Resilient Cornell
Dear Cornell Community,
We write to update you on the university’s efforts to address pressing financial challenges and to announce the next phase of the work to become an even more Resilient Cornell.
We are encouraged by the work of leaders in every campus, college, school, and administrative unit that have revised their budgets, making difficult decisions to achieve immediate cost reductions. We also began an initiative to reimagine university-wide operations, reduce spending across all campuses, and explore greater efficiencies by avoiding duplication of work. We will achieve these plans without compromising institutional excellence by embracing new designs, technology, collaboration, and innovation. Many of you attended town halls where we candidly discussed the need for lasting organizational change. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for Cornell, and we appreciate the nearly 300 suggestions we’ve received from faculty and staff to date through our suggestion portal. This next phase involves the establishment of two committees that will advance this work:
The Provost’s Steering Committee, chaired by Kavita Bala, will focus on workforce designs and strategies across the Ithaca, Cornell AgriTech, and Cornell Tech campuses;
The Cross-Campus Collaboration Committee, chaired by Chris Cowen, will examine university-wide operations that span all campuses.
For Weill Cornell Medicine, this will build upon efforts initiated in spring 2024 to control costs and reduce spending.
These committees will be supported by a series of design groups tasked with reviewing prioritized functional areas, expense categories, and financial strategies. Deans and senior administrators will lead these groups, seeking input from campus experts to inform data-driven recommendations for the two primary committees. While the design groups are being convened through the end of this year, we anticipate that their work will continue into spring 2026.
Today, we launched a Resilient Cornell website to keep the community informed. Please bookmark this page to see FAQs and updated information as we chart our progress to greater financial stability and meaningful institutional change. Please also continue sharing your constructive and thoughtful ideas through this suggestion portal. Your participation is integral to the success of this effort.
In appreciation,
Michael I. Kotlikoff
President
Kavita Bala
Provost
Robert A. Harrington
Provost for Medical Affairs
Chris Cowen
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Christine Lovely
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer