It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as your Alumni Council President over the past year, never more so than during the recent 218th meeting of the Council. During the meeting, your Council representatives engaged with each other and Dartmouth leadership, representing your views and feedback on issues important to our community. It is clear to me that I am leaving the Council in good hands.

The agenda for the 218th meeting was packed. Councilors rolled up their sleeves and dug deeply into the work of the weekend. Some highlights:

Councilors supported The Call to Serve through the 5th Annual Day of Service on May 4 and a service project held during our meeting where we wrote letters of encouragement to senior citizens and veterans. Kudos to Rachel Bogardus Drew ’98, chair of the Alumni Service Committee, for organizing both events. As you may know The Call to Serve challenges our community to contribute 250,000 hours of service in honor of Dartmouth’s 250 years and seeks to call attention to the amazing work Dartmouth alumni, faculty, students, and staff do in the world. This initiative has recently crossed the 100,000-hour mark, and we need your help to get to 250,000: If you serve on a nonprofit board, coach a youth sports team, volunteer at your place of worship, or make other contributions, please visit dartgo.org/calltoserve to log your hours. And please save the date for next year’s Alumni Day of Service on May 2, 2020. Thank you for your part in making the world a better place!

Dartmouth is developing a strategic master plan that will chart a course for the next twenty years and beyond. Councilors participated in a walking tour of some of the coming and completed construction initiatives on campus and had the opportunity to offer our input on Dartmouth’s master plan. This plan seeks to preserve what is unique about the Dartmouth campus while providing a framework for sustainable development and preservation.

We engaged with Provost Joe Helble and C3I Director Theodosia Cook in a discussion of Dartmouth’s Campus Climate and Culture Initiative (C3I). We learned how the initiative functions in concert with Moving Dartmouth Forward and Inclusive Excellence and how it takes important steps to address sexual misconduct; foster healthy relationships; and make the campus a safer, more inclusive community for all members. Did you know that Dartmouth has joined more than 40 other colleges and universities and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to create the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education? The collaborative’s formation follows a June 2018 report by the Academies that recommended evidence-based policies and practices for addressing and preventing all forms of sexual harassment. I am proud that Dartmouth is the only school to have committed publicly to implement all of the recommendations, including interventions such as mandatory Title IX training, climate reviews, unified sexual misconduct policies, expanded mental health resources, and an external advisory committee.

Oh, the Place We Have Gone!!! Our own international representative on the Council, Nestor Paz-Galindo ’93 and Senior Vice President for Advancement Bob Lasher ’88 presented an informative session, bringing us all up to speed on our expanding global presence. This year we will have the chance to celebrate the 250th with international alumni in cities around the world. We’ll be bringing Dartmouth to London, Hong Kong, Lima, and Toronto, where alumni, families, and friends will have opportunities to experience interactive sessions with faculty and students, engage in lively debates and open conversations about the most pressing issues of our time—from climate change to international security—and connect with peers as we explore Dartmouth’s critical role in our global future. I was able to see our international engagement firsthand during my tenure as Council president as I made my way to Helsinki, Finland, for an event featuring multi-generations of Dartmouth alums.
As noted above, in plenaries and committee meetings, your Councilors spent much of their time sharing your views on key matters, including admission, student and campus life, and the class action sexual misconduct lawsuit brought in November by nine former students against Dartmouth. Following her Friday remarks, Board Chair Laurel Richie responded to some tough, thoughtful questions from Councilors on the suit and explained Dartmouth’s strong preference to settle the claims out of court. Several days after the meeting, the plaintiffs and Dartmouth agreed on a mediator and will soon begin to meet. Please be assured that the College and Council will keep you updated as this matter proceeds.

Finally, we did pause for a moment to celebrate important milestones, including our 250th anniversary and the $2 billion raised through The Call to Lead campaign. We also took time to acknowledge accomplishments for which we should be proud, including the thousands of hours of service our community has contributed through The Call to Serve, the competitiveness and diversity of the newly enrolled class of 2023, the progress we are making to be greener and more sustainable, and the excellence and impact of our faculty.

We are here to hear you and to share your sentiments with Dartmouth’s leadership. Be in touch anytime. If you’d like a more thorough summary of the Council meeting, please read the minutes and view photos, or reach out to your Council representatives.

