Middlebury College and award-winning Orion magazine are teaming up to launch The Bread Loaf Orion Environmental Writers’ Conference, a unique forum modeled after Middlebury’s Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference (BLWC). The Middlebury College Environmental Studies Program, the oldest undergraduate environmental studies program in the nation, will also serve as a co-sponsor of the new conference. Beginning in 2014, the intensive week-long program is designed for those who want to bring more depth of knowledge and understanding to their writing about the environment and the natural world.

“Middlebury and Orion share a longstanding commitment to sustainability and a dedication to nurturing high-quality writing,” said Nan Jenks-Jay, dean of environmental affairs. Middlebury is recognized for its curricular programs as well as its campus operations that focus on the environment. Its BLWC is the oldest writers' conference in America, famous for such participants as Robert Frost, John Irving and Julia Alvarez. Orion magazine is the foremost magazine for writing dedicated to nature and the environment, from fiction and poetry to narrative journalism.

The conference, which will take place June 9-15 at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf campus, will feature faculty that include writers Rick Bass, Jane Brox, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Camille Dungy, Maurice Manning and Alan Weisman. Among them are two finalists for the National Book Critic Circle’s Award, one finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, and an American Book Award winner. Their articles and poems have appeared in numerous publications, from the Atlantic and Audubon to the Norton Book of Nature Writing, The New Yorker and Orion.

Michael Collier, director of the BLWC, and H. Emerson Blake, editor in chief of Orion, will serve as co-directors of the new conference. “Since its inception in 1926, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference has cultivated a close relationship with nature and environmental writing,” said Collier “Our collaboration with Orion and the Middlebury Environmental Studies Program will allow us to deepen those relationships by bringing the Bread Loaf model of workshops and literary discussion to encourage and support the finest environmental writing in America.”

According to Collier, the new conference will benefit writers who want to improve their writing about the environment; poets who are drawn to writing about the natural world; environmental professionals who want to strengthen their writing skills; and those who seek to become better advocates for the environment through their writing.

Like the BLWC, the new conference will incorporate small specialized classes focusing on the craft of writing. Lectures and readings will take place daily. Editors and agents will attend the conference and be available to meet with participants about their work.

For information about the conference, including information about grants and scholarships, visit http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc/BLOrion.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Middlebury has received a $310,000 performing arts grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support “Movement Matters,” a multi-year interdisciplinary endeavor to bring emerging artists in the field of dance together with Middlebury faculty and students for creative and curricular development.

“This is a wonderful opportunity that will have far-reaching impact on our dance program and the broader curriculum,” said Pieter Broucke, director of the arts. “The Mellon Foundation has been an invaluable source of inspiration and support to Middlebury for decades. We’re looking forward to this partnership with the foundation’s Performing Arts program.”

Assistant Professor of Dance and Chair of the Dance Program Christal Brown will direct the project, which has been described as an “exploration of how human bodies literally and metaphorically shape our physical and political worlds.” Although the project will be based in the dance program, Brown says it will benefit all Middlebury students.

Video: Assistant Professor of Dance Christal Brown discusses the Mellon grant.

The 3-year interdisciplinary grant will connect traditional scholarship with movement research across campus.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the potential to expand ideas about how we teach the liberal arts,” said Brown. “Regardless of academic discipline, dance and movement offer deep insight into how we think about ourselves, both individually and as part of the larger human community.”

The three-phase project will bring a group of emerging movement artists to campus for Winter Term 2015, where they will collaborate with teams of faculty members in developing workshops around shared research interests. One of the artists will be appointed for a two-year residency as the Mellon Interdisciplinary Choreographer at Middlebury (MIC). The MIC will do research and work with groups throughout campus to develop creative collaborations in and out of the classroom. The MIC will also serve as the voice of the current climate of the field, as the dance program transitions through the retirement of two longtime and well-regarded faculty members, and suggest ways for creative expansion of the program. 

