Board of Trustees Meeting Action

The Board of Trustees voted on May 20, 2011, in favor of amending the college bylaws, effective as of July 1, 2011, to add “gender identity, gender expression” as an additional category for protection in Article IX “Equal Opportunity Statement” of the bylaws and in the college’s anti-discrimination policy. The bylaws state that any such vote is not effective until expiration of a 30-day advance notice requirement of the resolution amending the bylaws. The draft resolution for the Gender Identity Bylaws Amendment was provided to the trustees at the May 21, 2011 plenary session. The 30-day advance notice requirement for the Gender Identity Bylaws Amendment has now passed. The Bylaws Amendment will now be effective on July 1, 2011.

Board of Trustees Meeting Actions

The CC Board of Trustees met May 19-21 on campus and conducted the following business.

 Voted to approve:

  • The Revised Faculty Handbook, to become effective July 1, 2011.  
  • Promotion to full professor for Hong Jiang in the Department of German, Russian, and East Asian Languages.
  • The transferring of $1.6 million of year-end dollars to fund the previously approved FY 2011-12 distribution from the Financial Aid Quasi Endowment for scholarships during the 2011-12 academic year.
  • Renewal of trustee Mike Lampton’s term.
  • 2011-12 trustee committee membership and chair assignments.
  • Renewal of the current trustee officers’ terms for 2011-12.
  • A resolution naming the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center theater the “Richard F. Celeste Theatre.”

The Board celebrated with the William Jackson Palmer Society inductees; dined with President Celeste and Jacqueline Lundquist to honor them for their efforts on behalf of the college for the past nine years; and recognized outgoing trustees Liz Larned ’83, Ray Petros ’72, and Hans Utsch P’92 and P’95.

Board Votes to Name Cornerstone Venue ‘Richard F. Celeste Theatre’

The Colorado College Board of Trustees has honored President Richard F. Celeste, the 12th president of Colorado College, by naming the south theater in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center the “Richard F. Celeste Theatre.”

Board members passed the resolution at their May meeting, saying they wished to recognize Celeste for his “exemplary leadership as president of Colorado College for nine years; his deep passion for all things CC, including the interdisciplinary arts; and his strong commitment to building and sustaining a rich relationship between the college and its treasured community of Colorado Springs.”

The venue is the main theater in Colorado College’s iconic $33.4 million, 72,400-square-foot interdisciplinary arts center, designed by architect Antoine Predock. The building, dedicated at the October 2008 Homecoming and Parent’s Weekend, has earned a gold-level LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The theater has been the venue for such events as lectures by author Amy Tan and U.S. Poet Laureate Kay Ryan; the first-time gathering of three cutting-edge playwrights, David Henry Hwang, Tony Kushner and Suzan-Lori Parks; the “Four Governors, One Stage” event in which former Colorado governors Dick Lamm, Roy Romer and Bill Owens gathered for a discussion moderated by Celeste, a former two-term governor of Ohio; and numerous concerts, films and dance presentations.

The theater holds a maximum of 451 seats. The venue is equipped with a variable room acoustic system with which the necessary acoustical aura can be literally dialed in with digitally controlled enhancements.

Celeste steps down as president of the college on June 30 and will be succeeded by Jill Tiefenthaler, currently the provost at Wake Forest University.

Board of Trustees Meeting Actions

The CC Board of Trustees met September 23-25 at the El Pomar Foundation’s Penrose House and conducted the following business.

Swore in newly elected alumni trustee Karen Pope ’70 and young alumni trustee Isabel Werner ’08 (new pilot category).

Voted to approve:

  • A bequest acceptance policy.
  • A resolution formally establishing the presidential search committee and its charge.

The trustees met with over 80 faculty, staff, and students to hear their thoughts on the college’s priorities and challenges and the desired experience and qualities of the 13th president.  Representatives of the presidential search firm, Storbeck/Pimentel, were on hand to listen as well.  In addition, the trustees participated in substantive discussion sessions on diversity and on the liberal arts in the digital age, the latter led by Susan Ashley and David Weddle; attended a reception with local alumni and community members; and dined with the new faculty members and their mentors.

