"People refer to schools like Cornell as small cities or complex organizations. But Cornell's 8,500-plus staff members are the core of the university -- this small city operates because of the things you do every day," said President David Skorton, in opening his annual address to about 350 Cornell staffers, Oct. 1, at the Statler Auditorium.

In highlighting some of the university's achievements this past year, Skorton noted Cornell's recent recognition as the "hottest Ivy," saying that "all of you, individually and collectively, have played a role in Cornell's success."

The number of student applications that Cornell receives and its international reach -- currently ranking 13th among the leading host institutions for international students in the United States and soon to graduate its first M.D. class from the Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar in spring 2008 -- are further evidence of Cornell's "hottest" rating, he said.

Skorton also drew attention to the capital campaign, which this year raised more than $1.7 billion toward the goal of $4 billion, with $18.4 million in unrestricted funds. "This shows a huge vote of confidence in what you are doing and what the faculty does," he said.

The work on Cornell's Comprehensive Master Plan and Cornell's commitment to sustainability are two further areas wherein staff have played critical roles this past year, Skorton said, pointing out that the history on campus to promote the stewardship of resources and that a faculty/staff task force will soon be convened to look for ways to be even better stewards.

But the theme that Skorton returned to most often, both in his prepared remarks and in the question session that followed, was the role that staff play in creating a welcoming, inclusive, caring community. The concepts of diversity and inclusiveness are often catchwords, he said, but Cornell strives to make them a reality. Highlighting the two recent awards that Cornell has received from Working Mother magazine (for the second year in a row) and the American Association for Retired Persons (for the third consecutive year), Skorton said, "We view these awards, as welcome as they are, as an incentive to do even better." He then referenced the upcoming series of lunch conversations, open to Cornell staff and faculty, that will be hosted by Mary George Opperman, vice president for human resources, and Lynette Chappell-Williams, director of the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality.

When asked for other ways in which Cornell can truly become a caring community, Skorton said, "I've never met anyone who has not faced a significant life challenge. For Cornell to truly be a caring community, we need to start by being gentle to ourselves." Members of the Cornell community need to call for help when they need it, he said, recognize that everyone has life issues and encourage others to use the support services that are available.

Skorton advised staff to find at least 15 minutes each day to do something that makes them feel good. He explained that he is taking flute lessons once a month from a graduate student and enjoys walking around campus.

And, in answer to a question on the recent university request for emergency contact information, Skorton noted that in addition to high- and low-technology solutions for emergency preparedness, "Nothing will replace all of us caring for each other."

At a pizza lunch that followed, staff members pointed to the sense of approachability and caring that Skorton conveyed. "He's very personable," said Pam Dollaway, athletics and physical education, "he's very down-to-earth."

"The topics he talked about were very relevant," added Gerry Rice, alumni affairs and development.

Perhaps summing up the tone of the president's address were the words that Opperman used to introduce him: "I have seldom met a person so truly interested in people. ... We will always be working to get better, to be a better employer. But when you have a leader who truly puts people first, that challenge is made less daunting. His commitment to the people of Cornell creates an energy that is contagious."