Macalester's board of trustees met last Friday and Saturday for the first time since May. The conference, which marked the conclusion of the previous day's subcommittee meetings, covered a wide spectrum of issues that concern students, faculty, and administration.

The Buildings and Grounds Committee reported progress concerning several current and future projects, including the addition planned for Turck Hall. The trustees approved a $7.5 million cap on the expansion, which would provide 53 new beds, increased fire safety and handicap accessibility, a bigger meeting area and rearranged lounge rooms.

According to the committee, the Wallace renovation project is half finished and workers intend to complete the roof by winter. By next summer, 24 new beds should be available in the penthouse for juniors and seniors.

In addition to expansion and renovation, committee members also recommended to the intensification of communication with the city of St. Paul to implement pedestrian crossing zones on Grand Avenue. "It's alarming to witness such random crossings," said board member Stephen Clement III. "This is the year to do something." The committee advocated an aesthetically pleasing design with trees, a raised median and three crossings.

In the president's report, President McPherson addressed the advertisement produced by Macalester that recently appeared in the New York Times. The full-page ad contained testimony from alumni regarding Macalester's commitment to civil engagement. "It's something we genuinely care about and believe in," said McPherson, mentioning that the ad came out when he was at a conference in Colorado with other education leaders. "Folks were both intrigued and, I must say, admiring of the piece."

McPherson also reported a significant increase in retention rates from year to year, attributing the improvement to academic programming, housing developments and the opening of the campus center.

The Board of Trustees praised the new sculpture outside Kagin Commons, which was created by associate art professor Stanton Sears, as an example of the school's commitment to public art. "It's a very successful piece and we're all very pleased about it," McPherson said.

Concerns about multicultural recruitment were a key aspect of the Admission Committee's report. The Native American presence this year is the largest in school history, but the number is only eight, which Admissions wants to increase. Overall, however, "the admissions staff was out full-force and doing a good job," said Clement.

The Campus Life Committee requested more student input regarding multiculturalism issues and efforts. Members and student representatives also testified to the need for a student-run space other than the campus center. "Students are very interested in having a gathering space, especially off-campus students," said board member Peter Fenn, explaining that the campus center is not an option because many students already go there three times per day for meals.

The Academic Affairs Committee report was the product of a meeting between the trustees, Resources and Planning Committee, and Educational Policy and Governance Committee. The group discussed the findings of the academic quality taskforce. They evaluated the criteria used to grade departments, which "were not applied across the board," according to student representative Josh Aaker '05. Developing new criteria for the tenure process and examining the budget in terms of student involvement were other topics in the meeting. "Macalester students understand that there's a budget process," said Aaker. "But the process needs to be as open as possible."

Board chair Mark Vander Ploeg said the board of trustees meetings occur alternately between three and four times per year. The next meeting will be held in March.