As I traveled the globe as your representative, I have to tell you that indeed Dartmouth has the best alumni body in the world. Thank you for the laughs, hard conversations, thought-provoking engagement, and trust that we are a community made better when there is a place for all of us at the table. It has been a true joy to serve as your president. I welcome my successor, Alec Casey ’88, who will begin his tenure on July 1, 2019.

Yours for One Dartmouth,

Adrienne “Tee” Lotson ‘82
Alumni Council President

• Earlier this month, the Dartmouth Alumni Council convened for a very productive 217th meeting in Hanover. As president of the Council, having an informed alumni body is paramount to my mission. Therefore, I wanted to take this opportunity to bring to the Dartmouth alumni family a summary of important discussions and takeaways.

  A Celebration for the Ages

  In 2019, Dartmouth will celebrate its 250th anniversary, which marks a unique opportunity to honor our past and look to the future. The year will feature opportunities to come together to celebrate what makes Dartmouth unique, feel proud of our amazing community, and be inspired to be part of Dartmouth’s future. I hope you’ll take a moment to watch the 250th video. Different communities will be celebrating in their own ways, and there will be celebrations, educational opportunities, arts exhibitions, and service opportunities. There’s something in the plans for everyone, and I encourage you to consider how you would like to join in on the celebration.

  It All Matters

  The Council has enjoyed a front-row seat over recent years, representing alumni and advising in the strategic vision that is being realized by The Call to Lead: A Campaign For Dartmouth. I hope that you have had a chance to understand the dual power of this plan: it both doubles down on the distinctive qualities of Dartmouth that we adore and outlines an ambitious legacy for the next generation of Dartmouth students. At the meeting this month, we learned from Councilors serving as our regional campaign volunteers that the community’s response has been strong since the campaign was announced in April. More than $1.8 billion has been raised for people, programs and buildings. I was particularly struck by what a collective effort this has been and how much participation matters. Did you know that more than 20,000 of those gifts are in amounts of $1- $250? The Call to Lead vision embraces three goals: to advance Dartmouth’s distinctive educational model and be the preeminent U.S. undergraduate college; to make discoveries that improve the human condition; and to prepare students for lives of wise leadership. As Council president, my belief is that this is a legacy we can all help to create. For the 52,000 of you that have paid it forward on behalf of the campaign, your support is inspiring to the Alumni Council – we thank you! To learn more about the vision for Dartmouth and meet current students, faculty, and campus leaders, I encourage you to attend one of the upcoming The Call to Lead celebrations coming soon to a city near you. And I offer you this invitation: as we seek to champion the campaign as inclusive and inviting to ALL Dartmouth alumni – enlist a friend or two, attend one of the celebrations, learn more about our bold vision for Dartmouth’s future, then email me or your Alumni Councilor and tell us what you found inspiring. We’d love to hear from you.

  And who knows, you may even see me on the road!

  Recognizing Dartmouth Leaders

  The Council accomplished two important items of business during our meeting. We nominated two outstanding candidates for the Dartmouth Board of Trustees. They are Hilary C. Tompkins ’90 and Daniel L. Black ’82 P’21. You can read more about the candidates and the nomination process. And we honored five alumni for their extraordinary service to Dartmouth. Harris B. McKee ’61 Th’63, Edward S. Heald ’68, and Lynne Hamel Gaudet ’81 received the Dartmouth Alumni Award, and Melanie Pastuck ’11 and John E. Valdez ’07 received the Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. Give a rouse!

  Addressing Sexual Misconduct

  For many of you, there are questions regarding the lawsuit filed by seven former and current students who allege that Dartmouth did not adequately respond to their complaints of sexual misconduct in cases involving three former faculty members in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. The lawsuit was announced the day we arrived in Hanover, and we had the opportunity to discuss it as a Council with senior leadership of the College.

  I was reassured to hear that the College applauds the courage displayed by the seven women for coming forward over a year ago. As a result of their bravery, an investigation was launched that led to the departure of each of the three faculty members in the summer of 2018. I was equally pleased to learn that Dartmouth has been and remains open to a fair resolution of the women’s claims through mediation. Please feel free to send your comments and questions about the lawsuit, which we will in turn share with the President and Board of Trustees.

