the greater integration of the two campuses.
Address the significant number of retirements of faculty and staff anticipated in the next decade by supporting strategic efforts to hire and retain the best faculty, with particular attention to the targeted areas listed above. Ensure that hiring and tenure processes become even more transparent and effective.
Provide competitive pay and benefits, and research support to recruit and retain the best faculty and staff.
Develop new strategies to make the institution an exemplary workplace for faculty and staff, sustaining the practices that earned Cornell several prestigious awards for its approach to human resources management.
Address the complex, often contentious issues of diversity through recruitment and retention at all levels and through education in and out of the classroom. Promote a campus climate that supports and engages everyone through campus initiatives, such as the NSF Advance project to increase the number of women in science and engineering and the University Diversity Council, which oversees all our efforts.
In partnership with the local community, ensure that Ithaca remains a vibrant place to live and work, with emphasis on affordable housing and accessible transportation for faculty, staff, and students.
Focus effective university-wide public relations and a broad range of media activities on the breadth and quality of Cornell University.

II. Enroll, educate, and graduate the most deserving and promising students at every level, regardless of background and economic circumstance. Provide students with a distinctive education and extracurricular experience in an integrated living-learning environment. Inspire them to be ethical and purposeful citizens of the world with a lifelong zest for learning.

Sustain Cornell's commitment to need-blind admissions and meeting the full financial need of undergraduates. Increase scholarship support for students over the next five years and reduce self-help and debt levels, which now exceed those of our peers. Ensure that undergraduate and graduate financial-aid policies are consistent with recruitment and enrollment priorities.
Increase financial support for graduate students, including additional fellowships and stipends, and improve the working conditions for postdoctoral scholars.
Work with college deans (and, when appropriate, external evaluators) on regular and substantial curricular review of every academic department and program and careful study of teaching requirements, teaching loads, and the evaluation of teaching.
Enhance the organization and administration of undergraduate majors and graduate fields to maximize student learning. Develop appropriate means of assessing student learning.
Create and support a learning community filled with opportunities in and beyond the classroom for students and faculty to integrate their experiences. Continue support for the transformative physical and program designs of West Campus.
Promote pedagogical innovation and enhance student learning with a range of new and existing programs, including those in the new Center for Teaching Excellence.
Increase efforts to promote civic engagement, field learning, and international and research opportunities by strengthening programs and encouraging cross-college collaboration.
Provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to participate together in intellectual, spiritual, social, cultural, athletic, and service activities. Create and sustain an environment that promotes personal growth and discovery, the pursuit of healthy minds and bodies, and engagement in a caring community.

III. Enable and encourage the faculty, their students, and staff to lead in the preservation, discovery, transmission, and application of knowledge, creativity, and critical thought.

Sustain and expand Cornell's rich tradition of collaboration across disciplines and units, which now ranges from the Society for the Humanities to the Center for Materials Research. Invest in new opportunities to lead, such as cell and molecular biology, the Energy Recovery Linac, biomedical engineering and nanomedicine, interdisciplinary cancer research, and sustainability.
Use infrastructure and administrative policies to nurture the "bottom up" tradition, exemplified by the New Life Sciences Initiative, that has helped Cornell establish early dominance in emerging intellectual areas.
Ensure outstanding academic administration by refining deans' search procedures and improving succession planning.
Provide resources to keep Cornell's library at the cutting edge of preservation, discovery, and dissemination.
Identify and support successful and innovative uses of technology for instruction to improve the student educational experience.
Concentrate and make strategic use of resources in the social sciences, humanities, and arts and address their "visibility," given the institution's reputation and investment in "Big Science."
Develop additional collaborations with first-rate international universities while promoting international studies, language learning, and study abroad.
Enhance and promote the institution's New York City presence at Weill Cornell Medical College—and also in the Ithaca-based sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and extension.

IV. Extend our leadership in the use of research and education to serve the public good, in fulfillment of Cornell's land-grant mission and its long-standing commitment to capacity building in communities in the United States and around the world.

Develop a contemporary definition of our land-grant mission and disseminate it along with Cornell's values, plans, strengths, and achievements to the campus community, New York State officials, SUNY, and the public.
Focus on the translation of research from the most basic to the most applied, including clinical applications, and technology transfer.
Improve coordination and build on strengths in extension and outreach in New York State, the United States and abroad; develop land-grant themes that extend beyond a single college or outreach service to ensure that outreach has maximum impact and appropriate recognition. Involve undergraduate students in public service and the land-grant mission.
Take advantage of Cornell's unique role in New York State and beyond and seek new ways to link research advances with economic development through technology transfer, business start-ups, corporate relations, investments in the community, and consultation with community leaders and government officials.
Nurture life-long relationships with Cornell alumni, and provide them with opportunities for life-long learning.

V. Ensure the long-term stability and quality of the institution through careful stewardship of its financial and human resources, its natural and built environment, and its critical infrastructure; use careful planning, efficiencies, appropriate integration of operations, the development of new income sources, and increases in private support as the foundation of our stewardship.

Improve policies, practices, and organizational structures to ensure compliance with complex and demanding government regulations on research, health, and life safety.
Integrate values of sustainability into all aspects of campus operations.
Continually assess risk and ensure assignment of organizational accountability to minimize security, financial, and reputational risks to the university; its students, faculty, and staff; and its property.
Refine budget and capital planning processes, seeking greater transparency, accountability, and alignment of resources with priorities.
Meet or exceed the campaign goal of $4 billion for established priorities by December 2011 and create a development organization that is able to sustain post-campaign gift levels at the $500 million per year level.
Maximize the investment return of Cornell's endowment and other financial capital, within acceptable levels of risk, in order to better support the institution's academic mission.
Nurture relationships with New York State and SUNY to serve Cornell's interests and those of higher education and economic prosperity in the state.
Create and manage an innovative, effective, and comprehensive information technology infrastructure and environment.
Continue to assess the condition of Cornell's facilities and adequately fund their ongoing maintenance needs, seek additional funding as necessary.
As good stewards, systematically review expenditures to achieve on-going savings.

