The board of trustees has a full agenda for its May meeting. Most significantly, they are expected to finish discussing and approve the final Plan for Mount Holyoke 2003. According to assistant to the president Phil Buchanan, trustees are also planning to consider and approve a budget for fiscal year 1997-98 (which includes deciding on salary increases for faculty and staff), to formally grant degrees to graduating seniors, to hear presentations about faculty scholarship in physical education and biology, and to honor retiring trustees. Among other business, the trustees' Student Affairs Committee will meet with the Student Conference Committee on Friday afternoon.
Speaking of the Plan for MHC 2003 that will be submitted to trustees, President Creighton said, "I'm very proud of this draft. It's a significant accomplishment that we've done such long-range planning and have drawn in important constituencies: students, staff, faculty, alumnae, and trustees. The plan reflects the language of dozens of people who have directly shaped the document, and reflects indirectly the thoughts of hundreds of people." The document, she continued, "is realistic about where we are financially, yet very aspiring about what we have set out to do. If we can hold ourselves to this kind of responsible management, we will be able to achieve the important aspirations of the plan." She added that the College will assess yearly its progress toward each of the plan's goals.
The 1997-98 budget to be submitted to trustees by chief financial officer Mary Jo Maydew totals $61 million, which includes a $2 million reduction in the unrestricted expenses of the College.
Trustees who are leaving the board will be honored at this meeting. They are: Powell Cabot, Kristen Comings '93, Nancy Novogrod '71, Janice Petrovich, Harrell Smith, Elizabeth Taylor '79, and Meg Woodbury '58. All former trustees have been invited to join current ones during the weekend to discuss issues facing the College.
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