Brown says the Mellon grant has the potential to make Middlebury a magnet for up and coming dance innovators. “This is an investment in the field at large,” she said, “which we hope will lay the groundwork for our dance program to grow into a hub for creativity and innovation among emerging movement artists.”“Movement Matters” builds on several Middlebury initiatives already underway for thinking creatively about the future of the liberal arts. “As a campus, we are embracing curricular innovation on a broad scale in many different ways,” said Broucke. “Faculty, students and administrators have been encouraged to define new ways to marshal our unique assets and create transformative educational experiences.”

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Middlebury Board of Trustees today approved revisions to the institution’s governance structure to oversee the increasingly complex institution and meet the changing demands of higher education. 

Middlebury President Ronald D. Liebowitz and Board Chair Marna Whittington initiated a review of the board’s structure last year and appointed a Governance Working Group to make recommendations on how the board should best be organized.

“In today’s dynamic environment in higher education it is essential that governance structures support our desire to innovate and lead to meet the needs of students today and tomorrow,” said Whittington.

The working group, which was chaired by former Board Chair Frederick Fritz ’68, presented the full board with its report in October. The group’s proposal outlined a sweeping revision of the board’s committee structure in its 13 recommendations. After reviewing the report, the board asked that those recommendations be turned into a set of proposed bylaw revisions to consider at the December meeting.

Today the work of the last year culminated in the board’s unanimous passage of the bylaw changes that will go into effect July 1, 2014. The most notable changes are these:

• The number of standing committees will be reduced to six, each of which will carry a range of substantive responsibilities. These committees will be:

Prudential Committee. This body acts as an executive committee of the board with specified authorities and it will continue under the new structure, but will be reconstituted with a membership consisting of the chair and vice chair(s) of the board, the chairs of each of the five standing committees, and the chairs of the three new boards of overseers (see below). The Prudential Committee establishes goals for the president and conducts his or her annual performance appraisal. It can exercise the general duties of the trustees in the interim between board meetings.

Trusteeship and Governance. This committee will consider the general composition of the Board of Trustees and make suggestions for new trustees and members of the boards of overseers and other advisory boards that may be established in the future. It also will review bylaws and make recommendations to the full board regarding governance.

Strategy.  This committee, working in partnership with the president and Middlebury's administrators, will be responsible for setting Middlebury's strategic direction. It will have primary responsibility for monitoring trends in higher education and factors affecting higher education strategy. The committee also will have responsibility for the strategic consideration of collaborations and intersections between and among Middlebury’s educational programs. 

Resources. This committee will assist the board in fulfilling its oversight and stewardship responsibilities for all of Middlebury’s financial and material resources. The committee will review the annual budget and financial model, oversee Middlebury property in all locations, have general charge over the financial affairs of the Corporation, and be responsible for oversight of the investment of the Corporation’s endowment portfolio and other assets.

Risk Management.  This committee will be responsible for evaluating, monitoring, and addressing all matters of institutional risk, including oversight of all operating policies and handbooks. The committee will review internal controls established by the administration and the trustees; will make recommendations to the board regarding all areas of risk (reputational, brand, financial, legal, governance, and operational); and will insure the completion of an annual financial audit.

New Programs.  This committee will be responsible for evaluating and supporting new programs, partnerships, acquisitions, and joint ventures. It will review the mission, academic quality, viability, program policies, market position and prominence, and financial underpinnings of new programs after they have been established. 

• The new governance structure also establishes three new boards of overseers—one for the undergraduate College, one for the Monterey Institute of International Studies (which will replace the Institute’s current Board of Governors), and one for the “Schools,” which include the Middlebury Language Schools, Bread Loaf School of English, the C.V. Starr-Middlebury Schools Abroad, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.

These boards of overseers will focus their attention on reviewing and monitoring the academic, educational, and student affairs operations of their respective institutions, including academic appointments, enrollment, and new initiatives. The boards of overseers will function like committees of the full Board of Trustees and each will be comprised of trustee overseers (current trustees), partner overseers (individuals who typically have a connection with that institution), and constituent overseers (one faculty, one staff, and one student). A majority of each board of overseers must consist of trustee overseers.

• Each trustee will sit on one standing committee and one board of overseers.