APPENDIX

Goal Summaries – Colleges and Divisions

College of Arts and Sciences

Description and Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences mission:

To provide an undergraduate education characterized by breadth and depth of study and latitude to shape an individualized curriculum.
To prepare future leaders in intellectual disciplines through high quality graduate education.
To promote outstanding scholarship, research, and artistic endeavors that advance our understanding of the natural, physical, social, and cultural realms.

In order to realize this mission fully, the Arts and Sciences faculty must be inspiring teachers and mentors who are prominent scholars in their fields. The physical, cultural, and intellectual elements of the college environment need to support the highest level of research and artistic expression. To that end, the college will maintain its distinctive tradition of multidisciplinary study built upon strong, individual disciplines.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest and largest of the university's colleges, with more than 4,300 undergraduates, 1,500 graduate students, and 600 faculty. It is home to 14 humanities departments, 8 departments in the physical and natural sciences, 5 social sciences departments, and 27 academic programs. It plays an essential role within the university by providing foundational courses in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and creative arts for all students at Cornell.

Goals

Guarantee the future academic excellence of the college by hiring and retaining faculty of the highest quality during a time of unusually heavy turnover. Build on long-standing distinction in the humanities and physical sciences, with a near-term focus on chemistry and chemical biology. Lead efforts to enhance strengths in core social sciences disciplines and coordinate key fields across campus, with a near-term focus on economics and government.
Strengthen undergraduate teaching with systematic curricular review, external evaluation, and peer as well as student evaluations. Maintain the tradition in the college of having outstanding researchers teach
undergraduate courses. Enhance advising through the evaluation of existing strategies and the introduction of new technology-based tools.
Strengthen departmental and college cultures by creating new training programs and support materials for chairs and directors and professionalizing their administrative staff.
Maintain a beautiful, historic campus that meets contemporary academic needs by continuing to implement and update our long-range capital plan, which includes, in the near term, completion of the physical sciences complex, construction of a new humanities building adjacent to Goldwin Smith Hall, and completion of the restoration of the historic Stone Row.
Build and shape awareness of the college by implementing the newly established program of strategic internal and external communications.
Ensure the college's long-term financial health by strategically managing its resources for the long term and meeting its campaign goals, which include doubling annual fund giving, raising endowments for new programs like the China and Asia Pacific Studies (CAPS) major and for research in all humanities and social science departments, and securing funds for the last phase of our long-range capital plan.

Additional information about the College of Arts and Sciences: http://www.arts.cornell.edu/

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Description and Mission

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is Cornell's second largest college with approximately 380 faculty, 3,100 undergraduates, and 1,100 graduate students. The research, teaching, extension, and outreach of the college's 26 academic departments broadly fall into one or more of four general themes: agriculture and food systems, new life sciences, environmental sciences, and applied social sciences. CALS contributes to the changing needs of society in New York State and throughout the world, especially in developing countries. CALS is proud of its land-grant tradition and its flagship role in making Cornell a global land-grant university.

CALS is committed to making an important difference in the lives of our stakeholders by:

Providing a world-class education for our students
Encouraging life-long learning through professional education and extension education
Advancing productive and sustainable food and agriculture systems
Understanding the unity and the diversity of life through discovery in the life sciences
Promoting a wise stewardship of the environment and natural resources
Supporting a safe, secure food supply
Fostering economic vitality
Facilitating individual and community health and well-being
Pursuing scholarship toward solutions to society's major challenges

Goals

Provide leadership for agricultural and food systems research and extension programs that advance systems perspectives, sustainability, economic development, and environmental stewardship.
Evolve undergraduate curricula to foster interdisciplinary approaches that integrate quantitative thinking and qualitative understanding, building capacity to understand and help solve important problems across the globe.
Contribute to leadership in the life sciences, including the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, and in translating fundamental biological discoveries into application for the betterment of society.
Ensure that the land-grant mission is an operating philosophy for all CALS programs and contribute to the leadership of the global land-grant mission of the university.
Contribute to the leadership of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future and promote interdisciplinary research and education programs that address the major environmental challenges of the 21st century such as global warming, development of sustainable energy systems, and conservation of land, water, and biological resources.
Contribute to leadership university-wide in business management, resource economics, and applied social sciences, contributing to improved public and private decision-making and enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities.
Steward CALS resources, focusing on improvement of the physical plant and enlargement of our financial resources with emphasis on the Cornell campaign for faculty, student, and facilities support.
Attract a diverse, qualified, and highly motivated workforce capable of meeting the leadership demands to achieve our mission of becoming the land-grant institution to the world.

Additional information about the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: http://www.cals.cornell.edu/

College of Architecture, Art and Planning

Description and Mission

In our college we teach and practice architecture, fine arts, and city and regional planning as creative and powerful forces with the potential to improve the world. We prepare our students to address the complex problems of the 21st century through the application of the art and science of design. Providing rigorous theoretical training and studio experiences, we encourage imagination, technical creativity, critical thinking, a sense of history, and the development of a social, ethical, and artistic perspective. We advocate for the rights of all communities and all individuals to participate in the planning of their futures. We prepare our graduates for their role as world citizens in a diverse yet inclusive society.

Five hundred and twelve undergraduate and 249 graduate students from roughly 19 countries around the world make up the diverse and talented student body of the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP). The college employs 59 faculty members and hosts several visiting faculty and critics, granting degrees from 5 undergraduate programs and 14 graduate degree programs. The Bachelor of Architecture program consistently ranks #1 in the nation. In addition to study at the Ithaca campus, AAP offers unique off-campus and study abroad programs for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a summer program for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Goals

Paul Milstein Hall. Commence construction of Paul Milstein Hall in 2008, with expected completion by 2010. Transition into construction phase will include full occupancy of AAP's Esty Street facility as well as strategies for maximum use of Rand and Sibley Halls.
Development and Alumni. We intend to achieve or exceed the college's goal in Cornell's "Far Above" campaign with emphasis on faculty, students, and facilities, while engaging an increasing number of alumni and friends of the college.
Faculty. The college and its departments will engage in strategic planning in anticipation of transitions in the faculty due to expected retirements in the next two to five years, emphasizing competitive searches, strong retention practices for productive faculty, and continuing visiting and term appointments programs.
International and Urban Programming. AAP aims for a curricular and financial structure that assures international and urban exposure as an essential component of the education of our students.
Physical, Technical, and Communications Infrastructure. AAP will seek to improve the physical, technical, and communications infrastructure of the college with Sibley Hall as a priority.
Collaboration. The college will continue to develop and promote methods of collaboration through academic programs and research that link the disciplines of the college and further strengthen the spirit of community.
Finance and Administration. Achieve the five-year (2007-2012) financial plan/model for AAP and continue to advance AAP financial and administrative performance and systems.

