Andrea Thorsbakken

The Board of Trustees held its fall meeting on October 16-18, 2024 on Lawrence’s Appleton campus and via Zoom conferencing for those unable to attend in person. We also welcomed two new term trustees to their first meetings – Lisa Becket ’88 and James Gandre ’81.

The Board was provided with materials which contained updates from all areas of the institution, including the Faculty Committee on University Governance (FCUG) and the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC). Ahead of the in-person meeting, the Audit Committee and Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee met virtually. The Investment Committee and Trustee Governance Committee continue to meet virtually off-cycle. 

The main topics of discussion included: campus updates, the 2023-24 enrollment cycle, new brand creatives, Lawrence at Night, and continued conversation regarding the proposed campus recreation center.

The following committees met in-person last week: Academic and Student Affairs, Development, Enrollment, and Finance. In the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, the committee heard more in-depth reports from FCUG, LUCC, Athletics, as well as an update on the academic program review. The Development Committee focused on the campaign. The Enrollment Committee took a deeper dive into our fall enrollment and our overall enrollment strategies. The Finance Committee discussed a recommendation for the comprehensive fee for next year and projections for the current fiscal year. 

New this year, we held two Bi-Committee meetings. The purpose of the Bi-Committees is to provide space for open dialogue between committees on key topics. During the Fall meeting, ASA and Finance discussed the timelines for the academic program review and the athletics review; Development and Enrollment focused on the interconnection between our development efforts and enrollment. 

At the Formal Board meeting, the Board voted on items coming out of Committees and approved the following:

• Approved the comprehensive fee for the 2025-26 academic year, which will be communicated to students and families as we approach financial aid packaging.
• Approved a gift counting policy for the campaign.
• Approved a Board Statement on the Conservatory of Music (attached).

This update is also posted on our website here. Over the past several years, board updates have been shared in in-person Town Halls. Moving forward, updates will be emailed to the campus community and shared on the website.

Board Statement on the Conservatory of Music

The Board of Trustees joins the Lawrence community in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Conservatory of Music. We honor its rich academic and cultural heritage, recognizing the Conservatory’s exceptional role in educating and training musicians and artists who have made significant contributions to their fields. We also applaud the faculty for their ongoing innovation in the curriculum that will help lead us into the future and express our gratitude to outgoing Dean Brian Pertl.

The Board remains committed to the Conservatory’s future as part of its overall investment in the University. Over the past two years, we have hired ten full-time faculty members in the Conservatory, are renovating Harper Hall, have added a performance space in Fox Commons, and approved new soundproofed faculty offices and rehearsal spaces in the West Campus building that is currently under construction.

As part of this commitment, last spring the Board and the University administration jointly agreed to conduct a comprehensive and inclusive search for a new Dean to lead the Conservatory into its next chapter. We reaffirm that decision today. We urge the search committee and the entire Lawrence community to work collaboratively in selecting a leader who will advance the Conservatory’s mission and vision within the University.

We remind all members of the Lawrence community that our collective future depends on mutual respect and collaboration. It is important to embrace differences of opinion with civility. The Board of Trustees expects that all actions and discussions will foster respect and collaboration, and any behavior that threatens or undermines our campus culture will be addressed. Working together we are confident that the future of the Conservatory and the University is bright.

The Board of Trustees held its winter meeting February 8-10, 2023 on Lawrence’s Appleton campus and via Zoom conferencing from those unable to attend. Ahead of the meeting, the Board was provided with materials to prepare for conversations and decisions. Included in the materials were updates from the functional areas of the institution, including the Faculty Committee on University Governance (FCUG) and the Lawrence University Community Council (LUCC).

The Board began with the General Session where the Task Force on Enrollment Size presented its months’ long analysis. Additionally, Dr. Ron Crutcher, former president of Wheaton College (MA) and University of Richmond, discussed the enrollment initiatives implemented at both of those institutions that resulted in increased financial stability. After which, the Enrollment Committee, Development Committee, Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee, Finance Committee, and Academic and Student Affairs Committee held their meetings, concluding with the Formal Board meeting. Much of each committee and subcommittee meeting was discussing the selection, implementation, and potential impact of the strategic initiatives and investments. Specifically, providing input on the brand elevation strategic investments and highlighting another busy construction season, including the purchase of 1025 E South River Street. The Board discussed the FY23 budget and that of the strategic investment expenses. Additionally, the Board celebrated the success of Giving Day and the arrival of two VPs, the VP for Advancement and the incoming VP for DEIA. The reports were delivered from the President, the Chair of the Board, and respective committee and campus leadership. Trustees and the campus leadership discussed the ever-changing higher education climate and our mechanisms to lead and respond, and our institutional decision-making strategy.

In the course of the February meetings, the Board:

• Approved the granting of tenure to Israel Del Toro, Assistant Professor (Biology).
• Approved the granting of tenure to Thelma Jimenez-Anglada, Assistant Professor (Spanish).
• Approved the granting of tenure to Nancy Lin, Assistant Professor (Art History).
• Approved the granting of tenure to Rebecca Perry, Assistant Professor (Music).
• Approved the granting of tenure to Graham Sazama, Assistant Professor (Chemistry).
• Approved the granting of tenure to Jesús Gregorio Smith, Assistant Professor (Ethnic Studies).

The next meeting of the Board is scheduled for May 17-19, 2023 on Lawrence’s Appleton campus and virtually via Zoom conferencing for those unable to attend in person.

Biennially, the Board of Trustees has a fall retreat to deepen their knowledge about Lawrence and higher education in a robust and concentrated fashion. This year’s retreat was held October 26-28, 2022. Because of the focused retreat agenda, the committees of the Board met during weeks preceding the retreat to attend to their business via Zoom. Ahead of committee meetings and the Board retreat, the Board was provided with materials to prepare for conversations and decisions.

During the course of each committee meeting, reports were delivered by the respective committee leadership and campus leadership. In the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, the committee focused on the external review of student affairs with new leadership, while also hearing from the provost and dean of the conservatory on the strategic initiatives and first impressions and vision from the new athletics director. The Development Committee discussed our endowment policies and celebrated the completion of new projects like the Lawrence Arch, the Drew Street Bridge, and the Kohler Hall renovation. The IDEAS Committee committed to supporting President Carter and the new leader once hired to this work and reaffirmed the committee’s strategic goals. The Enrollment Committee reviewed AY 22 enrollment cycle and discussed this current first-year class, while also hearing from our interim enrollment leadership on the state of admissions and financial aid. There was also discussion of the enrollment-focused strategic initiatives. In the Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee, there was much discussion on the highlights of an extraordinarily busy summer construction season where several strategic investments and critical deferred maintenance items were completed. The Finance Committee maintains its focus on the financial positioning of the institution, focusing on modeling and projection towards a balanced budget. The President and the Chair of Board led the trustees in discussion on the priorities for academic year 2020-2021 and reviewed the institutional response to the COVID-19 pandemic across all aspects of campus.

At the Board Retreat, the Board focused its time on institutional strategies to eliminating our structural deficit and thriving through the demographic changes that will impact higher education in the near future, and created a Task Force on Enrollment Size comprised of Trustees, faculty, and staff to report out in the next meeting.

Over the course of the meeting, the Board:

• Approved aspects of the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
• Approved changes to the physical plant.
• Approved changes to the Development Committee charge.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 7-9, 2023 in Appleton and virtually via Zoom conferencing.