Jason Koski/University Photography

President David Skorton answers a question from a staff member at the first of five forums on Cornell's strategic planning process.

Jason Koski/University Photography

A front-row member of the audience asks Provost Kent Fuchs a question about Cornell's academic offerings during a strategic plan forum for staff held Sept. 4 at the Biotech Building's G10 auditorium.

Cornell employees can count on fatter paychecks next year, despite the university's fiscal difficulties, according to President David Skorton. "We're going to give raises. The question will be how much." And benefits are not on the chopping block, he said. "I am not interested in taking a meat cleaver to benefits. We need to make sure we can recruit and retain people."

Skorton made the announcements Sept. 4 during a staff forum in the Biotech Building. More than 225 people attended. It was the first of five forums Skorton and Provost Kent Fuchs will host through October for staff, faculty and students. The forums are part of Skorton's plan to communicate with the university community about how the administration is revising Cornell's budget and creating a strategic plan.

Skorton opened the discussion with messages of "gratitude, hope and optimism." Now in its 145th year, Cornell is not in danger of collapsing and will continue to move forward, he said. "The question is what have we done so far to protect you, to protect your prospects and to protect the university. That's what I'm here to talk about today."

He reviewed actions the university has taken in the past year to reduce a $215 million budget deficit that is now whittled down to $135 million. Some $80 million was shaved off thanks to a 5 percent FY 2010 budget cut, deferral of some construction projects and a 7 percent reduction in personnel -- two-thirds from voluntary retirements and one-third from layoffs. "I know you're picking up the slack," Skorton said to the audience. "We cannot continue to go forward by just telling everyone that you're going to work more and work harder, stay later, skip your lunch hour."

Instead, he asked for participation in creating a strategic plan, saying the plan's first priority will be to protect employees and their jobs. "We are going to figure out as a community what we think this university should look like a few years down the line."

Fuchs followed with a description of the strategic planning process. Three processes are now under way, he said. First, task forces are looking at ways to reorganize and streamline the academic side of the university. Second, Bain and Company, a consulting firm, is assessing how to reduce administrative costs. And third, the provost's office has begun to formulate a long-term strategic plan. All three groups will circulate public reports in December, he said.

Skorton and Fuchs then took 30 minutes of questions from the audience. Would the transparency of the strategic planning continue after the process had been completed? Yes, Skorton said. Throughout the forum, he encouraged audience members to contact him, Fuchs, their supervisors and senior administrators with concerns and feedback. "Don't wait to do this. If a couple of weeks go by, and you are just not feeling the transparency and the information that you need, let us know."

"How much of the strategic planning process is going to focus on making sure that Cornell is genuinely meeting the demands of its students and other constituencies?" a staffer asked, referring to a comparison Skorton made of Cornell to General Motors and the university's need to run as efficiently as a business.

Skorton pointed out that unlike demand for GM vehicles, demand for a Cornell education is higher than ever. More than 34,000 applicants vied for 3,200 slots in the Class of 2013, and Cornell Cooperative Extension is overwhelmed with requests for programming. However, like GM, Cornell can do a better job of streamlining its back-office functions and concentrating on future innovations -- key goals of the strategic planning process, Skorton said. "We will come out the other side by focusing on how we can function more efficiently."

Will Cornell still be able to claim that it offers "any person … any study," another staff member asked. Fuchs replied that the university will continue to offer a broader range of disciplines than any of its peers. "We'll always have breadth," he said, "but the question is in what areas will we have the depth, and be the very best."

Other questions focused on the connection between the strategic plan and the reaccreditation process, the degree of student involvement in the strategic plan and how the plan will affect the university's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

All of the forums are being live-streamed through CornellCast.