Cornell President Hunter R. Rawlings announced today (Jan. 24, 1998) a series of administrative changes designed to strengthen the primacy of the academic mission of the university and streamline its central reporting structures.

"Cornell is a highly complex institution," said Rawlings. "Unparalleled in the scope of its scholarly and instructional interests, Cornell is further complicated by its division along endowed and statutory college lines. This complexity has undoubtedly contributed to the richness and diversity of the curricular offerings at Cornell, but it has also made the administration of the university more difficult."

Rawlings continued, "I have recommended to the Board of Trustees that we take several steps to emphasize the centrality of the university's academic mission and, in the process, streamline the organizational design of the university's administration, concentrate responsibility for the overall operation of the institution in the Office of the Provost, and give that office the resources necessary to meet that obligation. In so doing, I want to stress the necessity of examining the entire undergraduate academic experience at Cornell while simultaneously harnessing our collective resources effectively to meet the cutting edge research needs of our state and nation.

"Accordingly," Rawlings noted, "I have recommended to the Board of Trustees that the role of the Provost as the university's chief operating officer and chief academic officer be clarified and that the resources available to him be strengthened."

The reorganization calls for the creation of two vice provost positions to work with the Provost and the college deans in pursuit of the University's primary academic missions. The deans of the colleges will continue to report directly to the Provost, but for many day-to-day matters they will interact with one of the vice provosts. The President reported that efforts will be made to recruit the two new vice provosts from within the University.

In addition, the Office of Institutional Planning and Research, which now reports to the Provost, and the Office of Financial Planning and Budget Management, which now reports to the Senior Vice President, will be merged into a single Office of Budget and Planning that will report primarily to the Provost and be led by Carolyn Ainslie as Vice President for Budget and Planning.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Advanced Studies will be redesignated as the Office of the Vice Provost for Research. This restructuring will permit more focused attention to university-wide research efforts, especially in the sciences, while also carrying on the variety of local, national, and international outreach efforts that the office has so successfully undertaken in recent years.

The Dean of the Graduate School, Walter I. Cohen, will be given the expanded title of Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School to reflect additional responsibilities that will be carried out by this position under the new plan.

"In addition," the President remarked, "it is essential that there be close and steady collaboration among academic leaders in the University. With this in mind, I am creating an academic cabinet that will meet with me biweekly. It will include the Provost, two college deans, the Vice Provost for Research, the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, and the two new vice provosts. This group will ensure that the University's primary academic missions in instruction, research, and public service remain consistently central to our thinking at the highest levels of the administration."

Rawlings announced that Vice President Ronald G. Ehrenberg, the Irving M. Ives Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Economics, has determined to return to the faculty, where he will continue to pursue his research on the economics of higher education. "We have had the very good fortune to have Ron as a member of the central administration for three years," said Rawlings. "The Provost and I hope very much that we will be able to continue to count on him for his keen insights on such matters and for continued leadership especially in the social-science community on the campus." The position of Vice President for Academic Programs, Planning, and Budgeting will not be continued under the reorganization.

Rawlings also announced that Vice President for Research and Advanced Studies Norman R. Scott will return to the faculty of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where he will pursue his long-standing interests, especially in the realm of international sustainable development. "Norm has given the university's research enterprise the considerable benefit of his prodigious energies for the last eight years, and we have profited from his many initiatives. I am delighted that he has agreed to provide continuing leadership in our expanding international relationships, especially in China, where he deserves great credit and thanks for many new and exciting developments."

Several additional changes in title will reflect increased responsibilities under the reorganization that will go into full effect by the beginning of the 1998-99 academic year. Associate Vice President Mary George Opperman will assume the rank of Vice President for Human Resources to reflect her additional responsibilities as a key organizational strategist and policy-maker, as well as the fundamental importance of her position for the effectiveness and well-being of the university's nonacademic staff. Associate Vice President and University Controller, Yoke San Reynolds, will also be promoted to the rank of vice president in recognition of her additional responsibilities as the University undergoes major changes in the management of its financial relationships with the state and federal governments.

Final details of the planned reorganization will be presented to the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for its consideration and action in April.