Fred Goldberg, the Chair of our Board of Trustees, and I provided the following summary of the Board’s November meeting to the students, faculty, and staff.
The Board of Trustees held their annual November meeting on Tuesday, November 17; a one-day retreat followed on Wednesday, November 18. We write to inform you about the issues they discussed, describe the outcomes of their deliberations, and review major issues at the College of interest to them.
Trustee Meeting
The routine business of the November trustee meeting typically includes a review of the College’s finances for the year ending June 30, 2015; a report on fundraising work of the Foundation for the same period; and brief reports from the student Trustee, Emily Dunn-Wilder; the Geoduck Student Union representative, Jeff Beaulac; the faculty representative, Sandy Yannone; the staff representative, Brant Eddy; and the president.
President Bridges devoted much of his report to the important ongoing work of the College faculty, staff and students related to the “Call for Action” and addressing racial and ethnic inequity and bias on campus. He expressed gratitude for these efforts and also for the efforts of faculty and staff involved in reaching the final Collective Bargaining Agreement between the College and the United Faculty of Evergreen. Finally, he reviewed his ongoing efforts to learn from and connect with Evergreen’s faculty, staff and students. The morning session of the meeting also included a required (and thorough) training session for trustees on the state’s public records and public meetings laws and policies led Assistant Attorney General Aileen Miller.
The remainder of the Board’s meeting covered two issues of particular interest to the trustees:
- Information on the recruitment and retention of Evergreen students; and
- “Green Dot,” a violence prevention program instituted on campus to reduce sexual assault and harassment.
Enrollment and Retention
The trustees devoted significant attention to reports on enrollment and retention of Evergreen students. Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Steve Hunter reviewed encouraging information on the overall level of enrollment at the College as of the 10th day of classes. His report observed that the number of first-year, first-time undergraduates beginning this fall is up 5% from last year, including substantial increases among Latino/a and Asian students. Albeit encouraging, Steve reminded the trustees and administrative officers and others present that overall enrollment at the College continues to be lower than the enrollment expectation set by the state legislature, and, due to a retention downturn, approximately the same as last year.
Director of Institutional Research Laura Coghlan reported on fall-to-fall rates of retention for the new undergraduate students entering last year (see attached document, “Retention Highlights”). To the surprise of many, the rate of retention for first-time, first-year students fell below last year’s number to 66%. Non-resident first-year students had the highest rate of attrition with many leaving Evergreen at the end of fall quarter 2014.
Laura described her recent research on the reasons why students leave Evergreen, drawing data from a survey of those who dropped out of Evergreen after the fall of 2012 or fall of 2013 (see attached document, “Top 12 Factors”). The survey reveals several key reasons why students choose to leave Evergreen. Not all of these reasons are within our control, but many are. When we admit a student to the College, we intend to see them through to graduation. This rate of student attrition represents a failure on the part of the College to live up to our commitment to students. Given the population of students that we serve, the opportunity that Evergreen represents for them is especially important. We must strive to do better.
A discussion ensued about additional actions the College must take to increase retention among first-year students. Among the actions discussed were improving communications with prospective students about the distinctive and self-directed character of an Evergreen education, the pressing need for greater flexibility and options in the academic programs and offerings for first-year students, greater financial aid for lower income students, clearer articulation of the value of an Evergreen education and the meaning and purpose of students’ academic work, and more transparent ways for graduates to transition to the workforce.
Violence Prevention
Vice President for Student Affairs Wendy Endress, Interim Title IX Administrator Holly Joseph, and Coordinator of Sexual Violence Prevention Kelly Schrader, delivered an overview of the College’s response to heightened emphasis by the U.S. Department of Education in enforcing Title IX. This includes implementing violence prevention programs. Kelly Schrader led the trustees in a discussion of the College’s use of an evidence-based national bystander intervention program called “Green Dot.” All entering students receive training in this program; it empowers students to observe and support one another. If a student perceives another who is vulnerable to or experiencing harassment or a potentially assaultive situation, the Green Dot training provides them with concrete skills and strategies to diffuse the situation or distract the offending individual thereby giving time for the particularly vulnerable individual to seek safety.
We are pleased that Evergreen is implementing the Green Dot program. At Whitman College, where the program has been in place a bit longer, there were several concrete examples of ways in which the program helped move the campus culture toward one where consent, mutual care, and open communication were more centrally featured.
Trustee Retreat
The Board of Trustees met much of Wednesday in a retreat intended to review the President’s working goals for this academic year. The goals were presented to the Trustees for discussion (see attached document, “President’s Goals”). In addition, the trustees reviewed and reflected on their work for the previous year, discussing those aspects they viewed positively and lessons they learned through the presidential search process.
The Trustees also reviewed and discussed the work of Richard Chait (Governance as Leadership) on how governing boards can work more effectively in engaging and supporting their respective institutions and organizations. The Board asked the President to contact Chait (a professor in Harvard’s Graduate School of Education) about having him visit and work with them and local non-profits about effective Board governance.
Following this discussion the trustees, staff, faculty and students present reviewed how the Trustees might assist the President and senior leaders of the campus in fundraising initiatives and in recruiting students for Evergreen who would be most likely to thrive in the unique curriculum the College offers.
The Board retreat adjourned at 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon. If any of you have questions related to the Board and its work, feel free to direct them to the President’s Chief of Staff, John Carmichael at carmichj@evergreen.edu.
Attachments:
President’s Goals for The Evergreen State College 11-2015 ABR
Retention Highlights F14 to F15
top 12 factors overall_nonretained_BOT_handout