Additional information about the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning: http://www.aap.cornell.edu/

Faculty of Computing and Information Science

Description and Mission

The solution to every major scientific, engineering, and social problem now involves computing. The educated 21st century mind must know how to evaluate digital information on the Web and beyond. These facts inform the educational and research missions of the Faculty of Computing and Information Science (CIS)—an academic unit of sixty-five professors and researchers comprising Computer Science, Information Science, Statistics, and Graphics.

The CIS educational mission is to assure that any student studying any subject has access to the ideas and technologies of computing and information science. The CIS research mission is to find the theories and technologies that improve the symbiotic relationship between computers and people. This autocatalytic interaction will enhance human experience and strengthen the infrastructure of our economy and our democratic institutions.

Goals

Our overarching goal is to remain an intellectual leader for this rapidly changing field whose future course is of abiding concern to all peoples of the world because of its large impact on sustainable economic progress, global health, open access to knowledge, and the effort to achieve understanding among cultures. The educational goal of the Faculty of Computing and Information Science is to integrate computing and information science—its ideas, technology, and computational mode of thought—into every academic field and eventually to reach every student in Cornell's seven undergraduate colleges and four professional schools.

Complete William H. Gates Hall as the signature building for a planned information complex, housing Computer Science and Information Science. Foster the notion that Cornell's Faculty of CIS is among the top two colleges of computing and information by reputation.
Create new graduate fellowships and endowed chairs in CIS to maintain Cornell's competitiveness. Many of the world's leading universities are heavily investing in this area at a time when competition for talent is increasing because of the global economic value of innovations from computer science and information science.
Establish Information Science as the best undergraduate and graduate program of its kind in the country. Drawing on current strength and the current number one ranking, attract superb new faculty and increase the undergraduate major. Build on our leadership in the area of social networking, a joint effort with the social sciences and Computer Science, and demonstrate the important role the information sciences are playing in the social sciences, thereby helping Cornell improve its over all position in the social sciences.
Continue to strengthen Computational Biology, working with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to recruit three more faculty and to promote the graduate field as an interdisciplinary home for this area supported with new graduate fellowships.

Additional information about the Faculty of Computing and Information Science: http://www.cis.cornell.edu/

School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions

Description and Mission

The School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions provides outstanding and unique educational opportunities throughout the year for some 7,500 traditional and non-traditional registrants, persons of all ages and interests. The 800 courses and programs in which these students are enrolled are presented in a wide variety of formats and time frames and are offered on and off campus, and via distance learning. The school offers the university the means to respond to market needs with extraordinary flexibility and rapidity and serves as an initiator and nurturer of the educational enterprise in novel and innovative ways.

Goals

Serve with ever-growing effectiveness both Cornell undergraduate and graduate students and the faculty members who teach them by offering a large, diversified, and coherent set of courses in the summer and winter sessions. Peer institutions continue to perceive Cornell's current broad range of summer offerings as one of the best in the nation.
Enlarge and strengthen summer programs that recruit and introduce qualified high school students to the university by means of credit courses and non-credit career explorations and help to attract and retain underrepresented minority group students.
Initiate, develop, and sustain lifelong learning relationships between Cornell faculty members and Cornell alumni, parents, families, and friends of the university at appropriate locations, on and off campus, both nationally and internationally, and by distance methods.
Increase awareness of Cornell's rich intellectual environment and research strengths and spread the benefits within corporate, professional, and government circles by means of professional and executive programs.
Respond, as a valuable part of Cornell's public service and outreach, to international, national, regional, and community needs with well-organized, well-publicized, and cost-effective educational programs.

Additional information about the School of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions: http://www.sce.cornell.edu/

College of Engineering

Description and Mission

The College of Engineering enrolls 3,000 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in 13 undergraduate majors, 17 undergraduate minors, and 14 graduate fields. The college annually confers 700 B.S. degrees and a total of 630 M.Eng, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. Its 241 faculty collaborate in an interdisciplinary blend of engineering and science research yielding more than $120 million in externally supported research expenditures.
The college is a rigorous and dynamic intellectual community with a mission to (1) provide students with a broad and exceptional education that prepares them to excel in their professions and to become effective leaders and responsible mentors; (2) lead responsively and creatively in the discovery of new knowledge and transforming technologies; and (3) create a better future for all people through the application of innovative ideas and
resources and the solution of important and complex global problems.

Goals

Be considered one of the top five engineering colleges in undergraduate and graduate studies and to educate future leaders who are the most sought-after engineering graduates in the world.
Be recognized as the premier research university in (1) systems biology and biomedical engineering; (2) nanomaterials, nanoscience, and nanodevices; (3) energy, environment, and sustainable development; (4) information, computation, and communication; (5) advanced materials; and (6) complex systems and networks.
Recruit, retain, and enable a diverse community of exceptional faculty and students with a goal of attaining 35% undergraduate women and 10% undergraduate under-represented minorities (URMs); 30% graduate women and 7% graduate URMs; and 20% faculty women and 7% faculty URMs.
Establish and maintain facilities and infrastructure that are second to none in supporting the achievement of the college's vision, mission, and values.
Meet the college campaign goals and effectively to manage resources in order to provide graduate fellowships for all first-year Ph.D. students, endow professorships to enable a growth of thirty faculty, endow and establish a preeminent Biomedical Engineering Department and execute the college's facilities master plan.

