This past weekend the Board of Trustees gathered in Boston, along with a number of faculty and administrators, for a special retreat to discuss topics related to major strategic goals of the College. Four panel discussions involving academics and administrators from Harvard, MIT, the Broad Institute, Boston University, Middlebury, and Northeastern, along with colleagues from campus, explored interdisciplinary trends in life sciences education, environmental studies as a model of interdisciplinarity, career preparation in the liberal arts, and the increasingly competitive landscape for admissions and financial aid.
All of the panels were stimulating and useful, and many trustees said afterward that they found their conversations with faculty over the two days to be equally valuable. With so much happening on the national scene, it was also an opportune time for gathering college leadership and affirming our values as an institution. I am very grateful to all those who took time out of their busy schedules to take part in this event.
The Board took a number of actions at its regular business meeting. Five faculty members were approved for promotion with tenure. The 2025–26 annual budget, as developed by the Budget Committee and recommended by College Council, was approved at $184M. The Board approved a comprehensive fee increase of 4.61%, for a total fee of $90,462 for 2025–26. Additional information on the budget can be found on the Budget Office website.
The trustees also heard a report on the outcome of our examination this year of the College’s policy on standardized testing. Following campus-wide discussion of the report submitted by the task force charged with analyzing this issue, the Admissions and Financial Aid Committee (AFAC) recommended, and the Cabinet approved, continuation of the College’s test-optional policy. This decision was supported by extensive analysis, discussion, and community feedback indicating confidence in the effectiveness of our academic ratings and holistic admissions process in determining a prospective student’s likelihood of thriving at Carleton.
Featured in Carleton Today, February 13, 2025