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Spring 2020
The 220th session of the Dartmouth Alumni Council was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, the first virtual meeting of the Council in its 107-year existence. Alumni Council President C. Alec Casey ’88 opened the meeting. First on the agenda was a report from the task forces on representation, chaired by Casey, and committees, chaired by Council president-elect Rachel Bogardus Drew ‘98. In 2019-2020, the Alumni Council Executive Committee, in consultation with Alumni Relations, formed two task forces to examine the current representation and committee structure of the Council. The task forces sought to answer two key question sets: Is the current make-up of the Alumni Council optimal? Are there changes we should consider to make alumni representation more effective while maintaining our current size? Are the current committees maximizing Alumni Councilor engagement while providing benefit to Dartmouth? Should we consider updating the committees and their missions?
Both task forces participated in an informative and deliberative process that included historical review, surveying of councilors, interviews with key stakeholders, and establishment of criteria. He introduced the recommendations of the representation task force. Additions to the Council would include two new international representatives, for a total of three. Two representatives will be added for Women of Dartmouth (WOD), a robust alumni organization with 12 regional organizations. The older classes would see their representation increase; classes 56-60 years out would each have their own. There will be one representative for the post-60th reunion classes.
General recommendations of the committees task force included moving the selection of the vice chair to the fall of the second year on Council, which would allow new councilors time to become familiar with the Council and committees, while retaining the benefit of transition and apprenticeship with the current chairs. The committees task force recommended that three standing committees be dissolved-Athletics, Communications and the Young Alumni Committee. The Honorary Degrees Committee would convert from a secondary to a primary committee of the Council. The Council voted to accept the recommendations of the task forces.
In the late summer and early fall of 2020, the Nominating Committee will consider recommendations for one upcoming alumni-nominated trustee seat. Casey encouraged councilors to recommend outstanding alumni to be considered for alumni-nominated trustee.
Hanlon greeted the Council. The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright light on Dartmouth’s mission of creating leaders who show empathy, compassion and an understanding of the human condition; appreciate the complexities of society and economics and the links between them; have a respect for and comprehension of science; are fluent in mathematical and statistical reasoning; and recognize the capacity of the arts to elevate the human spirit. Equally important is Dartmouth’s research mission. 94% of scheduled spring term classes were offered as planned. 884 courses were transformed in two weeks’ time. Many groups such as the Hop, the Hood, the Rockefeller Center and the DOC have put together robust programming for the community and alumni to enjoy.
Dartmouth, like all of its peers across higher education, will face immediate and long-term consequences from the pandemic. There has been a significant loss of revenue, most notably $15M from room and board for spring term, while keeping Residential Life and Dining staff on board. There has been an enormous spike in students’ financial need. Hanlon has announced the formation of a special Presidential Commission to mobilize the community around financial aid. In the past, students whose families earned $100,000 or less received a financial aid award that meets or exceeds the cost of tuition. In response to the current crisis, the aim is to increase that threshold to $125,000.
President Hanlon issued a twofold call of action to the Council: to help the Presidential Commission carry the word about financial aid to the entire Dartmouth family, that Dartmouth’s education should be attainable for all students regardless of their financial circumstances; and to lift up the Class of 2020.
Elizabeth Smith, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, spoke about the rapid transition faculty and staff needed to make to make classes virtual. Dean of the College Kathryn Lively described the students’ response to the challenge of being off campus. The Center for Professional Development is offering job services, especially important with the specter of job or internship loss. Alexis Abramson, Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering gave several examples of how Thayer’s faculty and staff worked to integrate a hands-on approach into virtual learning. Alumni generously provided support and expertise.
Lee Coffin, Vice Provost for Enrollment & Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid described how the pandemic shut down the College 10 days before admissions decisions were released for the Class of 2024. As the Dimensions revisit program could not be held on campus, virtual events were held every day. Alumni hosted 56 virtual admitted student events. As the Admissions Office prepares to recruit the Class of 2025, they will do so without prospective students being able to visit campus.