Additional information about the College of Engineering Strategic Plan: http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/strategicplan

Graduate School

Description and Mission

The overarching goals of the Graduate School are to ensure that Cornell University's programs in graduate education:

achieve the highest standards of academic excellence
provide outstanding training in research and teaching
support a cohesive graduate student community
contribute significantly to the next generation of faculty, scholars, researchers, and educators in the nation and the world

The Graduate School awards 15 different graduate degrees, including the Ph.D. and many research and professional master's degrees. The Graduate School administers 94 major fields of study and 16 minor fields of study across the arts and humanities, social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. During the 2006-07 academic year, graduate enrollments reached 4,716 students.

Goals

Implement uniform graduate tuition across all research degree programs at the university in order to create a unified approach to graduate education, to encourage cross-disciplinary collaboration, and to support academic choice by graduate students.
Attract, enroll, and graduate increasing numbers of U.S. minority and underrepresented students.
Support a vibrant, engaged, and cohesive graduate student community at Cornell through implementation of the Graduate Community Initiative.
Reduce student attrition from Ph.D. programs. Attrition from doctoral study is costly to universities, to society, and to individual students. This is especially true for underrepresented groups, such as women in the physical sciences and racial minorities in virtually all academic disciplines.
Raise additional funds for graduate fellowships as part of the Cornell campaign.

Additional information about the Graduate School: http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/

School of Hotel Administration

Description and Mission

The School of Hotel Administration (SHA) enrolls over 800 Bachelor of Science students as well as approximately 70 graduate students who receive M.M.H. (Master's of Management in Hospitality) and Ph.D. degrees. Over 60 faculty members provide instruction and expertise in areas ranging from real estate finance, marketing and organizational behavior to hotel operations and food and beverage management.
The school's mission is to create and disseminate knowledge about hospitality management through teaching, research, industry relations, and service. The core of this mission can be summed up in two words: hospitality leadership. Unlike traditional business schools, we ground a first-class business education in the practice of a particular industry. Unlike hospitality management programs, we hire the best and brightest business academics, who apply theory to practice to create new knowledge for the industry. We hold a unique position as the premier institution for educating future business leaders in the hospitality industry.

Goals

Be the source for business leaders in the hospitality industry through continuous innovation in our curricula. Innovation in the undergraduate curriculum is a current priority, where we seek to create more opportunities for SHA students and faculty to collaborate with students and faculty from across Cornell in areas ranging from entrepreneurship and real estate studies to food science and management.
Create a global platform that extends SHA's global reach and influence, capitalizes on its global brand name, and drives the revenues needed to support its continued growth and dominance within the hospitality industry.
Recruit, retain, and enable a diverse community of exceptional faculty whose research is grounded in the practice of hospitality, with an emphasis on increasing the number of under-represented minorities on the faculty.
Be an affordable educational option for an increasingly global and diverse population of students. Achieving this goal requires a greater commitment to fund raising for student scholarships as part of the Cornell campaign.

Additional information about the School of Hotel Administration: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/

College of Human Ecology

Description and Mission

The College of Human Ecology integrates fundamental research, education, and outreach across multidisciplinary units to advance and improve the human condition. Bringing together life sciences, social sciences, and design, Human Ecology is distinguished by the strength of its research and scholarship, its focus on real world issues, and its role as a land-grant institution. The college's specific areas of focus include improving nutrition and health, advancing design and technology, enriching human development, and shaping policies that secure economic and social well-being for individuals, families, and communities.

Departments/Units: Design and Environmental Analysis, Fiber Science and Apparel Design, Human Development, Nutritional Sciences, Policy Analysis and Management
Centers: Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center, Family Life Development Center
Students: 1,229 undergraduate, 210 graduate
Faculty: 90 professors, 15 lecturers
Associates: 39 extension, 31 research

Goals

Support faculty recruitment, development, and renewal, including the raising of new gifts for faculty support.
Build and maintain strong multidisciplinary departments with faculty who have active and outstanding research programs.
Strengthen the integration of our three-fold mission by using our expertise in research and scholarship to define each department, and through that, shape the education experience and the effectiveness of outreach programs that serve New York, the nation, and the world.
Cultivate the highest quality undergraduate population with increased involvement in research, leadership, and public service, using interdisciplinary curricula and diverse pedagogical approaches, and enhanced by flagship programs in experiential learning.
Advance graduate education across all fields, both research and professional degrees.
Continue the robust expansion of the college's research portfolio, evidenced by increases in published scholarship and external research funding and the recruitment of talented new faculty.
Develop and strengthen collaborations across missions, departments, and units throughout Cornell to strengthen university-wide initiatives and to enhance Cornell's distinct reputation for cross-disciplinary approaches, illustrated by new programs in areas such as global health, law and psychology, population and demography, tissue engineering, and clinical and translational science.
Support the administrative and operational functions of the college (finance, human resources, facilities, admissions, alumni affairs and development, communications, IT, registrar) to operate at the same high level of innovation and collaboration as our academic, research, and extension/outreach functions.

Additional information about the College of Human Ecology: http://www.human.cornell.edu/

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Description and Mission

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) of Cornell University is the leading college of the applied social sciences focusing on workplace, employment, and labor policy issues and practices of national and international significance.
The ILR School advances the world of work through teaching, research, and outreach. As part of the land-grant university, we create and disseminate leading-edge knowledge for the workplace to solve human problems, manage and resolve conflict, establish best practices, and inform government policy.

The ILR School engages in teaching, research, and outreach through on-campus activities and the off-campus activities of the ILR Extension Division. ILR has 825 undergraduates on campus and 130 graduate students in the MILR and Ph.D. programs. The ILR Extension Division provides an array of credit and non-credit courses to working adults at off-campus facilities, with the bulk of that activity now occurring in a New York City extension facility.

