If you're looking for a few giant, multidimensional questions to ponder over the summer, consider these: How does Cornell communicate? What are we saying? And how can we say it better?

Two months ago, about 30 communicators from across Cornell began looking for answers. Working in seven committees -- one each to study press, publications, internal communications, internal resources, external perceptions, critical messages, and TV, Web and new technologies -- the group is examining how Cornellians interact with each other and with the world.

They are scheduled to present their findings, along with recommendations for improvements, to senior administrators by the end of the year.

The effort comes at a pivotal time for several reasons, said Tommy Bruce, vice president for university communications and the initiative's sponsor.

First, as baby boomers approach retirement, Cornell -- and competing institutions -- will be recruiting an unprecedented number of new faculty and staff over the next two decades.

"Cornell will be replacing 600 faculty and many, many more staff over the next 10 to 15 years," said Bruce. "If you want to continue to get the best, you have to make sure you present yourself in a way that will allow that to happen."

That's true for continuing to attract the best students, too, and for securing vital research grants. And keeping the public aware of the university's strengths and goals is vital for the university's $4 billion capital campaign -- the most ambitious in Cornell history.

Effective communication is also a key part in continuing to fulfill the university's land-grant mission of service and community outreach. The current initiative will examine whether Cornell extension offices have the tools to promote their services -- and how well they listen and respond to community needs.

The seven committees have a giant task ahead of them. For one thing, Cornell's unique diversity and breadth -- two of the university's most valued characteristics -- make nailing down even simple facts tough.

Individual departments and colleges produce dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of publications each year. But exactly how many, in print and online? No one knows.

Even identifying the people doing the communicating isn't easy. Of Cornell's approximately 13,000 employees, approximately 250 hold positions that fall under the communications umbrella. But those positions involve varying amounts of communications and promotions work; and for many others, communicating -- with prospective students, parents, government officials, funding organizations or the general public -- is a crucial part of the job.

Then, too, there are the people who promote Cornell casually, including alumni, parents, students, volunteers and community members. So figuring it all out is a huge undertaking, involving surveys, polls, interviews and data crunching.

The committees, working with Cornell's Survey Research Institute, will design and distribute surveys, on and off campus, over the coming months.

"I would urge those who are approached by one of the committees to answer their survey questions to the best of their abilities," said Bruce. "It is vital that we get as complete a picture as possible so we can arrive at a set of recommendations that are comprehensive and useful to the entire Cornell community."

The initiative is not about finding efficiencies, he added. Instead, it's part of a wider, ongoing focus on using evolving technology to retain Cornell's competitive edge -- and on deploying the right resources to allow the university to better represent itself.

The goal, Bruce said, is a whole made better -- and more recognizable -- by the individuality of its parts.

"What makes Cornell so distinctive is the individuality of its units," he said. "So a balance has to be found between improving the capacity of colleges and schools to communicate the depth of the university, and increasing the effectiveness of the Division of University Communications in promoting the breadth of Cornell.

"All this requires that all the communicators be able to do a lot more," he added. "We all have a vested interest in working together."