  We also learned of the ongoing effort by the College to increase safety on campus for all. Title IX Coordinator Kristin Clemens shared how her office promotes sexual respect, safety, and well-being and provides resources to the campus community. In addition, the Presidential Steering Committee, launched in January 2018, recently presented a report to President Hanlon resulting in the development of a draft unified policy on sexual misconduct. The deans of Arts & Science and the four graduate and professional schools are in the process of soliciting feedback on the policy before final implementation.

  As president, I assure you that the Alumni Council shares with Dartmouth’s leadership the goal of maintaining a safe and inclusive campus for all members of our community.

  Basecamp to the World

  Finally, the meeting explored the many ways that Dartmouth serves as a hub of intellectual and personal growth as well as a launchpad for worldwide study. I was personally inspired to hear two examples of how global perspective and experiential learning feature prominently in the Dartmouth experience. We explored the King Scholars program, which seeks low-income students from developing nations interested in alleviating poverty in their home countries, as well as the impact of international internships offered through the John Sloan Dickey Center. Dartmouth encourages its students to explore beyond the boundaries of our campus, our states, and our nation. I encourage each of us to do the same.

  Thank you for reading. If you’d like more information about the Council, I encourage you to visit our website. You can always reach me with your thoughts and sentiments. Please continue to stay involved and thank you for all you do for Dartmouth. We are ONE DARTMOUTH, and we are greater together.

Last month I returned to Hanover for the 216th meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council. The program focused on the vision and priorities of The Call To Lead campaign. The plan is designed to be far-reaching and seeks to drive distinction and differentiation for Dartmouth through three overarching priorities. I encourage you to read more about what the campaign seeks to accomplish and follow the conversation on social media using #DartmouthLeads. Senior Vice President for Advancement Bob Lasher ’88 shared with us that the campaign has already raised $1.6 billion of its $3 billion goal.

Thanks to all who shared their thoughts about the campaign prior to the Council meeting. I’ve conveyed them to College leadership and I’ll be in touch separately with those of you who made comments.

Other highlights of the meeting included:

• We had dinner at one of the two House Centers, popularly known as “The Onion” and “The Cube” to learn about the House Communities which opened in 2016. The goal of the communities is to provide more residential continuity for undergraduates as well as additional social opportunities beyond the classroom. Apparently theses houses are more popular with the freshman and sophomores than upper classmen but that should change as the houses themselves become established. What I liked best about these houses is that they bring people from all parts of the campus together, not just students and professors. There are grad students and campus employees involved to give a bigger range of thoughts and opinions.

• Support for students is central to The Call to Lead campaign. Dartmouth is focusing on a major expansion of financial aid by eliminating loans from financial aid packages, extending need-blind admissions to international students, and providing full financial aid for foreign study. This will particularly benefit undergraduates from middle-income families.

• We heard that the College remains committed to bring the best and brightest talent to Hanover from Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Smith and a panel of faculty. The Call to Lead seeks to advance our distinctive educational model which gives Dartmouth students an incomparable experience with outstanding teacher-scholars working with them inside and outside the classroom.

• Dartmouth plans to address a focused set of the great global challenges. We discussed several “big bets” that students and faculty are working on to improve the human condition. We heard from faculty working in the fields of computer science, cancer research and the Arctic. These discoveries help students become creative, curious, and compassionate citizens of the world.

Finally, I want to note that this year, the Alumni Council will nominate candidates for the Dartmouth Board of Trustees to replace Gail Koziara Boudreaux ’82 and R. William Burgess, Jr. ’81. We invite and encourage your recommendations.

In October, I had the privilege to attend the Dartmouth Alumni Council’s 215^th Meeting in Hanover. The meeting’s theme was “A Sense of Place, A Sense of Purpose,” and numerous sessions with leaders from across the institution provided a view into many new developments as well as challenges the College faces. I am writing to share what I learned and to invite your feedback and questions.