Next on the agenda was a conversation with five members of the Board of Trustees: Laurel Richie ’81, the chair of the Board and member of the Governance/Nominating Committee; Emily Bakemeier ’82, the vice chair of the Board and chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and member of the Governance/Nominating Committee; Dave Hodgson ’78, the chair of the Advancement Committee and member of the Investment Committee; Caroline Kerr, chair of the Student Affairs Committee and member of the Advancement Committee; and Rick Kimball ’78, chair of the Investment Committee and member of the Finance Committee.
Fall 2020
The 221st session of the Dartmouth Alumni Council was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. For the first time, the Council meeting was wrapped into Volunteer Engagement Week and included a welcome from Vice President for Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb ’82; class association, club, group, DCF, and DED meetings; a virtual community building session; a volunteer briefing by Dean of the College Kathryn Lively, Dean of the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies Jon Kull ’88, and Co-Chair of Dartmouth’s COVID-19 Taskforce Professor Lisa Adams; a campus update with President Hanlon, Dean of the College Elizabeth Smith, and special advisor to the president Professor Matthew Delmont; and a session focused on the new West End with Alexis Abramson, dean of the Thayer School of Engineering; David Kotz, professor of computer science; Elizabeth Wilson, director of the Irving Institute for Energy and Society; and Jamie Coughlin, director of the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship.
Alumni Council President Rachel Bogardus Drew ’98 reminded the councilors of the vital role they play in alumni governance, and that as a representative body they are a valuable conduit of information for Dartmouth. Vice President for Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb highlighted the sessions offered over the course of the week. Last spring, Alumni Relations pivoted their work to provide virtual programming, including Pre-Unions, Home Sweet Dartmouth Homecoming, Volunteer Engagement Week, and Dartmouth on Location and Future of Work offerings.
Fostering an Inclusive Volunteer Community featured Alexis Kanda-Olmstead, director of talent management at Dartmouth; Karim Marshall ’03, president of BADA (Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association); and Cheryl Bascomb. Rachel explained the session’s purpose was to provide alumni volunteers with an understanding of Dartmouth’s commitment to racial justice and inclusion; engage alumni volunteers with concepts of diversity, equity, and belonging; and offer tools for organizations to move toward conscious inclusion. Alexis laid out a framework for diversity and inclusion and the importance of the feeling of belonging. Rachel Drew announced the formation of an inclusion working group composed of alumni volunteers.
NomCom Chair Karyn Calcano ’87 TU’91 outlined the purpose of the committee: to identify, attract, and recruit the best alumni to serve on the Board of Trustees, in Alumni Council leadership positions, and in other critical alumni leadership roles. One of the eight current alumni-nominated trustees, Mitch Kurz ’73, will rotate off the Board of Trustees in 2021.
The next session, Creating the Role of Chief Diversity Officer, featured Matthew Garcia, professor of history and Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean studies, and special advisor to President Hanlon; Hilary Tompkins ’90, trustee; and Sandhya Iyer, general counsel. Council president-elect Laurie Shapiro ’95 introduced the session and provided context for the discussion. With the retirement in June of Dartmouth's vice president for institutional diversity and equity, the institution is seizing this moment to elevate the title, portfolio, and reporting line of the new role as a search gets underway to fill the position. The new senior vice president and chief diversity officer will report to President Hanlon and serve as a member of Dartmouth's Senior Leadership Group. Hilary Tompkins called this moment an opportunity for the Dartmouth family to confront issues around diversity and inclusion. Sandya Iyer has been the chief legal officer at Dartmouth for three years, and is co-chair of the search along with Matt Garcia. Matt Garcia emphasized the importance of the Board’s participation in this effort. He has attended many hours of listening sessions with key stakeholders.
The next session was titled Presidential Commission on Financial Aid Update: The Role of Financial Aid in Dartmouth’s Pursuit of Undergraduate Talent. Since the establishment of the Presidential Commission on Financial Aid, $40M has been raised for financial aid. The Council heard from some of the commission’s chairs and subcommittee chairs: Leslie Davis Dahl ’85, W. Robert Dahl Jr. P’18, Julie McColl-McKenna ’89, Byron Boston ’81, Andrea Boston, Hadley Mullin ’96, and Carmen Lopez ’97. Leslie Davis Dahl described how The Call to Lead $3B campaign set forth a goal of raising $500M toward financial aid. The PCFA established four subcommittees: storytelling, to create content that informs and inspires the community; educating, to create a community to sustain and enhance financial aid support; fundraising, to help raise the remaining funds of the campaign for endowed scholarships; and imagining, to identify trends and develop ways to attract a socioeconomically diverse applicant pool.
