The Board of Trustees convened in Hanover for its spring meeting from April 10-12.

While on campus, trustees enjoyed a dinner with students before working through the vision for Dartmouth for the next decade, receiving updates on capital projects such as undergraduate housing and energy, and marking successes ranging from a new dean at the Geisel School of Medicine to the continued expansion of the Center for Career Design and funding of internships for all. 

Trustees also spent a significant amount of time discussing the topic of naming across campus. The board moved to establish a trustee committee focused on the issue and intends to formalize the committee’s charge and membership at its upcoming June meeting.

“Naming is a topic the board has wanted to address thoughtfully for some time,” says Trustees Chair Gregg Lemkau ’91. “Establishing this committee gives us a clear structure to do that work—to engage the community, weigh different perspectives, and arrive at a process that reflects Dartmouth’s values.”

The path to 2035

Trustees and administrators spent much of Friday focused on the future, and on developing a strategic vision for the institution’s next decade.

The in-progress plan will define what it means for Dartmouth to offer the best undergraduate education within a world-class research university—amplifying a historic strength in the liberal arts while fully embracing the excellence in the graduate and professional schools.

It builds on the key components of Dartmouth’s distinctive identity: Liberal Arts at the Core, Scholars Who Love to Teach, Adventuresome Spirit, Profound Sense of Place, and Base Camp to the World.

It will also reinforce the investments made under President Sian Leah Beilock’s tenure in five areas of focus: Innovation and Global Impact, Health and Wellness, Lifelong Dartmouth, Diverse Lived Experiences and Free Expression, and Environmentally Responsible Campus and Planet.

“The strategy seeks to extend and deepen Dartmouth’s advantages,” says President Beilock, “so that the faculty dedicated to teaching and the creation of knowledge are matched, in every area, by the resources, infrastructure, and institutional ambition required to deliver on that promise.”

Achieving Dartmouth’s strategic aspirations will require continued alignment by senior leadership and the board. Together, they envision a Dartmouth that is offering more programs and opportunities to the best and brightest students excelling within their communities across the globe. Without sacrificing the close community and residential vitality that define the undergraduate experience today, Dartmouth has the power to prepare even more young people for a lifetime of learning and responsible leadership. 

In research, they seek to increase Dartmouth’s global visibility and scholarly impact, which will require sustained commitment over the full decade to current faculty, adding additional faculty, and infrastructure.

“Taken together, that excellence in undergraduate education and in research are mutually reinforcing,” says Beilock. “The investments we would like to make are designed to advance both simultaneously.”

Leaders continue to sharpen next steps and are already discussing its core elements with faculty governance bodies and in meetings with other community stakeholders.

Progress on energy and housing

A vital component of any future strategy is addressing critical improvements to Dartmouth’s energy infrastructure and housing—work that has now been underway for several years and is showing tangible results.

Senior Vice President for Operations and Strategic Initiatives Josh Keniston shared that converting the campus distribution system from steam to hot water and converting buildings to accept hot water are the top priorities through fiscal year 2030, estimated to cost $360 million to $400 million. To date, 3.5 miles of piping have been installed, with another 3.5 miles planned within the next three years. Twelve buildings have already been converted to the new system, with 11 more in progress.

The board voted to continue installation of hot and chilled water piping, which will enable 7,400 linear feet of aging steam line feeding the Athletics and East Wheelock district to be retired.

On housing, Dartmouth is on track to open Russo Hall this fall—the first of four new residence halls on West Wheelock Street—and the renewed Fayerweather Hall will reopen in June. Between new construction and housing renewals, 783 beds will be available by fall 2028, putting Dartmouth ahead of schedule to reach its goal of 1,000 new beds by 2033.

Looking ahead, the board approved moving forward with the design phase for the Massachusetts Row residence hall renewal. The total project budget is $123 million, with construction set to begin in the summer of 2027.

Keniston assured the board that the project will preserve the historic character of the buildings while modernizing systems and enhancing accessibility. The concept for two new residence halls replacing Judge and French Halls, part of a group of buildings known as the River Cluster, is also in the design phase.

Keniston expressed his gratitude for the ongoing partnership with the Town of Hanover, which has been key to the success of many capital projects.

Tuition and room and board for FY 2027

Tuition, fees, and room and board for undergraduate and graduate students will increase in the fall to provide more support for students, new academic initiatives, inflation, compliance requirements, and other expenses.

The 3.75% increase to undergraduate tuition, fees, and room and board will bring the current rate to $95,382 per year, which was approved by trustees at a virtual meeting in March. In that meeting, the board discussed the importance of Dartmouth’s financial aid and the desire to continue to increase available funds.

For students whose families make up to $175,000, tuition is free. For lower- and middle-income students overall, it is less expensive to attend Dartmouth today than it was a decade ago.

Thirty-three percent of the Class of 2029 qualified for free tuition, and a record 22%—more than one in five—of U.S. citizens in the class qualified for a federal Pell Grant, up from 19.4% one year ago. Regardless of income level, there is no expectation that students will take out a student loan. Demonstrated need is met instead with student employment and scholarship or grant funding. Nearly half of the ’29s received scholarship aid, which averages more than $74,000 in support per year.

Tuition for graduate programs at the Thayer School of Engineering will increase by 3.6%. Thayer is one of the only engineering schools to offer need-based financial aid to master’s students, providing a tuition discount of up to 40% for those with the greatest need. The Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies will also increase tuition by 3.6%.

The Geisel School of Medicine will increase tuition and fees for its MD program by 3.8%. At the Tuck School of Business—where cost of attendance remains in the lower half among peer schools—tuition, fees, and room costs will increase by 4.1%.