Trustees, along with Cheney Society and Alumni Council members, held a dinner with some graduating members of the Class of 2026. They also gathered to honor retiring Trustee colleagues.

Trustees participated in a work session related to the college’s strategic planning effort and heard a presentation on  ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ evolving brand positioning work. Trustees discussed the college’s ongoing work related to artificial intelligence, recent shifts and developments to strengthen the academic program, leadership transitions, and the impact of federal matters and legal challenges to federal policy changes.

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Leah Elsmore ’12 and Vice President John Howard ’86. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2030, 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 2026, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the faculty
• Voting of the 2026 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY27 budget
• Approving academic personnel appointments and reappointments recommended by the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2026–27 academic year, including thanking Jean Wilson ’81, P’05, P’13  for the completion of her maximum term as vice chair of the board and the election of Katie Frekko ’95, P’25 as vice chair for a two-year term from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Chris G. Barbin ’93
  • David W. Longdon III ’14
  • Judith B. Miller ’91
  • John T. Rossello, Jr.
  • Emma A. Sprague ’10
  • Lisa M. Utzschneider ’90

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 29–31, 2026.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including setting a range for the 2026–27 academic year single fee, which will be finalized this spring; setting the endowment distribution for the 2026–27 academic year; accepting the conflict of interest report; reappointing the college’s auditor, CBIZ CPAs; and approving recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure from the Faculty Personnel Committee.

The Board heard updates and held discussions on important campus events and initiatives, including the college’s finances, the endowment, strategic planning, enrollment and retention, fundraising, infrastructure, and the Class of 2030 applicant pool. Trustees were also briefed on recent federal immigration activity in Lewiston and on the search for a new Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid. 

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 April 30–May 2, 2026.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

The Board spent a significant portion of the meeting on the current strategic planning project, including hearing the preliminary findings of a recent market positioning study and discussing their implications for the college’s enrollment strategy and overall messaging. Trustees also engaged in an additional discussion of enrollment trends and retention matters at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, and heard early observations on academic affairs from Joanne Roberts, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, who joined ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ in July.

Trustees discussed the current national context as it relates to higher education. Updates were provided on a range of college events and initiatives, including leadership transitions, athletics, employee engagement, the arts, and strategic planning.

The Board also heard updates on the college’s finances, the endowment, fundraising, and capital projects. Actions taken by the Board included approving the FY25 financial audit results and naming representatives to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€“Morse Mountain Corporation.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held virtually and is scheduled for February 6, 2026.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Trustees, along with Cheney Society and Alumni Council members, held a dinner with some graduating members of the Class of 2025. They also gathered to honor retiring Trustee colleagues. 

Trustees participated in a work session related to the emerging framework for the college’s current strategic planning effort. They also discussed the current and potential implications of federal actions specific to higher education, and they had their first on-campus meeting with representatives from ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€™ new outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) firm, Investure. 

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Leah Elsmore ’12 and Vice President John Howard ’86, and heard early observations from Vice President from Student Affairs Rosanna Ferro. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2029, fundraising, the endowment, the budget, college infrastructure, and the draft interim report for continuing accreditation. 

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

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2025, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the faculty
• Voting of the 2025 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY26 budget
• Approving academic personnel appointments and reappointments recommended by the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2025–26 academic year
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Andrea Conklin Bueschel ’90 
  • Evelynn M. Hammonds H’11
  • Garth A.L. Timoll ’99 

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 23–25, 2025.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including setting a range for the 2025–26 academic year single fee, which will be finalized this spring; setting the endowment distribution for the 2025–26 academic year; accepting the conflict of interest report; reappointing the college’s auditor, CBIZ CPAs (formerly known as Mayer Hoffman McCann); and approving recommendations for faculty promotion and tenure from the Faculty Personnel Committee.

The Board heard updates and held discussions on important campus events and initiatives, including the college’s finances, the endowment, fundraising, infrastructure, and the Class of 2029 applicant pool. Trustees were also briefed on the current state of the faculty in advance of the anticipated leadership transition in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty, including a report on the 2024 COACHE survey results.

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 1–3, 2025.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

The Board was updated on campus events and initiatives, including athletics, recreation, and wellness; programming related to the 2024 presidential election; the Employee Engagement Initiative; and early planning on institutional strategy and positioning efforts.

Trustees also heard updates on the college’s finances, the endowment, fundraising, and admission and financial aid. Actions taken by the Board included approving the FY24 financial audit results and naming representatives to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½â€“Morse Mountain Corporation.

The Board invited faculty, staff, and students who are actively engaged in curricular, programming, and nonpartisan outreach efforts on campus related to the upcoming presidential election to a dinner to learn more about their efforts and to thank them for their work.

October 25, 2024, was the one-year anniversary of the tragic shootings in Lewiston. Trustees joined other members of the college and local communities in a vigil of remembrance at Gomes Chapel to mark the occasion and remember those whose lives were lost on October 25, 2023.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held virtually and is scheduled for January 31, 2025.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees

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