Next was a conversation with four members of the Board of Trustees: Laurel Richie ’81, the chair of the Board and member of the Governance/Nominating Committee; Emily Bakemeier ’82, the vice chair of the Board and chair of the Academic Excellence Committee and member of the Governance/Nominating Committee; Ellie Loughlin ’89, chair of the Advancement Committee and member of the Governance/Nominating Committee; and Greg Maffei ‘82, chair of the Finance Committee and member of the Campus Planning & Facilities Committee and Investment Committee.
NomCom chair Karyn Calcano presented the alumni-nominated trustee candidate: Joyce Sackey, M.D. ’85 MED’89. Dr. Sackey was approved by a Council vote.
Spring 2021
The 222nd session of the Dartmouth Alumni Council was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, the third virtual meeting of the Council in its 108-year existence. Alumni Council President Rachel Bogardus Drew ’98 applauded the efforts of the councilors and their committees in a very challenging year. She described how there had been opportunities to gather sentiment and share information virtually over the course of the year, such as a special session held for councilors in April with senior administrators to address hot topics.
Chair Alec Casey ’88 shared an update from the Alumni Liaison Committee. He detailed sentiment that councilors had received from their constituents in advance of the meeting. Council leadership employs this sentiment to inform programming and shares it with the Board of Trustees.
Councilor Hadley Mullin ’96 reported from the Presidential Commission on Financial Aid. She explained that there are elements of Dartmouth’s financial aid package that are not as generous as the College’s peers. As Dartmouth’s student body continues to become more diverse, the aid per capita and percentage of students in need will continue to increase as well. Pablo Stern ’01 Th’01, chair of the Professional Development Committee (PDC), reminded councilors of the call to action issued by Vice President for Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb ’82 to help members of the Class of 2020 and 2021 find jobs. Rachel Drew spoke about the third Council priority for the year, which is increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our alumni communities. In the fall, the Council held a joint session with VOX participants to brainstorm what would help the leaders of classes, clubs, groups, and the Council to foster more inclusive spaces for all alumni. A series of interactive sessions was developed to hear from alumni volunteers who have had success in this with their alumni communities and share ideas across our organizations. There have been two sessions held this spring: one focusing on communication, the other focusing on programming. The third session in the series will focus on volunteer recruitment. The ideas and suggestions shared during these sessions are being collected by the Alumni Relations team.
This second admissions cycle of the pandemic brought a 33 percent increase over last year’s applicant pool—a record number, resulting in a 6 percent admit rate. The Class of 2025 is broadly diverse—the most diverse class in Dartmouth’s history—in terms of racial, socioeconomic, and international diversity.
Beginning last spring, alumni groups, individuals, and organizations expressed a desire to be more involved in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work. Alumni Relations created virtual content that included racial justice programs as part of virtual reunions; provided DEIB training session to Volunteer Week participants; and included racial justice in plans for content streams, in podcasts, and in the Great Issues, New Perspectives series. Bascomb highlighted the variety of digital engagement that has allowed our alumni and parent communities to come together.
Friday’s plenary session kicked off with New Initiatives to Create a More Inclusive and Welcoming Campus featuring Philip J. Hanlon ’77, President; Matt Delmont, Special Advisor to the President and Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History; Mary Coffey, Professor of Art History; Justin Anderson, Vice President for Communications; and Shontay Delalue, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer.
President Hanlon described how diversity, equity and inclusion are of paramount importance as we look to educate and cultivate the next generation of leaders at Dartmouth. Dartmouth has rolled out three interrelated initiatives— Moving Dartmouth Forward, Inclusive Excellence and the Campus Climate and Culture Initiative. The diversity recruitment fund, administered by the Provost’s Office, has reached expenditures of over $4 million annually. Fifteen existing faculty lines— three per year for each of the next five years— will be dedicated towards a cohort hiring program across the institution for BIPOC faculty and faculty who study racial justice, systemic racism, and inequality. In recruiting Shontay Delalue, the College has built out the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, expanding its personnel and programmatic funding and elevating its reporting line to the president.
