Dear Editor,

I write regarding last week’s letter to the editor from Madison Lazenby, Izzy Rutkey, Jessica Sanchez, and Eric Stenzel titled “A Message from the Sunrise Movement,” to correct factual errors regarding the location of Board of Trustee meetings while on campus.

In a non-pandemic world, which was the case for the March 6–7 2020 Board meetings, the trustees assemble on campus three times per year, in September or October, in March, and in June. Meetings and events are planned from Thursday evening until midday Saturday at numerous locations across campus.

The March 2020 Board schedule included over 21 hours of meetings and Trustee commitments that took place at 13 different locations. There were four locations for small group lunches on the day in question, March 6. Trustees joined students for a meal in the Eells dining room, the Levitt conference Room, the Sadove conference room, and the Bristol Hub. All of the lunches and locations were arranged in advance.

The conference room in Buttrick is used by the trustees only for breakouts, some meals, and trustee committee meetings. The use has steadily declined over the years out of consideration for the accessibility challenges the 18 stairs, with no elevator, present to several of our trustees. The last time that the Board Meeting was held in the Buttrick Conference Room was March 2016, four years prior to the Sunrise Movement protest on March 6, 2020.

When our trustees are on campus, they are generally visible and easy to spot.

Sincerely,

Gillian King

Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees