203rd Session Meeting Minutes

The 203rd session of the Dartmouth Alumni Council opened with meetings of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee and the Alumni Liaison Committee, followed by an orientation session for first-year councilors.

Alumni Council President Danielle Dyer ’81, ’89Tu, opened up the first plenary session and introduced Provost Carol Folt ’78a. In her presentation “Tomorrow Together: The Dartmouth Strategic Plan,” Provost Folt provided councilors an update on the College’s strategic planning process, which has been launched in anticipation of Dartmouth’s 250th anniversary in 2019. The goal of the process is to build on the College’s strength, distinction, and potential for leadership. Along the way, administrators are seeking broad input from the entire Dartmouth community. A major guiding principle of the process is to take an integrated approach and think in terms of “One Dartmouth.” Provost Folt also mentioned that there are many working groups in place — such as Pedagogy, Teaching & Mentorship, Scholarship, Research & Creativity, Digital Dartmouth, Workforce of the Future, Graduate Education for the Future, Students of the Future, and Global Dartmouth — with more groups to be formed. There is a working strategic planning website that is continuously updated for the public to view and share ideas. Feedback about the strategic plan can be submitted online at http://strategicplanning.dartmouth.edu.

Provost Folt mentioned that the educational landscape is growing, especially on a global scale. Competition for students and faculty is also increasing, so it’s important to grow while sustaining the integrity of Dartmouth’s core values. To that end, it’s necessary to define and enhance the scholar-teacher model that is fundamental to the College in order to be truly distinctive in higher education. Provost Folt and her staff are examining many types of data, metrics, and rankings. In terms of international rankings, Dartmouth is much lower than its Ivy League peers; however, it scores very high on the faculty-citation index. Administrators are working hard on fixing that gap and building a stronger global brand for Dartmouth so that international rankings do not begin to impact the school's domestic position.

The plenary session was preceded by three discussion dinners, where councilors and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee engaged in dialogue about Dartmouth's future. Feedback was recorded and submitted to the Strategic Planning Committee.

The morning started off with meetings of the Academic Affairs, Athletics, Communications, Enrollment and Admissions, and Student Affairs Committees.

The second plenary session opened with a panel titled “Diversity at Dartmouth,” which consisted of Gabrielle Lucke, director of diversity training and educational programs of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity; Rodrigo Ramirez ’06, assistant dean of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL); and students Christian Brandt ’12 and Elise Smith ’13. Lucke gave a presentation on the work of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity and elaborated on its mission to create partnerships with offices and individuals across the institution to provide resources that promote access, respect, and community for all. This includes training and educational programs, the Affirmative Action Plan, accessibility compliance, and working with human resources on recruitment. Brandt spoke about his participation with many student organizations as an LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) student, including the Inter-Community Council, Leadership Discovery Program, Diversity Peer Advisor Program and involvement in gender-neutral housing. Smith discussed how she at first didn’t feel the need to become involved in student diversity programs or need that support, because she didn’t have a difficult transition from high school to Dartmouth. However, the more she started talking to members of the Afro-American Society (AAM), the more she realized she could benefit from participating in the group. She now enjoys involvement in such organizations as the AAM and Inter-Community Council. Ramirez gave an overview of OPAL, whose mission is to facilitate the academic, social, cultural, and leadership development of undergraduate students and communities by serving as a central resource on issues related to gender, race, culture, sexuality, and socio-economic class. He gave examples of OPAL programs, including one-on-one advising, leadership development, and residential and cultural programming. During the question-and-answer session, it was expressed that there is still a desire among councilors to hear from senior administrators regarding faculty and staff recruitment and retention.

After a lunch break, the third plenary session opened with a presentation on the work of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee by Pete Frederick ’65, chair. In his presentation, Frederick provided an overview of the committee’s work, including its purpose and composition as well as the intensive vetting process of all nominees put forth by alumni. He then announced that the committee selected Nate Fick ’99, Rick Kimball ’78, and Ben Wilson ’73 to run for alumni-nominated trustees of Dartmouth College and introduced the candidates.

Nathaniel Fick ’99

Nate Fick ’99 is chief executive officer of the Center for a New American Security and an operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. After Dartmouth, he served as a Marine Corps infantry officer in Afghanistan and Iraq and wrote the bestselling book, One Bullet Away, about that experience. He is a director of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which provides access to higher education for the children of service members killed in action. Nate serves Dartmouth on the Board of Visitors of the Rockefeller Center and is a frequent speaker on campus. While at Dartmouth, he won a U.S. National Championship title in cycling. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Nate lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and daughter.