Shontay Delalue explained her work will focus on such points as increasing recruitment and retention, the demographic shift of the student body, and empowering faculty. Matt Delmont, an expert on African American history and the history of Civil Rights, explained the strides Dartmouth is making in increasing financial aid is helping increase the diversity of the student body, which was 25 percent people of color in 2000, and 45 percent today. There are also more students who are first generation or from low-income families. Over the past few years progress has been made in BIPOC faculty recruitment. An early-career faculty fellow program has been established to help this cohort receive mentoring and support. An accelerator fund helped translate ideas into pilot programs. An institute was created as an investment in recruitment and retention. A pilot project for tribal services and solutions has been established.
Next, Justin Anderson and Mary Coffey talked about the creation of the iconography working group. Professor Coffey is co-chair of the 12-member group, which was created this past winter and is charged with developing recommendations for an inclusive process of outreach and consultation regarding the placement, presence, and official recognition of campus iconography. Input from people, groups, and organizations will be essential, and is being gathered from the public via an online form.
Learning Together: Student-Faculty Research at Dartmouth featured a panel of students and their faculty mentors. Ruth Craig, Professor Emerita of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and E.E. Just Scholar Princilla Minkah ‘21 presented their research on historic epidemics. Brendan Nyhan, Professor of Government, was joined by Margaret Doyle '22, Nicolas Berlinski '21, and Gabrielle Levy '22. This group has been working together for over two years to examine the effects of exposure to widespread voter fraud after an election.
Why Is All Covid-19 News Bad News? highlighted the research of Bruce Sacerdote ’90, Richard S. Braddock 1963 Professor of Economics, and his student Ranjan Sehgal ’22. Their research focused on the bad news bias of reporting on COVID-19 in the U.S. media.
The open forum commenced. Trustees Caroline Kerr ’05 and Daniel Black ’82 fielded questions from the Council, along with Cheryl Bascomb. This was followed by a special announcement. President Hanlon and board chair Laurel Richie ’81 revealed Dartmouth had received a transformational $20 Million gift from Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe '81 and John Donahoe '82 that addresses the national STEM diversity gap and honors legacy of Dartmouth alumnus E.E. Just. This gift will strengthen to strengthen efforts to draw more underrepresented groups to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Council president Rachel Drew offered a warm tribute to outgoing board chair Laurel Richie in recognition of her dedicated work and close relationship to the Alumni Council.
Fall 2021
Thursday, October 14
The 223rd session of the Dartmouth Alumni Council was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the fourth virtual meeting of the Council in its 108-year existence. Alumni Council President Laurie Lewis Shapiro ’95 opened the meeting with a greeting and a preview of the meeting agenda. She applauded the efforts of the councilors and their committees during the pandemic. She described how there had been opportunities to gather sentiment and share information virtually over the course of the year. The Council continues to be a mechanism for taking the pulse of the alumni body.
Chair Rachel Bogardus Drew ’98 shared an update from the Alumni Liaison Committee (ALC). She detailed sentiment that councilors had received from their constituents in advance of the meeting. The most prevalent topics were administration, student life, and academics. Council leadership employs this sentiment to inform programming and shares it with the Board of Trustees. She encouraged councilors to continue engaging with their constituents across platforms, and to share feedback with the ALC.
Dartmouth is celebrating a Year of Connections in 2021-2022. Vice President for Alumni Relations Cheryl Bascomb ’82 thanked the councilors for their service to Dartmouth and shared that more than 18,000 alumni signed up for Alumni Relations programs during the pandemic, evidence that virtual offerings are appealing to alumni. Virtual programs allowed for the engagement of alumni who may not have otherwise been able to participate due to geography or time constraints. She challenged the Council’s committees to focus on bringing alumni off the sidelines. Homecoming was held on campus in early October—the first major on-campus alumni event in two falls, and many alumni traveled to Hanover to participate.
