April 23, 2015 | Vol. 113 no. 23 | middleburycampus.com Patton Weighs in on College’s Challenges, Opportunities on what she calls the key matrix SPECIAL feature of time, space, money and rela- tionships. Instead of unilaterally By Joe Flaherty Editor-in-Chief creating the relationship to solve Duke University Dean of Arts an issue of space. & Sciences Laurie L. Patton was “I said, ‘I’d like you to talk to in the middle of creating an am- each other about your common bitious new outreach forum, - the Duke Forum for Scholars and Publics, when her idea hit a whether there is another space roadblock. that the Dean of Academic Af- The world-renowned histori- fairs could have for the language an she had appointed the direc- lab, or if there is another space tor of the forum wanted a pre- for Scholars and Publics that you mier space on campus. The only could talk about,” Patton said. problem? A dean of academic “And I want you to talk about it affairs had already promised the space to university language in- closer to the ground and you structors. know what you need.’ And luck- “My dean of academic affairs ily they are both good people and was invested in this and had they talked.” been working hard on it,” Pat- After a few renovations to an ton said in an interview. “This existing room, the dean and the new director said, ‘I really want this space.’ And, bingo: potential mutually agreeable solution and the Duke Forum for Scholars and College President-elect Laurie Publics (FSP) was born. Patton L. Patton spoke with the Cam- - pus in a wide-ranging interview ure out a solution despite what during one of her recent visits to originally looked to be a deal- campus. Patton has been making breaker on both sides. periodic trips from Duke Univer- “We had to spend more money sity, where she is Dean of Trin- to do it but that was an example ity College of Arts and Sciences where creating a relationship, and the Robert F. Durden Pro- forcing them to talk about their Anahi Naranjo fessor of Religion. She has been actual space needs and investing Above: President-elect Patton at a Nov. 18 press conference. Patton recently spoke with the Campus. traveling to the College in order a little more money solved the to meet and plan with members problem,” Patton said. of the College community before Even though this matrix might seem rigid, she said solv- Tuition Rises Past $60,000 ing problems almost always boils Her mediation between the By Caroline Agsten the College Ronald D. Liebowitz by at least some amount due down to a discussion of these two individuals who could have Staff Writer said in an email. to increasing operating costs. been at loggerheads says a great four areas. “I’d like to think that even The College’s Board of Trust- The 2013-2014 academic In an email, he noted that the deal about Patton and what kind year marked the first year the three main operating costs are of leader she may be as the Col- though it’s a thing that I invoke ees has approved a tuition in- College did not apply this rule to compensation (which include lege’s 17th President. regularly, it’s capacious enough crease of 3.9 percent, or $2,293, so that you could still be creative to $47,418 for the 2015-2016 its room and board fees, when salaries, wages, and employee tuition rose by 4.5 percent. benefits), financial aid, and fa- Time, Space, Money, with it no matter what,” Patton academic year. The full com- The cost of tuition is deter- cilities. In addition, an increase and Relationships said. prehensive fee for the College, In this case, Patton examined including the increased cost mined in conjunction with an in tuition costs is related to SEE PATTON, PAGE 3 how she could resolve it based of room and board to a total of overall annual budget approach, performance of other primary $13,628, is now set at $61,046. a process in which the adminis- revenue streams of the College, For the past five years, the tration puts forth recommenda- namely the endowment and an- College has used a formula tions to the Board of Trustees. Students Discover known as the CPI+1 rule to limit The rising tuition costs caused 2014, the endowment’s market how much tuition could increase can be attributed to a number of value was approximately $1.082 year to year. Previously the ad- different factors. billion, and approximately 18 ministration had recommended According to Vice President percent of the budget is sourced Mutilated Dogs the trustees move away from for Finance and Treasurer Pat- from endowment earnings. Gifts rick Norton, the College’s tu- By Claire Abbadi and different animals. Most of the policy; this year it has been ition cost will continue to rise SEE TUITION, PAGE 