Liebowitz, who timed his own announcement that he would step down as president on June 30, 2015, to coincide with the board’s governance vote, said that governance issues are top of mind for college and university presidents. He called the board’s action “a model for how overseers should look at their role” in a time of change. “Our board has embraced a bold new vision, and this institution owes a debt of thanks to the Governance Working Group for its thoughtful recommendations,” he said.

“This new oversight structure will help to refocus the work of the board,” said Whittington. “The new standing committees and boards of overseers will create new linkages across the institution to encourage even greater collaboration that leverages academic innovation, technology, and the excellence of our faculty and staff.”

Ronald D. Liebowitz, 16th president of Middlebury College

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Middlebury President Ronald D. Liebowitz announced today that he will step down at the end of the next academic year, on June 30, 2015. Liebowitz, Middlebury’s 16th president since the founding of the College in 1800, has served in the office since 2004.

Liebowitz shared his announcement with the campus community in an email this afternoon following the conclusion of a regular Board of Trustees meeting in New York City. He scheduled the announcement to coincide with the approval at that meeting of a new board governance structure that will take effect July 1, 2014.

“It has been an honor of the highest order to serve as the 16th president of this remarkable institution,” Liebowitz wrote. “With its dedicated and committed staff, superb faculty, and outstanding students, Middlebury has never been stronger or better positioned for the future.”

In his email to Middlebury faculty, staff, and students, Liebowitz noted that the institution “will continue to pursue the ambitious agenda we have set for ourselves” through the presidential transition and beyond. He stated that announcing his own transition plan now would provide the Board of Trustees with “the time necessary to select a search committee, to conduct a thoughtful search to identify the finest candidates, and, ultimately, to select Middlebury’s next leader.”

Under Liebowitz’s leadership, Middlebury has focused on curricular innovation to better integrate the traditional strengths of a liberal arts education with the political, technological, and social complexities of the 21st century. During his presidency, Middlebury acquired the Monterey Institute of International Studies; opened 23 new Schools Abroad sites; added 120 endowed student scholarships for financial aid and 15 endowed faculty positions; established the School of Hebrew—Middlebury’s 10th intensive summer language school—and the summer School of the Environment; sent two successful teams to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition; inaugurated the Franklin Environmental Center for the study of the environment and sustainability; created the Center for Social Entrepreneurship; and initiated an array of programs to help students acquire leadership and communication skills and to cultivate creativity and innovation.

Many of these accomplishments took place against the backdrop of a deep economic crisis that began in 2007. Liebowitz guided Middlebury through that recession while maintaining a balanced budget, sustaining the institution’s commitment to need-blind admissions, and without resorting to layoffs.

Marna Whittington, chair of the Middlebury Board of Trustees, called Liebowitz a “transformational president” for Middlebury. “Ron has never been content with what Middlebury is,” said Whittington. “Instead, he has always focused on what it can be. His passion for Middlebury is unmatched and he has led this institution brilliantly. The unyielding dedication to a demanding and long-term view of Middlebury’s educational mission, which Ron and Jessica Liebowitz have demonstrated through their work together, is truly extraordinary.”

A native of New York City, he graduated in 1979 from Bucknell University, where he majored in economics and geography and competed as a varsity swimmer. A specialist in Russian economic and political geography, he received his doctorate from Columbia University. Liebowitz joined the faculty at Middlebury in 1984 and was promoted to associate professor in 1988 and full professor in 1993. He was appointed provost in 1997 and began his presidency on July 1, 2004. In 2009 Time Magazine named Liebowitz one of the 10 best college presidents in the country. He and his wife Jessica have three children: David Heschel, Shoshana, and Ezra.

Board Chair Marna Whittington said that the Board of Trustees will provide information about a presidential search following the February board meeting.

Associate Professor of History Febe Armanios

Middlebury College Associate Professor of History Febe Armanios appeared on the CBS news show “60 Minutes” in a story about Egypt’s Coptic Christians that aired Dec. 15. Armanios is an expert on Coptic Christians, one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Representing 10 percent of Egypt’s population, the Copts, as they are known, have long been persecuted in a country with a Muslim majority. The story illustrates the increasing opposition and violence the Copts face in a politically unstable Egypt.