Vice President for Development Andrew Davidson gave an update on participation in The Call to Lead campaign. The campaign has an alumni participation goal of 60%. Currently, 58.4% have given. An alumnus/a is counted in this total with any gift, to any designation, at any one time during the campaign, which began in fiscal year 2015. A recent survey indicated that alumni awareness of the campaign has been consistently strong since 2018, with 81% of alumni expressing medium to high awareness in 2021. 66% of alumni felt they have a moderate or high understanding of how the campaign affects Dartmouth and its ability to create an impact on the larger world. Alumni are primarily hearing about the campaign and the impact of giving to the campaign via email from Dartmouth (76%) and the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (61%). He challenged councilors to help raise awareness of the campaign and its impact.
The councilors participated in a discussion of how support for the mental health of students equips them to succeed at Dartmouth and learned of the expansion of mental health resources during the pandemic. Councilor Jhilam Biswas ’05, a psychiatrist, spoke to the prevalence of mental health concerns in college students nationwide. Mental health challenges have increased dramatically during the pandemic. Scott C. Brown, interim dean of the College, said that mental health is a top concern in student affairs, and 28% of Dartmouth students utilize mental health resources on campus. Their concerns include stress, anxiety, sleeping difficulties, and depression. Services to support these concerns have been expanded this year, with a 50% increase in counseling clinical staff and three additional suicide prevention specialists. Outreach and education are important tools that help to engage students in interactive screening and raise awareness of available resources, such as the Student Wellness Center. Residential life staff and faculty members are being trained to identify mental health issues and support students. Bryant Ford, associate dean for Community Life and Inclusivity, spoke to the unique challenges BIPOC students may face. Dartmouth’s student population is 5% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 22% Asian or Pacific Islander, 12% Black or African American, 12% Hispanic or Latinx, and 5% two or more races. Bryant commented that it is important for students to see themselves in those who support them. Of 15 members of the Counseling Center staff, 8 identify as BIPOC, 4 as LGBTQ, and 3 are international. All providers develop programming relationships throughout campus.
Dr. Mark Reed, director of the Health Service, described Dartmouth’s partnership with the nationally recognized JED Foundation, a nonprofit that works to protect emotional health and promote suicide prevention for teens and young adults. Dartmouth is participating in the four-year signature JED Campus Program, which will guide the community through a comprehensive process of systemic and enduring change. Dartmouth is working to build an interdisciplinary campus team of students, faculty, and staff, including senior leadership, to guide this process and to conduct an institutional baseline assessment this fall. The JED student survey will be conducted this fall and repeated in year four to assess progress. The JED team will conduct site visits this winter and spring including meetings with working groups, senior leadership, and focus groups. The result will be the development and implementation of a strategic plan.
Next, councilors attended PINE Online, a virtual gathering where they networked with fellow councilors.
Friday, October 15
Councilors gathered for an Alumni Council lunch and social hour, hosted by committee chairs.
Friday’s plenary session kicked off with an update on admissions with Lee Coffin, vice provost for Enrollment and dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. He said that last year was historic for college admissions, and the last two admissions cycles have been unpredictable. Dartmouth has moved through a turbulent period successfully and the Class of 2025—all recruited and yielded virtually—has broken admissions records as the most selective class in Dartmouth’s history.
Lee offered observations as to how normal admissions procedures were changed or erased during the pandemic. Admissions staff were not able to visit any schools. Demand for financial aid was the highest it has ever been. It became clear from this high demand, and from reports from the Common Application and peer institutions, that low-income, underrepresented students who needed aid and support the most were having a challenging time navigating college admission during the pandemic. Additional efforts were needed to reach them. Testing became optional because universal access to testing centers could not be guaranteed. Despite these factors, Dartmouth set a record for applications with a 33% increase. Early decision applications were up 29%. Overall, Dartmouth had its most selective year ever with a 6.17% admit rate and the highest yield in the College’s history at just over 70%.
Lee described how the ability to offer a competitive program of financial aid allows Dartmouth to enroll the most talented students. He anticipates that need will continue to rise based on the last year of socioeconomic sea change. He shared his primary goal to create a community in Hanover that represents the world, that pulls together students from all ranges of backgrounds and places and brings them together to Dartmouth’s liberal arts community to build relationships and perspectives that allow them to leave Hanover and lead.
