Trustees unanimously approve Strategic Plan

Author: Liz Cambell

The Middlebury College Board of Trustees convened over the weekend for its annual May meeting. The main item on the agenda was the Strategic Plan and its financial feasibility, while other topics of discussion included the election of new trustees, the approval of the College's budget, both for the upcoming academic year, and an update of construction and renovation projects.

The Board unanimously endorsed the adoption of the Strategic Plan, the first to be adopted by the Board and the College since 1992. The Board's approval was the culmination of a process that began in January 2005 with the initial meetings of the Planning Committee for Middlebury's Future.

The plan, said President Ronald D. Liebowitz on the College's Web site, "will focus renewed attention on Middlebury's core mission: to provide the strongest learning environment for the talented young people who choose to study here."

Another issue involved in the planning process and on the Board's agenda over the weekend was the progress of renovation projects, in particular the Axinn '51 Center for the Humanities, which is scheduled to be completed by May 2008. In October 2005, the Trustees approved the project for the renovation of Starr Library in order to create the Axinn Center and set a budget of $30.6 million.

During the May meeting, Project Manager of Facilities Services Tom McGinn updated the Board on the status of the projects and discussed the next steps of the renovation. The Board agreed on the next steps outlined by Facilities Services, which include interior demolition of the building and the removal of the mechanical systems, furniture, and shelving.

"The Board, specifically the Buildings and Grounds Committee, has been intimately involved with the project from the start," said McGinn. "We are most fortunate to have such an active and interested group of trustees."

Other building projects discussed during the meeting included an update of the renovation of Hillcrest Hall. The Board agreed to begin construction of Hillcrest in June 2006. The project will better accommodate the College's Environmental Studies Program by renovating the original building and adding a smaller two-story addition to the back. The main component of the addition will be a technologically advanced lecture hall that will allow seating for up to 100 people and will provide a space for the weekly Howard E. Woodin Environmental Studies Colloquium Series, which is a key component of the ES Program.

This project aims specifically to address Middlebury's strategic goal, stated in the Strategic Plan, to "continue and strengthen its leadership with environmental initiatives and awareness, to enhance its reputation as 'the environmental college.'"

Beyond the strategic planning and renovation project discussions, the Board also reviewed admissions fees for the Language Schools and the Bread Loaf School of English and approved the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.