2. CALS Town Hall/State of the College: December 9, 2013
Kathryn J. Boor, Ph.D.
The Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences

3. The Relevance of CALS’ Land Grant Mission
Knowledge with public purpose
Food & Energy
Systems
Environmental
Sciences
Sustainability
Economic &
Community Vitality
Life Sciences

4. The New Warren Hall
Phase 1 of the
$53M historic
renovation
completed this
spring on the
western wing
of the building
The new Warren Hall features state-of-the-art classrooms,
sustainable design elements & comfortable new meeting spaces
for students & faculty, many of which are available for naming

5. The New Fernow Hall
New sustainable
design
elements, includin
g a rain garden to
control storm
water runoff &
solar panels
Fernow now boasts an elevator, climate control & two new
classrooms – including a modern glass & steel extension to
the historic building

6. Greenhouse & Dairy Investments
Ground was recently broken on $4.7M
state-funded greenhouse renovation at
NYSAES in Geneva
CALS’ has invested $8M in
a new dairy research barn to
support NY’s dairy industry
Campaign to endow the
Cornell Dairy Fellows
Program Excellence Fund
has raised $1.8M so far

7. The New Stocking Hall
$105M renovation
features a glassfronted dairy plant
to highlight
transparency in
food systems
The building also boasts modern classrooms; state-of-the-art research
& teaching laboratories, a pilot plant & testing facility; a new wine
library & teaching winery; & a new Extension Conference Center

8. Stocking Hall: The New Hub of Dairy Excellence in New York
Senator Schumer proposes Cornell as the
national center of excellence for dairy foods safety
& quality research & training
Chobani announced a $1.5M gift to
support training programs in dairy
quality & innovation
Wegmans is partnering with Cornell on an artisan cheese-making
training program to build New York into an artisan cheese-making
leader

9. A New Home for Communication
The Department of
Communication is
moving from
Kennedy Hall to a
larger, more
modern space on
the fourth floor of
Mann Library
Communication has initiated a search for a senior-level faculty member
who will be based at the Cornell Tech campus in New York City

10. Some of CALS Newest Faculty

11. Some of CALS Newest Faculty
Toby Ault
Brian Davis
Melissa Warden
Heather Huson

12. Faculty Renewal: Securing the Future of CALS
Recent Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowships in CALS include:
•
Geri Gay Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Communication, funded by
Peggy Koenig ’78
•
Norm R. Scott Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Biological &
Environmental Engineering, funded by Martin Tang ’70
•
St. John Family Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Dairy Cattle
Management, funded by Ron St. John ’68 & Marcia St. John
•
Zaitz Family Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Agricultural Finance &
Business, funded by Benjamin Zaitz ’77 & family
•
Mueller Family Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Farm Business
Management, funded by George Mueller ’54 & family
•
CoBank/Farm Credit East Sesquicentennial Faculty Fellowship in Economics &
Management of Agricultural Production Sustainability, funded by Sheldon Brown
’68, CoBank & Farm Credit East
•
Robert F. Schumann Faculty Fellowship in Conservation Science, funded by the
estate of Robert F. Schumann

13. CALS New Associate Dean for Alumni Affairs & Development
Margaret Ann Bollmeier is a
career development
professional with more than 20
years experience in a variety of
institutional settings
She currently serves as Executive Director of the Curry
School of Education Foundation at the University of Virginia –
She will begin work in CALS in late December

14. Tata-Cornell Agriculture & Nutrition Institute (TCi)
Formed through a $25M endowment
from the Tata Trusts to link Cornell
experts with Indian colleagues &
organizations to reduce poverty &
malnutrition while protecting
environmental, economic & human
health in rural India
Headed by Prabhu Pingali, former
World Bank economist & deputy director
of agricultural development at the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation

15. Leadership Transitions in CALS
Chris Barrett named the new David J.
Nolan Director of the Dyson School
Helene Dillard, CALS Associate Dean &
Director of CCE, leaving for deanship at
UC Davis after 30-year Cornell career
Julie Suarez, the newly appointed CALS Assistant
Dean of Governmental & Community Relations

16. Federal Funding in Decline Nationally

17. Federal Funding in Decline in CALS
An August 2013 Science
Magazine editorial cited a
26% decline in federal
USDA spending for
agriculture & food research
over the past decade

18. New York State Allocations Down 28.6%
NYS allocations to CALS since FY 07/08
70,000,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
40,000,000
30,000,000
20,000,000
10,000,000
0
FY 07/08
FY 08/09
FY 09/10
FY 10/11
FY 11/12
FY 12/13

19. A New Model is Needed for Applied Agricultural Research
We believe private
stakeholders have a
larger role to play in
partnering with the state
to directly support
applied agricultural
research at Cornell
It is the farmers & food producers of New York who have the most to
lose if CALS becomes unable to provide the innovation needed to
meet their evolving needs & help them to grow & compete

