The Carleton Board of Trustees met virtually via Zoom for its Spring Term meeting on May 12, 13 and 14, 2021.  The following is a brief summary of major topics discussed and actions taken during their meeting:

  1. The Board elected three new regular trustees and one new alumni trustee, each for a four-year term beginning July 1, 2021.  The Board also elected eight current trustees to a second four-year term. 
  2. The Board approved the slate of board officers for the year 2021-22.
  3. The Board approved faculty leaves of absence for 2021-24.
  4. The Board approved spring term B.A. degrees, pending successful completion of remaining requirements. 
  5. The Board approved the following faculty promotions: 
    • From Professor to Professor Emeriti:  José Cerna-Bazán, Mark Hansell, Linda Rossi  
    • Promotion to Senior Lecturer Emeriti:  Daniel Bruggeman, Linda Demarest Burdell, Jane Shockley
    • From Associate Professor to Full Professor:  Daniel Luis Hernández, Asuka Sango, Katherine Rose St. Clair, David G. Tompkins
    • Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor:  V. Constanza Ocampo-Raeder
    • From Professor to Endowed Chair:  Asuka Sango, John W. Nelson Professor of Asian Studies and Religion
  6. The Board approved the granting of tenure to Alison Byerly, effective August 1, 2021, in the Department of English.
  7. The Board approved the naming of the William Carleton Medal recipients and the Founder’s Court inductees.
  8. The Board approved memorial resolutions for Katherine Miller Kolliner ’73.
  9. The Board approved the acceptance of the Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Compliance Reports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.
  10. The Board approved the temporary amendment to the employee retirement plan to allow for one-time institutional contributions to current employees to offset up to four months of retirement contributions that were temporarily suspended for fiscal year 2021.   
  11. The Board received an update from President Poskanzer and his executive team on the impacts of COVID-19 on Carleton students, faculty, staff and finances.  The team outlined the initial planning thoughts for a return to campus in Fall 2021.  
  12. Co-Chairs of the IDE Strategic Planning Group and consultants Cambridge Hill Partners gave a brief update on the planning process. A presentation on the high-level trends emerging from the data-gathering phase will be shared with Trustees, faculty, staff and alumni over the coming weeks.
  13. President Poskanzer introduced and welcomed Gretchen Hofmeister, 2021-22 Dean of the College.
  14. Trustees received an overview of events and programming being done through the Center for Community and Civic Engagement.  Sinda Nicols highlighted opportunities to engage throughout the pandemic.
  15. The Board expressed its sincere appreciation and thanks to Bev Nagel, Dean of the College, as she prepares to retire.
  16. The Board expressed its gratitude and thanks to President Poskanzer, as he prepares to take a year of sabbatical beginning in August, 2021 and then return to the College as a faculty member in the fall of 2022.