Goals

Renew the resident faculty through aggressive hiring of junior faculty and selective mid-career (star) hiring, subject to budget constraints. Partner with other colleges on coordinated and strategic faculty recruitments to sustain strength in the applied social sciences and enhancing the quality and reputation of the social sciences.
Provide a variety of means for undergraduate and graduate ILR students to have productive international experiences as part of their education including more international courses, internships, and study abroad opportunities.
Increase the engagement of ILR faculty in key social and economic policy issues, generate more grant funding for research on policy issues, and enhance the external visibility of that policy engagement and research.
Continue to improve the financial state of the ILR extension division, with the specific goal of maintaining a balanced operating budget and achieving full coverage of the extension division's share of the internal cost allocation charge within three years.
Improve the educational quality of our MILR program and increase the number of domestic students (specific goal: 50 total students per year, 30 domestic).

Additional information about the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR): http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/

S. C. Johnson Graduate School of Management

Description and Mission

The S. C. Johnson Graduate School of Management develops global business leaders and fosters applied research and scholarship that shape the practice of management. Three attributes distinguish the Johnson School from other top business schools:

Cornell connections in a flexible curriculum allow students to access the depth and breadth of a great research university with a worldwide network of alumni.
A performance learning approach provides students opportunities to combine theory and practice to solve real problems in real organizations.
The intense, collaborative community encourages concentrated teamwork and networking that fosters innovation, teaches students to deliver results, and builds their confidence to take appropriate risks.

The school offers one professional degree—the MBA—through four different programs, and the Ph.D. degree. In fall of 2007 we have 864 MBA students. The 62 tenure-track faculty are leading scholars in a variety of business fields, and 39 practitioners provide current business expertise. In addition to faculty research in all business disciplines, initiatives such as the Parker Center in Investment Research, the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship at Johnson involve other Cornell faculty and colleagues from academia and business in generating new knowledge and practice.

Goals

Build the school's global reputation by further developing centers of research, learning, and practice and creating the faculty for our future; build additional faculty expertise in global business and management and in the areas represented by the initiatives mentioned above.
Maximize our global reputation and international learning opportunities for our students through more global content in the curriculum and new programs overseas.
Lead in diversity and inclusion for students, faculty, and staff.
Match programs to the market through strategic curriculum and programming adjustments with an emphasis on the second-year experience.
Enhance the school's visibility and reputation through alumni outreach and targeted marketing.
Achieve a top ten ranking among business schools based on the success of our goals above.

Additional information about the S. C. Johnson Graduate School of Management: http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/

Cornell Law School

Description and Mission

Cornell Law School's mission remains that articulated by Cornell President Andrew Dickson White upon the founding of the law school 120 years ago: "Our aim is to keep instruction strong and standards high and so to produce…a fair number of well-trained, large-minded, morally based lawyers in the best sense."

Cornell Law School offers a 3-year J.D. program for 190 students per class, a one-year LL.M. program for 65 students from countries throughout the world, and a doctoral (J.S.D.) program for about 4 new students per year. Cornell Law School has 39 tenured and tenure-track faculty, including 14 with chaired faculty positions; and eleven clinical professors in the legal research and writing program and in clinics at the local, national, and international level. The Cornell Law School faculty is consistently ranked among the top in the country for scholarly productivity and influence. The faculty has pre-eminence in many areas, including quantitative and qualitative empirical legal studies, international and comparative law, and robust doctrinal scholarship in core fields.

Our commitment is to continue to be recognized as the leader among law schools at combining inspiring theoretical, doctrinal, and experiential teaching with cutting-edge scholarship in a supportive, intellectually rich community, so that our graduates can achieve excellence in all facets of the legal profession.

Goals

Achieve top ten ranking in the next five to seven years.
Broaden and deepen our curricular and scholarly reach while maintaining core strengths, by increasing the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty by 10-15 percent (having already increased by 10 percent in the past 5 years) without significantly increasing student enrollment.
Maintain need-blind admissions by increasing all forms of student scholarship support, so that we continue to attract a superbly qualified and diverse body of students who will flourish in all areas of professional life, including private practice, government service, business, and the public interest.
Enhance our expertise in business law by developing the newly established Jack G. Clarke Institute for the Study and Practice of Business Law, which will require recruitment of key faculty and an executive director and promotion of connections with the Johnson Graduate School of Management and other parts of the campus.
Maintain the unique strengths of a small community of law students and scholars while capitalizing on the vast expertise within Cornell University, by strengthening existing and nascent law school institutes and programs with strategic alliances to other parts of Cornell.
Expand historic Myron Taylor Hall and adjacent buildings to accommodate our growing faculty, programs, and improved technology.

Additional information about the Cornell Law School: http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/

Cornell University Library

Description and Mission

A top ten academic research library, Cornell University Library advances the university's mission of teaching, research, and outreach. Through its 20 unit libraries, 7.8 million volumes, extensive special collections and electronic resources, and a full-time equivalent staff of 464, the library serves both Cornellians and a worldwide scholarly community. The library's mission in the next decade is to lead the collaborative development of an academic information infrastructure that enhances and meets the changing needs of preservation, discovery, transmission, and the application of knowledge, creativity, and critical thought.

Goals

Expedite access to scholarly resources at the point and place of need.
- Unify access to library content across all Cornell campuses.
- Build local collections to address new, evolving, or inadequately supported areas of research and teaching.
- Acquire special collections that will support a world-class faculty, engage graduate and undergraduate students in primary research, and distinguish Cornell from its peers.
- Expand online access to scholarly resources through digitization and licensing arrangements.

Simplify resource discovery and access to materials, regardless of location or ownership.

