Alumni Council Resources

The Alumni Council is composed of representatives from constituencies within the alumni body. Its mission is to sustain a fully informed, representative, and engaged exchange of information and sentiment between alumni and the College, and to enhance and inspire alumni involvement that furthers the mission of the College. 

Attendance at council meetings is expected of all members. Membership on the council is not an honor without obligations. Membership involves proactive and reactive communications with constituents, prompt and effective handling of committee duties, understanding and sharing Dartmouth news and priorities, and readiness to serve the council. 

Vacancies on the Alumni Council are filled by a diverse group of Dartmouth alumni who will bring important perspectives and add strength to the important work of the council.

Election to the council is overseen by the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee and other organized alumni groups. 

Qualifications include: 

1. Outstanding achievement and/or special qualifications.
2. Demonstrated active interest in Dartmouth.
3. Availability to attend meetings.
4. Ability to serve as an ambassador for Dartmouth, represent legitimate interests of alumni, and effectively report back to constituents.

The Alumni Council elects a president and president-elect to one-year terms. The most recent president serves as chair of the Alumni Liaison Committee. The deputy director of Alumni Relations serves in an ex-officio position on all council matters. These three officers and the chairs of each council committee sit on the Executive Committee. 

President

The position of council president is held for a single term of one year. As elected leader of the Alumni Council representing the alumni body of Dartmouth College, the president calls meetings and presides when the group is formally in session. 

The duties charged to the president are as follows: 

• The council president presents alumni awards annually and may be called on to represent the College at various official functions, such as Dartmouth Night, dedications, inaugurations, and regional events. 
   
• The council president is a member of the Alumni Liaison Committee and the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee. The president is chair of the Executive Committee. 
   

President-Elect 

The president-elect serves in place and fulfills all duties of the president when necessary and is chair of the Orientation Committee and a member of the council’s Executive Committee, Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee, and the Alumni Liaison Committee. 
 

Deputy Director of Alumni Relations 

The deputy director is an ex-officio member of the Alumni Council. He or she is an ex-officio member of the Nominating Committee, Executive Committee, and Alumni Awards Committee. The deputy director’s duties involve communication with members and serving as liaison to ad hoc committees. The director is responsible for procedures in nominating and electing members to the council.

The 227th meeting of the Alumni Council took place in Hanover October 26–28, 2023. The meeting began on Thursday, October 26, with the opening session led by Alumni Council President Alexandra Garison Barnett ’07, who welcomed council members back to campus. Vice President of Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb ’82 gave an update on the work of the Alumni Relations team, including planning for President Beilock’s Welcome Tour events; continuing to provide virtual content for alumni; the launch of Dartmouth Connect, a career network with more than 5,000 alumni members; and ongoing efforts to improve information-sharing beyond email messages. The council then heard from Alumni Liaison Committee Chair Chitra Narasimhan ’92, who reflected on findings from the 2022–23 ALC Annual Report and shared the committee’s goals for the year ahead: to continue gathering information via surveys; to revamp the year-end report process; to enhance the advisory role of the committee; and to find better ways to communicate with constituents. Interim Chief Advancement Officer Ann Root Keith ’05a closed out the opening session by thanking the Alumni Council for its feedback to President Beilock and the senior leadership team. Keith also provided context for her new role. The previous position held by Bob Lasher ’88 has been split to allow for both the continuation of new strategies for Dartmouth and engagement with the president and Board of Trustees and also to focus on the day-to-day work of the Advancement Division.

Following the opening session, council members attended their individual committee meetings in Dartmouth Hall.

Friday, October 27, 2023
On Friday, councilors began their morning with Lee Coffin ’89a, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, and Sandhya Iyer, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, for a conversation on “Navigating a Race-Neutral Admissions Landscape.” Moderated by Jack Steinberg ’88, the discussion outlined the complexities surrounding the recent SCOTUS decision that restricts the ability to use race as a factor in admissions decisions.

The council then heard from Elizabeth Smith ‘73a, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, for an in-depth look at the Undergraduate Research and Advising (UGAR) program. Last year, 675 undergraduate students undertook research opportunities across all divisions, from the sciences to creative work in the arts. Dean Smith was joined by Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Mike Hoppa and Emma Hochberg ‘25, who shared their first-hand perspectives of the teacher-scholar model within the research process. Professor Hoppa described the importance of getting students involved in research early on, which helps to create a foundation for papers to be published, and for students to gain connections with each other and with faculty members. The UGAR budget last year was $1.3 million, 47% of which came from donor gifts. Dean Smith shared that demand from students outpaces currently available funds and they are actively working to increase fundraising to provide more students with access to research opportunities.

