The Board of Trustees reviewed the College's mission statement, discussed several campus facilities projects and dedicated Kemeny Hall and the Haldeman Center at their Fall term meeting this weekend. No formal voting occurred as the trustees focused on "strategic planning" instead.
College President James Wright, who has met with faculty, students and staff to discuss an updated mission statement, presented recommendations to the board for revisions, based on what he believes are the institution's core values.
"The mission statement is not something we change a lot," Wright said, emphasizing that the current revision process is only a way to improve on the current statement.
A revised mission statement, which Wright plans to present to the Dartmouth community this winter, will likely emphasize the College's shared sense of community and a commitment to academic excellence.
Both Wright and Chairman of the Board of Trustees William Neukom '64 noted that the trustees were eager to discuss how the statement could be more crisply articulated. Neukom described the nature of the dialogue as reflective and thoughtful, rather than argumentative. He explained that the board agreed on the College's core values, and that the trustees were there to provide input on Wright's wording of a new statement.
Wright's decision to revise the mission statement was largely influenced by the management consulting firm McKinsey and Co.'s report on the administration's efficacy, released last spring.
"Our current mission statement is a very strong one -- it's a more descriptive thing. What McKinsey encouraged us to do is articulate this more crisply and be more aspirational," Wright said.
In regard to the recent failure of the proposed Association of Alumni constitution, Neukom maintained that the issue did not impact the Board's meetings, and that the divisions among trustees who supported and opposed the document did not manifest themselves during this weekend's meetings.
"The subject did not come up formally," Neukom said of the proposed constitution's failure. "It was not a matter central to our responsibility as stewards to the strategic planning. There was the usual robust agreeable exchange of ideas. There was a lot of genuine shared enthusiasm."
The board engaged in financial and strategic planning for several facilities projects, including a new life sciences building, dining halls and a visual arts center, in what Neukom referred to as a "historical building phase of the College."
The proposed life sciences facility will be situated next to the Dartmouth Medical School and will include space for the biological sciences and DMS classrooms, laboratories, and offices. The visual arts center, to be located on Lebanon Street, would integrate the Studio Art and Film and Television Studies departments in a physical plant. The trustees also discussed the future soccer facility near Scully-Fahey Field, named in honor of former coach and administrator Alden "Whitey" Burnham.
The trustees discussed the replacement of Thayer Dining Hall and the future creation of a smaller dining facility adjacent to the McLaughlin Residence Cluster. Both construction projects will lend to a more decentralized dining system at Dartmouth.
The Board's facilities committee met with architects who have studied the location of Thayer Dining Hall. The group focused on designing a dining hall that would integrate well with the geography of Robinson Hall, Collis Center and both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
"Thayer is a very important location, and architects are trying to make this area more of a neighborhood," Neukom said.
While focusing on future building projects, the trustees also took time to celebrate the completion of two new academic buildings. Kemeny Hall and Haldeman Center were officially dedicated on Friday and Saturday.
Board members also toured the Tuck Mall residence halls and the McLaughlin Cluster, where they met informally with groups of students and listened to feedback on how the new buildings impact student life. This weekend marked the first opportunity for some board members to view the recently completed dormitories.
According to Neukom, students expressed their satisfaction to the trustees concerning the new residence halls as well as the cluster approach, which enables students residing in other buildings to enjoy the new residential spaces.
"To learn what in even six weeks it has meant to the students is very gratifying. People not only appreciate the design and scale, but also the social and study space," Neukom said.
Carolyn Pelzel, vice president for development, delivered a report to the board's finance committee on the progress of the Campaign for the Dartmouth Experience. The campaign is on schedule, currently at $765 million out of a total $1.3 billion. The finance committee also received an update on the current year budget.