20. Budget Update: CALS Total Revenue from All Sources
Revenue Source
FY 11/12 Actual
FY 12/13 Actual
FY 13/14 Budget
Tuition & Fees
130,027,848
138,395,110
144,526,937
Sponsored
101,721,164
103,673,147
95,787,144
State Appropriations
47,609,562
47,428,219
57,379,121
Other Sources
63,987,668
52,993,266
50,450,218
Investment Income
13,433,606
14,302,612
14,906,226
Gifts
11,693,932
16,829,748
14,833,585
Federal Appropriations
11,342,186
10,943,501
12,268,545
Grand Total
379,815,966
384,565,603
390,151,776

21. Budget Update: CALS Core Budget Results*
FY 11/12
Final
Results
FY 12/13
Final
Results
FY 13/14
Final
Results
Revenues
$206,456,858
$218,118,194
$226,806,201
Expenses
$206,368,313
$218,067,545
$226,806,201
$88,545
$50,649
$0
Total Net Results
We predict a balanced budget this year (FY14) with
the Provost’s Subvention
*Excludes Department Funds, Federal Appropriations, Restricted Gifts, Contracts & Grants

22. Budget Update: Subventions Across Cornell
College
FY 13/14 Provost’s Subvention
Subvention % of Total Expenditures
CALS
$33,890,000*
8.34%
Arch., Art & Planning
$11,800,000
24.21%
Arts & Sciences
$71,000,000
17.22%
CIS
$2,445,000
6.91%
Engineering
$14,462,000
5.78%
Hotel School
$9,231,000
10.33%
Human Ecology
$13,808,000
12.20%
ILR School
$9,272,000
12.04%
Johnson School
$8,615,000
9.57%
Law School
$4,206,000
8.29%
Vet School
$4,113,000
3.01%
*CALS figure is current & includes subventions to CALS affiliates, i.e., Lab of O, Plantations, etc.
All others are estimates based on most recent data shared by the university

23. Addressing Deficits
What are the university & college doing to proactively address budgets in
deficit?
•
Provost’s subventions are currently holding colleges harmless from the
deficits resulting from the new budget model
•
The Provost has promised to share the amounts of the FY15 subventions
by late this semester; the amounts are unknown for all colleges
•
The university could elect to continue to fully fund deficits
•
If that is not the case, the amount of the subvention will determine the scope
& scale of measures that must be taken to address the shortfall
•
These may include reductions in funding to capital improvements & faculty
hiring, the use of reserves as bridge funding, & the reevaluation of funding
to departments & other expenditures
•
We will notify departments of the budget outlook for FY15 when the
information becomes available

24. CALS Faculty Early Retirement Initiative (CFRI)
The college has developed a new CALS Faculty Early Retirement Incentive
(CFRI) program in the context of current budgetary pressures
•
Eligible to CALS tenured associate & full professors aged 62 or older, with
10 or more years of service on or before 6/30/14, & who are on a corefunded line in a benefits eligible position
•
Faculty provided a 6-month paid administrative leave from 7/1/14 thru
12/1/14, including normal retirement contributions
•
Faculty will receive a lump sum payment equivalent to 6 months of
annualized salary on 1/15/15, including normal retirement contributions
•
Faculty will also be eligible to receive an additional payment equal to 30
days accrued vacation based upon their accrual balances
•
Faculty in a phased or other retirement agreement are not eligible
•
Applications will be accepted from 2/3/14 thru 3/15/14 & will be prioritized in
the order they are received
•
First info session from 9-10 a.m. on 12/10 in 102 Mann Library

25. Departments & the Budget Model
How much of the budget model will apply to departments? Is it binding? Will
faculty have a vote?
•
The Allocated Costs bills will not be levied to departments by the university
•
CALS does not plan to break out Allocated Costs as charges to individual
departments
•
However, CALS will communicate costs to units to inform programmatic
decisions
•
The college will work with units to determine how activities will be supported
•
The budget model is binding. Faculty do not have a vote, but have had &
will continue to have the opportunity to provide their input

26. The Importance of Undergraduate Teaching
Does the budget model favor undergraduate teaching at the expense of other
core activities, such as graduate education, research & extension?
•
Undergraduate education is the predominant source of revenue for CALS &
Cornell
•
However, graduate education, research & extension are equally vital
components of CALS’ & the university’s Land Grant Mission
•
The new budget model does not seek to diminish the importance of these
activities in favor of undergraduate education, but will re-distribute tuition
dollars equitably across all colleges responsible for teaching
undergraduates at Cornell

27. Distribution of State Appropriation in the New Budget Model*
Tuition Pool
Student-based
Appropriation
$79M
(65% of total)
Cornell Pools NYS
Appropriations
$121M
Land Grant
Appropriation
$42M
(35% of total)
*Using FY12/13 Appropriation to Illustrate
Endowed
Colleges
Tubs
Colleges
CALS & Contract
Colleges