In the “60 Minutes” segment, Armanios accompanies reporter Bob Simon to some of the Coptic Christian churches in Cairo and elsewhere, providing commentary on their religious significance. When asked by Simon if the Copts are upset about the lack of awareness of Egypt's role in the Christian story, Armanios responds, “I think they would be eager to share their stories. They want to share this story with the world.”

Armanios teaches courses on the history, politics, religion, and culture of the Middle East; women in Islam; and Islam and human rights. In addition to Coptic Christians, her research interests include Muslim-Christian relations, and women and gender in the Middle East. She is the author of Coptic Christianity in Ottoman Egypt (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Official College portrait of James Armstrong from the Middlebury College archives.

Middlebury College today mourns the passing of James Isbell Armstrong, the 12th president of the College from 1963 through 1975. Dr. Armstrong, who died earlier this morning, December 16, with his loving wife, Carol, and family members by his side, was 94 years of age.

Armstrong served as president during one of the most turbulent periods in U.S. history, a time marked by war abroad and assassinations at home, when American streets served as battlegrounds in the fight for civil rights and as a stage calling attention to a cratering global economy. On campus there was unrest, social change, and financial stringency. And yet when James Armstrong left office, he had done nothing less than establish Middlebury as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. 

During his presidency, Armstrong instituted the first tenure system at Middlebury, initiated a faculty research fund, created a professional leave program, enlarged the size of the faculty, increased faculty salaries, reduced teaching loads, and had a direct hand in shaping curriculum and academic policy, recalled Victor Nuovo, the Charles A. Dana professor emeritus of philosophy. 

Photos of President Armstrong from the Middlebury College Archives

Russell Leng ’60, James Jermain Professor Emeritus, who was hired by President Armstrong in 1966 to teach political science, described how President Armstrong brought in faculty from Princeton, “including Kim Sparks in German, Dennis O’Brien in philosophy, George Todd in music, and Bill Catton and Nick Clifford in history,” and that these “new arrivals brought a standard of academic excellence based on their Princeton experience, which helped transform the expectations of the Middlebury faculty.” 

Born and raised in Princeton, N.J., Armstrong prepared for college at the Taft School in Connecticut and returned home in 1937 to enroll at the university where his father, William P. Armstrong, was a member of the faculty. James Armstrong graduated from Princeton, Phi Beta Kappa with a major in classics, just a few months before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941, served with Army Intelligence in the Pacific, and rose from the rank of private to captain. He was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service and was discharged in 1946. Armstrong was called back into uniform in 1951–1952 for the Korean War.

Between the wars he was awarded a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship and earned a PhD in Greek literature from Princeton in 1949. His dissertation was titled “The Trierarchy and the Tribal Organization of the Athenian Navy.” While pursuing his doctoral studies, Armstrong discovered his love of teaching Greek to undergraduates and his passion for sharing the intricacies of Homeric literature. 

He held instructor positions at Princeton and Indiana University before accepting his alma mater’s offer of an assistant professorship in the classics department in 1954. He subsequently was appointed assistant dean of the graduate school and was later promoted to associate professor and associate dean of the graduate school.

In 1963, as Middlebury’s 11th president, Samuel Stratton, was preparing to step down from office, the Board of Trustees’ search committee, chaired by L. Douglas Meredith, approached the 44-year-old Armstrong.

In his inaugural address, delivered on November 8, 1963, Armstrong said: “There is no room in this hour of man’s history on earth for luxury education with finishing-school overtones, for fads, frills, and fringes.…What is at stake here at Middlebury is the importance and relevance of the liberal arts and liberal sciences—here and now—in the space-atomic-computer-satellite age—this age of segregation and inequality, persecution and intolerance, prejudice and provincialism—yet at the same time this age of social and moral concern, of internationalism and cooperation, of gigantic strides in understanding through communication." 

