In addition to conducting the usual business of the Board, the focus of the weekend was the inauguration of President Garry Jenkins, which had to be postponed following the October 2023 tragedy in Lewiston. The installation ceremony took place on the morning of Saturday, May 4, and was followed by a celebratory lunch attended by visiting guests, official college and university delegates, alumni, and members of the campus community.

Trustees also celebrated with graduating members of the Class of 2024 and honored retiring Trustee colleagues. Former Board chair John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18 and his family were honored at a ribbon-cutting for the newly named Gillespie Hall.

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Kevin Moore ’93 and Vice President Leah Elsmore ’12. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2028, College Advancement, the endowment, and the FY24 and FY25 budgets.

Trustees dedicated a session to a training on the role of a fiduciary and heard from recent Board leaders about how they defined and executed their roles. They also met with members of the Committee on Faculty Governance and toured the college’s Athletics facilities.

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including:

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2024, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the Faculty
• Voting of the 2024 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY25 budget
• Approving academic personnel actions recommended by the Faculty Personnel Committee
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2024–25 academic year

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 24-26, 2024.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including setting a range for the 2024–25 academic year single fee, which will be finalized this spring; setting the endowment distribution for the 2024–25 academic year; accepting the conflict of interest report; reappointing the college’s auditor, Mayer Hoffman McCann; and approving recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure from the Faculty Personnel Committee. The Board also formally approved renovations for 96 Campus Avenue, to turn it into a residence hall, and for Russell Street Field, to convert the surface from grass to turf and to add lighting for night activities.

The Board heard updates and held discussions on important campus events and initiatives, including capital planning, free speech, the college’s finances, the endowment, fundraising, infrastructure, and the Class of 2028 applicant pool.

The Board also welcomed Erin Foster Zsiga, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ dean of students, who will be serving as interim vice president for campus life during a national search for a successor to Josh McIntosh. After over nine years of service, Josh left ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ for a new role at the Harvard Kennedy School on February 1.

Trustees were joined by faculty, staff, or student representatives at most of its committee meetings and plenary sessions.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 2–4, 2024, with the rescheduled inauguration ceremony to take place on Saturday, May 4.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory Ehret ’91
Chair of the Board of Trustees

The standing committees of the Board met virtually in the two weeks leading up to the Board meeting to allow Trustees to participate in the planned inauguration of President Garry Jenkins and related activities, though all inaugural activities were postponed due to the tragedy.

The Board welcomed five new Trustees to their first regular meeting: Jeremy Chase ’91, Pranav Ghai ’93, P ’26, Shannon Griffin ’16, Marc Jaffe P’25, and Jason Ryan ’96.

The Board spent much of its meeting discussing the events in Lewiston and the college’s response, and it expressed its gratitude to the many staff, faculty, and students who helped address the variety of challenges created by the tragedy and the subsequent lockdown. The Board also received an update on the state of Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. The final report on ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ FY23 financial results from Mayer Hoffman McCann, the college’s external auditor—which provided the institution with a clean bill of financial health—were presented and formally accepted by the Board. And the 2024 ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Morse Mountain Corporation representatives were approved: Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Geoffrey Swift and former ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ trustee Jeff Sturgis ’69.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 1-3, 2024, and will be held virtually.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Greg Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

This meeting was Clayton Spencer’s last as president of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. The Board hosted a celebration of her 11 years of service and she delivered her final President’s Report. Trustees also met with members of the Committee on Faculty Governance, toured the Chase Hall renovation project, and honored retiring Trustee colleagues. An expert on the Harvard/University of North Carolina admissions cases currently before the Supreme Court offered a presentation to Trustees on potential outcomes and implications for college admissions practices.

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Kevin Moore ’93 and Vice President Leah Elsmore ’12. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2027, equity and inclusion, communications and marketing, fundraising, the endowment, the budget, and college infrastructure.

Trustees also took a number of important annual actions, including:

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2023, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree
• Voting of the 2023 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY24 budget
• Approving academic personnel appointments and reappointments
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2023–24 academic year
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Lisa Barry ’77
  • John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
  • Stacey Kelly P’21
  • Jeremy Sclar ’88

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 26-28, 2023, and will include the inauguration of President-elect Garry Jenkins on Friday, October 27.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including setting a range for the 2023–24 academic year single fee, which will be finalized this spring; setting the endowment distribution for the 2023–24 academic year; reappointing the college’s auditor, Mayer Hoffman McCann; accepting the conflict of interest report; and approving recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure from the Faculty Personnel Committee. They also elected three new Trustees, who will be announced by the college in the coming weeks.

The Board heard updates and held discussions on important campus events and initiatives, including the search for the next president of ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and planning for a successful transition, which took place without the president in attendance. Trustees also heard updates on the college’s finances, endowment, fundraising, infrastructure, and the Class of 2027 applicant pool, as well as ongoing work in equity and inclusion. 

An outside expert joined the meeting to speak to Trustees on the topic of the economics of liberal arts colleges like ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Also attending the meeting was ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ new vice president for equity and inclusion, Leana Amáez, who begins her work officially at the end of February.

Trustees were joined by faculty, staff, or student representatives at most of its committee meetings and plenary sessions. 

