A LOOK AHEAD Board to gather in NYC

Author: Liz Campbell

The Board of Trustees will convene in New York City for its annual December meeting this Thursday. The main topic of discussion will be the Strategic Planning Process for Middlebury's future, while other items on the agenda include a discussion of the comprehensive fee and financial aid ranges for next year, construction and renovation update and tenure decisions.

The Board will focus more thoroughly on the issues involved in the planning process after having reviewed a summary at the annual fall retreat this past October. "I'm sure they will talk about accessibility for students and financial aid and the size of the faculty as it relates to our serving students well, and to our curriculum," said Secretary of the College John Emerson, who is also dean of the Planning Process. The goal of strengthening "intense" student-faculty interactions by improving the student-faculty ratio was identified by the Planning Task Force on Resources and Prioritization as one of five themes of the planning process.

Another issue involved in the planning process and on the Board's agenda this week is the progress of renovation projects. In October, the Trustees approved the project for the renovation of Starr Library in order to create the Axinn '51 Center for the Humanities and set a ceiling of $26.4 million. "The ceiling set by the Trustees did not significantly alter the project because we have been working hard to avoid program creep and to find efficient ways to achieve the building's goals from the start," remarked Christian A. Johnson Professor of Art Glenn Andres, also chair of the Planning Committee.

The project will therefore continue on track, anticipated to commence as early as this spring with a projected opening of fall 2007. Other building projects include the long-range plans for the commons in addition to the Environmental Center to address the College's goal, stated in the Report of the Task Force on Campus Facilities and Management, to "continue and strengthen its leadership with environmental initiatives and awareness, to enhance its reputation as 'the environmental college.'"

The Trustees must also consider options for financing elements of the planning process that have substantial costs attached, such as financial aid initiatives. This is connected to the desire stipulated by the Planning Task Force to give access to Middlebury "to the most promising students, regardless of their financial circumstances."

Beyond the strategic planning discussions, the Board will consider a number of professors under consideration for tenure this year. It plans to review a series of recommendations and evaluations and consider advice from the Promotions Committee of the Council of Reviews, before making its decisions.

The College will not, however, disclose any information on the identities of the candidates before the decisions have been made public by the Board.

The issues and decisions discussed by the Board will be disclosed after the Board meeting in New York City on Thursday, Dec. 15.