The College Council minutes for the meeting of October 11, 2004, were approved pending a correction regarding the upcoming DIG meeting.

DIG

Professor Anne Ulmer informed the Council of a new federal program called PLUS, which provides junior transfer students with scholarships. DIG is currently investigating Carleton's interest in PLUS. Professor Ulmer also noted that DIG is still discussing the implications of Associate Dean Ramsay's presentation on faculty recruitment, especially the possibility of interviewing faculty members who have left Carleton. Finally, Professor Ulmer reported that discussions of the recent MCAN (Multicultural Alumni Network) reunion indicated that, amongst the alumni, there are generational differences in the perceptions of the campus' multicultural climate.

Funding the Future of Carleton

Vice President Fred Rogers began his presentation on Carleton's financial future by mentioning three areas of importance:

1. The unique characteristics of Carleton
2. How Carleton compares, financially, to other institutions, and
3. Carleton's financial future

Vice President Rogers informed the Council that, compared to its peer group of institutions, Carleton is in the middle with respect to tuition; at the bottom for room charges, and at the lowest quartile for board charges; and in the bottom quartile for its comprehensive fee. Additionally, Carleton has a lower endowment than many of these other institutions. For additional information, please reference the handout (Funding the Future, dated October 22, 2004) provided by Vice President Rogers. Dean Shelby Boardman spoke about the short-term timing of the budget process, namely that the process of budget approval will proceed at a more rapid pace, and the Board of Trustees will look at the final budget proposal in February. This allows the Budget Committee to use the Spring to consider how it can help the College formulate its financial priorities for the long run.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 pm.