Richard H. Kimball ’78

Rick Kimball ’78 is a founding general partner of Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), one of the largest growth equity/venture capital funds in the world focused exclusively on information technology. Over the course of a 16-year history, TCV-backed companies have held 50 initial public offerings. He is a member of the Dartmouth President’s Leadership Council, Trustees’ Investment Committee, and College Fund Committee and also serves as class agent. Rick played a major role in supporting the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center project. At Dartmouth, he was a member of SigEp and majored in history. He alsoholds an MBA from the University of Chicago. Rick is the son of John Kimball ’43. He is married with a daughter and son and lives in San Francisco.

Ben Wilson ’73

Ben Wilson ’73 is managing principal of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., the nation’s largest environmental law firm. Ben litigates extensively in federal and state courts and advises clients in complex business negotiations. He is lead counsel for major corporations and government agencies. Ben serves on the boards of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and the Environmental Law Institute. He is an adjunct professor at Howard University Law School and a graduate of Harvard Law School. At Dartmouth, Ben was vice president of his class and a member of the varsity football and track teams. After graduation, he founded a mentoring program to foster academic success by minority college students and has been active in fundraising activities. Ben’s three brothers (Harrison ’77, John ’80, and Richard ’84) also attended Dartmouth.

After each biography, the candidate addressed the Alumni Council (Fick and Wilson were in attendance; Kimball was present via Skype) and afterward all candidates participated in a question-and-answer session with the councilors. Fick and Wilson attended the reception and dinner later that evening to meet and further converse with councilors.

After the candidates departed the plenary session and some discussion with Danielle Dyer and Pete Frederick, the Alumni Council members present voted unanimously (85 in favor) to approve approve these candidates to run for the three alumni-nominated trustee vacancies.

Next on the agenda was a presentation by dean of the College Charlotte Johnson. In her presentation, Dean Johnson provided an update on student affairs. The mission of her division is “to help students succeed at Dartmouth and beyond,” and the key divisional strategies are to ensure students are anchored to the intellectual life of the campus, reside in a responsible and inclusive community, and are prepared for rewarding and successful careers. Goals for the current academic year include:

continued support of the Dartmouth Health Improvement Project and the National College Health Improvement Project collaboratives;

implementation of a bystander-intervention program for sexual assault;

increased partnerships with faculty;

expansion of the student health and wellness initiative to include a more holistic approach;

execution of short-term strategy to expand student access to counseling services;

creation of a long-term strategy for improving services at Dick’s House;

completion of a comprehensive plan for the restructuring of pre-major advising; and

creation of a long-term plan to improve Career Services.

Dean Johnson is asking her staff to reach out to all corners of the campus to engage students — all of whom have a role to play to ensure student success.

The plenary session concluded with a presentation by M. Cecelia Gaposchkin, assistant dean of the faculty and assistant professor of history. Professor Gaposchkin talked about the pre-major advising program, which aims to facilitate a productive advising relationship between faculty and students in their first and second years who have not yet declared a major. She went into further detail about an update to the program that will strengthen the partnership between the dean of the College and the faculty throughout the pre-major advising process.

After the afternoon plenary session, councilors had the opportunity to attend one of two faculty lectures:

“The Dartmouth Financial Literacy Project,” by Dorothy Wallace, professor of mathematics, and “Moderism and Fascism: The Case of Gertrude Stein,” by Barbara Will, professor of English.

Following the lectures, meetings were held for the Young Alumni and Honorary Degrees Committees.

A reception was then held at the Top of the Hop, followed by dinner in Alumni Hall.

Before dinner, Danielle Dyer introduced President Jim Yong Kim ’82a, who, in response to Alumni Council feedback, provided councilors with an update on the Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking and the value of a Dartmouth education, among other points of interest.

Additionally, Dyer addressed the Alumni Council and presented Dartmouth Alumni Awards to Sue Finegan ’85, David Eichman ’82, and Curt Welling ’71, ’77Tu.

The Alumni Liaison Committee held a breakfast meeting with Trustees Annette Gordon-Reed ’81 and Brad Evans ’64.

President-elect Marty Lempres ’84 opened the morning plenary session. Lempres introduced Gordon-Reed and Evans, who provided an update from the Dartmouth College Board of Trustees. Gordon-Reed opened by thanking the Alumni Council for all its work and congratulated the Alumni Award winners. She mentioned that the board is committed to outreach and engagement of alumni, with appearances at more than 30 Advancement events last year. As a member of the Board of Trustees’ Alumni Relations Committee, she mentioned that the annual report from the Alumni Council’s Alumni Liaison Committee is a very useful resource to the board. Gordon-Reed is also impressed to see that the council has started to invite notable alumni to speak at its spring meetings, with Jeff Immelt ’78 last May and Michael Arad ’91 scheduled for the upcoming session. Evans, chair of the Board of Trustees’ Alumni Relations Committee and member of the Finance and Investments Committees, mentioned a target growth of 40 percent for the Dartmouth College Fund by 2014. Additionally, Evans mentioned that the College will continue to reach out to alumni for input regarding the strategic planning process during major leadership weekends on campus, at clubs, and wherever else appropriate. Discussing facilities, he said the new Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center is complete and the new Visual Arts Center is scheduled to be completed in the fall. In response to councilor questions, the trustees mentioned the endowment distribution level has decreased to a more stable level and liquidity has increased; an interdisciplinary approach to teaching is important for the College’s future; 14 percent of the Class of 2015 are legacy students and communication has improved to notify families of denied students; and sustainability is another priority for the College.

