The Alumni Council for 1976-77

EACH year it has been customary to include in the ALUMNI MAGAZINE a list of the members of the Alumni Council together with an invitation to all alumni to get in touch with Council members about their questions or concerns. This year the Council would like to renew that invitation, but with special emphasis. The reason has to do with important developments which have taken place concerning the relationship of the Alumni Council to Dartmouth's Trustees.

The Alumni Council serves two general purposes. It oversees and coordinates a variety of alumni activities such as enrollment, the Alumni Fund, and class and club organization. Equally important, the Council interests itself in various aspects of College life such as academic affairs, athletics, and admissions, and sees to it that alumni interests and concerns are made known to the College. This is accommittees complished through standing and special of the Council. In addition, the Council nominates seven of the 14 elected Trustees. (See page 20 for an announcement of a forthcoming vacancy on the Board of Trustees.)

The second purpose, the representation of alumni views, has now increased considerably in significance as a result of steps taken by the Trustees to provide for a fuller exchange of information and ideas with the Alumni Council. The new concept calls for Alumni Council representation on the three major Trustee standing committees and for greater ad hoc participation of Trustees in Council meetings.

Although these changes took place only recently, they have already had a positive effect in helping the Council identify and consider issues of special interest to alumni which will require Trustee action. This has been illustrated within the last 18 months by the creation of a special Alumni Council committee to study the question of the male-female ratio of undergraduates, the adoption of a resolution (for Trustee consideration) at the June 1976 Council meeting, and the attendance of the Alumni Council president at various Trustee committee meetings where many aspects of this question, including alumni points of view, were considered.

Other subjects of particular interest to the Council at this time include: the impact of the Dartmouth Plan on undergraduate life and intercollegiate athletics; the financial condition of the College and revisions to its budget; the scope of continuing education programs; the awarding of honorary degrees; athletic facility planning, etc. In all such areas the freer flow of information between the Council and Trustees will, we believe, be helpful to both, and also serve the interests of the College.

This relationship with the Trustees in- volves a greater opportunity for the Council, but at the same time a greater responsibility. Since they must attempt to reflect accurately various alumni points of view, Council representatives need to call upon every available means to assure that they fully understand and can fairly describe such views. This is particularly important on those issues where alumni views may vary widely. For this reason the Council members urge alumni who have questions, concerns, and views on any aspect of College programs or policies to make their views known. This can be done by contacting a Council representative from your region or an officer of the Council. Their names appear below.