Present: Dr. Randi B. Silver, Dr. Marlin R. Mattson, Dr. William A. Muller, Dr. Joseph T. Cooke, Dr. Aihao Ding, Dr. Harvey L. Goldberg, Dr. Lonny R. Levin, Dr. Louis J. Maggio, Dr. Takashi Mikawa, Dr. Teresa A. Milner, Dr. Eleanor I.B. Peerschke, Dr. Kenneth M. Rifkind, Dr. Hugh D. Robertson, Dr. David A. Shapiro, Dr. Robert B. Snow, Dr. Suresh S. Tate and Dr. Michael Ushay.

Also Present: Dr. Mark A. Albano, Dr. Bruce L. Ballard, Dr. Charles L. Bardes, Ms. Joanne Blauer, Dr. Frank A. Chervenak, Mr. Barry J. Duignan, Ms. Nancy L. Farrell, Dr. Oliver T. Fein, Dr. Scott J. Goldsmith, Dr. Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., Dr. Peter M. Marzuk, Dr. Alvin I. Mushlin, Ms. Carolyn Reid, Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, Dr. Lisa Staiano-Coico and Dr. Carol Storey-Johnson.

Guests: Dr. Anna O.C. Fels, Mr. Richard K. Hostnik and Dr. Ralph L. Nachman.

3:30pm: Following the arrival of the non-voting members and guests, Dr. Silver convened the meeting.

I. ACTION ITEMS

1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES. The Council approved the minutes of its meeting held May 13, 2002.

2. APPOINTMENTS AND PROMOTIONS. The Council approved the recommendations of the Committee of Review as listed in the Committee’s memorandum dated May 29, 2002.

The Council also approved requests for extensions of time in rank for Drs. James R. Arden, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology; Harold Chin, Assistant Professor of Medicine; Pak H. Chung, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Assistant Professor of Reproductive Medicine; Patricia F. Mack, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology; Jihad S. Obeid, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics; and Vincent S. Repucci, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology.

II. REPORT ITEMS

1. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. Dr. Silver thanked outgoing members Drs. Stephen T. Chasen, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Bernice D. Grafstein, Vincent and Brooke Astor Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience; Harvey L. Goldberg, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine; Takashi Mikawa, Joseph C. Hinsey Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology; Hugh D. Robertson, Professor of Biochemistry; Richard H. Schwarz, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; David A. Shapiro, Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry; Animesh Sinha, Assistant Professor of Dermatology; and Suresh Tate, Professor of Biochemistry, whose terms on the Council will expire on June 30, 2002, and whose service has been valuable to the Medical College. Dr. Silver reminded Council members in the basic sciences that ballots for the GFC election of two basic science members-at-large have been distributed to the basic science faculty, and that Council members should urge their respective constituencies to vote in the election.

Dr. Silver also reported that planning for the GFC-sponsored course on Imaging continues, coordinated by Council members and other faculty members from the Department of Radiology. The course will be geared towards the clinical sciences.

2. CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME). Dr. Scott J. Goldsmith, Associate Dean (CME), and Mr. Richard K. Hostnik, Administrative Manager for CME, reported on the policies, procedures and activities of the Office of Continuing Medical Education at the Medical College. Dr. Goldsmith explained that the purpose of CME is to keep physicians abreast of advances in the medical sciences through educational activities. WMC is among many medical schools and private institutions that offer accredited CME activities to physicians, and the primary function of the Office of CME is to regulate all CME activities at the Medical College in accordance with the guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The Office also accredits activities that are jointly-sponsored by WMC and external organizations, and Dr. Goldsmith reported that Dr. Gotto has been very active in forming CME partnerships with external institutions, such as the Giovanni Lorenzini Foundation. In these joint sponsorships, WMC faculty members serve as course directors for the sponsored activities. The CME Committee, chaired by Dr. Goldsmith, meets monthly to review and approve all CME activities. The ACCME conducts a site visit every four years, and the Office of CME will conduct a self-study in the coming year in preparation for the next visit in January 2004.

The Office also acts as a resource for faculty seeking to coordinate CME activities at the Medical College, ensuring that activities meet the regulations of the ACCME and are successfully planned and executed. The Office of CME follows changes to the ACCME guidelines, which occur frequently.