• One of the Council’s tasks is to nominate candidates for alumni-nominated seats on the Dartmouth Board of Trustees (there are two openings in 2018). After inviting suggestions from all alumni and a thorough review process over the past year, we nominated Jeff Crowe ’78 P’08, ’10, ’15 and Elizabeth (Liz) Cahill Lempres ’83, Th’84, P’11. Read about the trustee candidates and process.
• President Hanlon recently convened an Enrollment Task Force to explore increasing the size of the undergraduate student body by 10 to 25 percent. The task force will study the pros and cons of growth and will release a report in mid-March. President Hanlon said to the Council that no decision has been made. Please share your comments with enrollment.taskforce@dartmouth.edu or with me.
• We were among the first to visit the newly rededicated Moosilauke Ravine Lodgewhere we explored the concept of sense of place and discussed ways students (and alumni) come together as a community through our experiences of place. We’ll share our report – including feedback sent by many of you– with the Offices of Alumni Relations, Communications, and Admissions. A highlight was Professor Don Pease at Moosilauke reading Green Eggs and Ham.
• The Dartmouth leadership team outlined a strategic vision for Dartmouth that was developed by campus leaders, faculty and trustees over the past year. The vision is based on what makes Dartmouth distinctive – the fusion of a best-in-class undergraduate college and a dynamic research university. With emphasis on liberal arts, the teacher-scholar model, the sense of place associated with our unique location, and the adventuresome spirit embodied by students and alumni, the strategic plan outlines a path that prepares Dartmouth and its graduates to play a larger role in improving the human condition globally.  President Hanlon described a series of initiatives aimed at attracting student and faculty talent, fostering a pioneering spirit, and creating a campus without boundaries to advance the plan.  A panel discussion discussed the competitive opportunity for Dartmouth, early signs of success, and why it is important to act now. We learned about communications and fundraising plans to mobilize the community around the vision and plan in 2018. The Council shared ideas with leadership for how alumni can become engaged, and we’ll share more as things progress. Among the presenters and panelists were President Hanlon, Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences Elizabeth Smith, Senior Vice President for Advancement Bob Lasher ’88, Vice President for Communications Justin Anderson; and alumni leaders from the campaign planning committee including Trustee and Campaign Co-Chair Ellie Loughlin ’89, Aly Jeddy ’93, Scott Stuart ’81, and Anne Kubik ’87.
• The Council feted this year’s Alumni Awards recipients for their contributions to Dartmouth. Sherri C. Oberg ’82, Tu’86 and Arthur M. Kelton ’61 were awarded the Alumni Award, and Kevin C. Hudak ’07 and Heiyab F. Tessema ’04, Th’05, Th’06 received the Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award. Read more.
• The Alumni Liaison Committee has recently released its annual report to the Board of Trustees for 2016-2017. The report, which you can download here, details feedback received by the Council over the last year.

During the meeting, we also discussed progress made on Moving Dartmouth Forward and learned the College’s position on DACA. We were also informed of the investigation of three professors for alleged sexual misconduct. And President Hanlon assured us that although the College is considering the future of the Hanover Country Club, it will continue to fully support its golf program and has no plans to sell the land where the golf course currently sits.

I’m happy to hear your feedback and answer any questions you may have. If you’d like more details, the full meeting minutes are available here and you can view photos – including of the new Moosilauke Ravine Lodge here. I also hope you’ll save the date for the annual Alumni Day of Service on May 5, 2018.

Warmly,

Laura

From our Class Alumni Councilor, Laura Yecies:

Dear Fellow ‘85’s

I’m writing to share with you the highlights of the most recent Alumni Council meeting. Apologies for the delay – I was happily distracted with a new grandchild (hopefully class of ’39).

It was a content “full” meeting where more than 100 Alumni Councilors representing classes, affiliated groups, clubs, and associations returned to Hanover to work in committees and meet with College leadership, faculty, and students. It was a busy three days of informative sessions and lively discussion highlighted by beautiful weather and Green Key weekend commencing around us. I believe that discussion during and actions occurring after the meeting shows the importance of alumni feedback. The information below serves as a summary of the meeting. I would also invite you to view photos, browse a round-up of the conversation on social media during the weekend, and review the full meeting minutes. As always, I welcome any questions or feedback you may have.

Summary from the 214th Meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council
May 18-20, 2017
by C. Alec Casey ‘88

Learning by Doing

Councilors participated in discussions with students and faculty engaged in three projects that demonstrate Dartmouth’s intellectual community and the tremendous power of experiential learning opportunities at home and abroad.

• Terren Klein ’17 and a team of students developed the College Pulse app, an incentive-based opinion polling tool that provides real-time data to students about their College and community. This app has gone on to be funded!
• A team of students traveled to Washington, DC, in November 2016 to deliberate the pros and cons of interest-rate hikes with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen through the College Fed Challenge.
• And in January, undergrads in Anthropology 70 made a major fossil discovery while excavating at a UNESCO World Heritage site at Malapa, South Africa.