Next the councilors participated in a discussion of three milestone 50th anniversaries in 2022: coeducation, establishment of the Native American Program, and creation of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association (BADA). Cheryl Bascomb described institutional goals to commemorate the anniversaries and celebrate Dartmouth’s Black, Native and Indigenous, and alumnae communities. Each anniversary is different and the differences are reflected in who leads the planning for each one. Coeducation programming will be led by alumni volunteers and Alumni Relations. A kickoff event featuring female board chairs Susan Dentzer ’77, Laurel Richie ’81, and Liz Lempres ’83 TH’84 will take place virtually on November 9. The BADA commemoration will be led by volunteer officers of BADA, with support from Alumni Relations to help connect the institution and senior leaders to the programs planned and amplify alumni stories to the broader community. The lead event for the BADA commemoration will be a reunion in Hanover in May 2022. The Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies will lead the planning to commemorate the anniversary of the Native American Program, and Alumni Relations will support by connecting alumni to their programs and telling stories of Native American and Indigenous alumni. It is anticipated that many alumni and community members will gather in Hanover during Powwow on May 7-8, 2022.
Councilors watched an inspiring video about Powwow and video updates on coeducation from Jennifer Avellino ’89, chair of the Coeducation Anniversary Committee, and BADA from Adrienne “Tee” Lotson ’82 and Ricki Fairley ’78, the leaders of the BADA Reunion Planning Committee. They participated in a discussion of how to include the entire Dartmouth community in commemorating the anniversaries and ways that they can create opportunities to engage and reengage alumni who may have been disconnected from Dartmouth.
“On the Frontiers of New Knowledge: Students Take on Cystic Fibrosis” featured a discussion between Professor Bruce Stanton, the Andrew C. Vail Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Sam Neff ’21, and PhD candidate Lily Charpentier. Bruce, Sam, and Lily described their research in support of the development of therapeutics to treat cystic fibrosis. Professor Stanton’s lab is part of the academic cluster “Personalized Treatments for Cystic Fibrosis.” The Cluster Initiative is part of President Hanlon’s vision for academic excellence for Dartmouth. The clusters bring together interdisciplinary teams of faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. The speakers also reflected on the intergenerational community of learners at Dartmouth that allows for collaboration, mentorship, and innovation.
Next, many of the Council’s standing committees reported on their work, including Academic Affairs; Alumni Service; Enrollment & Admissions; Honorary Degrees; Professional Development; Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search, Alumni Awards, and New Alumni Engagement.
The open forum commenced. Trustees Liz Lempres ’83 TH’84; Jeff Crowe ’78; and Hilary Tompkins ’90 shared updates from the Board of Trustees and fielded questions from the Council. Liz Lempres shared that one major priority for the Board is making sure the community stays safe and the College remains open. The pandemic created and revealed challenges such as increased mental health problems for students, housing in Hanover, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She said that Dartmouth and the Board are creating solutions and strategies, in partnership with new leaders such as Senior Vice President and Senior Diversity Officer Shontay Delalue and Interim Dean of the College Scott Brown.
Jeff Crowe serves on the Board’s Committee on Student Experience and Resources Committee. The Resources Committee deals with issues of finances and infrastructure. The Committee on Student Experience encompasses the full student experience including the graduate and professional schools, and it has been heavily focused on COVID-19 and its impact on students, including on their mental health. A recently created Student Liaison Committee, modeled on the Alumni Liaison Committee of the Council, will create pathways for communications between students and leadership. He observed that housing shortages in Hanover have been an issue since the implementation of the D-Plan in the ’70s. The Board approved an Infrastructure Renewal Fund that allows for a portion of the endowment to be dedicated to fund infrastructure and infrastructure improvements, including housing, energy, IT, and other needs. Andres and Zimmerman will be the first dorms to be renovated and that work is underway. The trustees are developing a multi-year plan for renewal and tackling issues such as the need to create additional swing spaces to allow for adequate housing during construction.
