Report from the 208th Dartmouth Alumni Council Meeting

Below is the summary of the Alumni Council meeting that was prepared by councilor Howard Hodel ’75, on behalf of the Communications Committee. This summary conveys a sense of the weekend and provides you with some useful updates about what’s going on at the College under the new leadership of President Phil Hanlon ’77.

As your Class Representative, my role is to keep you informed and engaged with the happenings at the College and to be your liaison to the College if you have any questions or concerns.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable summer!

Akua Sarr ‘85

REPORT FROM THE 208TH DARTMOUTH ALUMNI COUNCIL MEETING
MAY 15-17, 2014
By Howard Hodel ’75

This was the 208th meeting of the Dartmouth Alumni Council. The mission of the Alumni Council is to sustain a fully informed, representative, and engaged exchange of information and sentiment between the alumni and the College, and to enhance and inspire alumni involvement that furthers the mission of the College.

Dartmouth President Phil Hanlon ’77 addressed the Alumni Council in the opening plenary session. His remarks included information about the Presidential Steering Committee for Moving Dartmouth Forward. The Steering Committee is tasked with making recommendations that will combat extreme behavior in the critical areas of sexual assault and high-risk drinking, and will also seek to foster more inclusivity and civility on campus. Councilors participated in breakout discussion sessions on these topics. Alumni are encouraged to submit their thoughts and recommendations to the Presidential Steering Committee via an online form here by June 30.

Additional highlights of the Alumni Council meeting are listed below:

* Dinner discussion groups with faculty and students focused on experiential learning opportunities
* “Back to the Classroom” for councilors to attend select classes
* Luncheon and student panel presentation titled Experiential Learning: On and Off the Green
* Viewing of the documentary film Passion for Snow and the Dartmouth student video Happy Dartmouth.
* Remarks by Professor Barbara Will, chair of the Presidential Steering Committee for Moving Dartmouth Forward
* Faculty update by Michael Mastanduno, dean of the faculty of arts and sciences
* Admissions in a Changing Landscape with Maria Laskaris ’84, dean of admissions and financial aid. The Alumni Council encourages all alumni to volunteer here to interview student applicants in the upcoming year
* Dinner address by Nathaniel Fick ’99, trustee, author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer and chief executive officer of Endgame, Inc.
* Update from the Board of Trustees by Bill Burgess ’81, trustee
* A conversation on alumni initiatives with Martha Beattie ’76, vice president for alumni relations
* All About Athletics: The Quest for Comprehensive Excellence with Robert Ceplikas ’78, Deputy Director of Athletics, and Abbey D’Agostino ’14
* Telling Dartmouth’s Story by Tommy Bruce, senior vice president for public affairs