In a question-and-answer period following the State of the University speech, Oct. 17, President David Skorton addressed such issues as financial aid, free speech on campus and faculty workloads, often leavening the seriousness of the matters with humor.

In response to a question about why Cornell doesn't match peer institutions in offering financial incentives to talented students, Skorton replied that while Cornell's endowment is substantial, its share per student is much smaller than at those other universities. Harvard, Princeton and Yale, with their much larger endowments, can afford to offer generous financial aid to students with family incomes of up to $200,000 a year, he said. Cornell can't reasonably go "toe-to-toe" with them.

Nevertheless, he said that preserving need-blind admission is essential to ensure that Cornell remains accessible to all qualified students. Urging the audience to give generously toward the new $350 million goal for undergraduate scholarships, he said his staff continues searching for ways to be more competitive.

Asked if Cornell ever used its stockholder status to influence the companies it invests in, Skorton replied that the university's criteria for investments are based on principles of social responsibility, but Cornell doesn't try to direct decisions at individual companies.

Another question concerned a student publication that recently printed an article that many considered racist. "We do have problems of racism on this campus, in this community, in this country and in the world," said Skorton. He said he would always condemn hate speech, at the same time emphasizing the important role a university plays in promoting free expression. "The antidote for hurtful speech is more speech," said Skorton.

Asked about the prospects for higher education under a new administration in Washington, Skorton said he was "very concerned that higher education is not on the national agenda except in a negative way … We need to convince the new president and Congress that higher education is an asset, not an interest group."

An alumna complimented organizers on the weekend's theme -- Freedom with Responsibility -- but wondered if Carl Becker's famous encomium was still a touchstone at Cornell. "I think our students are doing a terrific job," Skorton answered, citing the high participation rate in the Peace Corps and Teach for America and the way student leaders have convinced him to take such actions as signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Responding to a question about whether the arts at Cornell are overshadowed by science and technology issues, the president acknowledged that the latter two areas get more attention because of their scope and cost, but said efforts are under way to promote the arts, humanities and social sciences at Cornell more vigorously. He pledged to speak out in support of the arts not just in higher education settings but also at the elementary and high school levels.

Asked about Cornell's career counseling and placement programs, Skorton characterized the overall situation as "uneven," with excellent results in some areas and room for improvement in others. A similar question was raised about networking between alumni. Skorton conceded that the university did some communications tasks better than others, but improvements are in the works.

The final question addressed faculty course loads, which have shrunk by about half since the 1950s. Skorton stated firmly that he "won't try to hit an artificial production quota for faculty," pointing out that today's faculty assume many more roles than teaching, including research in an environment in which obtaining funding is a constant, complex job in itself.

Claudia Wheatley is a writer for the Office of Publications and Marketing.