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 4–6, 2023.

Clayton Spencer
President
John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

This was the first fall meeting of the Board on campus in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trustees attended an event with faculty and staff in the newly-renovated Dana Hall focused on the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning (CITL). They also toured the Chase Hall renovation project. Trustees joined faculty, staff, and students for a celebration of the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign and held their annual fall meeting with the Committee on Faculty Governance. The five newest trustees attended their first Board meeting and participated in orientation.

The Board took part in a workshop led by staff from various departments focused on the health and wellness challenges faced by students and the resources available to them. Trustees also heard updates on equity and inclusion at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, fundraising, the endowment, the FY22 and FY23 budgets, college infrastructure projects, the presidential search, and how the outcomes of the current Supreme Court cases about race-conscious admissions might impact ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. Actions taken by the Board included approving the FY22 financial audit results and naming representatives to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€“Morse Mountain Corporation.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 2–4, 2023.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2022, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree;
• Approving the FY23 budget;
• Approving academic personnel appointments, reappointments, and legislation related to the terms and conditions of lecturers that had been passed by the faculty;
• Re-electing Trustee Evelynn Hammonds H’11 to a new five-year term;
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2022–23 academic year;
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Scott Bierman ’77
  • Scott Freeman ’85, P’16, P’18, P’21
  • Paul Marks ’83, P’17
  • Rick Smith P’12
  • Bill Sweat ’79

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 27-29, 2022.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

The Board heard updates and held discussions on important campus events and initiatives, including the current unionization effort, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, equity and inclusion work, and the search for a new Vice President for Equity and Inclusion.

Trustees also heard updates on the college’s finances, endowment, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign, capital projects, and the Class of 2026 applicant pool. Faculty, staff, and student leaders and members of the Committee on Environmental Responsibility gave a presentation on sustainability accomplishments at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ and plans for the future. 

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including setting a range for the 2022–23 academic year single fee, which will be finalized this spring; setting the endowment distribution for the 2022–23 academic year; reappointing the college’s auditor, Mayer Hoffman McCann; accepting the conflict of interest report; and approving recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure from the Faculty Personnel Committee. 

Trustees were joined by faculty, staff, or student representatives at most of its committee meetings and plenary sessions. Unfortunately, pandemic conditions once more prevented Trustees from traveling to campus for in-person meetings and interactions with students, faculty, and staff. The Board remains hopeful for the resumption of on-campus gatherings during its spring meeting.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 5–7, 2022.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

The Board was updated on campus events and initiatives, including the current unionization effort and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. The Board participated in a consultation exercise on issues of equity, inclusion, and antiracism as part of the college’s current process of outreach and consultation to clarify and gain specificity with regard to the work to be done and how best to structure that work.

Trustees also heard updates on the college’s finances, the endowment, capital projects, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign, and admission. Actions taken by the Board included approving the FY21 financial audit results and naming representatives to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€“Morse Mountain Corporation.

The Board remains hopeful that conditions will soon allow the resumption of on-campus meetings and the important in-person engagement with faculty, staff, and students that such meetings make possible.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 3–5, 2022.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees

A major focus of this meeting was once again the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ community, operations, and finances, including how the college is continuing to keep its community safe and evolving plans for summer and fall.

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Jennifer Crawford ’01 and Vice President Kevin Moore ’93. President Spencer provided an update on ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ reaccreditation process, and Director of Athletics Jason Fein and members of his team presented on how athletics remained critical to the student experience and the important role played by the coaches and staff for continued operation of the college during the pandemic.  The Board also received a briefing on the financial status of the enterprise, which showed effective management of resources during the pandemic that reinforced ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ improving financial picture.

Trustees also heard updates on the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Campaign, the admission numbers to date for the Class of 2025, and capital planning, including the final stage of the Bonney Science Center. The Board was briefed on campus safety issues and their relationship to the college’s ongoing efforts in equity, inclusion, and antiracism.

Actions taken by the Board included approving proposed changes to the Faculty Handbook related to reappointment, tenure, and promotion that had previously been approved by the faculty, as well as changes to the bylaws to reflect current Board governance practices, such as the creation of the new Committee on Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism.

Trustees also took a number of important annual actions, including:

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2021, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and being voted by the Faculty
• Approving the FY22 budget
• Approving academic personnel appointments and reappointments
• Re-electing seven Trustees to new five-year terms:
  • Chris G. Barbin ’93
  • Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
  • David W. Longdon III ’14
  • Judith B. Miller ’91
  • John T. Rossello Jr.
  • Emma A. Sprague ’10
  • Lisa M. Utzschneider ’90
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2021–22 academic year.
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Darrell Crate ’89, P’22
  • Christopher Gorayeb ’80, P’20
  • Dervilla McCann ’77

The annual spring meeting between the Committee on Faculty Governance and Board leadership took place virtually, and designated faculty, staff, and students participated in relevant Trustee meetings. We regret that the virtual format of the spring meeting prevented in-person engagement between Trustees and members of the campus community, and look forward to resuming that important component of Board meetings when on-campus meetings are once again possible, hopefully in the fall of 2021.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 28–30, 2021.

Clayton Spencer
President

John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18
Chair of the Board of Trustees