The new college president received a Western Union telegram on his inauguration day. It read: “I extend to you my warmest best wishes and my full confidence that you will sustain the high traditions and standards that have been set by Middlebury College. You bring to this new assignment an outstanding record of scholarship, and it is most heartening that your talents will now serve this important and influential institution.”  The telegram was signed “John F. Kennedy.”

Though capital projects may have been the most visible campus changes during Armstrong’s tenure, he had just as great an impact in other arenas, as well. The summer language programs expanded to include schools in Chinese (1966) and Japanese (1970), while the Language Schools and Schools Abroad added courses at the undergraduate level when, heretofore, coursework had been for master’s and doctoral degree candidates only. In addition, Armstrong and the trustees launched the 175th Anniversary Campaign in 1971 with the goal of raising $10.5 million. At its conclusion, the campaign had raised more than $13.8 million.

In the fall of 1974, Armstrong informed the trustees of his intention to resign on September 1, 1975, to become the president of the Charles A. Dana Foundation.

A glowing tribute to President Armstrong was delivered at his final faculty meeting in 1975: “By good management, prudence, and ferocious fund-raising, he led us through a period of expansion when this college grew in size, in endowment, in every facet—but most of all in quality.…So, Mr. President, somewhat immodestly, we [the faculty] believe the greatest tribute to your years at Middlebury stands before you in this room.”

The Board of Trustees honored him with a resolution enumerating some of his many attributes, among them “classicist, scholar, tomato farmer, holder of Prix de Rome, elder of the church, Princetonian, aviator, fund-raiser, future foundation leader, sometime skier, Carol’s husband, and our friend.”

In 1977 Armstrong accept the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters at that year’s Commencement exercises. The citation read, in part: “New centers for the arts, the languages, and the sciences, and an unprecedented six endowed professorial chairs are tangible evidence of your vigorous and confident administration. Yet we know that the educational successes which honor you the most are the many gifted scholars and teachers you brought to this college on the hill.”

In 1999 James and Carol Armstrong returned to Middlebury for the dedication of the James I. Armstrong Library, the College’s science library located on two floors inside the magnificent, new Bicentennial Hall.  In 2010 the College established the James I. Armstrong Professorship in Classical Studies in honor of Armstrong and his lasting and far-reaching contributions to Middlebury. The professorship—made possible by a gift from Carolyn and Milt Peterson, Class of 1958, and their family—is held by Professor of Classics Jane Chaplin.

The Armstrongs raised three children: the late Carol, or “Cary,” who married Roth “T” Tall ’65 and had two sons, Christopher and Jamieson; James I. Jr., the director of choirs at the College of William and Mary, who is married to Jamie C. Bartlett, the associate director of choirs at the same institution, and who has two children, Robert and Caecilia; and Elizabeth Armstrong, associate professor of East Asian studies at Bucknell University, who is married to Erik Lofgren, also an associate professor of East Asian studies at Bucknell, and together they have two daughters, Rebekah and Mariah.

Middlebury will release information about funeral arrangements as soon as it is available.

Middlebury, VT— National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced today that New England Review, a publication of Middlebury College, is one of 895 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. New England Review is recommended for a $10,000 grant to support the publication and promotion of the quarterly literary journal in print and digital formats.

During the grant period (January through December 2014), New England Review will publish four issues of the journal in print and digital editions; contribute new audio, video, and original writing to its website; and continue building an audience of readers. Funds requested from the NEA will be used to support publishing expenses, including increased writers’ fees, as well as digital outreach and marketing.

Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, "The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support these exciting and diverse arts projects that will take place throughout the United States. Whether it is through a focus on education, engagement, or innovation, these projects all contribute to vibrant communities and memorable experiences for the public to engage with the arts."

Carolyn Kuebler, who will assume the role of Editor of NER during the 2014 funding period, said, “We are thrilled to receive the support of the NEA, which will allow us to increase payments to authors for the first time in twenty years, and will support our ongoing efforts to make great new writing available to a wider audience.”

Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence: public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancing the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,528 eligible Art Works applications, requesting more than $75 million in funding. Of those applications, 895 are recommended for grants for a total of $ 23.4 million.

