The Board of Trustees held its spring meeting from May 15-17 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, May 15. The topic of the discussion was “belonging”. Vice President for Student Life Chris Card kicked off the conversation by sharing that belonging might be defined as students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling of being connected or feeling cared about, accepted, respected and valued by the group. Students in attendance shared the places where they felt that they did and did
not belong. The group also discussed strategies that may help to increase students’ sense of belonging at Lawrence. It was noted that diversity and inclusion efforts on campus were appreciated, that more could be done to incentivize interactions between student groups (including politics, religion, College and Conservatory, etc.) and that formal mentorship programs could be beneficial. In attendance were students from a range of class years and affiliations, trustees, and members of the President’s Cabinet.
During the meeting, reports were delivered from the President and the Chair of the Board. Trustees and the president’s cabinet revisited the university’s strategic plan, Veritas est Lux, and advised on priority areas for the next academic year. At the meeting, the Finance Committee endorsed the proposed FY20 budget, including a special endowment draw. The Board also approved a Real Estate Transaction Policy.
In the course of the meeting, the Board:
- Approved the election of Mei Xian Gong ’11 as a Recent Graduate Trustee
- Approved the election of Frederick Fisher as a Term Trustee
- Approved the election of Cheryl Wilson Kopecky ’72 as a Term Trustee
- Approved the election of Jon M. Stellmacher as a Term Trustee
- Approved the appointment of Michael Cisler ’78 as a Non-Trustee Committee Member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Approved the appointment of Steven Mech ’93 as a Non-Trustee Committee Member of the Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Approved the promotion of Scott Corry to Professor (Mathematics)
- Approved the promotion of Andrew Knudsen to Professor (Geology)
- Approved the promotion of David McGlynn to Professor (English)
- Approved the promotion of Rob Neilson to Professor (Art)
- Approved the promotion of Arnold Shober to Professor (Government)
- Approved the granting of an honorary degree for the 2020 Commencement speaker to be announced in early 2020.
The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for October 30-November 1, 2019 at Björklunden.