We also heard several other presentations that were academic in nature:

• Director of the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning Lisa Baldez spoke of the evolution of teaching and learning, reaffirming Dartmouth’s commitment to the teacher-scholar model. Equipping faculty members to be excellent teachers is a longstanding tradition at Dartmouth and remains at the core of the academic vision for the College. Baldez talked about how the Center for the Advancement of Learning serves as a resource to make professors better classroom teachers – especially in an era in which technology has upended the traditional format of lecture and Q&A.
• Professors Edward Miller and Jennifer Miller shared the Dartmouth Vietnam Project, a collaborative effort between students and faculty to collect oral histories from members of the Dartmouth community who served in Vietnam. Don’t miss this video about their work.
• Dean Joseph Helble moderated a panel of faculty on how the combination of engineering and the liberal arts has resulted in national leadership for the Thayer School of Engineering, which turns 150this year. Thayer is the only engineering school to require an AB before a BE and has been recognized for its focus on entrepreneurship. In 2016, Thayer made history by being the first engineering class from a national research university to achieve gender parity.
• The academic affairs committee of the Council presented the inaugural Professor John Rassias Faculty Award for exceptional educational outreach to alumni to Steve Swayne, the Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor of Music; and Don Pease, the Ted and Helen Geisel Third Century Professor in the Humanities, who is also Chair of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies program and professor of English and comparative literature. Professor Rassias’s daughter, Helene Rassias-Miles A&S ’08, was there to congratulate the winners.

Strategy and Vision

President Philip J. Hanlon ’77 shared his vision for Dartmouth as a distinctive experience defined by world-class faculty and students, intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary curricula, unique spirit, and magnificent setting. Among the highlights of his presentation to us were these:

• President Hanlon made it clear that Dartmouth is “hot”: The Class of 2021 will be among the most selective and accomplished class in Dartmouth’s history, faculty are being recognized for their scholarship, and rankings are on the rise.
• President Hanlon took questions from Councilors pertaining to tolerance of divergent opinions and freedom of expression, House Communities, fundraising plans, and recruitment and retention of faculty of color.
• He also referenced the appointment of N. Bruce Duthu ’80 as dean of the faculty – an appointment that drew strong support from some (including those who noted that Professor Duthu would have been the first Native American to serve as dean of the faculty) and criticism from others (while serving on the council of Native American academic association, Professor Duthu had signed a statement in 2013 in support of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.) During the Council meeting, President Hanlon expressed his support for Professor Duthu, while reaffirming that Dartmouth will not support academic boycotts of any kind and remains committed to freedom of expression as a fundamental value of our community. Since the closing of the Council meeting, Professor Duthu announced he had decided to decline the appointment. In an email to colleagues, he explained that controversy had become a distraction with the potential to damage Dartmouth and undermine his ability to serve effectively as dean. The president and provost will consult with faculty members to determine next steps.

These were among the discussions we had with other members of the Dartmouth leadership team:

• Chair-elect of the Board of Trustees Laurel Richie ’81 spoke with Councilors about her pride in Dartmouth and excitement to lead the Board of Trustees. As Board chair, Richie hopes to increase visibility and differentiation for Dartmouth by highlighting its special character.
• Vice-President of Communications Justin Anderson walked the Council through a new branding strategy that builds on Dartmouth’s unique location, academic focus, experiential learning opportunities, and spirit that makes the College “Distinctly Dartmouth.”
• Lee Coffin, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, spoke about the Class of 2021 — which had the highest yield in Dartmouth’s history at 61 percent – and his strategy for increasing applications to Dartmouth from the very best students. Alumni interviewers participating in the Admissions Ambassador Program were a key component of this success.
• Vice President for Development Andrew Davidson P’12 and Advancement COO Ann Root Keith gave Councilors a look into the planning phases of the upcoming Dartmouth capital campaign. I’ll report back on the priorities and goal when they become public, but am pleased to say that things are going well.

Recognizing Leadership

It has been said that Dartmouth is a launch pad for success, and that is clearly the case for the Honorable Eric Fanning ’90, 22nd United States Secretary of the Army who spoke over dinner at the Hanover Inn. As the “CEO” of the U.S. Army, he was responsible for its $147 billion budget and its 1.4 million people. He is the first person to have held senior presidential appointments in the Army, Navy and Air Force. It was inspiring to hear his devotion to the men and women who defend our country and eye-opening to understand what a difficult job managing such huge organizations can be. His remarks focused on leadership and the role his liberal arts education at Dartmouth played in his career trajectory. 