Board of Trustees Meeting Actions

The CC Board of Trustees met May 13-15 on campus and conducted the following business.
Voted to approve:

  • Isabel Werner ’08 as the first “young alumni trustee.”  She will serve a non-renewable two-year term.
  • Renewal of terms for trustees Neal Baer, John Chalik, Eben Moulton, Adam Press, Jane Rawlings, Bob Selig, Mike Slade, and Hans Utsch.
  • 2010-11 trustee committee assignment changes.
  • Professor Emeritus status for Mike Hoffman and John Watkins.
  • Six tenure-track hires: Daniel Arroyo-Rodriguez (Spanish), Andrea Bruder (Mathematics and Computer Science), Mona El-Sherif (Arabic), Maroula Khraiche (Economics and Business), Ryan Platt (Drama and Dance), and Carrie Ruiz (Spanish).
  • Self-funded health, legal, and scholarship reserves as Board-designated funds.
  • The final phase of Cossitt Hall renovations, not to exceed $503,000.

The Board dined with members of the Faculty Executive Committee and Staff Council and recognized outgoing trustees Meg Mathies ’57 and Ed Robson ’54.

Changes Aim for Better Utilization of CC Legal and Business Resources

As a result of the substantial improvements in dining services and the bookstore, and with a desire to use college resources even more effectively, CC is reallocating oversight responsibilities for several of the college’s auxiliary functions.

In 2006 the positions of legal counsel and director of business were combined when Legal Counsel Chris Melcher joined the college. The college benefitted from having one individual with significant legal and business experience manage both areas of responsibility, and achieved immediate salary and benefit savings. Now with dining services and the bookstore on firm footing, the college will eliminate the director of business position, and redistribute oversight of auxiliaries. Effective March 22, the dining service and bookstore contracts will be managed by Vice President of Finance and Administration Robert Moore, and the college’s managed properties and insurance and risk management functions will be managed by Legal Counsel Melcher, in addition to his current legal responsibilities.

In his business role, Melcher oversaw significant transformations and improvements in the dining service and campus bookstore. In 2007-08, the college completed a competitive new food service bid process, won by Bon Appetit, which was overseen by Melcher and the Campus Food Service Committee. The change to Bon Appetit has resulted in improved food service, progress on sustainability, an improved sense of community, and a contribution from Bon Appetit of $3.5 million toward the renovation of CC’s food service facilities.

Additionally, in 2008-09, the ad hoc Bookstore Advisory Committee composed of faculty, staff, and students and supported by Melcher, spent months exploring the future of campus bookstores and textbooks, ultimately reaching a unanimous recommendation to award a contract for management of the campus bookstore to Validis (Nebraska Books). The college secured a beneficial contract, and the transition took place in Block 6.

As a result of these improvements, the college now has an opportunity to reorganize these responsibilities and make permanent the savings realized from combining the positions of legal counsel and director of business.

Robert Moore and Chris Melcher will work closely to ensure a smooth transition and look forward to the greater effectiveness these changes will produce. CC is continuing its efforts to fulfill the Board of Trustees request that the college look for ways to improve efficiencies and operations. Feel free to call either Moore or Melcher, or others in their offices, with questions regarding these changes, or go to: http://www.coloradocollege.edu/welcome/presidentsoffice/melcher.asp

Board of Trustees Meeting Actions

The Board of Trustees met February 25-27, 2010 and conducted the following business: 
Voted to approve:

  • Tenure and promotion to associate professor for Assistant Professors David Brown, Emily Chan, Gail Murphy-Geiss, Andrew Price-Smith, Wade Roberts, and John Williams.
  • Professor Emeritus status for Marie Cort Daniels. 
  • Awarding honorary degrees during Opening Convocation in September 2010 to Vincent Bzdek ’82, Ryan Haygood ’93, and Diane Rayor ‘80.
  • Clifton Gunderson, LLP as the college’s new external auditor beginning with the fiscal year 2009-2010 audit.
  • The 2010-2011 budget.
  • Trustee Mike Lampton as the new secretary of the Board.

While on campus, trustees met with the Student Alumni Association, Colorado College Student Government Association, and class officers; dined with the athletes and coaches from the women’s and men’s basketball, swimming and diving, and tennis teams; and cheered on the CC men’s hockey team as they competed against the University of North Dakota.