To: The St. Lawrence Community
From: President Daniel F. Sullivan
Date: February 23, 2008
Subject: Board of Trustees Actions: Brief Summary
In addition to normal business for this time of year there were a number of critical strategic issues to which the Board of Trustees gave special attention at its meetings over the past few days. Additionally, some of the trustees remain on campus to participate in meetings with the Middle States Visiting Committee, whose members will be conducting their work through Wednesday, February 27.
I’ll be working on my detailed review of the meeting and will share it with you in the coming weeks. Until then, let me provide these brief notes:
Arts Phase III
After reviewing the work of a faculty-student-staff committee, the Board approved funding for construction drawings for Phase III of the Arts renovation project. Phase IIIa will feature expansion and renovation of existing space in Griffiths Hall, allowing us to enlarge Gilbert Recital Hall, enclose the Barnes Sculpture Studio so it can be used year-round, and improve accessibility. The University has received approximately $5 million in gifts specifically for these projects, which will total about $6 million, and we are seeking additional gifts and grants to cover the balance, consistent with our practice of having arts renovations fully funded by gifts. We hope to start construction in Summer 2008 and open the new spaces in Fall 2009.
Science Phase II
Since Johnson Hall of Science completed Phase I of the science project, giving new space to the disciplines of biology, chemistry, biochemistry, neuroscience and psychology, the Board turned its attention to Phase II, which will include renovations to Bewkes, Valentine and Flint Halls. The first steps in Phase II will be construction of a receiving center to be accessed by all science departments, interim renovations to Valentine and Flint Halls to accommodate programs over the next three to five years; basic renovations to Bewkes to house arts faculty and some classes as renovations to Griffiths are under way next year, and creation of a permanent home for the Quantitative Resource Center in Valentine. I am deeply honored to announce that former trustee E. Garrett "Gar" Bewkes III '72, P’06 and his father, E. Garrett "Garry" Bewkes Jr., grandson and son, respectively, of the late President Emeritus Eugene Bewkes, have pledged $2 million toward a project cost of $2.5 million for these renovations. You’ll see a more extensive announcement of this most generous and meaningful gift posted to our Web site later this week.
Annual Capital Budget and Planned Refurbishments
In the area of finance, the Board approved an $8.2 million annual capital budget; Kathy Mullaney’s office will be posting the approved projects in the near future. In the area of residence life, a primary project will be the continued refurbishment of Rebert where we will complete the replacement of windows, furniture, and carpeting. We will substantially replace furniture and furnishings in most theme cottages, and we will refurbish all the showers in Hulett and Jencks at a cost of $80,000. Other projects include about $150,000 for athletic equipment and the training room, $115,000 in classroom upgrades, $100,000 in London and Kenya, and the inevitable roof and steam line replacements. Library acquisitions will total $1,400,000 and we have final approval for the lease of new computers on the replacement cycle that we initiated over a decade ago.
With regard to 70 Park Street (The Low-Impact Living Greenhouse), it was decided that it should be repaired and made ready for student occupancy again by the beginning of fall semester. We'll be consulting with its residents on the plan. I’ll also note that students and staff continue to work on plans for a new Java performance space and the possibility of a student pub. With regard to these projects, we have not yet reached enough consensus on key details to bring them forward to the Board for a decision to proceed. Perhaps that can happen at the May meeting.
2008-09 Comprehensive Fee
Finally, the Board resolved to raise the student comprehensive fee by 6.5%. We recognize that raising our fees is never a welcome decision, nor is it one that the trustees enjoy making. Like every organization and every business across the nation, St. Lawrence is experiencing increased costs for every aspect of its programs and services. We are especially hard hit by fuel and energy costs that impact campus operations and the academic and athletic travel that benefits our students and by weakened exchange rates that affect our international programs, and. Trustees take to heart their responsibilities to maintain cost of attendance at a fair level while working hard to raise funds to strengthen financial aid for those who cannot afford our full costs.