Report from the 212th Meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council

May 12-14, 2016

Dear fellow ’85 Alumni,

I just returned from my second semi-annual meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council. More than 120 members of the Dartmouth Alumni Council including more than our fair share of ’85’s were in Hanover in mid-May for two days of meetings centered, in large part, on the theme of “Global Dartmouth.” The Council was also brought up-to-date on a range of issues closer to home, including developments in housing and admissions.

At dinner on Friday May 13, we heard from Jake Tapper ’91, a CNN anchor who has reported on arguably the biggest news story of the year: the American Presidential race, an assignment that has provided him a ringside seat for the Clinton and Trump campaigns, among others.

The following morning, we were treated to a moving tribute by Helene Rassias-Miles A’08 to her father, John Rassias ’49a, ’76a, the legendary William R. Kenan Professor of French and Italian Emeritus, who died in December at age 90. At the end of her presentation, the Council’s Academic Affairs Committee, announced the establishment of the “Professor John Rassias Faculty Recognition Award.” This will be presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated strong engagement with Dartmouth alumni in support of lifelong learning. Read the latest on the Rassias Center at Dartmouth.

Watch a brief video with highlights of what we saw and heard during our Council meetings – including remarks from Jake Tapper and President Philip J. Hanlon ’77.

A Question for You

Before I turn to a bullet-point synopsis of some of what we learned on campus in May, the Council would like to pose a question to all alumni:

To what extent did you participate in a Dartmouth academic off-campus program, and how did the lessons you learned on that journey shape who you are – and how you see the world – today?

Please send responses directly me at lyecies@gmail.com. I will share them with the Alumni Liaison Committee, which synthesizes alumni views and sentiment on behalf of the President and Trustees, as well as the alumni body as a whole.

And Now, Some News You Can (Hopefully) Use
“Global Dartmouth”
In a panel discussion with the ominous title, “What Keeps You Awake at Night?” the Council heard three Dartmouth international relations faculty members each speak to a particular threat to international security. Jeffrey Friedman, assistant professor of government, discussed the challenges of making policy (especially as it relates to combating terrorism), at moments of high anxiety. Jennifer Lind, an associate professor of government, said she considered speaking to the Council about the threats posed by climate change, infectious disease, and nuclear non-proliferation before settling on what she described as a far greater hazard: the current, unstable relationship between the United States and China. And Daniel Benjamin ‘57a, Director of the Dickey Center for International Understanding, focused on the world refugee crisis– with about 250 million people, he said, currently living outside their home countries, many in the most dire conditions imaginable. He noted that this relates strongly to the current issues within the European Union. Michael Mastanduno, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, moderated the panel.
Among the many, impressive new study-abroad opportunities we learned about were these: “Biology 71: Ocular Cell Biology and Disease in the United States and India,” an undergraduate course offered this fall through the department of biological sciences, which will be paired with a visit to the Aravind Eye Clinic in Madurai, India, one of the largest such hospitals in the world. Meanwhile, the Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, in partnership with the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program, is offering an interdisciplinary Foreign Study Program in Hyderabad, India, during the winter term. Among its offerings will be service-learning opportunities with Averil Spencer ’10, who started a camp in India to teach girls English, leadership skills, and information related to health and safety.

News from Closer to Home (or Closer to Hanover, at least)
Dartmouth student housing will get a reboot in the fall, as students join six residential house communities led by a house professor. With names like South House and North Park House, the communities will provide lifelong affiliation for the students, according to Dean of the College Rebecca Biron.
The Class of 2020, which will matriculate this fall, is impressive by any number of measurements, not least that its members were selected from 20,675 applicants (at an admission rate of 10.5 percent). It includes students from 40 countries, representing 9 percent of the class, and a record percentage of students of color (40.4 percent), according to Paul Sunde, director of admission and interim dean of admission and financial aid. Dartmouth alumni played more of a role in the selection of this class than any other in history, with 5,400 active alumni conducting admissions interviews – a 51 percent increase. Learn more about how to become an admissions interviewer.
As commissioned by President Hanlon, three working groups– one each focused on faculty, students, and staff –spent time studying the latest data on diversity and inclusion at Dartmouth, as well as defining goals to measure progress. On May 27, the Inclusive Excellence Executive Committee composed of President Hanlon, Provost Carolyn Dever, Executive Vice President Rick Mills, and Vice President of Institutional Diversity and Equity Evelyn Ellis, released the Action Plan for Inclusive Excellence.
The Thayer School of Engineering is about to undergo a major expansion – with a goal of increasing its student body by 50 percent. In what will constitute a major change on the western side of campus, at the end of Tuck Drive, the Computer Science department will be relocated adjacent to Thayer, the better to promote synergy. Just after we left campus, Dartmouth announced a $25 million gift to Thayer.

