Fall Trustee Retreat Serves as Status Check

Author: Ian Fleishman

The Middlebury College Board of Trustees convened this weekend and attended a fall retreat at Bread Loaf campus to orient the newer trustees - explaining their function and position in the College - and to educate them about the role of the Board.

According to Director of Public Affairs Phil Benoit, the activities this weekend "provided an opportunity for the trustees to learn and ask questions about all aspects of the College's current operations and the status of planning for future activities and initiatives."

The trustees also attended presentations given by author William Strauss, who discussed his newest book, "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," co-authored by Neil Howe. "Millennials Rising" focuses on the generation born after the year 1982. "Strauss has written several books that are widely used by businesses, colleges, government agencies and political leaders," explained Benoit. On Friday morning, the trustees ate breakfast with students in an informal atmosphere. Later that day they toured various construction sites around campus. Of particular interest were the new Health Center at Centeno House and the Office of Public Safety's new home, Harnest House. The progress made on campus building projects was one of the many current campus operations discussed by the trustees this weekend. On Friday evening, the trustees attended the rededication of the Jewish Center in Freeman in celebration of the Center's 10th anniversary on the Middlebury campus. They had dinner later that evening with newly tenured faculty members.

Benoit described the weekend as being primarily "devoted to committee reports and discussions of current College activities."

They also discussed important aspects of the College's administration including admissions, enrollment and financial aid.

Some of the discussion concerned college admissions and athletic policy, especially in response to the recent book by William Bowen and Sarah Levin "Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values," which discusses the recruitment of athletes at prestigious colleges in the United States.

As always, the trustees were also updated on the budget and finances of the College.

"The trustees had no major decisions to make at this meeting," reported Benoit.

They did, however, pass one resolution, which thanked President McCardell and the developmental staff members - the professionals charged with fundraising for the College - for their success in meeting a challenge gift made anonymously last year. They raised more than the $30 million required to receive the challenge gift of $10 million, offered in October 2002.

The next meeting of the trustees will be in December and will take place in New York City.