The council then enjoyed lunch and the presentation of the Professor John Rassias Faculty Awards. Councilors recognized the 2022 award recipient: Professor Matthew Delmont, Associate Dean of International and Interdisciplinary Studies and Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History. Professor Delmont accepted the award in person, and he spoke to the council about his research process and took questions from the audience. Following the session, councilors headed to Blunt Alumni Center to view the recently completed digital Alumni Awards display. When the group reconvened, the chairs of each committee gave brief reports on what their groups have been working on this year.

A highlight of the meeting for many was President Sian Leah Beilock’s address to the council, where she was welcomed with a standing ovation. President Beilock emphasized her statements following the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza, extending her support to the Dartmouth community and student groups and underscoring that anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have no place at Dartmouth. President Beilock then proceeded to discuss in more detail three key areas she outlined at inauguration: health and well-being, brave spaces, and interactions across generations. Following her welcoming remarks, Beilock left ample time for questions from councilors, which touched on a range of topics including athletic performance, leadership, housing shortages, Greek life, admissions, and international students.

Friday evening, councilors attended the Alumni Awards celebration dinner, where they recognized recipients of both the Alumni Award and Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. This year’s recipients of the Dartmouth Alumni Award are Bill Burgess ’81, Rick Routhier ’73 TU’76, and Molly Sundberg Van Metre ’81. The Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award recipients are Elizabeth B. Mitchell ’10, Kalina L. Newmark ’11, Amanda B. Rosenblum ’07, and Ariel Xue ’08.

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Saturday morning started with a group brainstorm on how to engage more alumni in President Beilock’s welcome tour and initiatives, which generated many helpful ideas for consideration, including: how to reach alumni in more rural markets; ways to create more engaging, effective, and personal communications; challenges faced by international students in accessing career resources; telling both linear and nonlinear career journeys more broadly; and providing alumni with mentorship training tools.

Trustee Sue Finegan ’85 joined the council during the Open Forum question and answer session. Councilor questions focused on the size of the student body, housing, tuition costs, climate change, and fundraising goals, among others. After the Open Forum, Hadley Mullin ’96, chair of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee, provided an overview of the committee’s work since the trustee vacancy announcement, conveyed the committee’s excitement for alumni-nominated trustee candidate Maia Josebachvili ’05, and highlighted the thorough review and consideration the committee gave to each of the 200+ nominations received. Maia then joined the council and took questions before leaving the room for the vote. The Alumni Council voted in an overwhelming majority to approve Maia’s candidacy.

To close the meeting, President Alexandra Garrison Barnett ‘07 allowed time for councilors to ask any lingering questions.

The meeting was then adjourned.

In late May, the Alumni Council gathered virtually for its 226th meeting. The goals for the Alumni Council this year were as follows: to give councilors a 360-degree view of the Dartmouth experience today; to reflect on the progress made over the last ten years under President Philip J. Hanlon ’77’s leadership (which we focused on in the fall); and to understand how the College is positioned as we welcome President-elect Sian Leah Beilock to office later this month.

A highlight of the meeting was the incredible opportunity to hear directly from President-elect Beilock on Dartmouth’s strengths and opportunities for the future. President-elect Beilock shared her views on topics such as mental health, trends in higher education, DEI, and free speech. Many councilors said they felt energized by her remarks and were excited to see what a strong leader she will be for Dartmouth.

These key themes carried throughout our council meeting:

Commitment to Mental Health

Mental health remains one of the largest areas of interest and concern for alumni. Provost David Kotz ’86, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Medical Education Matthew Duncan, and JED campus project manager Katie Lenhoff shared an update on the JED campus partnership with recent findings and recommendations. They emphasized that addressing mental health concerns on campus is a priority for Dartmouth’s senior leadership, including the Board of Trustees. Through the formation of working groups and an all-Dartmouth steering committee, the College is developing an all-Dartmouth Strategic Plan for student mental health and wellbeing for release to the community in September 2023. Following the session, many councilors said they are pleased with Dartmouth's overall commitment to this critical issue and would like to see Dartmouth continue to prioritize its work here.

Global Dartmouth

Barbara Will, vice provost for academic initiatives, spoke about the importance of a global education for Dartmouth undergraduate and graduate students, and presented a nine-month initiative she has led to map Dartmouth’s considerable global assets, while also outlining some challenges to consider. Councilors shared the importance of study abroad programs to the Dartmouth experience, as well as the need to support international students in Hanover. Will’s work is still in early stages and will be shared with President-elect Beilock as she begins to look at Dartmouth’s path forward on a global scale.

Toward Equity: Aligning Action and Accountability

Dr. Shontay Delalue, senior vice president and senior diversity officer, and Chloe Poston, associate vice president for strategic initiatives, guided councilors through a conversation on Toward Equity: Aligning Action and Accountability, a three-year institutional DEI strategic plan for Dartmouth that features clear accountability and metrics for success. Delalue and Poston gave an overview of the plan’s foundational elements and guiding principles. Of the plan’s 15 actions, the one most specific to alumni was to “expand and formalize existing mentoring programs into an initiative that connects alumni with students from underrepresented groups.” Alumni Relations will share more with the alumni community as this mentoring initiative takes shape. In the meantime, sign up here for Dartmouth Connect in preparation for the initiative.

