The Bates Board of Trustees held its spring meeting on the Bates campus from Thursday, April 30, through Saturday, May 2, 2026. 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 2026. They also gathered to honor retiring Trustee colleagues.

Trustees participated in a work session related to the college’s strategic planning effort and heard a presentation on  Bates’ evolving brand positioning work. Trustees discussed the college’s ongoing work related to artificial intelligence, recent shifts and developments to strengthen the academic program, leadership transitions, and the impact of federal matters and legal challenges to federal policy changes.

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. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2030, fundraising, the endowment, the budget, and college infrastructure.

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

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2026, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the faculty
• Voting of the 2026 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY27 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 2026–27 academic year, including thanking Jean Wilson ’81, P’05, P’13  for the completion of her maximum term as vice chair of the board and the election of Katie Frekko ’95, P’25 as vice chair for a two-year term from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028
• Formally acknowledging the service of Trustees retiring on June 30:
  • Chris G. Barbin ’93
  • David W. Longdon III ’14
  • Judith B. Miller ’91
  • John T. Rossello, Jr.
  • Emma A. Sprague ’10
  • Lisa M. Utzschneider ’90

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 29–31, 2026.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

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