Cornell's Campus Master Plan (CMP) moved one step closer toward completion on March 7 when the Cornell Board of Trustees approved the first final draft of the overall plan.

The CMP is designed to provide a context for physical changes on campus over the next 25-plus years. The plan is intended to realize the university's research, teaching and outreach missions and its residential, recreational and administrative priorities, and will serve as a larger frame of reference for precinct plans and other focused planning goals and initiatives.

"I am pleased with the process that has been used over the past two years to involve all of Cornell's constituencies to help formulate and to review the plan," said Peter C. Meinig '62, chair of the board, at the trustees' meeting. "The responsible parties have reached out to and incorporated input from Cornell's faculty, students, staff, trustees and alumni as well as the Ithaca and surrounding communities. The product of the combined efforts of all is one in which I take great pride."

Meinig added: "The plan will provide a road map for the future physical development of our campus for decades to come. It is not a commitment to place structures in every location where one is shown, but rather is a guide to be used when academic and capital planning and available financial resources justify the construction of a facility."

While the trustees adopted the overall plan, a much more detailed study of the various campus precincts is still under way and should be wrapped up by June, said Mina Amundsen, university planner and co-chair of the CMP Working Committee.

The CMP's final draft is available online at http://www.masterplan.cornell.edu.

Other trustee meeting items

During the open session at the start of the March 7 meeting, the board passed a memorial resolution honoring Joyce White Cima '52, assistant secretary emeritus to the Cornell Board of Trustees, who died Feb. 29.

President David Skorton, in his report to the board, lauded the ongoing accomplishments of numerous Big Red Athletics teams and mentioned that Dean of Students Kent Hubbell and four students are heading to the Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar location in Doha during spring break week as part of a student-driven program to build stronger relationships with the students there. C.J. Slicklen '09, president of the Student Assembly, is one of the four heading to Doha next week.

The Big Red Barn, which was closed in December after structural deficiencies were found, is expected to open at the end of this month following repairs, said Yu Yu, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly in her report to the board.

Also at the March 7 meeting, the Board of Trustees welcomed Ron Walsh '81, a former mayor of the city of Cortland, N.Y., who is the designee for New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-62nd Dist.), who also is an ex officio member of the board, as is the New York State Senate's president pro tem, Joseph Bruno (R-C, 43rd Dist.). His designee to the board is Jerry Bilinski.