Alumni Trustee Recommendation Process

Not true. The process to nominate an alumni trustee is very democratic and expansive. When a trustee seat needs to be filled, the call for nominations is broadly advertised to the entire alumni community. Any alum can nominate another alum, and every nominee is considered by the NomCom. Moreover, in its role to identify the best candidate choice as an alumni trustee, the NomCom is beholden only to our alumni community.

Not true. The Dartmouth Board is active and egalitarian. All trustees, regardless of whether they came to the Board through the alumni or the charter selection process, serve as equal members of the Board. The duties and powers of each of the Trustees are exactly the same, as are the terms for each (all can serve two four-year terms). In fact, the current Board chair and Board vice-chair are both alumni-nominated trustees. 

Not true. The NomCom does not consider, nor even has access to, the giving history of any of the candidates nominated by our alumni. The NomCom focuses solely on each candidate’s background, skills, and experience and how well their qualities would strengthen the Board and best enable it to achieve its governance mission.

Not true. NomCom members are selected by alumni councilors; College leadership is not involved. Here’s how the process works:

• The current NomCom identifies four second- or third-year alumni councilors and nominates them for the two NomCom positions that open each year.
• The four candidates then prepare statements and written answers to questions germane to the role of a NomCom member.
• The candidate statements are provided to all alumni councilors for their education and review.
• At the spring session of Alumni Council, councilors vote for their top two choices. The results of that election are announced at the end of that session.
• The two new members of NomCom begin their duties on July 1, each serving a three-year term.

Not true. As we outlined previously, NomCom is independent from and in no way accountable to the Board of Trustees and College leadership for its activities and decisions. While we do solicit feedback and perspective from the Board and College leadership in terms of what background, skills, or experience would make for a strong trustee candidate, NomCom participates in its own separate, confidential selection process to identify its nominee(s). The decision regarding which candidate is ultimately nominated rests solely with the NomCom.

Not true. Each year preceding an impending alumni trustee opening, several communications vehicles (e.g., ads in the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, emails, etc.) are employed to inform the entire alumni community of the opportunity to nominate alumni for the trustee seat. Any alum can nominate another alum, and all nominations are discussed by NomCom. The NomCom continues to receive and discuss alumni nominations until such a time, prescribed by the timeline maintained by the Association of Alumni executive committee each year, that a nominee must be presented to the Alumni Council to be affirmed (or not) by Council for the open trustee seat.

Not true. The work of the NomCom is exhaustive and comprehensive. The NomCom team, an independent body of alumni peers, is democratically elected by the full Alumni Council to represent the alumni community in identifying and selecting trustees.

Prior to concluding its review of nominations,  Alumni Council holds a vote, and all current councilors can vote to determine whether one or two candidates per open trustee seat shall be put presented by the NomCom to the Alumni Council. Nominees then are presented at the fall session of the Council, and councilors are given the opportunity both to ask questions of the nominees and to vote to approve the nomination.

The process, however, necessarily does not end there. As outlined in the timeline maintained by the Association of Alumni executive committee, a process is prescribed by which alumni can put forth a petition candidate or candidates to challenge the candidate(s) approved by the Council. An election then will follow, in which all Dartmouth alumni can participate. The winner(s) of that election then will serve on the Board of Trustees.