The Bates Board of Trustees held its spring meeting on the Bates campus from Thursday, May 2, through Saturday, May 4, 2024. Standing committees of the Board met in person during this meeting or virtually in the weeks preceding to conduct their work.

In addition to conducting the usual business of the Board, the focus of the weekend was the inauguration of President Garry Jenkins, which had to be postponed following the October 2023 tragedy in Lewiston. The installation ceremony took place on the morning of Saturday, May 4, and was followed by a celebratory lunch attended by visiting guests, official college and university delegates, alumni, and members of the campus community.

Trustees also celebrated with graduating members of the Class of 2024 and honored retiring Trustee colleagues. Former Board chair John Gillespie ’80, P’13, P’18 and his family were honored at a ribbon-cutting for the newly named Gillespie Hall.

The Board received the annual report from the Alumni Council, which was presented by Council President Kevin Moore ’93 and Vice President Leah Elsmore ’12. Trustees also heard updates on the incoming Class of 2028, College Advancement, the endowment, and the FY24 and FY25 budgets.

Trustees dedicated a session to a training on the role of a fiduciary and heard from recent Board leaders about how they defined and executed their roles. They also met with members of the Committee on Faculty Governance and toured the college’s Athletics facilities.

Trustees took a number of important annual actions, including:

• Voting of degrees for the Class of 2024, conditional on their completing all requirements of the degree and approval by the Faculty
• Voting of the 2024 honorary degrees
• Approving the FY25 budget
• Approving academic personnel actions recommended by the Faculty Personnel Committee
• Electing officers of the corporation, Executive Committee members, and vice presidents for the 2024–25 academic year

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for October 24-26, 2024.

Garry W. Jenkins
President

Gregory A. Ehret
Chair of the Board of Trustees