Provide cutting-edge facilities and services to support research, teaching, learning, and scholarly communication across disciplines
- Renovate facilities, beginning with Olin Library, to support the evolving needs of current and future learners and researchers.
- Provide the technology infrastructure, user services, and spaces for study, collaboration, teaching, and experimentation in all library buildings.
- Conduct ongoing assessment to ensure that the library anticipates needed services and facilities that match evolving academic expectations and needs.
Ensure stewardship of the university's intellectual assets.
- Develop and maintain repositories that facilitate and support e-research and learning, including data collection, management, and reuse through partnerships with faculty, CIT, the Center for Advanced Computing, and others.
- Build on the success of the research networking resource Vivo+ to connect faculty, students, and staff across the university and beyond.
- Exercise preservation responsibility over print and digital content with enduring value.
- Develop innovative solutions to long-term management of permanent university records created and/or maintained in electronic form.
Contribute to research, scholarship, and teaching.
- Expand and enhance research collaborations with faculty and other researchers.
- Advance scholarship in the field of knowledge asset management, focusing on strengths in digitization, preservation, metadata, intellectual property issues, usability, and e-curation.
- Partner with other campus units to enhance teaching and integrate information competency into the curriculum.
Become an employer of choice while fulfilling library users' needs.
- Provide staff with opportunities for continual learning to ensure a relevant, diverse, engaged, and sustained workforce.
- Support a quality work environment where staff are respected and supported.
- Engage staff in setting the direction for library services based on continual user assessment.
- Enhance existing skills base and diversity through strategic recruitment.

Additional information about the Cornell University Library: http://library.cornell.edu/

College of Veterinary Medicine

Description and Mission

Established by an act of the state legislature in 1894, today the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell is one of 28 veterinary colleges and schools in the United States and one of only three in the Northeast. With more than 5,000 graduates, the college is recognized internationally as a leader in public health, biomedical research, animal medicine, and veterinary medical education.
The college employs approximately 310 faculty and 700 staff members. There are 335 students enrolled in the four-year, post-baccalaureate doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) program and 110 graduate students studying at the college in the Cornell Graduate School fields leading to master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Internship and residency programs also are offered to DVMs seeking advanced work in clinical veterinary specialties.

The college's mission is to advance animal and human health through education, research, and public service.

Goals

Enhance our position as a world leader in veterinary medicine.
Further strengthen our partnership with New York State in animal disease surveillance, public health, and environmental protection.
Maintain our leadership position in translational and biomedical research, with a cross-disciplinary emphasis on cancer, infectious disease, and medical genetics.
Continue to develop and deliver comprehensive, cutting-edge patient care.
Advance the profession by training the next generation of outstanding clinical and academic veterinarians. Raise new gift funds as part of the Cornell campaign in support of faculty, students, and facilities.
Conduct a college-wide strategic planning process and implement an action plan based on the priorities identified.

Additional information about the College of Veterinary Medicine: http://www.vet.cornell.edu/

Weill Cornell Medical College

Description and Mission

Weill Cornell Medical College is among the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the country, providing innovative education, pioneering research, and exceptional clinical care—locally, nationally, and abroad. Founded in 1898 as one of the nation's first coeducational institutions, Weill Cornell has a long-standing history of innovation and leadership in all facets of its operations and has emerged as a global leader in scientific instruction and inquiry. Partnered with the renowned New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the Medical College is comprised of 23 academic departments and eight centers and institutes.

Goals

The medical college has launched the third phase of its strategic plan, entitled "Discoveries that Make a Difference," a $1.6 billion initiative intended to enhance and integrate our mission of research, education, and patient care, as well as support the administrative and central services that enable these missions. The following are among the most distinguished goals and elements of our new strategic plan:

Construction of a new biomedical research building. This facility will provide the college with an additional 300,000-400,000 square feet of critically needed research space.
Research program investments/research faculty recruitment. We will recruit 50 new faculty who work as bench-based researchers focusing on translational and clinical research in obesity; diabetes and
metabolic disorders; cardiovascular systems disorders; neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric disorders, and aging; cancer; infectious diseases and global health; stem cell biology, developmental biology, reproduction, and regenerative medicine; molecular therapeutics and personalized medicine; and children's health.
Clinical program investments/faculty recruitment. Special investments will be made in specific interdisciplinary initiatives that continue to be major public health issues. We intend to recruit 27 clinical faculty to staff and support these enhanced program areas, including aging, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and metabolic disorders, diagnostic and disease management, and multidisciplinary cancer care.
Adding new and expanding existing research core facilities. The medical college will establish new core facilities to offer shared support and services for the academic/research community.
Funding the anticipated recruitment of new department chairs, program directors. One of our top goals is to ensure that we have the means to support the recruitment of new faculty leadership as well as their associated recruits, the majority of whom we anticipate will be conducting research.
Upgrading institutional information technology and support services capabilities. The college anticipates the need to make significant investments in the next decade specifically in research core equipment and information technology, including science and computer technology.
Acquiring additional housing units for faculty and staff. We will continue to acquire housing units in order to accommodate new faculty recruits, students, and participants in collaborative programs from Ithaca.
Building endowments to support faculty, students, and programs. During the next several years, Weill Cornell will seek to enhance its endowment to ensure its status as a premier center of learning.

Additional information about the Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu/

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences

Description and Mission

Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences (WCGSMS) is a unique academic partnership formalized in 1952 and composed of faculty from both Weill Cornell Medical College and the Sloan-Kettering Institute of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. WCGSMS faculty members have research interests that span the full spectrum of biomedicine. The mission of the graduate school is to offer a graduate program in biomedical research led by faculty who are committed to mentoring students and providing outstanding training for future leaders in basic and translational science.

WCGSMS offers seven programs leading to doctoral degrees, two master's programs, and several opportunities for interdisciplinary training with programs at Cornell's campus in Ithaca. Currently, 60 students are admitted annually and the total student body exceeds 400, similar in class size as the Weill Cornell Medical School.

Goals

The graduate school has plans to significantly enhance its educational and research mission. These plans are addressed in the third phase of strategic planning, entitled "Discoveries that Make a Difference" and supported by Weill Cornell's $1.65 billion campaign. The following are the most distinguished goals and elements of the graduate school's strategic plan:

Construction of a new biomedical research building. This facility will provide the medical college with over 300,000 square feet of critically needed research space.
Research program investments/research faculty recruitment. The school will recruit 50 new faculty to work as bench-based researchers focusing on translational and clinical research in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disorders; cardiovascular systems disorders; neurodegenerative, neuropsychiatric disorders and aging; cancer; infectious diseases and global health; stem cell biology; developmental biology; reproduction and regenerative medicine; molecular therapeutics and personalized medicine; and children's health.
Adding new and expanding existing research core facilities. The medical college will establish new core facilities to offer shared support and services for the academic/research community.
Funding the anticipated recruitment of new department chairs and program directors. In order to assure ongoing excellence, there is a 10-year plan to assure a legacy of scientific mentors for retiring department chairs, program directors, and faculty. The plan also includes essential support services for the students and faculty such as additional housing, information technology investment, and day care services. The most significant and critical component of this funding goal is to create endowments to assure perpetual operating support; fund student stipends; and support faculty teaching, academic leadership, and special programs.