Free Speech at Dartmouth and Beyond

Dartmouth’s commitment to free speech was addressed by President-elect Beilock and Trustees Caroline Kerr ’05, Elizabeth Mahoney Loughlin ’89, and Chair Elizabeth Cahill Lempres ’83 TH’84 during the open forum. Beilock reiterated that higher education is an arena meant for competing views and that campuses should be enabling what she referred to as brave spaces, not safe spaces, that invite people to speak their mind or practice their skills in uncomfortable situations. On the intersection of free speech and DEI, Beilock stated that the two do not work against each other; and she emphasized the importance of belonging as a foundation for constructive dialogue. Delalue also spoke on free speech and DEI, emphasizing a core question: How do we as a society help people engage in difficult conversation when they don’t agree?

Housing

Trustees also commented on housing and the challenges finding swing spaces to house people while dorms or housing units are being updated, repaired, or built. They reiterated that housing for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff, is a top priority for Dartmouth leadership and the Board of Trustees.

Alumni Council Leadership

The Alumni Council voted for several new leadership positions on the council:

• President-Elect 2023–2024: Cheryl Shepard ‘90
• Alumni Liaison Committee 2023–2026: Gina Lam ‘92
• Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee 2023–2026: Bruce Danziger ’83 and Nahoko Kawakyu-O'Connor ’99

Additionally, Alumni Liaison Committee (ALC) chair Laurie Shapiro ’95 led a conversation explaining how alumni sentiment is communicated amongst councilors, their constituents, and College leadership. Shapiro also gave councilors a clearer understanding of what the ALC does and clarified questions about the roles and responsibilities of councilors when communicating with their constituents. Shapiro shared that this year, the ALC is producing a snapshot report on mental health, two pulse check surveys, and an annual report of alumni sentiment for the year.

Finally, Professor Matthew Delmont shared themes from his new book, Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad. Delmont engaged councilors with several notable excerpts from his writing, including tales of black heroes such as Thurgood Marshal, the chief lawyer for the NAACP Legal Division, and Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families. Delmont also highlighted the recognition of combat soldiers, recipients of the Medal of Honor, and other tales that interwove the themes of bravery and patriotism in the face of racism.

To close the meeting, the chairs of each committee gave brief reports on what their groups have been working on this year, and president Chitra Narasimhan ’92 allowed time for councilors to ask any lingering questions. The meeting was then adjourned.

The 225th meeting of the Alumni Council took place in Hanover on October 21-23, 2022. The meeting began on Friday evening with the opening session led by Alumni Council President Chitra Narasimhan ’92, who shared the theme for the meeting – Navigating the Dartmouth Experience in 2022: 10 Years of Progress – which encompasses both the student experience today as well as the progress the institution has made throughout the last decade under President Hanlon’s leadership. Chitra kicked off the meeting, welcomed council members back to campus, and gave a brief overview of the weekend agenda. Vice President of Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb ’82 reflected on how far Dartmouth has come in the last ten years; shared how the Volunteer Engagement team is structured within the Alumni Relations department; and overviewed the milestone celebrations throughout the year, with Coeducation Weekend coming up next month. The council then heard from Alumni Liaison Committee Chair Laurie Lewis Shapiro ’95, who shared the alumni sentiment captured ahead of this meeting and previewed what’s ahead for the committee this year, including a newly designed online feedback form, additional pulse check surveys, and building on the “Going Forward” advisory pieces that were added in the ALC annual report.

Over dinner on Friday evening, councilors were joined by four student leaders from the Hill Winds Program, which trains current students in networking skills and engagement with Dartmouth alumni. The conversation focused on what it’s like to be a student at Dartmouth today, and the students demonstrated honesty and vulnerability in sharing their personal stories with the group.

Saturday, October 22, 2022

On Saturday, councilors began their morning with Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Smith. Dean Smith shared an overview of the recent renovations made to Dartmouth Hall, which were made possible by the generosity of women from the Dartmouth community. The building is now home to the Leslie Center for the Humanities and several foreign language programs; classrooms and meeting spaces have been reconfigured and updated with state-of-the-art technology; and new energy efficient systems were installed to convert Dartmouth Hall's heating infrastructure from steam to hot water. Dartmouth Hall will be rededicated on Friday, November 11th and available to watch via livestream during Coeducation Weekend.

Following Dean Smith’s remarks, council members took a group photo on the Green and attended their individual committee meetings in various locations around campus.