New England Review (NER), a publication of Middlebury College, cultivates artistic excellence and innovation in contemporary writers and engages readers deeply in the literary arts through its quarterly publication, dynamic web presence, and quarterly public reading series. Every issue of NER features new works of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, translations from many languages in many genres, and essays on film, music, painting, and more. NER makes room in its pages for literary experimentation as well as the imaginative use of conventions, for essays that engage deeply with our immediate surroundings as well as those that elucidate other time periods, cultures, and places. From the painstaking selection process through careful editing and presentation, NER works closely with writers as they perfect their art, and in turn offers their work to the public in a variety of formats.

Emma Willard House is home to the Admissions Office.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — Middlebury has offered 287 students early admission to the Class of 2018 from a pool of 686 applicants. The admitted students represent about 44 percent of a class that is expected to total just under 650.

The College deferred 96 applicants, who will be considered for regular admission in the spring, and denied admission to 303 students.

Acceptances offered under Middlebury’s early decision program are binding, which means that students who apply are signaling that Middlebury is their first choice.

Last year Middlebury College received 699 applications for early decision and admitted 294, which accounted for 42 percent of the class.

Middlebury College Dean of Admissions Greg Buckles said that the 287 accepted students are from 35 states, Washington, D.C., and 19 countries.

“We’re especially pleased with the success we’ve had in reaching out to international students,” said Buckles. “As a group, they tend to apply regular admission, but this year we accepted 21 international students early decision, an increase of 50 percent over last year.” International students represent about 10 percent of Middlebury’s student body.

The College will award up to $3.2 million in need-based financial aid to students admitted early decision.

Students learned of their admission by logging onto a special website starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, December 7. Mailed letters arrived at their homes last week.

The deadline for regular admission applications is January 1.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs has honored Middlebury’s MiddCORE program. Ashoka has named MiddCORE a winner of the 2014 Ashoka U - Cordes Innovation Award–one of six winners from a pool of more than 220 nominations. The award “recognizes high impact and highly replicable education innovations.”

“This is a tremendous honor and we’re proud to be in the company of the other winners,” said Associate Professor of Economics Jessica Holmes, who directs the MiddCORE program. “We also recognize the strong support we received from our incredible mentors, the administration and our colleagues at the Center for Social Entrepreneurship and the Programs for Creativity and Innovation. We are fortunate to be part of such a strong ecosystem for innovation at Middlebury College.”

The six winners, including MiddCORE, will be featured at the annual Ashoka U Exchange, an annual international conference featuring 140 institutions from 40 countries. Holmes and the other winners will speak as part of a keynote address at the 2014 conference on February 21 at Brown University. MiddCORE will also be featured with other innovators on the Ashoka U web site.

MiddCORE began in 2008 as a way to help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset and a leader’s toolkit. The full range of offerings includes the flagship winter-term immersion program, campus workshops, internships, and a new immersion program at Sierra Nevada Nevada College on Lake Tahoe, open to students from any institution.

Students work with mentors in dozens of hands-on skill-building workshops in an environment that encourages risk-taking and personal development.

“The key to the MiddCORE experience is our mentors,” said Holmes. “Carefully chosen mentors develop daily, weekly or month-long challenges that inspire students to think creatively, operate outside their comfort zone, and deal with ambiguity. Partner organizations ask students to problem-solve in real-time and find feasible solutions to authentic challenges.”

MiddCORE mentors range from CEOs, politicians and entrepreneurs to artists and actors. They provide students with intensive hands-on challenges that build skills in leadership, collaboration, idea creation, persuasive communication, design thinking, and empathy.

D. E. Axinn Professor of English and Creative Writing Jay Parini has pondered writing about Jesus for many years. His interest in religion goes back to his college days, when he studied New Testament Greek. Since then, other book projects have taken priority, but he quietly continued his interest and research in Jesus.

Then came the opportunity to write a book for Amazon's ICONS series - a collection of short, thought-provoking biographies of big personalities. His new book, Jesus the Human Face of God, was released earlier this month and, unsurprisingly, has caught the eye of the national media, including MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and NPR's "On Point."