Alumni Council Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, June 4, 2005

Welcome—Alex Wilson ’73
Alex welcomed the members of the audience and introduced President Bro Adams.

President Adams thanked Wilson for his leadership of the Alumni Association, which was followed by a hearty round of applause. Bro thanked everyone for attending and indicated that he would talk about the state of the College and upcoming events. He indicated that this event is one of the important times when he gets to test the pulse of alumni and hear what they perceive about the College.

Bro pointed out that June 2005 represents the completion of the fifth year of his presidency. Bro values having seen the last two classes through from start to finish and said that this moment is an important point in his presidency and in the life of the institution. The strategic plan is being reviewed by the Board of Trustees. The launching of the next campaign is another notable event being planned, which causes considerable reflection about where Colby is going in the future.

Bro sees "a wonderful sense of momentum and forward progress going into the future for Colby." He discussed why people feel that sense, especially relative to the physical landscape, the programmatic changes that have been pursued throughout the year, and the kinds of outreach the College is engaging in at the moment.

Bro said, "The landscape continues to change and move forward in handsome and significant ways after a long process. The Colby Green is complete." The College added 50,000 cu. yds. of fill for the green and conducted massive infrastructure changes. This is the most dramatic change to the campus since the original Larsen plan. This activity set the stage for future extensions of the campus that will occur over the next 40-50 years. The Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center is now almost complete. Bro recommended the tour of the center that afternoon. He mentioned the wonderful foresight, generosity and vision of Doug Schair '67 and noted the depth of Doug's commitment, which is really all about the alumni and our capacity to reach Colby's friends and alumni.

In about two weeks, work on the Diamond Building will be started through the generosity and support of Bob Diamond '73. This building will provide a new home for all of the social sciences at Colby and the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Civic Engagment. Colby has hired a wonderful architect, Peter Bohlin of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Bro estimated that the building will take about 18 months to build and that it will be occupied in January 2007.

Bro said that a major renovation of Cotter Union will be started soon. Considerable discussion has addressed social life at Colby, and Colby is looking for a place for social interaction on the northeast side of the facility.

The beautiful Bill Alfond ('72) Field was dedicated about a month ago on the site of the competition soccer field. The artificial turf permits students to get outside in February. All at Colby are very grateful for everyone's gifts for this field, the Schair-Swenson-Watson Building, and the Diamond Building.

These buildings reinforce the organic strengths of the College and have distinctive excellence. One such example is the Goldfarb Center. Its whole inspiration is to connect the campus and academic courses to the real world issues and the challenges that students will encounter. Considerable focus is on internships, service learning, and civic engagement in Waterville, Augusta, Washington D.C., and throughout the world. Bro indicated that Colby is adding value to students' educational experiences by connecting them to the outside world.

Colby also has made great strides in its Environmental Studies program. This program will have a new facility within the Diamond Building.

Bro noted that the College must keep up with changes in the world. For example, the sciences, especially neuroscience and molecular science, are constantly changing and involve technologies that are evolving.

The level and energies of our outreach program to Waterville and surrounding communities have benefited Colby's students as much as the community. The outreach programs and their sense of momentum represent important relationships for Colby. Bro said that another moment of outreach is the alumni center, where alumni can connect with students and the community by working with the Alumni Council.

Colby is about to embark on a very ambitious campaign in October. We have reached a significant threshold such that, in October during the board meeting, a $235-million initiative will be launched publicly. Bro realizes this number is breathtaking, and he anticipates the campaign will run to 2010. To date, about $100 million in commitments has been raised. The $235-million goal is a real stretch, but it is the kind of aspiration that Colby must achieve to compete in the company that the College keeps. The major categories are $115 million for endowment, $30 million for projects still pending, $90 million in expendable and annual fund-raising goals. The purposes of the campaign are related to the issue of access, the issue and challenge of excellence and the issue and challenge of competitiveness.

In terms of access, because growing endowment for need-based financial aid is important, $50 million of the endowment raised in the campaign will be for financial aid. Since WWII, growth of need-based financial aid has been huge, but it is fundamental for the success of the society and country. There is a growing sense in the land that we need to deepen the commitment to access, and many discussions about it are ongoing. The new book Equity and Excellence suggests another big step needs to be taken to make places like Colby accessible. It can only be done with increases in the endowment for financial aid. The cost of education also needs to be controlled (the comprehensive fee is $42,000 for next year). Providing access and opportunity are very much a part of the culture of Colby.

Bro said that the issue of excellence always ought to be on our minds. Colby needs to continue to grow the permanent resources to which every student should be exposed. To do this the College needs to attract and compensate faculty appropriately. Developing these resources has to do with the place where all of these people work, such that investments in the physical plant permit the College to grow the excellence.

Colby is in an enormously competitive marketplace, and its work is market driven. Bro said that we must continue to grow the permanent resources of the College and advance the agenda of innovation in order to advance the College to the front ranks.

