Dean Susan Henry

Most of you are aware that the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, along with the other contract colleges at Cornell University, was faced this spring with potentially devastating cuts to our state budget, which is administered through the State University of New York (SUNY). We anticipated an unprecedented 20 percent loss of state funding in a single year, which posed a particular threat to our research and extension programs. However, through negotiations between Cornell and SUNY we have been spared this worst-case scenario, and instead will see our base budget reduced by 10 percent over the course of three years. The cuts we are facing will still have a significant impact on the College. But this will allow us more time to proceed rationally in redirecting our resources in a way that will not compromise our integrity and mission.

We would not have succeeded in having funding restored without the overwhelming support of our alumni and friends, who sent dozens of letters, wrote a number of op-ed pieces and news articles, and made numerous phone calls on our behalf. Many of you were eloquent in communicating to state legislators and the governor the serious impact of the budget cuts as they were originally proposed, and for that I thank you.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your individual support of the College. Your personal gifts are now more important than ever, as we address these serious budget cuts while striving to maintain our excellence in teaching, research, and extension. For more information about the importance of charitable giving to the College and, specifically, the current campaign for the Undergraduate Business Program, please see the special section on pages 13-15 of this issue.

In spite of our budgetary challenges, the College continues to respond to societal needs through its teaching and research. We are excited about several new courses of study that will be offered to our undergraduate students. Our new major in Science of Natural and Environmental Systems, available for the first time this fall, will prepare students for futures in fields like the natural sciences, public policy, natural resource management, environmental law, business, and medicine. The new concentration in Viticulture and Enology within the Plant Sciences and Food Science majors will give graduates the skills for careers in the wine industry including grape growing, wine making, and business management and marketing. You can read more about this new program in this issue of ALS News (see article on page 9). In addition, a new Information Science major is now awaiting approval by SUNY. The Information Science major is an interdisciplinary program that studies digital information in its human and social context, integrating the study of information systems, human-centered systems, and social systems.

While this is a time of great challenge for the College, it is also a time of great opportunity. As we concentrate our efforts and resources on our most important priorities, we will continue to strengthen our position as the leading college of our kind in the nation.

Susan A. Henry, PhD
The Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences