In his annual address to staff on Oct. 27, Cornell President David Skorton said, "The rapidly changing financial environment requires Cornell to manage differently in order to move through this period and emerge as an even better employer than we are now."

Although Skorton noted the progress the university has made in its sustainability initiatives and the many tributes Cornell has received in recognition of being a progressive employer, he focused much of his talk on the state of the economy and its impact on Cornell. Because the financial industry accounts for one-fifth of New York state's revenue, the crisis on Wall Street has translated into major budget cuts for New York -- and thus potentially greater budget cuts for the contract colleges than initially forecast. Cornell's investments have also been impacted, he said.

Cornell staff will receive Jan. 2 as paid holiday
To give staff extra time to enjoy the holidays and as a thank you for their efforts on Cornell's behalf, President David Skorton began his Address to Staff by announcing that he, the deans, Vice President for Human Resources Mary Opperman and other Cornell senior staff have added an extra day to this year's winter break. All staff members who work a standard workweek will be given Friday, Jan. 2 as a paid day off, in addition to the six days previously scheduled beginning Dec. 25 through Jan. 1.

"The economic crisis has baffled many of us. But what I need to focus on is this university and how we can be good stewards of our facilities and of our people at this time."

Personnel costs make up a large portion of an organization's budget, Skorton noted, and "universities like Cornell must lead the way to be sensitive and caring employers even, or perhaps especially, in a time of financial duress." In his prepared remarks and in the question-and-answer session that followed, Skorton pointed to Cornell's diverse sources of revenue as a source of its strength: tuition, state funds, federal grants and contracts ("We are very competitive there"), endowment investments and philanthropy (Cornell alumni accounted for the university's placing in the top 10 among the nation's universities in cash gifts last year). This diversity helps buffer Cornell against some of the economic downturn, he said.

Skorton added that administration senior staff is projecting the future levels of revenue and looking creatively and aggressively for opportunities to manage Cornell more efficiently. "That will mean that some changes may occur across the entire university," he noted. "I will try to get a message out to you via e-mail every month." He added: "We will not retreat from our commitment to being an employer of choice and investing in our human capital."

In the question-and-answer period that followed,

Skorton addressed such issues as a request for more bicycle stands on campus, the future of federally funded programs (an area in which Cornell is expected to maintain or only slightly decrease its revenue) and the university's purchase of local foods.

In response to a question about what employees can do to help with the university's financial challenges, Skorton recommended:

After the president's address, Brian Cornell, chair of the Employee Assembly (EA), presented Lynette Chappell-Williams, director of the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality, with the Employee Assembly Appreciation Award for her behind-the-scenes work to make Cornell an employer of choice. Pat Mahoney, human resources manager and representative to the Employee Assembly from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, presented Skorton and Vice President for Human Resources Mary George Opperman with food and wines from the Geneva campus.

The president's address to staff and the Energy Fair were organized by the Employee Assembly.