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:
- 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.
- The Board approved the slate of board officers for the year 2021-22.
- The Board approved faculty leaves of absence for 2021-24.
- The Board approved spring term B.A. degrees, pending successful completion of remaining requirements.
- 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
- The Board approved the granting of tenure to Alison Byerly, effective August 1, 2021, in the Department of English.
- The Board approved the naming of the William Carleton Medal recipients and the Founder’s Court inductees.
- The Board approved memorial resolutions for Katherine Miller Kolliner ’73.
- The Board approved the acceptance of the Audited Financial Statements and Single Audit Compliance Reports for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- President Poskanzer introduced and welcomed Gretchen Hofmeister, 2021-22 Dean of the College.
- 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.
- The Board expressed its sincere appreciation and thanks to Bev Nagel, Dean of the College, as she prepares to retire.
- 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.