Writings & Remarks

December 2023 Board Meeting Update

December 7, 2023

Tags Board Meeting Updates

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

On Friday, December 1, the Board of Trustees held its annual winter meeting in New York City in conjunction with the 1812 Leadership Circle Weekend.

The Committee on Investments and the Committee on Buildings, Grounds, and Equipment (BG&E) met in person in the morning, while the Committee on Audit met in advance. During the BG&E meeting, Sasaki, our partner on the Campus Master Plan, led a discussion of possible changes to campus housing. At the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board approved the College’s financial statements for the 2023 academic year.

In other sessions, LITS Vice President Joe Shelley discussed some of the ways the College is partnering with faculty and staff on artificial intelligence applications for teaching, research, and business operations. Vice President for Advancement Lori Dennison ’87, P’16 provided a summary of the completed Because Hamilton campaign and discussed lessons learned and future fundraising opportunities. Over lunch, Athletics Director Jon Hind ’80 and Vice President and Dean of Students Chris Card hosted concurrent conversations about athletics and student life, respectively.

The formal board meeting was held in the afternoon. I commented on the campus climate, talked about the importance of protecting free speech, and provided an update on applications for the Hamilton class of 2028.

I am pleased to share, especially with our faculty and staff who have young children, that the trustees authorized renovating a portion of Bundy Dining Hall to bring the Clinton Early Learning Center back to campus in 2025, with the cost to be shared between the Center and the College. We are evaluating alternative locations to continue the grab-and-go service now offered at Bundy.

Later that evening more than 400 Hamilton alumni, parents, and friends gathered at Gotham Hall as we celebrated the completion of the Because Hamilton campaign and expressed our appreciation for the generosity that makes so much of what we do possible.

The Board of Trustees will meet again on campus, March 1-2, 2024.

David