Alumni Council

This fall Dartmouth alumni will be asKed to vote on aproposed new alumni constitution. For the past two years the members of the Alumni Council have reviewed and discussed the evolution of this governance proposal, and in May they voted unanimously to endorse the new document. The council feels strongly that this constitution is excellent and that it deserves passage.

However, wherever green is worn, alumni will disagree.

There is a small, politically active alumni faction whose objective is to control the College board of trustees and direct the appointment of the next Dartmouth president. They oppose any change that obstructs that goal, including the proposed new alumni constitution, which eliminates the procedural advantage that petition candidates enjoy in alumni trustee elections under the existing constitution. Their members have publicly called for President Jim Wrights resignation and the defeat of the proposed new constitution. They claim to stand for excellence in undergraduate education, improved athletics, free speech, smaller classes, higher faculty compensation and a stronger Greek system at Dartmouth. But those are not issues that divide us.

To give the impression that Dartmouth alumni are at war, these alumni have chosen to take their disagreements to the news media—TheNew York Times, the Associated Press and National Review Online—and to label their fellow alumni, particularly those who have volunteered as members of the alumni governance task force (AGTF), variously as Stalinists, puppets and conspirators. Consequently, a great deal of misinformation has circulated about the proposed new constitution. I'd like to correct a few of those myths.

The new constitution was not developed in response to recent trustee petition candidate elections to the board (review of the constitution process was started well before the last two trustee elections), and the Collegeadministration has no control over the process and did not have input into the new constitution. Both conservative and liberal alumni are members of the AGTF and have worked together for several years to collect and incorporate alumni sentiment into this document.

The proposed new constitution does not stunt the opportunities for future petition candidates by subjecting them to different rules than nominated candidates. The proposed alumni trustee election process is streamlined and fair, providing for head-to-head contests and simplified ballots, and making it easier for "outsider" candidates to petition and run.

The new constitution replaces the two outdated and flawed constitutions of the existing Alumni Council and Association of Alumni and brings alumni together into a modernized and more powerful organization. Its strength is the creation of transparent, democratic and inclusive governance forums where alumni can debate and manage their different points of view. This in turn will help Dartmouth create the balance that makes College life both vibrant and exciting for todays students.

Now is the time to let your voice be heard. Please participate in the vote on the proposed new alumni constitution from September 15 to October 31. For more information about the proposed new alumni constitution vote, visit http:// alumni.dartmouth.edu/leadership/association/.

'73, Tu'76, President, AlumniCouncil