Alumni Council

Alumni Council

The Dartmouth Alumni Council—the 120-plusmember group of volunteers representing all Dartmouth alumni across class years, regional associations, and affiliated organizations—has continued its role of fostering communication and sharing sentiment between our 80,000-plus alumni and the College.

We were fortunate to be able to convene on campus this past October for our fall meeting. The Alumni Council’s goals this year are to recognize the progress the College has made during the last 10 years under President Hanlon’s tenure while also giving councilors a 360-degree view of the Dartmouth experience today. This context provides councilors with the insights they need to understand campus issues and communicate effectively with their constituents.

The fall Alumni Council meeting covered a wide range of topics with many representatives from college leadership. Councilors heard from provost David Kotz ’86 on his role in overseeing the academic affairs of the College. Lee Coffin, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, reiterated Dartmouth’s promise to current and future students. Dean of the College Scott Brown ’84 discussed the College’s efforts to improve mental health and well-being resources for students. The meeting concluded with an update on athletics through a mental health lens with Mike Harrity, Dartmouth’s new director of athletics and recreation, several members of his staff, and a student-athlete.

Our time on campus gave us some unique opportunities to engage with students. The first day of our meeting fell on Dartmouth’s Day of Caring, when all regularly scheduled classes and activities were cancelled to give the community time for healing and self-care. Councilors handed out cider donuts on the Green in a show of support for students on behalf ofthe entire alumni body. Student members ofthe Hill Winds program, an alumni relations initiative that connects current student leaders with alumni, joined councilors

for dinner and shared their perspectives on the opportunities and pressures of being a student today. And many councilors were able to share in the Diwali on the Green event with the Hindu Students Association—just one example of celebrating the diversity of Dartmouth today.

Between meetings, much of the Alumni Council’s work happens in committees. For example, the alumni service committee has been researching food insecurity issues on campus that affect both undergraduate and graduate students. In the fall councilors donated to Dartmouth’s food shelf, a food pantry in Dick’s House available to all students. The alumni liaison committee has also been hard at work at two initiatives—a fall 2022 pulse check of alumni sentiment and a mental health snapshot that has been shared with the board of trustees and College leadership. The mental health snapshot—a timely summary of both concerns and suggestions—is one example of how alumni sentiment can impact the conversations happening at the highest level ofthe College.

Our spring meeting will be virtual going forward, and while it is always great to be back in Hanover in-person, removing the travel constraint is intended to provide greater accessibility for more alumni to participate in Alumni Council. One of the highlights of the upcoming spring meeting will be welcoming President-elect Sian Beilock as she prepares to take the helm of the College.

It has been a great privilege to serve on the Alumni Council, and I am incredibly grateful to have met so many alumni in this role. During our upcoming meeting, I will be handing off the gavel to the next Alumni Council president, Alex Barnett ’07, who will officially assume the role in July. In the meantime, I continue to invite all alumni to reach out to me with their questions, opinions, and suggestions for the council.

—Chitra Narasimhan ’92, president, 6068 Blunt Alwnni Center, Hanover, NH 03755; alumni. cou71cil.preside71t@dart7nouth.edu

Chitra Narasimhan ’92