News from the Alumni Body
Catherine Craighead Briggs ’88 is the new chair of the Dartmouth College Fund Committee, succeeding Bruce D. Miller ’74.
The Alumni Council’s Alumni Awards’ Committees have announced the 2016-2017 recipients of the Alumni Awards. The Dartmouth Alumni Award will be presented to Philp C. Kron ’60 ’61Tu, Charles E. Haldeman Jr. ’70, and Margaret N. Sommerfeld ’90. The Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award will be presented Maia Josebachvili ’05 and Shounak Simlai ’05 ’07Th. They will receive their awards at the Alumni Council dinner in Hanover on Friday, October 21, 2016.
Dartmouth is continuously enhancing its online resources for alumni – including its directory. We encourage all alumni to go online and update their contact information.
The second annual Dartmouth Alumni Day of Service took place on May 7. Alumni, family, and friends participated in 36 community service projects throughout the country. Next year’s Alumni Day of Service will be held on May Saturday, May 6, 2017.
During our meetings, the councilors voted to elect two new members of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee – Adrienne (Tee) Lotson ’82 and Alyse Streicher ’95. Alexandra Roberts ’02 was elected by the Council membership to the Alumni Liaison Committee, and Emily Abernathy-Jones ’95 was appointed to the Alumni Liaison Committee from the Association of Alumni body. Russell Wolff ’89 ’94Tu, who was elected President-elect of the Council in May 2015, begins a one-year term as President on July 1, succeeding Jennifer Avellino ’89, who begins a one-year term on July 1 as Chair of the Alumni Liaison Committee.

Read the full minutes and view photos of the 212th Meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council.

Laura Yecies ‘85

October 22-24, 2015

by Laura Yecies ’85

Dear Fellow 85’s,

I had the pleasure of returning to Hanover, just a few short months after our wonderful reunion to represent you at The Dartmouth College Alumni Council – one of 125 members strong, representing alumni from each class, as well as a range of other Dartmouth constituencies.

Among the themes of our gathering was the value (and cost) of a Dartmouth education as well as several major initiatives including Moving Dartmouth Forward and the Hood expansion. In the bullet points below, loosely organized by topic for easy scanning, I provide some of the news and other information that was shared with us – along with links where those who wish to learn more can do so. Thank you to Jack Steinberg for compiling these detailed notes.

But first, I want to pose a question inspired by our most recent convening – a question that all councilors are being asked to share with their constituents in their Council reports:

Seeking Your Stories of Lifelong Learning, Beginning at Dartmouth

As alumni councilors, we talked a great deal throughout our meetings on campus this fall about the value of a liberal arts education, as well as the critical importance of the intellectual experience at Dartmouth extending far beyond the classroom. We also discussed how the learning experience at Dartmouth can be lifelong.

To what extent did an intellectual experience or experiences you had while an undergraduate at Dartmouth continue to resonate after you graduated  — whether in the work you do, or have done, or in your life overall? 

The Executive Committee of the Council asks that you share your responses directly with me, via email – leeches (at) gmail.com. I will forward your notes to the Alumni Liaison Committee, which is charged with conveying alumni sentiment and reflections on a range of issues to the Board of Trustees.

And now, some news that you can (hopefully) use:

The College’s Finances

Dartmouth’s endowment earned an investment return of 8.3 percent for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015 – with a value of $4.7 billion, according to Chief Investment Officer Pamela L. Peedin ’89, ’98Tu. Learn more about the endowment.

