Financial Plan - Cornell University Division of Budget & Planning

Operating plan – DetailsIthaca Campus College PlansThe two-page schedule on pages 40 and 41 shows the2008-09 operating plan for each of the ten colleges onthe Ithaca campus as well as summary plans for othermajor operational segments. The narratives belowdescribe the individual college plans, highlighting thevarious academic initiatives that are either underway orbeing considered. Some of the capital projects mentionedbelow are listed in the capital plan. (See page 44.)Agriculture and Life SciencesThe 2008-09 budget of the College of Agriculture andLife Sciences (CALS) reflects an ongoing commitmentto its four program priorities: the land-grant mission,the applied social sciences, the environmental sciences,and the new life sciences.This year’s applicant pool for the fall 2008 freshmanclass was the most competitive in CALS’s history. CALSreceived 4,745 applications, and admitted only 20.6percent of that total. The projected enrollment for thefall 2008 freshman class is targeted at 648 students,with a New York State resident to non-resident ratio of60:40. The overall planned enrollment for 2008-09 isvery similar to that of 2007-08, with an undergraduatepopulation of between 3,050 and 3,150 students plusapproximately 950 graduate students.For 2008-09, CALS tuition revenue is expected to increaseby 5 percent for both resident and non-residentstudents. Funding from New York State is planned toremain unchanged from the 2007-08 level; however,the college is making contingency plans for the possibilityof in-year budget reductions due to the state’scurrent fiscal challenges. State appropriation fundingprovides critical support to core operations and an inyearreduction would have a major negative impact.CALS continues to make strategic investments innew faculty as existing positions become vacant. The2008-09 operating budget supports seven new facultyhires, including three faculty who will be integral tothe Weill Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology.During the past five years, CALS has invested over$36 million in major facility improvements andcapital equipment purchases. For 2008-09, the collegeis planning $8 million of capital spending. Some ofthe major projects included in the 2008-09 operatingbudget are: (a) critical maintenance repairs to the RileyRobb building ($1.8 million), (b) capital equipmentfor faculty start-up ($2.3 million), (c) completion of abiofuels laboratory in Riley Robb Hall, and (d) initialphases of the $90 million Stocking Hall renovationand food sciences building project.Architecture, Art and PlanningThe College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP)has made strategic investments in priority areas.Curricular additions have been made to assure thatinternational learning opportunities, urban exposure,and public service are essential components of theeducation for as many AAP students as possible. AAPhas also improved its physical, technical, and communicationsinfrastructure.AAP continues to enjoy year-to-year growth in applicationsfor each of its programs, resulting in highquality students at every level of the college. The Mastersof Architecture programs continue to grow, andin 2008-09 are targeted to reach 93 students—up 60percent from 2005. Overall fall enrollment projectionsfor 2008-09 include 512 undergraduate majors (studyingon and off campus) and 233 graduate students.In 2008-09, the college expects to achieve continuedgrowth in its three-year-old New York City program(AAP NYC) and to validate the economic viability ofthis program. AAP NYC will continue to be the baseof operations for the Cornell Urban Scholars Programand the Cornell Urban Mentors Initiative—two foundation-supportedpublic service programs which place70 students from several Cornell colleges in communityagency internships and year-round mentoring relationshipswith inner-city youth. The Department ofCity and Regional Planning administers these serviceprograms for Cornell.The 2008-09 operating plan reflects significant costpressures resulting from recent investments in collegepriorities as well as relocation of program activities inadvance of the Paul Milstein Hall building project. Accumulatedfund balances and limited-term resourceswill be used to meet operating needs in the near-term,and the college will focus on aligning programmaticpriorities with its five year (2007-12) financial planningmodel in the coming year.34