28. The Importance of Undergraduate Teaching
Does the budget model favor undergraduate teaching at the expense of other
core activities, such as graduate education, research & extension?
• In FY12/13, CALS received $57M in state appropriations
• Using the state’s 65%-35% allocation formula, $37M of this funding was
student-based and $20M was for Land Grant programming
• However, CALS estimates it spent $40M on Land Grant activity in FY12/13
• Thus, the college subsidizes Land Grant activities with student-based state
appropriations
• To the extent that the tuition “true-up” reduces the amount of total state
dollars returned to CALS, the new budget model does reduce funds
available for other functions
• CALS must evaluate support for all of our functions to establish for ourselves
an appropriate relationship among allocations for teaching, research &
extension within the confines of the revenue structure

29. Teaching, Research & Extension Are Essential to CALS’ Mission
Knowledge with public purpose
Food & Energy
Systems
Environmental
Sciences
Sustainability
Economic &
Community Vitality
Life Sciences

30. Graduate Teaching Assistantship Allocations
What are the process & polices used to assign graduate TA support to
departments?
•
The college policy for allocating graduate assistantships is based on
recommendations received from a faculty committee led by Don Viands
•
The college leadership evaluates a variety of departmental teaching
indicators, metrics on graduate student quality & other data
•
These data inform decisions but do not direct them
•
Ultimately, the college leadership makes determinations based upon a
formula that is modified by the projected TA need within a department
relative to similar needs elsewhere in the college
•
Shrinking resources for TA-ships have inhibited our ability to provide extra
lines, even when departments make a strong case for need
•
We do not currently foresee the budget model driving changes in the TA
allocation policy. However, the policy and each department’s needs are
evaluated each year

31. Visiting Scholars
There are many questions surrounding the fee policy for visiting scholars under
the new budget model
•
The fees for visiting scholars & fellows do not apply to visiting professorial
faculty
•
The visitor fee is explicitly waived for faculty holding appointments at other
universities in order to preserve & promote the unique educational &
collaborative research opportunities that occur when such faculty visit
•
Fees for visiting scholars & fellows apply primarily to visiting graduate
students
•
Since Cornell graduate students cannot access library & other resources
without being registered or paying for services, it is not fair or reasonable to
subsidize such access for visiting students

32. Grounds & Facilities Maintenance
Have any outlying facilities been closed?
•
CALS is selling the lakefront property & adjoining lots at the Willsboro
Research Farm & will close the Schwardt Lab on Turkey Hill
•
CALS is working with a stakeholder group to share costs of running the
Hudson Valley Lab
•
“Building CALS” webpage:
http://cals.cornell.edu/about/leadership/ofa/cpfs/building-cals/
•
“Grounds maintenance” costs, such as mowing the grass, are allocated in
the budget model via head count & distributed to all the colleges through
cost allocation
•
CALS has objected to this metric, since it includes personnel in off-campus
locations (e.g., Geneva) where the college pays for grounds crews – As a
result, the university is revisiting this portion of the model
•
“Facilities” or “critical maintenance” funding for roof repairs, etc., is provided
by the SUNY Construction Fund & distributed to the contract colleges

33. Facilities & Administrative Cost Recovery
Will units be required to fill the gap on grants that pay less than the full 55%
F&A rate charged by Cornell?
•
Under the new model, the college is not required by the university to fill this
gap
•
However, 2% of all F&A recovery will be returned directly to the department
on behalf of the PI on any grant receiving the full rate, defined in the model
as the full federal rate
•
The university charges full research administration costs to CALS based on
expenditures & regardless of whether CALS receives the full F&A rate
•
There will be no exemptions by the university from this assessment; thus,
grants with limited or no F&A recovery cost CALS money
•
The new budget model puts the responsibility for recovering F&A costs
squarely on the shoulders of the units conducting the research

34. The Future of Subsidized Units
Does the budget model favor units that are self-sustaining over units that
require subsidies to operate, regardless of their other contributions to Cornell?
•
Resources are significantly constrained
•
Difficult funding allocation decisions lie ahead; in some situations these
decisions may require hard choices
•
The university & trustees point to our unrestricted reserves as a source of
funding to bridge revenue shortfalls
•
Once the budget model is fully implemented, discussions must ensue over
which programs & units should be cross-subsidized from other sources,
which programs could generate additional resources, & which programs can
no longer be sustained
•
These discussions must occur at all levels of Cornell, within programs &
departments, across colleges & throughout the entire university

35. CALS Strategic Planning Process
The decisions we make during this important period of transition will have
profound implications for the excellence of CALS for years to come
•
We have embarked on a strategic planning process that will help us make
the best decisions possible
•
A Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee has been formed & tasked
with reexamining CALS’ current focal areas & strategic priorities, as well as
identifying new strategic opportunities for the college
•
In spring, 2014, the committee will be expanded to focus on developing a
detailed plan
•
They will also devise & implement a method for engaging the entire CALS
community in the strategic planning process
•
We aim to have our new strategic plan completed by the summer of 2014

36. Questions?