Dear Mitch:

Thank you for the copy of Resolution #1, which calls for the creation of an ad hoc committee to review, evaluate, expand, and update the Graduate Community Initiative. I greatly appreciate your commitment to supporting a cohesive graduate and professional student community and to improving the quality of life for all graduate and professional students at Cornell.

As you note in your resolution, we have made significant progress toward the 2007 Graduate Community Initiative goals. We are increasing career services dedicated to the international, graduate, and professional student communities; developing job resources for accompanying partners and spouses; improving communications; enhancing and building future faculty and professional development programming; and providing better student support. I am grateful for the combined efforts of Vice President Susan Murphy and Dean Barbara Knuth in helping make this progress possible.

As we move to the next phase of the Graduate Community Initiative, Associate Dean Jan Allen will be the Graduate School’s liaison to the GPSA. I am confident that Deans Allen and Knuth, the Graduate School leadership, Vice President Murphy, and Dean Hubbell will work productively and collaboratively with the GPSA on the next phase of the initiative.

Best regards,

David Skorton