Bro said that he relies on alumni and friends for the condition of this enterprise. The glories of higher education at a liberal arts colleges like Colby are unique in the world. He is pleased to see how much the College means to its alumni.

Questions

• How much does it cost to go to Colby? Do you give most students financial aid? Do some have a free ride?
  The comprehensive fee is $42,000 next year. The average grant will be more than $22,000, which means there will be a full range of grants. Some students have their way paid and others have smaller grants. Forty percent of students get grants. Other elements of this that are vitally important are the federal Pell Grant program. It is important for all of us to consider the government to be partners in this enterprise as well as federal loan and work study programs. Financial aid keeps pace with the increases in the comprehensive fee.
• Does Colby have a need-blind policy?
  No, not quite. We get very far through the process without looking at a student's ability to pay. We look at the budget, but get very far without looking at the financial considerations and by just considering merit. A very small number of institutions are need blind. Among our competitors not more than ten are truly need blind. I would like to get to that place.
• How many students are there at the College, how many applied, and what was the average SAT?
  About 4,000 people applied for the 500 slots in the class. We have had the best yield ever: 38 percent of the offers made were accepted. The average SAT score was 1360. The total target for all four classes is 1,800 students. We work to stay close to that number. Enrollment management is a very complicated enterprise.
• You have spoken about the need for financial aid. What is the College doing to slow down costs of the comprehensive fee?
  I do worry about the escalating costs of the educational product. The increases are neither abnormal nor unusual. They reflect inflation plus 1 to 2 percent points for a 4.9 percent increase in the fee. I worry about the escalation of the product. The market is speaking to us in two contradictory ways. On the one hand, there is in the land a lot of worry about the rate of growth of the comprehensive fee and, on other hand, the market tells us that to attract students we need to invest in the growth of the institution—for example, the recently completed athletic field. Parents spoke to me many times about the need for this. The non-personnel part of the budget has not increased in four to five years. Head count is kept in check.
• What is the policy regarding spending the endowment?
  We have had a very conservative policy: 4 percent of a five-year trailing average, which is calculated to maximize the return and growth of endowment over time.
• I am concerned about what Colby is doing about placement. Do we expect that all Colby students are all going to graduate school, or do they discuss this from the beginning of their careers? This is particularly imperative for first-generation students, who might not know how to go about graduate school.
  We look regularly to improve the conversation about careers. This effort involves the Office of Career Services, whose role we have expanded with the addition of two new positions and improved technology and Web resources. We are renewing our efforts to engage alumni in career counseling, although we have a long way to go with this. We begin with talking to undergraduates when they matriculate about what their choices are in four years. I continue to believe that in ways that do not show up in the days after commencement, but do show up in years after, the liberal arts experience is valuable to organizational leadership and to professional success.
• Has Colby reached out to international students. What are these efforts? And to what extent are domestic and international students competing for financial aid?
  Most outreach is through students coming from UWC (United World College) schools who receive need-based scholarships through the Davis United World College Scholars Program. We have 25 for next year and we average grants of $30,000 per student. This enterprise is huge. We also have endowed financial aid for international students from the Oak Foundation. Next year international students will comprise 14 percent of the student body. We hope the Davises continue the program forever. These UWC students are extraordinary and are lighting up the classrooms.
• Tell us about teaching on campus.
  As a person still learning about Colby, I would say the culture of teaching at Colby is very, very strong. The way that teaching is incorporated is wonderful, and my job is to nurture that teaching. Good teaching happens in all sorts of ways. Involvement of undergraduates in research has increased over the last ten years. We have raised funds for student research opportunities in the past and will continue to do so in the campaign. Teaching is the most important aspect of our tenure decisions. Research activity is important for faculty, but teaching is preeminent.
• At an earlier reunion you talked of looking for ways for CBB collaborations to produce cost savings. What has come of that?
  Not much. We could not sustain the collaborative study-abroad programs due to cost issues. The CBB library venture is going forward. These libraries are merged and are now developing joint collections policies. These collaborations have facilities implications that we will pursue. They will affect journal and book holdings, and this is where the future is most promising.

Alex Wilson called the annual meeting of the Alumni Council to order at 10:30 a.m. He asked any former chairs and former members of the Alumni Council to stand to be recognized for their service. He noted the outgoing committee chairs: Art Brennan '68—Athletics Committee, Barry S. Potter '60—Nominating Committee, Susan Maxwell Reisert '86—Member at Large, Philip C. Wysor '70—Alumni on Campus Committee. New committee chairs will be Peter Merrill '57—Nominating Committee, Christopher Vickers '87—Athletics Committee, Robert Hoopes '89—Member at Large, Jay Scott-Harris'98—Executive Committee, and Jan Wood Parsons '65—Admissions and Financial Aid Committee.

