While Cornell faces a $200 million budget shortfall and University-wide budget cuts, the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar is continuing to expand. The Qatari campus, which is largely funded by a non-profit organization established by the Qatari government, expects a larger budget and expanded research program next year.

Cornell’s campus in Qatar, a small nation on the Persian Gulf, was established in 2002. It has not yet reached its “full maturity,” said Stephen Cohen, the associate provost of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

“Overall, the student body is still growing and faculty is growing,” he said.

Stocks crashing! Endowments disappearing! Budgets trimming! The start of this semester has seen incredibly trying times as establishments across the country fall to shambles. In light of the times, the University plans to cut budgets across the board. Our crack team of Berrypatch reporters have also discovered that in order to pick up some of the fiscal slack, the University Board of Trustee’s voted to incur its own budget cuts for its upcoming Trustee Weekend. The following provisions are to take place ...

Pack ’em like Sardines

The Board of Trustees arrived in Ithaca last night for what will be a series of long and daunting days marked by uncertainty. No one knows when world markets will stabilize or when the job outlook will become sustainable. As the trustees grapple with all of this, we cannot offer any comprehensive solutions. What we can do, however, is posit some advice.

Serving as Cornell’s governing board, the trustees have two overarching responsibilities. First, it is in their power to determine the University’s financial policies, while making decisions pertaining to construction, financial aid and academics. But second, the Board of Trustees must also keep in mind the moral and social responsibilities as managers of a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio.

Students walk past a winter maintenance sign posted on the pathway near the Andrew Dickson White House last Wednesday.

Although many Americans have lost their life savings, their homes and their jobs, the economic recession has had a beneficial effect for some of the most down and out members of our society: convicts. No, they aren’t scooping up securities and bonds from the bargain aisle, and no, they won’t be getting plasma T.V.’s paid for by the recent stimulus package. Their reward is more valuable to them than even $787 billion — freedom.

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.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress enacted a massive farm bill Thursday with new and bigger subsidies for farmers, plus more food stamps for the poor.

But first Democrats had to eat a little crow that dimmed the election-year victory of overriding President Bush's veto for only the second time during his seven years in office.

Omitted from the $290 billion, five-year law because of a printing mistake was a small amount of money to address a growing global hunger crisis. Democrats only realized the mistake on Wednesday, just before the House voted 316-108 to override Bush's veto.

The Senate joined the override Thursday with a 82-13 vote. Eager to begin a Memorial Day vacation, the issue of helping starving countries was left for another day.

The slowing economy is affecting the outlook for the 2008 Tompkins County budget, which will have to accommodate a significant cut in expenditures. Nathan Shinagawa ’05 (D-4th Ward), the Tompkins County Legislature Budget and Capital Committee chairman, described the situation as “tough” and said that his colleagues in other counties are facing similar cuts.

“When the state is in a budget crunch, it’s [an] easy temptation to push costs over to the county,” Shinagawa said.

The Tompkins County Budget and Capital Committee met with Tompkins County Administrator Steve Whicher yesterday to discuss the possible effects of New York State Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed 2009 budget.

The changes in the state budget could have a potentially negative impact on the county’s budget — ranging from $500,000 to $1 million — unless the county legislature makes some policy changes to offset the state’s changes. In order to help make up for the cut in state funding, the state’s proposal also gives the state legislature the authority to increase fees.