You may think of the president as the “boss” of Cornell University but, believe me, I have many to whom I “report”: de jure, the Board of Trustees and de facto, the students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni of Cornell.

The University announced yesterday that it has plans to save $90 million through administrative streamlining. President David Skorton and Provost Kent Fuchs also unveiled at a staff “Reimagining Cornell” forum a new set of cost-cutting guidelines that would, among other things, promote University-wide savings at the expense of colleges’ autonomous decision-making.

About 75 staff members attended the presentation in Biotech G10 yesterday, which was the fourth installment in a series of forums aimed at informing the community about strategic planning initiatives. This event was the first that directly addressed the concerns of the University’s administrative staff.

The Sun’s March 23 editorial entitled “On the Outside Looking In” is, frankly, a bit perplexing when I think about the openness that distinguishes President Skorton’s administration. When it comes to the well-being of our university, there can never be too much communication, especially in these times of financial challenge. A critical ingredient in that process is transparency of decision making, which has been a top priority for President Skorton from the very start of his administration. And, I am proud to say, that the administration and the Board of Trustees have redoubled efforts to be more transparent since the beginning of the financial crisis last fall.

President Barack Obama just can’t quit his Blackberry. Even though the U.S. Commander in Chief is not allowed to have a personal cell phone, Barry has bucked the trend and kept his fingers typing away on his crackberry. But closer to home, rumor has it that our very own President David Skorton also suffers from the same cell-phone related addiction. Though most administrators have decided in favor of the iPhone, Skorton has chosen the Blackberry Bold, and we hear he has a bad case of Blackberry thumb. We got a hold of his PIN (it’s 31b0c98e, btw), and contrary to popular belief, not everything the president says sounds like a polished press release. Here’s our exclusive bbm conversation with Skorton ...

Cornell Sun: Yoooo! Back from break?

While much has been said about President Skorton’s recent visit to Iran last November, another Cornell-Iran connection has gone largely unnoticed: Prof. Jon Weiss’ class, History 2161: Iran and the World. The class is exceptional in that it allows students to interact with Iranians, and therefore learn about world conflicts in a direct and engaging way. However, such a course should not be unusual; to best educate Cornellians, the University should develop additional classes whereby students can obtain first-hand perspectives and knowledge about other cultures.

While the global economic crisis steadily whittles away at the foundation of the ivory tower, President Skorton and the trustees convened in New York City this weekend to approve a series of commendable budgetary stipulations that seek to preserve the “strength and character of Cornell.” The conditions, however, must come hand-in-hand with increased transparency from the administration to ensure that as the University digs deeper into its pocket, its spending can be directed in the most efficient of ways.

Annnnnnnnnnd we’re back! It's been a VILLAINOUSLY cold winter, but things at HEROES & VILLAINS are starting to get HEROICALLY hot in here. We’re excited … and you should take your clothes off.

We sighed with relief as Cornell announced that it HEROICALLY escaped the wrath of the VILLAINOUS Bernie Madoff. Although the school may have dodged the bullet on the VILLAINOUS $50 billion Ponzi scheme, we found out it’s not all smooth sailing in Cornell’s investment office. With VILLAINOUS budget cuts being thrown at the school from the state, and an even more VILLAINOUS 27-percent loss in the endowment, Cornell faces some tough times. We just hope the folks in Day Hall can foot the bill for those SUPER-HEROIC iPhones. ’Cause they’re just pimp.

Cornell, like other universities across the country, is being forced to adapt to the recent economic crisis. In response, the administration has instituted a 90-day construction pause and a non-professional hiring freeze to limit expenses. But despite the conserve-and-cut mentality that has gripped students and universities alike in the wake of the economic meltdown, university presidents across the country are earning more than ever.

Yesterday afternoon, President David Skorton spoke to faculty, staff and students in Bailey Hall about the effect of the current economic crisis on the University.

“After looking at the situation, I still can not be exactly sure of what the downturn in the economy is going to do to Cornell,” he said. Still, he stressed that “we need to approach this calmly.”Looking ahead: President David Skorton speaks about C.U.’s response to financial troubles and fielded questions from the audience.

President David Skorton outlined several measures the University will take to combat state budget cuts and revenue losses resulting from the Wall Street crisis in a e-mail sent to the Cornell community yesterday. Though the long-term effects of the current state of the economy will not be known for several years, actions will be taken immediately in anticipation of further cuts and continued losses.

“While we cannot be certain about the dimensions, depth and duration of the difficulty, we are confident Cornell is in a good position to adjust operations and budget to address a loss in revenue in the wake of the financial crisis, relying on the institutional expertise and commitment of faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends,” Skorton stated.