The Board of Trustees held its fall meeting from October 25-27 on the Lawrence University campus in Appleton, WI. Ahead of the meeting, the Board was provided with materials to prepare for conversations on campus. Included in the materials were administrative reports from the president’s cabinet and the observers representing the Faculty Governance Committee, the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC) and Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA).
The meeting began with a reception and dinner with students on Wednesday, October 25. The topic of discussion was the experience of students who had studied abroad. Study abroad represents a significant component in how Lawrence includes high impact
learning opportunities in the curriculum. For some students, the availability of study abroad opportunities played a significant role in choosing to attend Lawrence. When asked about what encouraged them to study abroad students credited faculty encouragement, the desire for language immersion, an opportunity to gain confidence,
and the desire to experience other cultures. Students cited Lawrence’s academic calendar and a complicated pricing structure as challenges to studying abroad. In attendance were students ranging from sophomores to seniors that have studied abroad, committee chairs and the executive board, trustees, members of the president’s
cabinet, and observers.
During the meeting, reports were delivered by the President and the Chair of the Board. The board received updates on the first round of program reviews that took place over the summer. The new process shortens the time between external programmatic reviews which take place every ten years by adding an internal review process every
three years. The Board also reviewed data from an admitted student survey which revealed college attributes deemed to be most important to students. The subcommittee on buildings and grounds voted to move forward with both the loft and kitchen renovation projects in Sage Hall. The board also discussed the value of off-campus study. At the next meeting, the Board will review a proposal to change the complicated pricing structure for off-campus study that many students noted as a barrier to participation.
In the course of the meeting, the Board:
- Approved the election of Robert A. Anker ’64 as Trustee Emeritus.
- Approved the election of Robert C. Buchanan ’62 as Trustee Emeritus.
- Approved the election of Overton B. Parrish ’55 as Trustee Emeritus.
The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for February 14-16, 2018 on the Lawrence University campus in Appleton, WI.