Cornell President David Skorton has accepted a position on the inaugural Chronicle of Higher Education/New York Times Higher Education Cabinet, a community of 57 "forward-thinking" college and university presidents and chancellors.

"We hope that this group of innovative thinkers will lead to useful discussions with lessons for you to take back to your campuses and allow us to better understand the key issues and trends in higher education," wrote Jeffrey Selingo, editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education, in a memo to Skorton.

Members of the cabinet will discuss such issues as sustaining the higher education financing model, e-learning, internationalization, and assessment and accountability in its breakout sessions, which will be moderated by reporters from the two publications, at the cabinet's first meeting, Sept. 15, at The New York Times' headquarters in New York City. Skorton will participate in the session on internationalization and competing globally.

Other members of the cabinet include presidents from such universities and colleges as Colgate, University of Pennsylvania, Purdue, University of Rochester, Smith, Tufts, Vassar and Washington University in St. Louis.

The Association of American Universities, American Council on Education, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, University of California System, National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities are also represented.