Provost David Kotz ‘86 joined councilors over lunch to help everyone better understand the role of the Provost as the chief academic and financial officer for the College. Provost Kotz works closely with President Hanlon to improve and maintain the quality of education at Dartmouth; collaborates with all the deans of the campus to support faculty, staff, and students; and sets the annual budget for the College. Provost Kotz also highlighted how faculty recruitment and retention are critical to Dartmouth’s overall academic excellence, and shared that in 2019 Dartmouth was elected to the Association of American Universities, which represents 65 of America’s leading public and private research universities.

After lunch, Dean Lee Coffin, Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, explained that his focus right now is on researching the past ten years of admissions, which will inform President-elect Beilock when she begins her tenure next year. He reiterated that Dartmouth has a great story to tell with its unique sense of place. Dean Coffin highlighted the impact of the universal need-blind international admissions policy and the special place Dartmouth holds as only the sixth institution in the country to not only implement need-blind admissions, but to also commit to working with admitted students to make it financially viable to attend. To close, Dean Coffin previewed some challenges on the horizon, such as increased applicant numbers, the debate over legacy admissions, and the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case before the Supreme Court that would impact how race is considered in admissions and how this may impact Dartmouth’s holistic review of applicants.

Next, councilors joined one of three breakout groups for a short working session. The topics covered included what volunteers want and need out of VOX, possible DEI training opportunities for alumni volunteers, and how the constituent communication process can be enhanced.

In response to the deep concern councilors and their constituents expressed about the mental health climate on campus, Dean of the College Scott Brown ‘84a joined councilors once again for an update on Dartmouth’s significant efforts on this front. Dean Brown reinforced Dartmouth’s emphasis on an institution-wide commitment to care, and he highlighted several ways this has intensified since he last spoke with councilors in the spring – the College has increased its counseling staff; provided free access for the community to Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app; and partnered with Uwill to provide teletherapy services for students. Additionally, now in the second year of Dartmouth’s partnership with the Jed Foundation, working groups are beginning to act on recommendations from Jed aimed at strengthening access to mental health, well-being, and belonging. Undergraduates also have a new wellness education requirement, beginning with the Class of 2026.

On Saturday night, the Alumni Council gathered to honor President Phil Hanlon in an evening titled Dartmouth Then, Now, and Looking Forward. Both Phil and Gail Gentes joined the council for their last in-person meeting (the spring meeting will be held virtually), and Alumni Council president Chitra Narasimhan ’92 moderated a reflective and thoughtful conversation with Phil as he looked back over the past ten years. The Alumni Council past presidents who served under Phil also put together a tribute video as a warm sendoff for his next chapter.

Sunday, October 23, 2022

Saturday morning started with breakfast in Floren Varsity House, where councilors received an update on how Dartmouth supports varsity student-athletes, with a focus on mental health, during an athletics panel featuring several members of the athletics team. Mike Harrity, Haldeman Family Director of Athletics and Recreation, led the discussion, which highlighted the ways Athletics is a leader on campus in addressing this critical issue.

Following the athletics panel, the chairs of each committee gave brief reports on what their groups have been working on this year.

The council was then joined by Trustees Susie Huang '84, Board Chair Liz Lempres '83 Th'84, and Chris Lord '86 during the Open Forum question and answer session. As chairs of the Presidential Search Committee, Susie and Chris shared insight into the committee’s process and ultimate selection of President-Elect Sian Leah Beilock, who will begin her tenure in the 2023-24 academic year. Additional councilor questions focused on the topic of mental health, and the Trustees emphasized that this is a top priority for the Board.

To close the meeting, president Chitra Narasimhan ’92 allowed time for councilors to ask any lingering questions and previewed the agenda for the spring meeting.

The meeting was then adjourned.

Community Activities

In addition to the regular scheduled Alumni Council sessions, a highlight of coming together in person included various opportunities throughout the weekend for councilors to engage in activities on campus.

• Day of Caring: Classes and other regularly scheduled activities were suspended on Friday, October 21st to allow all students, faculty, and staff across the institution time for healing and self-care. The Alumni Council was fortunate to be on campus for their first day of meetings and was able to participate in the Day of Caring by handing out cider donuts to students and other community members on the Green. This activity was a highlight for many councilors and spoke to the emphasis Dartmouth is placing on prioritizing mental health and wellbeing, which was a concern that carried throughout the council meeting.
   
• Food Shelf: Councilors also participated in a service project over the weekend, gathering food and cash donations (totaling over $1,000) for Dartmouth’s Food Shelf, a food pantry in Dick’s House, that supports students who face food insecurity here on campus.
   
• Mindfulness Moment: In support of councilors’ own wellness and to better understand the resources available to students on campus, the group participated in an optional mindfulness activity and discussion with members of the Mental Health Student Union.
   
• Diwali on the Green: Shanti, the Hindu Students Association on campus, held a series of events for Diwali: The Festival of Lights. Many councilors joined students on the Green to participate in the community lighting of diyas.