2 Christian Jambora them, I thought, looked like dog abandoned altogether. Since News Editors skulls,” Michael said. its adoption in 2010, the CPI+1 rule capped a tuition increase at On Saturday, April 11, two The students had been one percentage point above the students from the College participating in the Otter Creek previous year’s inflation as de- were fishing approximately 15 Classic, an annual fishing termined by the Consumer Price minutes away from Middlebury tournament organized by local Index (CPI). The College applied along the New Haven River and shop Middlebury Mountaineer. the same formula to room and discovered a clearing with 15 Both confirmed they had been board fees. Under this formula, to 20 mutilated, dismembered fishing alone for approximately the average annual increase in dogs. The students, Matt and three and a half hours, before these past five years has been Michael, who requested their getting off the river to walk back to their cars. 3.2 percent. full names not be disclosed, Since its implementation, the immediately reported the “We got out in someone’s yard, which is usually fine to do CPI+1 rule has been successful incident to the Middlebury at keeping tuition costs from Police Department (MPD), who if you’re fishing,” Matt said. The two came across a rising exorbitantly, as Middle- directed them to speak with the bury ranks below many of its Vermont State Police (VSP). clearing, where they found the decaying carcass of an animal. peer schools for comprehensive The case is currently under fees, including Trinity College investigation and the VSP are “At first, it looked like [another] animal may have ($63,970), Williams College working with the owner of ($63,290), and Wesleyan Uni- the property to uncover what brought [the carcass] to this spot to eat it or kill it. We walked versity ($64,324). occurred. “The so-called CPI+1 formula about ten more steps and saw “There were paws—cut- moved Middlebury College from another, and we realized this up paws with fur on them— the top to near the bottom of its whole yard is littered with what scattered around, skulls of peer list of most expensive liber- SEE DOGS, PAGE 2 al arts institutions,” President of evan gallagher VT HOUSE PASSES MIDDLEBURY T-PAIN BRINGS BILL ON GUN UNMASKED SPEAKS HAPPY HOUR TO OWNERSHIP OUT MIDD PAGE 5 PAGE 11 PAGE 17 inside 2NEWS | April 23, 2015 Community CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Council Update By Emma Dunlap Staff Writer On April 13, Executive Director of Food Services and Operations Dan Detora attend- ed Community Council in order to discuss council member Anna Jacobsen ’16’s pro- towards animals. posal to substitute community service work added, “A lot of times it was bones - and bits and pieces dent life policies. of bodies scattered - “Some looked like they had - been there for months, and Campus “ I been dismembered e x p r e s s e d bloody—maybe a couple weeks my concern animal could not be [old]...it wasn’t always a full responsible. body. A lot of times it was bones and bits and pieces of animal. I knew bones.” Michael said. student animals is a - between violence towards animals and a study of tendencies of serial killers, - Tuition Costs Expected to Keep Rising CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 increase as well as employee benefit in- - - - student to faculty ratio, a residential - - - - dlebury admits domestic students on a - - - - Student Awarded Peace Grant By Andrew McGrath violations, are subject to community service Contributing Writer - On April 20, Community Council con- - tinued its conversation about security cam- country. A recipient of a $10,000 Project - - - - - - - In a culture marked by minimal social college communications - more productive person. - known. - - - - - - - - - - - - - April 23, 2015 | News 3 Patton Discusses Academics, Community Kelly Boe CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The Sense of the Whole Mourned into her broader thoughts on how higher By Christian Jambora education ought to interact with the com- News Editor munity. “If institutions of higher learning do not become more outward-facing, then manager of the central biomass heating we’re in trouble,” Patton said. “I think plant, died in a bicycling accident that that’s true of colleges. I think that’s true of universities. I wanted to create a space Weybridge. Boe was riding with his wife, where scholars, where they live—which is Kathy, when he was struck by a car. creating their research—could immedi- ately translate their research to the outer sent by Vice President for Finance and world in addition to working with mem- Treasurer Patrick Norton.