Last week, the Board of Trustees met on campus for their second scheduled meeting of the academic year. From last Thursday to Saturday, the trustees discussed issues including research funding and campus planning, awarded tenure to several professors and engaged with students on campus, President Safa Zaki said in a campuswide email on Thursday.

“At its core, the board’s work is to create the conditions that sustain Bowdoin’s vibrant research, teaching, learning, and campus life through long-term planning, financial oversight and shared governance,” Zaki wrote.

One of the Board’s standing committees, the Academic Affairs Committee, discussed the necessity of institutional support for research during a time of uncertainty surrounding federal research funding. Assistant Professor of Sociology Shruti Devgan and Professor of Art History Stephen Perkinson presented to the Board about how research and teaching intersect across disciplines.

The Board also decided to move forward with the campus planning process, working with architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross. Zaki shared that the finalized 2026 campus plan will be shared with the community in early April.

“The campus plan is aspirational; it is meant to help guide long-term decisions about the spaces that support teaching, learning, research, and community, and its implementation will depend on the success of fundraising efforts,” Zaki wrote. “The plan identifies campus facility needs over the next decade and reflects our commitment to working toward meeting those needs thoughtfully and responsibly over time.”

The entire Board, senior officers of the College and representatives for faculty and students attended the plenary session on Friday. At that session, the trustees voted to promote seven professors to the rank of associate professor with tenure, effective July 1: Assistant Professor of Economics Martin Abel, Assistant Professor of Music Ireri Chávez-Bárcenas, Assistant Professor of History Javier Cikota, Assistant Professor of Digital and Computational Studies Fernando Nascimento, Assistant Professor of English Samia Rahimtoola, Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Mary Rogalski and Assistant Professor of Government Maron Sorenson.

Additionally, Zaki highlighted the Board’s efforts to engage with campus life, including by having lunch with members of Bowdoin Student Government and attending athletic events.

“As part of the weekend, we continued these efforts to create meaningful opportunities for trustees to spend time with members of the campus community in a range of settings,” Zaki wrote.