Dear Members of the Bates Community,

I am pleased to announce the membership of a steering committee for Bates’ next major strategic planning effort, which I announced in the fall community letter. The committee’s composition is listed below. I will chair the steering committee, which will begin its work this month. 

My thanks to faculty colleagues, who voted for their top choices for faculty representatives on the steering committee, and to CFG, for administering the election and collaborating in selecting the faculty members.

The steering committee will develop a strategic framework and identify 3 to 5 broad areas of focus for the plan. These will be informed by a market positioning study, happening concurrently, which the steering committee will oversee. 

After initial framing work by the steering committee, working committees comprising faculty, staff, and students will be formed around the areas of focus to help develop and articulate institutional priorities. These committees will begin their work in earnest in the fall of 2025. The strategic planning process will be broadly consultative and collaborative, with opportunities for all members of the campus community to inform the college’s priorities. The final strategic plan will then become the substantive basis for a fundraising campaign that will raise the necessary resources to support our shared aspirations.

Both Christina Estabrook and Jennifer Blanchard will be administrative resources for the project. If you have any questions, or would like to provide input at any point in the process, please send an email to strategicplanning@bates.edu. 

Warmly,
   Garry

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

• Leana Amáez, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion
• Erin Foster Zsiga, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students
• Carolina González Valencia, Associate Professor of Art and Visual Culture
• Tyler Harper, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies
• Malcolm Hill, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty (thru summer 2025)
• April Horton, Wagener Family Professor of Equity and Inclusion in STEM
• Garry Jenkins, President (chair)
• Kristen Lainsbury, Vice President for Communications and Marketing
• Michelle Rosenberg ’94, Trustee
• Geoffrey Swift, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer
• Mara Tieken, Associate Professor of Education
• Leigh Weisenburger, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission & Financial Aid