Next, Hilary Tompkins described the Board’s work on communications and diversity and inclusion. The stress of the pandemic has created a time for evaluation and reflection, and the need for clear, consistent, informative, and transparent communication. In an effort to increase communication, there are three new full-time staff positions dedicated to engagement with parents and families. “Community Conversations,” hosted by the provost and featuring guests from across campus, are an effort to provide helpful information and guidance to faculty, students, staff, families, and alumni. Hilary said Shontay Delalue is off to a strong start since joining the Dartmouth community in July. She has reorganized the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity to focus on compliance, equity, diversity, and inclusion and has appointed new leaders to help manage the office’s two functions. The Board is supportive of efforts to make fundamental change to make a more welcoming community at Dartmouth. Finally, she observed that the 50th anniversaries in 2022 offer opportunities to celebrate and share excitement and to reflect, hear different perspectives, and observe challenges faced and how the community has come together. She encouraged alumni and the Council to find ways to engage with the anniversaries through events, programs, and storytelling.
The meeting was adjourned.
The Academic Affairs, New Alumni Engagement, Alumni Liaison, Alumni Service, Enrollment and Admissions, Honorary Degrees, Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search, and Professional Development committees met virtually at various times.
Spring 2022
The 224th meeting of the Alumni Council took place in Hanover, in-person, for the first time in two years due to COVID-19. The meeting began on Thursday, May 19, with the opening session led by Alumni Council President Laurie Shapiro ’95, who kicked off the meeting and welcomed council members back to campus. Vice President of Alumni Relations, Cheryl Bascomb ’82, gave a brief overview of the agenda for the meeting and introduced Carolyn Gray Kimberlin as the new senior director of volunteer engagement. The council then heard from Alumni Liaison Committee Chair Rachel Bogardus Drew ’98, who shared the alumni sentiment captured ahead of this meeting. The topics that were most communicated about were leadership and administration, campus facilities, and student housing. After the ALC update, the council heard from Interim Dean of the College Scott Brown ‘84a, who shared progress on the College’s efforts surrounding mental health and wellbeing. Dartmouth’s partnership with the Jed Foundation reinforces a strategic campus-wide approach to these critical issues for both undergraduates and students of the professional schools. Dean Brown also spoke about the expanded student resources now available, such as increased mental health services and focused outreach to BIPOC students, as well as working to shift the overall campus culture to one of positive mental health.
Following the opening session, council members attended their individual committee meetings in various locations around campus.
Friday, May 20, 2022
On Friday May 20, councilors began their morning with an update on The Call to Lead campaign from Bob Lasher ’88, senior vice president for Advancement. Dartmouth has made significant progress in its eight-year campaign journey; as Dartmouth looks to this next and final year of the campaign, Bob shared three main priorities: access and affordability through financial aid; sparking innovation and creativity through the new West End and Arts learning districts; and making Dartmouth a welcoming and inclusive community for all. To date, $3.2 billion has been raised through the campaign, and the College is just 1,200 graduates away from reaching a 60% participation goal. The Call to Lead gratitude tour will launch soon, with events being planned in several alumni regions.
Nestor Paz-Galindo ’93, chair of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee, gave an overview of the Nominating Committee’s process. He outlined the purpose of the committee: to identify, recruit, and attract the best alumni to serve on the Board of Trustees, in Alumni Council leadership positions, and in other critical alumni leadership roles. Nestor presented the slate of incoming alumni councilors who will start their term on July 1, 2022 and serve through June 30, 2025. The incoming alumni councilors have been elected or appointed by their constituencies. The committee has met several times this year and its working agenda also includes consideration of Alumni Council leadership roles, the Nominating Committee slate, the Alumni Liaison Committee slate, the president-elect slate, and the Alumni Council at-large appointments. Paz-Galindo ’93 called for a vote to approve the incoming slate of councilors representing classes, metro clubs, regional at-large representatives, affiliated groups, professional schools, and associations. Paz-Galindo then presented the nominated slates for the president-elect, Alumni Liaison Committee, and the Nominating Committee. An electronic voting process enabled those not in attendance to vote, and councilors were reminded to cast their votes, with the election results to be announced the following day.
The incoming alumni councilors have been elected or appointed by their constituencies.
Next, the council heard from Interim Director of Athletics and Recreation Peter Roby ’79, who joined virtually for a candid conversation about athletics at Dartmouth. The disruptions due to COVID-19 have been extremely difficult to navigate, but through the collective efforts of many, students are once again competing in a safe environment. The athletic teams that were discontinued and subsequently reinstated are integrating into the College, and Peter’s focus is on welcoming the players and coaches back so that they feel valued, respected, and supported in the process. Peter also shared that athletics has gone through several internal reviews to ensure the department is in the best position to provide an equitable environment and have a roadmap in place for the next athletic director, who should be announced in the near term.