Additional information about the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences: http://biomedsci.cornell.edu/

Division of Student and Academic Services

Description and Mission

The Division of Student and Academic Services (SAS) exists to support and further the mission of the university by developing, delivering, and advocating for services and programs that unite and support students' academic and life pursuits. We encourage and foster student participation while respecting the responsibility of students to avail themselves of all learning. Through the efforts of all of us—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—we create a community where the values and responsibilities of the individual and the community are equally supported.
SAS Units: Athletics and Physical Education, Campus Life, the Center for Learning and Teaching, Cornell Career Services, Cornell Commitment, Dean of Students, Gannett Health Services, Internal Transfer Division, Office of University Registrar, and Public Service Center.

Goals

Create and support a learning community filled with opportunities in and beyond the classroom for students and faculty to integrate and link those experiences with their learning from academic programs. Raise funds as part of the Cornell campaign to support faculty, students, and facilities in support of the learning environment.
Provide opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to participate together in intellectual, spiritual, social, cultural, athletic, and service activities.
Develop and support programs and services that foster diversity, inclusion, and learning among all members of the Cornell community.
Create and sustain an environment that promotes personal growth and discovery, the pursuit of healthy minds and bodies, and engagement in a caring community.
Develop and use technology to streamline and improve the services we deliver university-wide and improve access to information needed by students, faculty, and staff.
Create an environment that fosters an awareness of responsibility for self, community, and public service.
Work collaboratively and creatively across the division and university to achieve our desired outcomes.

Additional information about the Division of Student and Academic Services: http://sas.cornell.edu/

Division of Alumni Affairs and Development

Description and Mission

The Division of Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD) is committed to providing opportunities for lifelong enrichment of, and partnership with, alumni, parents, and friends through university-sponsored programs and activities. In return, it seeks to engage their time, loyalty, and intellectual and financial resources, which are critical to the achievement of Cornell's broader mission to serve society through education and the pursuit of knowledge.

The division divides its work among the Offices of Alumni Affairs and Development as well as 10 college and 8 unit offices, 10 regional offices, and the areas of marketing and communications; AAD services; information services; trusts, estates and gift planning; and the Office of the Councils.

Goals

Meet or exceed the campaign goal of $4 billion for established priorities by December 31, 2011, with an emphasis on the Ithaca campus goal of $3 billion.
Create an organization that is able to sustain new business at the $500 million per year level post campaign (FY2012 and beyond).

Additional information about the Division of Alumni Affairs and Development: http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/

Division of University Communications

Description and Mission

The Division of University Communications supports Cornell University's activities through clear and effectively targeted communication strategies. It communicates with the university's audiences using traditional media such as print publications and media outreach combined with rapidly evolving new technologies that incorporate television, radio, and the web. It has the responsibility to monitor and adjust its strategies to ensure that Cornell's internal and external audiences are reached effectively. The division's overarching mission is to increase the institution's visibility among all audiences as one of the world's premier institutions.

Goals

Present Cornell's breadth and depth to the public through all media. The tools of communication are changing rapidly. Niche communications increasingly dominate and, to some extent, determine today's targets of opportunity. Cornell must reach its audiences using every medium available. The development of "Cornell Television" will allow Cornell content to be sent out regionally, nationally, or globally. It will also allow Cornell effectively to participate in the daily news cycle and provide faculty experts to meet the programming needs of media outlets throughout the world.
Broaden awareness of Cornell's distinctive role in New York. Cornell is ever present in New York State. University Communications will use innovative communication strategies to enhance the university's profile throughout the state.
Present Cornell as a sought out destination by informing its audiences about the university's activities. University Communications will implement a communications strategy that effectively communicates the university's accomplishments, activities, strategic priorities, needs, and community concerns. These communications are vitally important to achieving institutional objectives and showcasing the university as a must-stop destination for decision makers and trend setters.
Strengthen internal communications at Cornell. The university's size and organizational structure are a challenge to effective internal communication. University Communications will develop strategies to keep the Cornell community more aware of activities and opportunities across campus.
Define a university-wide strategic communications plan to maximize the reach of Cornell's public relations in tandem with the marketing programs of the colleges and schools. The division, in close cooperation with the unit communications offices, will define and implement strategies to ensure that the university communicates consistently and effectively with all its audiences, including alumni, prospective students and their parents, foundations, industry, government, the media, and the Cornell community.

Additional information about the Division of University Communications: http://www.universitycommunications.cornell.edu/

Office of University Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation

Description and Mission

The Office of University Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation is responsible for providing legal service and representation to the Board of Trustees, the President, and all colleges, schools, and units of the university on all legal matters and for providing governance advice and administrative support to the Board of Trustees. The office, which comprises 24 professionals (about equally divided between attorneys and support staff), is functionally divided into four sections: corporate, litigation, medical college, and trustees support. In a typical year the office (including both branches in Ithaca and New York City) fields 2000 advisory, transactional, and regulatory compliance matters; handles 200 disputes and contested cases; and orchestrates 20 board and committee meetings.

Goals

Provide informed legal advice and resourceful representation to university administrative and academic leaders in advancing and protecting Cornell's autonomy, assets, and policy interests in legislative and regulatory settings, contractual transactions, and judicial proceedings.
Assist in marshaling the right resources and assigning appropriate responsibility to minimize security, financial, and reputational risks to the university, its students, faculty, staff, and property.
Aid in forging and furthering critical institutional relationships—between the Ithaca and WCMC campuses, with New York-Presbyterian Hospital, with the State of New York and local governments, and through international academic alliances—that are mutually fruitful and protective of the partners' interests.
Enable the university's system of governance to be a model in terms of prudently allocating authority, entrusting responsibility, promoting integrity, and demanding accountability.

