Trustees/Council Joint Annual Meeting

Remarks of Jay W. Waks

Chair, Cornell University Council
Friday, October 27, 2006
"Cornell: The Next Generation"

Thank you, Pete, for your gracious introduction, and for another year of your inspirational leadership.

Cornell's Premier Ambassadors

My friends, you and I are Cornell's premier Ambassadors. But what truly does this mean?.

Late this May, Advisory Council members joined Law School Dean Stewart Schwab, former President Jeff Lehman, Vice Provost David Wippman and other Cornell Law faculty on a journey to China that coincided with a remarkable academic conference that the Cornell Law School co-sponsored with Peking University and its Law and International Schools. This excursion - "An Exploration in Law and Culture" - gave us essential insights into a country of increasingly strategic importance to Cornell and to the Cornell Law School.

Besides interacting with conference faculty and government leaders, we were proud to put a face on our Law School and our University at receptions for law alumni in Beijing, and for all Cornell alumni in Shanghai.

And, of course, there was a visit to that Great Wall. Ours was a remote section of the Great Wall, located a good hour's drive from Beijing, where there were few tourists. There we were, atop that masterpiece of architecture and culture, when a Chinese father and son stopped to speak with Harriet, Allison and me. They recognized Cornell from credentials hanging from our red lanyards.

The father spoke no English, but, through his son, proudly announced that the son had just graduated from Cornell's Engineering College. For the next ten or so minutes, we warmly talked about Cornell, about its impact upon his son and our two countries, and about the importance of his son's remaining involved with Cornell.

Wherever we travel, there is just no escaping that Cornell connection that we all love and know so well.

Back in Beijing, Dean Schwab invited to his farewell banquet a member of the Class of '07 of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Her name is Helen Yang, and she is ILR's first credited intern in Asia.

Helen had spent this Spring working in Beijing on a United Nations project to prevent the trafficking in girls and young women for labor exploitation within China. Helen's internship was made possible largely by a travel grant from an international fund that Harriet and I set up in the ILR School two years ago, with the encouragement of then-Dean Ed Lawler and current Dean Harry Katz. Our vision was to enhance ILR's visibility internationally and to expand an understanding of the globalization of work as a way to promote worldwide economic and human development. We never expected to meet, especially on a Cornell Law trip, and much less in Beijing, this dedicated and pioneering Cornell student.

The lesson that I take away from our China encounters is that each of us on Council must carve out our own unique opportunities to serve as Cornell Ambassadors.

Your Covenant with Cornell

Last year, I reminded you all that, in sitting on this Council, you have made a covenant with Cornell to promote Cornell as an informed ambassador. Your leadership role does not stop with your attendance at annual meetings. It is a year-round assignment, and it does not require 13,000 travel miles to China and back.

For many of you, simply continuing participation in local and regional Cornell events will be meaningful. In my own case, for nine years now, I have taken pleasure in hosting the year-end holiday scholarship fundraising reception of the Cornell Black Alumni Association.

Others of you will continue representing Cornell to prospective students and their parents. And, until there is a welcoming center perched on the shores of Beebe Lake, you, my friends, are Cornell's "Welcoming Center".

Many others will serve our Council by nominating talented and diverse alumni who have demonstrated leadership at Cornell, in their professions and in their communities, a subject to which I will return in a moment. While still others will continue to make contacts in the corporate world and elsewhere, for funding of research and other Cornell programs.

Finally, I personally hope that each of us on Council participates, like never before, in the new campaign that you will be learning much more about today.

But, to be informed Ambassadors and make a difference, you must remain knowledgeable about Cornell -- by absorbing those Cornell press releases; by visiting Cornell's web sites; by attending local events; by sharing your knowledge with others; and by giving your feedback to Cornell.

I ask you all to remember, at this juncture and for the years to come, that it is much more than just an honor to be a University Council member and an Ambassador for our Cornell . . . First and foremost, it is a major responsibility. By focusing each of our talents on fulfilling this role, we will continue to ensure that "Cornell: The Next Generation" thrives, that our diversity of people and scholarship expands, and that our commitment to "any person . . . any study" continues to give unique distinction to our Cornell.

The Campaign

Yesterday in New York City, President Skorton laid out some very ambitious plans for Cornell and its $4 billion campaign to ensure that those plans become reality, and that our Cornell remains "far above" all others. In a few minutes, you will hear of David Skorton's aspirations for Cornell. And Provosts Biddy Martin and Tony Gotto will join him to discuss our academic priorities for this "Next Generation".

Throughout this weekend, you will have the opportunity to learn much more, from the many faculty who will be featured in seminars and during the exciting celebration at this evening's banquet. I promise you, this group will be energized as never before.

Diversity

But before I conclude, I would like to remind you of the critical need for diversity on our Council. At David's investiture last month, I was moved by his artistic and intellectual themes. As I watched, I was struck, as well, by the hood he wore. David wore the most colorful of hoods over that red gown - a hood of purple, yellow, green and black. That hood, I thought, represents, in a sense, the fabric of David's new campus, a "rich tapestry" [Maya Angelou] that is more diverse today than a handful of years ago.

While an admirable portion of this year's new Council members are persons of color -- some 15% -- the complexion of this terrific and dedicated Council has not kept pace with the changes in our student and alumni bodies. Today, only 13% of all Council members are persons of color, less than half that rate for undergraduates [28%] and recent graduates. If we want to be effective Ambassadors, if we wish to serve as Cornell's face before students, young alumni, funding sources and our leaders in government, the membership of this Council must more closely reflect our student body.

So, here is your charge:

Each of you must nominate to Council the very best of our alumni, with a keen eye on racial, ethnic, socio-economic and geographic diversity. In making these nominations, our Council's "Next Generation" rests in your hands.

Conclusion

Thank you all for permitting me to map out your role as Council members for "Cornell: The Next Generation". I know you all will enjoy and gain much from this weekend.