The Bates Board of Trustees held its spring meeting on the Bates campus from Thursday, May 1, through Saturday, May 3, 2025. Standing committees of the Board met in person during the meeting to conduct their work. 

Trustees, along with Cheney Society and Alumni Council members, held a dinner with some graduating members of the Class of 2025. They also gathered to honor retiring Trustee colleagues. 

Trustees participated in a work session related to the emerging framework for the college’s current strategic planning effort. They also discussed the current and potential implications of federal actions specific to higher education, and they had their first on-campus meeting with representatives from Bates’ new outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) firm, Investure. 

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Leah Elsmore ’12 and Vice President John Howard ’86, and heard early observations from Vice President from Student Affairs Rosanna Ferro. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2029, fundraising, the endowment, the budget, college infrastructure, and the draft interim report for continuing accreditation. 

Trustees also took a number of important annual actions, including:

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2025, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the faculty
• Voting of the 2025 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY26 budget
• Approving academic personnel appointments and reappointments recommended by the Faculty Personnel Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2025–26 academic year
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Andrea Conklin Bueschel ’90 
  • Evelynn M. Hammonds H’11
  • Garth A.L. Timoll ’99 

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 23–25, 2025.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret ’91, P’23
Chair of the Board of Trustees