Trustees share food, thought with students
Trustees, administrators lend ear as students voice concerns
By: Matt Day, Associate News Editor
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: News
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Macalester's Board of Trustees took the next step in its efforts to improve transparency and increase accessibility to students Tuesday evening as six Board members, President Brian Rosenberg, and Dean of Students Jim Hoppe chatted with about 80 students during a casual dinner.
Students sat with Board members at tables in the Olin Rice Atrium and discussed issues ranging from the environmental considerations of campus construction and renovation projects to the Iraq war and socially responsible investing.
"I had a great time," interim Board Chair Timothy Hart-Andersen said.
"We talked a little bit about what the board does and doesn't do," he said. "I wanted to hear something about [students'] lives and their experiences at Mac. We talked about issues the Board has dealt with during my time on the Board."
The Board of Trustees makes major college policy decisions and is heavily involved in the college's fundraising efforts, including Macalester's current $150 million capital campaign.
Blythe Austin '08, the Board's first student liaison, said the dinner is part of a larger effort to better integrate the Board with the student community.
The dinner follows the "Sundaes with Tim" event held Oct. 23 in the Campus Center, at which students discussed the direction of the college with Hart-Andersen.
Following Hart-Andersen's October visit,
students and local Board members expressed interest in hosting similar discussions. All of the Board members present Tuesday are residents of the Twin Cities area.
"It established a precedent for informal
interaction between the trustees and students," Austin said of Tuesday's dinner. "We absolutely intend to have more events like this in the future."
Austin said she is working to organize another discussion with Board members and
students in February, in advance of the trustees' March meeting on campus.
"The trustees are certainly eager to come back to campus," she said. "They said they really want to come back and have another event where they get to interact with students.
Students sat with Board members at tables in the Olin Rice Atrium and discussed issues ranging from the environmental considerations of campus construction and renovation projects to the Iraq war and socially responsible investing.
"I had a great time," interim Board Chair Timothy Hart-Andersen said.
"We talked a little bit about what the board does and doesn't do," he said. "I wanted to hear something about [students'] lives and their experiences at Mac. We talked about issues the Board has dealt with during my time on the Board."
The Board of Trustees makes major college policy decisions and is heavily involved in the college's fundraising efforts, including Macalester's current $150 million capital campaign.
Blythe Austin '08, the Board's first student liaison, said the dinner is part of a larger effort to better integrate the Board with the student community.
The dinner follows the "Sundaes with Tim" event held Oct. 23 in the Campus Center, at which students discussed the direction of the college with Hart-Andersen.
Following Hart-Andersen's October visit,
students and local Board members expressed interest in hosting similar discussions. All of the Board members present Tuesday are residents of the Twin Cities area.
"It established a precedent for informal
interaction between the trustees and students," Austin said of Tuesday's dinner. "We absolutely intend to have more events like this in the future."
Austin said she is working to organize another discussion with Board members and
students in February, in advance of the trustees' March meeting on campus.
"The trustees are certainly eager to come back to campus," she said. "They said they really want to come back and have another event where they get to interact with students.
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