Friday evening councilors attended the Alumni Awards Gala dinner, where they celebrated (for the first time since fall 2019) recipients of both the Alumni Award and Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
The council then headed to lunch and the presentation of the Professor John Rassias Faculty Awards. Lifelong Learning Committee chair and president-elect Chitra Narasimhan ’92 presided. This year the council recognized three recipients of the award for 2019 – 2021: 2019 recipient Ross Virginia, Myers Family Professor of Environmental Science, Department of Environmental Studies; 2020 recipient Michael Mastanduno, Nelson A. Rockefeller Professor of Government; and 2021 recipient Lisa Baldez, Professor of Government and Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies. Both Ross Virginia and Lisa Baldez accepted their award virtually and shared pre-recorded acceptance remarks with the group. Michael Mastanduno was present to accept the award in-person, spoke to the Council about his teachings and research, and took time for questions from the audience.
After lunch, the Alumni Council toured two recently completed buildings in the West End District, Dartmouth’s hub of technology and innovation. Tours of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society were led by senior executive director of Development and Academic Coordination at Dartmouth Katherine Norton ’01, and Angus McReynolds, the Institute's undergraduate education and internship coordinator. The Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center tours were led by Devin Balkcom, chair of the computer science department, and Associate Professor of Engineering Chris Levey. Both tours focused on the interdisciplinary nature of each space, along with the deliberate architectural design decisions.
Following the tours, councilors were again joined by Bob Lasher ’88, Board Chair Emerita and Chair of the Hopkins Center Advisory Board Laurel Richie ‘81, and Samuel Levey, associate dean of the faculty for the arts and humanities, for an update on the renovation and reimagination of the Hopkins Center for the Arts. The renovation project will transform the Hop into a place of welcome, gathering, and creation, and position the Hop as the hub for Dartmouth’s Arts District. Goals for the Arts District include fostering the liberal arts, encouraging experiential learning, nurturing creativity and innovation, and breaking down barriers across campus.
Friday evening councilors attended the Alumni Awards Gala dinner, where they celebrated (for the first time since fall 2019) recipients of both the Alumni Award and Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. The festive dinner program opened with a welcome from President Laurie Shapiro ’95. The Young Alumni Distinguished Service Awards were presented to Kate Lyon ’05, Ashley Shackelton ’05, Andrew Son ’09, and Nadine Parris ’06 (Nadine was unable to attend in-person). The Dartmouth Alumni Award was presented to Catherine Briggs ’88, William Bogardus ’67, and Adrienne “Tee” Lotson ’82.
Saturday, May 21, 2022
Saturday morning started with breakfast in Anonymous Hall on the north end of campus. The building honors the countless alumni and friends who have faithfully and quietly supported the College over two centuries and is the permanent home of the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies and the Program in Linguistics. There, the chairs and vice chairs of the Alumni Council committees gathered to introduce themselves to each other and to members of the Volunteer Engagement team, share what their committees are working on, and give feedback on the Alumni Council onboarding process.
The councilors then moved to The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center to hear from President Phil Hanlon ’77. President Hanlon shared an update on his five primary objectives for the coming year and answered questions from councilors. Hadley Mullin ’96, a councilor and member of the Presidential Commission on Financial Aid, also shared highlights from the PCFA’s Year One Summary Report.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Following President Hanlon, the chairs of each committee gave brief reports on what their groups have been working on this year.
Members of the Board of Trustees then met with the council for an open forum. Trustees Caroline Kerr ’05 (in-person) and Odette Harris ’91 (virtual) shared their insights and perspectives on a number of issues, including the student residential and academic experience and the board’s approach to revised plans for new student housing.
To close the meeting, president-elect Chitra Narasimhan ’92 read the results of the Alumni Council Leadership elections. Alex Barnett ’07 was elected president-elect of the Alumni Council, Cheryl Shepard ’90 was elected to the Alumni Liaison committee, and Kate Carolan ’05 and Luzi Robinson ’88 were elected to the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee. Their terms will all begin on July 1, 2022.
The meeting was then adjourned.