Fall, 2013 State of the College Address
Kathryn J. Boor, Ph.D.
The Ronald P. Lynch Dean of the College
of Agriculture and Life Sciences
The Relevance of CALS’ Land Grant Mission
Knowledge with public purpose
Food & Energy
Systems
Environmental
Sciences
Sustainability
Economic &
Community Vitality
Life Sciences
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
The New Fernow Hall
New sustainable
design elements,
including 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
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
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
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
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
Newest CALS Faculty
Newest CALS Faculty
Toby Ault
Brian Davis
Melissa Warden
Heather Huson
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
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
New Leaders in CALS
Chris Barrett named the new David J.
Nolan Director of the Dyson School
Julie Suarez, the newly appointed CALS
Assistant Dean of Governmental &
Community Relations
Federal Funding in Decline Nationally
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
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
A New Model For Growth
We envision a new model
for a comprehensive
applied agricultural
research funding system
for New York that is
appropriately-funded, wellcoordinated, efficiently run
& transparent to
stakeholders
A key component of the model is the development of a publicprivate partnership that will incentivize private support through
matching public dollars
A New Model For Growth
Agricultural & Food Systems Research Fund
•
Headquartered within the NYS Department of Ag & Markets
•
Advised by an industry-based Fund Advisory Board with representation from
the state’s commodity groups & academic researchers who would review
funding applications & advise the Commissioner
•
We propose the Fund be structured in two parts:
• The largest component will require matching dollars from the private
sector or philanthropic entities, ensuring that growers & food systems
have “skin in the game”
• In recognition of the fact that some emerging sectors or emergency
needs may not have the capacity to match, the Fund will allow a limited
amount of dollars to be awarded without a match, but through a highly
competitive awards basis
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
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
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
Question: 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
Question: 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
Question: 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
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
Question: 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
Teaching, Research & Extension Are Essential to CALS’ Mission
Knowledge with public purpose
Food & Energy
Systems
Environmental
Sciences
Sustainability
Economic &
Community Vitality
Life Sciences
Question: CALS Trends in Credit Hours Taught
Academic Year
CALS Credits*
CALS & Non-CALS Credits**
Fall ’06 – Spring ‘07
96,554
105,413
Fall ’07 – Spring ‘08
98,112
106,739
Fall ’08 – Spring ‘09
103,390
117,347
Fall ’09 – Spring ‘10
113,666
122,479
Fall ’10 – Spring ‘11
91,068
110,003
Fall ’11 – Spring ‘12
94,284
111,658
Fall ’12 – Spring ‘13
89,461
113,590
It is not clear what is causing the decline in credit hours taught in
CALS. We will ask departments for insight.
* All credits taught by CALS faculty
**All credits taught by CALS faculty and by non-CALS faculty in all shared departments
Question: Graduate Teaching Assistantship Allocations
Please clarify 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
Question: Visiting Scholars
Please clarify 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
Question: 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
Question: 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
Question: 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 will occur across Cornell University
•
We ask for the Faculty Senate’s leadership in these discussions & for your
help in educating CALS faculty on the details & goals of the budget model
Question: CALS’ Strategic Planning Process
Please describe the goals, methods & timeline of the strategic planning process
•
We are entering an important transition period in the history of CALS
•
The decisions we make now will have lasting & profound implications for the
excellence of CALS for many years to come
•
The strategic planning process will help us make the best decisions
possible
•
The Strategic Planning Coordinating Committee has been 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 of where the college should best focus its energies &
resources in the coming years
•
They will also be expected to devise & implement a method for engaging
the entire CALS community in the strategic planning process
Questions?