To: Colgate Community
From: Denis F. Cronin ’69 P'09 '10, Chair, Board of Trustees
Date: February 3, 2012
Re: The Board of Trustees meeting of January 26-28, 2012
Dear Colgate Colleagues and Friends:
I would like to provide you with a brief quarterly review of the most recent meetings of the Colgate Board of Trustees on January 26-28.
For the first time, the board met outside of the State of New York, conducting unique and intellectually stimulating information sessions in Palo Alto, Calif., that were also attended by several members of the faculty and staff. We met with leaders from the many frontiers of Silicon Valley. Our keynote speaker was Shantanu Narayen, president and CEO of Adobe Systems, Inc. Some of the high-tech professionals who addressed us at our first panel session included David Lawee, vice president for corporate development at Google, Daniel Rosensweig P’15, chief executive officer at Chegg.com, and Jeffrey Jordan, general partner of Andreessen Horowitz. Actor and technology investor Ashton Kutcher also attended as a surprise panelist and discussed his involvement in new communications technologies.
We made three concurrent site visits that involved tours and in-depth discussion with leaders at Facebook, Stanford University, and Google, which were informative and inspirational. We also heard about “Financing the Digital Revolution” from a panel of successful and forward-looking technology investors, including trustees Brion Applegate ’76 and Bill Johnston ’73, as well as Brian Dovey ’63, Noah Wintroub ’98, and Frank Yeary P’15, vice chancellor of the University of California at Berkeley.
Brion and Sabrina Applegate hosted a reception that brought us together with alumni, students, and parents from the Bay Area. I am grateful to the Applegates for their hospitality. I would also like to congratulate President Jeff Herbst for his vision in suggesting this meeting venue, and Bob Tyburski ’74 and Deb Barnes, who played major logistical roles in creating a wonderful and complex schedule. We left Palo Alto invigorated and excited to step up the pace of integrating technology into the way we teach, learn, and communicate. Many deep conversations about the technological future of Colgate have already begun and will continue on campus, and we look forward to working with you in making decisions that are right for us. This will be one of the priorities of the ongoing strategic planning process.
The board also conducted its usual business matters, hearing from a number of committees and engaging in multiple discussions regarding student life, budget, admissions, and infrastructure, including the approval of a plan to renovate Lathrop Hall. Prominent among the agenda topics was a discussion of the relationship statement enacted in 1990 as part of the Special Committee on Residential Education that included an "all-bid rule." The board passed a resolution to rescind the all-bid rule to address pressing recruiting, crowding, and administrative issues that have developed over the past decade in Greek-letter organizations.
The board also considered information and recommendations provided by the dean of the college staff following a semester-long period of consultation. It also reviewed materials on residential life that were submitted by a broad cross-section of Colgate constituents, including faculty, students, and alumni. These stakeholders have been involved in a collaborative effort to develop community standards and appropriate forms of support for Colgate residences, including fraternities, sororities, and other houses. Their ongoing discussions focus on critical topics like inclusiveness, leadership, wellness, and civic responsibility. The board recommended that all Colgate constituents continue to work together to complete these standards over the next year. Because this work will be ongoing, no resolution was advanced to expand the number of Greek-letter organizations. No decision regarding changes in the number of GLOs will be made until these standards are established.
As a board, we remain committed to the academic and residential priorities of our mission and trust that students, faculty, and staff will work closely together to re-envision a state-of-the-art residential life program. I am optimistic that together we can creatively advance the interests of all Colgate students through technology and exciting residential life opportunities. We look forward to your involvement and support as we consider these many opportunities for growth and progress.
Sincerely,
Denis F. Cronin '69
Chair