By one measure, the total annual cost per student of a Dartmouth education is just shy of $118,000 – though the price charged for full tuition, room and board, and mandatory fees is $62,000, according to Mike Wagner, chief financial officer. The difference is funded by sources other than tuition, including the Dartmouth College Fund, the distribution of unrestricted resources from the endowment and research grants. Dartmouth Alumni Magazine published an article in May titled “Why is Dartmouth so expensive?”

We learned from Ann Root Keith, Chief Operating Officer of Advancement, that in terms of the percentage of its alumni who made a donation to the college last year, Dartmouth was ranked second nationally – behind only Princeton – with 43.4 percent. (Yale followed a distant third, with 28 percent alumni participation.) Ms. Root Keith said that her office was currently studying the feasibility and potential focus of the college’s next Capital Campaign, which could begin as soon as 2017.

Campus Life

President Philip J. Hanlon ’77 told the Council that the Moving Dartmouth Forward Initiative announced earlier this year as a way to curb an array of harmful behaviors – including a ban on hard alcohol on campus – appeared to be having an initial impact, with transports to the hospital as a result of high blood alcohol content trending downward, by at least 20 percent since the beginning of spring term. “I think it’s early days,’’ President Hanlon said. “We need to be patient. We need to continue watching.”
Beginning in the fall of 2016, every Dartmouth undergraduate will be assigned to a house community, a cluster of dorms to which they will maintain affiliation throughout their undergraduate experience. The initiative is intended to build communities within the Dartmouth community that provide students with a sense of continuity, identity and a deeper residential experience. A faculty member will also reside in each house community, and help lead programming.

The Academic Experience

In a lunchtime address to the Council, Cecilia Gaposchkin, associate professor of history and assistant dean of faculty for pre-major advising, made a forceful argument for a liberal art education as “a good return on investment” for students, their families and the college itself. She cited Dartmouth’s emphasis on preparing students for their lives, and their work, regardless of occupation, by imbuing them with the ability to reason, think, write and grapple, with increasing sophistication, with complex matters. Professor Gaposchkin has written extensively about all this, including this Op-Ed in The Washington Post, with the compelling headline: “Why The Tech World Highly Values a Liberal Arts Degree.”

Provost Carolyn Dever spoke with the councilors about the career phases for tenure-track faculty at Dartmouth, and throughout higher education today — a progression from candidate to assistant professor, associate professor, full professor, and then professor emeritus/emerita.

Hood Museum Expansion

The Hood Museum of Art, originally completed in 1985, will undergo a major renovation and expansion beginning with its temporary closing in March 2016, we were told by Lisa Hogarty, vice president of campus services, and Juliette Bianco ’94, interim director of the museum, who presented along with Bob Lasher ’88, senior vice president for advancement. When it reopens in January 2019, the museum will have new galleries; a center for “object-based” inquiry; an expanded event space, and a new entrance and lobby.

Alumni Awards

At a gala dinner led by Council President Jennifer Avellino ’89 at the Hanover Inn, the Council presented this year’s Dartmouth Alumni Awards to Patricia E. Berry ’81, Ellie Mahoney Loughlin ’89, and Ellis B. Rowe ’74. The Young Alumni Distinguished Service Awards were given to S. Caroline Kerr ’05 and Michael J. Vidmar ’03. View a series of short, emotionally moving, video tributes to each honoree.

Second Annual Alumni Day of Service: May 7, 2016
Save the date! The Second Annual Alumni Day of Service will be held on May 7, 2016, and the Council encourages all alumni to participate. Please register to help lead these mobilization efforts as a service project coordinator or to simply volunteer on that day.  This day is designed to provide opportunities for Dartmouth alumni, family and friends to give back to their local communities and also strengthen alumni connections. This is a terrific way to enhance Dartmouth’s reputation as a College that cares deeply about service.

Dartmouth on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Fans of Stephen Colbert and Dartmouth football got a double treat earlier this fall, when Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens appeared on Colbert’s new CBS show to demonstrate a robotic tackling dummy – designed to eliminate concussions during football practices – that originated as a project at the Thayer School of Engineering. Watch the video, in which Colbert dons a Dartmouth helmet.Dartmouth

Alumni Council on Social Media
The Alumni Council is expanding its reach in social media – including through live tweeting by several councilors, Alexandra Roberts ’02 and Hoi Ning Ngai ’00, of the most recent council sessions themselves, using the hashtag #DartmouthAC. Read the full minutes of our fall meetings.