Committee Reports/Updates

Admissions and Financial Aid—Linda Mitchell Potter ’66
Linda reported that this was a banner year for admissions. During the committee meeting, Parker Beverage and Tom Kopp led an informative and lively discussion. There was no wait-list activity this year, with an outstanding 38 percent yield of accepted applicants. Potter said that the admissions success was due to this wonderful institution and the outstanding programs offered here and to the staff and alums who conducted interviews. Nine retention/yield events were held this year in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fairfield County, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Waltham, and Westchester County. Diversification efforts continued with invitations being sent to students of color for meetings and presentations in the fall in Boston. A legacy event was held in Connecticut last year, and another is planned for next year, possibly to be held in Portland, Maine. Potter said that she was gratified to hear that need-based financial aid is a focus of the campaign. She pointed out that alumni can still experience Colby teaching by coming to the Colby Alumni College each summer.

Alumni Fund—Jessica D'Ercole Stanton '92
Jessica thanked committee members for their input. Her primary concern is addressing a shortfall in alumni participation. She said that Alumni Council members received a letter from Alex Wilson addressing participation and that there are only a few weeks left in the year. She pointed out that June 30 is the official close of the year and implored the group not to wait until the last minute to make their gifts. She has asked fund-raising volunteers to make additional calls this year and indicated that if audience members would like to call fellow classmates and friends, they should pick up call sheets. As the time of this meeting, the participation rate was 37 percent and another 13 percent was needed to achieve the desired 50 percent participation level. Stanton indicated that Colby was lacking donors at the $25 and $50 level. Younger alumni participation rates were significantly lower. She was asked when volunteers start talking to the graduating students. She replied that data was being calculated on the senior class gifts and that the committee discussed having the committee involved with students earlier in the year and doing a better job of making students aware of the alumni participation rate. Vice President of College Relations Richard Ammons said that the Alumni Fund staff ask the younger alums to make five-year commitments, but follow-up is difficult because it is hard to contact them. Many young alums have cell phones instead of land lines. Call screenings affect responses to phone calls. He said alumni volunteers are really important, especially those young people who can contact peers.

Athletics—Art Brennan ’68
Art mentioned the dedication of the new Bill Alfond Field, encouraging all to go see it. Brennan said the event was very nice and was attended by board chair Joe Boulos, Bill Alfond and many members of the extended family. The following morning (May 1, 2005), the C Club presented awards to senior athletes, and the Carl Nelson Award was presented to David Arseneault '76, who played basketball for Dick Whitmore. David now coaches at Grinnell College in Iowa and has been recognized nationally for his unique style of play.

Tom Austin, who coached track for 19 years at Colby, has retired as of June 30. He will be honored on June 11 at 5 p.m. Brennan indicated there will be a panel discussion that afternoon with Marcella Zalot, Tom Kopp, and Dick Whitmore at 2:15 p.m. in Lovejoy. He indicated that Chris Vickers '87 will be taking over as chair of the Athletics Committee. He said that the fall C Club dinner will be held on Friday, October 28, 2005. Alex Wilson complemented Brennan for being a real voice for getting alumni involved with student athletes on campus and for being a trend setter for ways to get connected with students.

Awards—Byrd Allen ’75
Alex Wilson introduced Boyd Allen '75, chair of the Awards Committee and incoming vice chair of Alumni Council. Allen said that Stu Rothenberg '70, recipient of the 2005 distinguished alumnus award, was speaking at 1 p.m. that afternoon and urged reunion guests to attend. Allen indicated that the committee is working on awards for 2006 now. He asked council members who knew people who were deserving to nominate them for awards.

Career Services—Patricia Whittemore Jenkins ’67
Patty reported that the committee supported a new Jan Plan initiative for first- and second-year students to cover career options. In the fourth week, students would be hosted in Boston for five days, encompassing 5-8 open site visits to business, nonprofit, arts, biotech, and other fields. The last day would be a job shadow day. In addition, there would be a networking day with the Colby Club of Boston. She asked Alumni Council members knowing of a firm appropriate for this Jan Plan to let Career Services Committee members know.

Nominating—Barry Potter ’60
Barry Potter '60 (outgoing chair) and Peter Merrill '57 (incoming chair) presented the report of the Nominating Committee. Potter said that the most important responsibility of the committee is to nominate alumni to fill positions on the Board of Trustees. This year M. Jane Powers '86 and James Cowie '77 were nominated, and their bios were published in the winter issue of Colby magazine. They have been approved by the Executive Committee according to the association by-laws. Their terms began at commencement in May. Other positions filled were members-at-large to the Alumni Council. Laura Pavlenko Lutton '94 is completing Sue Nester's unexpired term. Benjamin Colice '02 and David Fernandez '89 will fill the other two member-at large openings, with terms beginning July 1, 2005. Peter Merrill reported that two trustee positions will need to be filled by May 2006, but there was all year to plan for this. Two member-at-large positions will also need to be filled for the Alumni Council next year, in addition any vacancies that come up during the year.

Alex Wilson reminded everyone of the reunion events planned for the afternoon and adjourned the meeting at 10:55 a.m.