February 6–8, 2020

The Carleton Board of Trustees met off-site for a retreat on Marco Island, Florida from February 6-8, 2020. The following is a brief summary of actions taken and major topics discussed during their meeting:

  1. The Board approved new faculty leaves of absence for 2020-21, as well as changes for leaves already approved for 2020-21.
  2. The Board approved the request for mid-year B.A. degrees, pending successful completion of their remaining requirements for graduation.
  3. The Board approved the redemption of Series 6-D bonds and the termination of the swap.
  4. The Board approved tenure and promotion to Associate Professor for six faculty members:
    • Shaohua Guo, Asian Language and Literatures
    • Jessica Keating, Art and Art History
    • Alex Knodell, Classics
    • Anna Noonan Rafferty, Computer Science
    • Prathi Seneviratne, Economics
    • Julia Feld Strand, Psychology
    • And reinstatement and tenure for Michael Thomas Hemesath, Economics
  5. The Board approved the tax returns IRS 990 and IRS 990-T for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019.
  6. The Board approved the comprehensive fee and operating budget for fiscal year 2020-21.
  7. The Board retreat gave Trustees the opportunity to forge closer bonds as a board and with college’s senior leadership team, as well as to focus on important issues facing the future of American colleges and universities.
    • In particular, plenary sessions addressed the governance-related aspects of topics such as college enrollment and completion patterns; college access and affordability; trends in student debt; and, most generally, the value proposition of a college education.
    • Trustees received an update on the Every Carl for Carleton campaign and considered what to expect in the final phase of the campaign.
    • Trustees closed the retreat with a plenary session focused broadly on their hopes and dreams for Carleton, building upon Carleton’s foundational strengths.