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 aS I HAVE TRAVELED TO MEET
alumni across the country and
overseas during my first year
as Cornell's president, I have often
been asked what has surprised me so
far about our University. The answer
comes easily: it is the engagement of
the alumni in the life of our institution.
Whether in loyalty, constructive
criticism, networking, support of our
students as they seek internships or
permanent employment, or generous
financial backing of the University's
aspirations, Cornell alumni are a
breathtakingly involved group. I thank
you all for making Cornell a priority
in your lives.
During our first year, Robin and I
aimed to learn as much about the student
experience as possible.We lived
briefly last fall in Mary Donlon with
first-year students and spent some
time with upper-level students at the
Carl Becker House on West Campus, where we are house fellows.
Through meetings with elected leaders of the undergraduate, graduate,
and professional students, through open forums and office
hours with students, and in my few chances to sit in with excellent
student music groups, I have begun to understand more about the
strengths and challenges of the student experience at Cornell.
In the next year it will be important to continue a strong
emphasis on building a diverse campus community, on finding
the appropriate balance between curricular and other aspects of
student life at Cornell, and to focus even more intently on issues
of mental health at our university. The unthinkable events at Virginia
Tech gave new urgency to our efforts to ensure that we are
doing all we can to prevent such an occurrence at Cornell and to
deal with emergency situations of every sort. Since that tragedy,
Vice President Susan Murphy '73, PhD '94,Dean of Students
Kent
Hubbell '67, BArch '69, and Dr. Janet Corson-Rikert, director
of
Gannett Health Services, have been further refining our
approaches to mental health services, including preventive and
early-identification measures for students in distress.We have also
been working to optimize our emergency preparedness and communication
systems throughout the campus, and we are considering
the important intersection between mental health records
on our campus and the background-checking procedures for purchasing
firearms. The latter is, of course, a national issue, but we
should do our part to consider its ramifications for Cornell.
Diversity continues to be an issue
of great importance.With leadership
from Provost Biddy Martin, Vice
Provost Robert Harris, Vice Provost
David Harris, and others, we are
moving ahead with a focused Diversity
Initiative for the entire Cornell
community. I hope to be able to
report more tangible outcomes in the
near future.
The core of the University's excellence
and promise for the future is, of
course, its superb faculty. As you may
know, we are entering a period of
unprecedented retirements among
our faculty. In her first Academic
State of the University Address,
Provost Martin talked of "rebuilding
the University," and it will be a job of
gargantuan proportions to maintain
the excellence of our great institution
during a time of rapid turnover in
the ranks of both our distinguished
faculty and our talented staff. Nonetheless, I am optimistic that
we can do so. Support for students and for facilities is also
urgently needed; together with support for faculty, these are the
foci of our comprehensive university-wide campaign. I hope to
engage many of you in intellectual and financial support of these
endeavors.
In large part through student leadership, and building on the
work of our faculty and staff over many years, we are continuing
our assertive efforts at planning for initiatives in sustainability,
including environmental stewardship, alternate energy systems,
and sustainable development. By the time you read my next column,
I hope to be able to share news of a more detailed approach
to sustainability and development being planned by the provost,
the executive vice president, and others on our campus. Stay
tuned--Cornell will continue to be a leader in this critical area.
Returning to the thought with which I began: the most welcome
and, again, most surprising aspect of my transition to Cornell
has been the enormously helpful, straightforward, and hardhitting
feedback and input that I have received from so many of
you. I hope that you will continue and even redouble your efforts
to be in touch with me, so that together we can work toward the
best future for upcoming generations of Cornellians.
Thank you again for an extraordinary first year.
-- President David Skorton
david.skorton@cornell.edu |