Following the trustee presentation, Al Mulley ’70, director of the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science, provided the Alumni Council a summary of the center’s first year. Dr. Mulley explained the fundamental issue that high-cost health care does not lead to better care. In President Kim’s first year, he formed the Dartmouth Center for Health Care Delivery Science to build new connections among Dartmouth’s strengths. Dartmouth’s president and provost, deans of medicine, business, engineering, and arts and sciences, and the director of the Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (also president of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center) are all committed to the partnership. Dr. Mulley shared the curriculum of the program, which was in large part designed by DMS and Tuck faculty. The master’s program is a combination of on-site classes and projects and interdisciplinary distance-learning. Dartmouth is also the convener and coordinating center for the High Value Health Care Collaborative that includes Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Intermountain Health, and Denver Health — all working together to measure and improve the value of health care. The collaborative is expanding to 15 top U.S. hospital systems covering 50 million people. Further, Dr. Mulley explained that through a teamwork-based approach to health care delivery, there is much room for effectiveness and efficiency. This can be accomplished by creating tasks made simple enough to be delegated to lower-training levels, providing complementary toolkits for health professionals with different levels of training and skills, building community resources and relationships, and improving social networking to change behavior and spread innovation.

After a short coffee break, Lempres introduced Athletics Director Harry Sheehy ’55a, who gave a presentation titled “Peak Performance: Fostering Physical, Intellectual, and Personal Growth in the Dartmouth Student-Athlete.” Sheehy gave an overview of the goal of the Peak Performance initiative, which is to integrate existing services and increase resources targeted at helping student-athletes achieve the highest levels of physical, intellectual, and personal growth during their Dartmouth careers. He also noted the effort in place to educate student-athletes about the detrimental effects binge-drinking has on athletic performance, and shared the fun fact that chocolate milk is provided to all athletes because it contains the ideal combination of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to ideally rebuild and recover muscles post-workout. Drew Galbraith, senior associate AD for Peak Performance, then provided an in-depth explanation of the initiative and shared how they are approaching things from an academic standpoint through team faculty advisors and campus integration; from an athletic standpoint through sports medicine, strength and conditioning, integrative health, nutrition, and counseling/sports psychology; and from a personal standpoint through peer mentoring, career planning and networking, alcohol education, and community engagement.

Martha Beattie ’76, vice president for Alumni Relations, provided an update on “Alumni Relations: The Year Ahead.” In her presentation, Beattie reflected on the first six months of her role and how she is looking ahead. With regards to the goal of the division, she determined that alumni engagement falls into two categories: 1) Goodwill, which makes up the emotional and social aspect of engagement such as reunions, class connections, club activities, Dartmouth on Location events, and travel and continuing education; and 2) Active Support, which focuses on time, talent, and deliverables such as the Alumni Council, class officers, the Board of Trustees, reunion chairs, and the Association of Alumni Executive Committee. It’s important that if alumni meaningfully engage with the College, the College provide something meaningful in return. This will be accomplished through such offerings as career planning and services, alumni career panels and speakers, life-stage planning, online shared-interest groups, and education and health insurance cooperatives. Challenges for Alumni Relations are housing, venue sizes, and parking for large events. Beattie also shared some new 2012 reunion highlights, including all-class events on the Green in the afternoon. She reviewed the departments of Alumni Relations. She stressed the fact that there needs to be even more alumni engaged in the College, and that the department is taking a hard look at what needs to be done to invigorate its outreach to all alumni. She encouraged councilors to provide her with their best ideas and leadership to make this happen.

Lempres announced the open forum. Committee chairs then provided reports on the Academic Affairs, Athletics, Alumni Liaison, Communications, Enrollment and Admissions, Student Affairs, and Young Alumni Committees.

During the open discussion period, councilors provided the Alumni Relations Office and the Alumni Council’s Executive Committee with ideas for presentations and agenda items for future Alumni Council meetings.

There was no new or old business.

The meeting was adjourned.

An Executive Committee debriefing took place on Wednesday, December 7, 2011, via teleconference.