Additional information about the Office of University Counsel and Secretary of the Corporation: http://counsel.cornell.edu/

Cornell University Finance and Administration

Description and Mission

Cornell University Finance and Administration (CUFA) will be a standard bearer in innovative leadership in the acquisition and management of financial, facilities, and information resources. We will accomplish this by partnering with our clients and customers to find the most efficient and economical means of delivering the highest quality services they require in a timely manner. We will identify appropriate measurements to evaluate the efficacy of the services we deliver and continuously solicit feedback from our customers to ensure we are meeting their needs. We will do this with the firm understanding that our responsibility is to help the university community set a standard of stewardship that meets the scrutiny of an increasingly demanding set of public and private constituency groups. To facilitate these objectives CUFA will:

Provide the means by which the colleges and departments can efficiently and effectively acquire and manage the financial, facilities, and information resources they need to fulfill their respective missions;
Provide an aesthetically appealing, safe, healthy, and sustainable physical environment, supported by a robust campus physical and technological infrastructure that supports the teaching and research mission of the university;
Provide the highest quality service at the most efficient cost, in a timely manner, and maximize the long term value of university investments to ensure that Cornell's faculty, students, staff, and other stakeholders will be able to achieve the goals and objectives of the institution;
Provide a high quality of work life for all our employees regardless of position or function, including opportunities for individual development; and
Promote CUFA values that are aligned with the broader community to ensure a common purpose and agreement as to how the university can best accomplish its mission.

Goals

Integrate the value of sustainability into all major operations at Cornell.
Position Cornell as a leader among academic research institutions in managing increasing expectations in relation to Safety, Health, and Environmental Risk Management.
Improve and demonstrate Cornell's role as "standard bearer" in higher education and conscientious citizen by establishing key partnerships and metrics.
Create and manage an innovative, comprehensive IT infrastructure and environment to support Cornell's academic excellence and enable similar excellence in its internal operations.
Improve employee participation and engagement in key CUFA initiatives.
Design a comprehensive approach to developing talent and filling the succession pipeline of critical university roles.
Complete and align administrative and academic unit comprehensive planning initiatives.

Additional information about Cornell University Finance and Administration: http://www.cufa.cornell.edu/

Division of Government and Community Relations

Description and Mission

Working from offices in Ithaca, Albany, and Washington, D.C., the Division of Government and Community Relations informs the Ithaca and New York Cornell community about relevant federal, state, and local government actions and strives to influence governmental actions when the university's interests may be affected or opportunities present themselves.

Goals

Position the university in Washington, D.C., for an enhanced leadership role in higher education by increasing the visibility and participation of senior administrators from Ithaca and Weill in Washington advocacy and higher education activities. Partner with University Communications widely to promote and publicize these activities.
Optimize efforts to secure competitive federal research appropriations for Ithaca and Weill research by developing plans for increasing coordination between Cornell and selected federal agency programs and by identifying opportunities for increased faculty participation on key agency advisory councils.
Maximize the opportunity of a new state administration to enhance Cornell's relationship with the state and with key political figures and solidify Cornell as a New York State higher education leader in research, outreach, instruction, and public policy development.
Promote business leader relations in support of New York State funding for higher education and support for Cornell's land-grant mission by building support in the areas of agricultural, workforce, and economic development; student financial aid; research and outreach programs; and public policy development, including health and economic development.
Promote integration and coordination of local community and campus planning efforts by working on development of a new downtown building; development of a long-term memorandum of understanding with the Ithaca City School District; coordination and implementation of the master plan and the transportation plan; and development of strategies for affordable housing.

Additional information about the Division of Government and Community Relations: http://www.govrelations.cornell.edu/

Division of Human Resources

Description and Mission

The Division of Human Resources (HR) comprises 184 staff: 100 are in the central offices, focusing on personnel policy, benefits, communications, compensation, diversity, equal opportunity, information systems, life quality, leadership, organizational development, outreach, recruitment and employment, and staff relations; 84 are human resource professionals located in the colleges and units, with formal connections to both their college/unit and central HR.

Promoting the values of respect, excellence, and pride, the human resources division fosters an environment of inclusiveness by providing programs and services that meet the changing needs of the organization and its workforce. The division promotes a respectful and welcoming work environment in which high-performing faculty and staff are able to integrate their personal and professional priorities while advancing and supporting the university's mission and priorities.

Goals

Recruit and select a top-quality diverse staff and faculty by increasing the racial/ethnic diversity of the staff and faculty workforce; maintaining competitive pay and benefit programs to meet the needs of the current and emerging workforce; and improving the effectiveness of the hiring process.
Continue to promote an effective workplace climate through effective retention strategies aimed at retaining the highest performing staff; advancing effective change strategies that involve workers in key decisions and provide professional advancement for high performing staff; and creating effective relationships and an understanding of organizational aspirations to advise and coach managers and staff through times of change and challenging workplace issues.
Build a culture of well-being for the Cornell workforce by promoting a culture of inclusiveness for an increasingly diverse workforce; promoting effective problem-solving between managers and staff; and enhancing the working and teaching environment through the promotion of personal wellness, and programs, services, and benefits that recognize the many personal and professional priorities of today's diverse workforce.
Increase the utilization of training and individual development programs by continuing successful leadership and supervisory development programs; partnering with the Provost's Office to advance leadership programming for faculty; improving the performance management process to increase its effectiveness; designing an executive leadership program that will identify and prepare tomorrow's university leaders; and increasing job skill-based training.
Develop succession planning strategies relating to the changing Cornell workforce by developing career development and succession strategies to keep high-performing staff engaged in the work of the university; identifying strategies to encourage long-service workers whose contributions to Cornell remain vital to remain an active part of the workforce; and creating effective opportunities to retain and develop those newly hired to Cornell.

Additional information about the Division of Human Resources: http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/