Dr. Goldsmith distributed several materials, including tables showing the progression in CME activities at WMC in the past four years. He noted that the overall number of activities has increased each year, with the majority of offerings being Grand Rounds programming. However, attendance at CME acitvities has decreased in the same period, which is reflective of a national trend. The Office of CME has approved new activities that will be available on the internet in an effort to attract more physicians to CME programs.

Dr. Goldsmith reported that although the Office of CME maintains records of attendance at WMC-sponsored CME activities, it is each physician’s responsibility to keep a record of his/her CME credits, and to obtain certificates or other proof of CME credits. Overall, WMC-sponsored activities have been very successful on the local, national and international level. The Council further discussed CME regulations, and Dr. Silver thanked Dr. Goldsmith for his presentation.

3. PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE. Dr. Ralph L. Nachman, Chairman of the Department of Medicine and member of the Cornell University Presidential Search Committee, updated the Council on the activities of the Presidential Search Committee. The Committee is chaired by Mr. Ned H. Morgens, member of the Board of Overseers of WMC and the Board of Trustees of Cornell University, and also includes Trustee Overseers Mrs. Barbara B. Friedman and Mr. Harold Tanner.

Dr. Nachman explained that it is the intention of the Committee that the search process be as open as possible, and to that aim, the entire Cornell community will be given the opportunity to give their input and ideas to the Committee. Four members of the Committee, including Dr. Nachman, Mr. Tanner and Mrs. Friedman met with department chairs and at an open campus meeting at the Medical College to discuss the general aims of the search and to encourage feedback. Dr. Nachman appealed to the GFC to contact him directly to relay questions, suggestions and concerns regarding the search to the Committee. Faculty may also contact the Committee via email at: cu-pres-search@cornell.edu.

The Committee will meet throughout the summer to review feedback received from the Cornell community and to develop a list of candidates to be interviewed in the Fall. The Committee aims to select a new President by the beginning of 2003 who will take office directly after President Hunter R. Rawlings, III leaves office on June 30, 2003.

Dr. Nachman noted that this search marks the first time a member of the Medical College faculty has served on a presidential search committee, and that this membership, and that of the three Trustee Overseers, represents the importance of the Medical College to the goals and future of the University. Dr. Gotto added that the Dean of the Medical College reports directly to the President, and the relationship between the two can be crucial to the success of the Medical College.

4. REPORT ON CORE FACILITIES. Dr. Lisa Staiano-Coico, Senior Associate Dean (Research), updated the Council on the usage and success of the research core facilities. Dr. Staiano-Coico detailed the usage of each Core, noting that the Clinical Research Methodology Core is the most widely utilized, and the Mass Spectrometry, NMR and X-ray Crystallography Cores are the least utilized.

The services provided in the Cores have been vital to the research programs of Medical College investigators and to recruitment efforts. In order to maintain the financial viability of core services, RASP is examining the profitability of each, as well as methods of financing cores independently of the Medical College operational budget. RASP will also ask members of the EFC and GFC to form a committee to evaluate the success of cores on a yearly basis, and will send out a customer satisfaction survey to all investigators using the Cores. Updated information on core facilities and services will be distributed to the faculty in the form of a brochure in the coming months, and is also available on the Medical College intranet at: www.med.cornell.edu/research/cores.

5. DEAN’S REPORT. Dr. Gotto reminded the Council that three new department chairmen will be joining the Medical College in the coming months; Dr. Ronald G. Crystal will begin as Chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine on July 1, 2002, Dr. Gerald M. Loughlin will begin as Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics on September 1, 2002, and Dr. Harel Weinstein will begin as Chairman of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics on October 1, 2002.

Dr. Gotto has asked the Development Office to meet with the WMC academic departments to present the mission of the Capital Campaign for the Strategic Plan Phase II, and will request that the same presentation be given to the GFC in the coming months.

Dr. Gotto pointed the Council’s attention to the new portrait of former Medical College Dean Thomas H. Meikle, Jr. now hanging in the Uris Faculty Room.

6. ADJOURNMENT. The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm.