Election Results

Our proposed constitution was rejected, as were all of the petition amendments, so we have the status quo of two separate constitutions. 49% of voters approved the constitution, while 51% rejected it. Voter participation reached 38%, a record high for any alumni election at Dartmouth.

While disappointing, we are encouraged by the high turnout, and hope that there will continue to be a similar level of engagement in the affairs of the College.

Voting Begins

The polls open today for voting on our proposed constitution. As volunteers, we have spent over two years listening, discussing, and debating issues surrounding how we, the Alumni of Dartmouth, organize ourselves. While not necessarily perfect for each and every one of us, this constitution is our best effort - born of a fierce love of the College, and a determination to bring many disparate views together civilly.

To those who prefer the status quo, we wonder as to your agenda.

To those who object to specific portions of it, we say: Bringing alumni governance into a single, more transparent structure sets the stage for future reforms, as it is easier to amend one constitution than two[1][2].

To those on the fence, we say: Read our report, see our rationale. There's a lot of spin out there; make up your own mind.

To those who, like us, think this is a step in the right direction, we say: THANK YOU!

Obviously, we would love for all Alumni to vote to accept our work. We also hope that all Alumni who care about the College will take the time to vote.

For Dartmouth,

Jim Adler '60, Anton Anderson '89,
Trevor Burgess '94, JB Daukas '84,
Kelley Fead '78, Martha Hennessey '76,
Bill Hutchinson '76, Joe Mandel '60,
Joe Stevenson '57 (Chair)
Dartmouth Alumni Governance Task Force

To read our report, click here.

To read more about the voting process, click here.

Dartmouth Board of Trustees Endorses Proposed Constitution

The Board of Trustees voted to endorse the proposed new Alumni Association constitution during their annual planning retreat. The motion supported the new constitution's approach to "a more representative alumni governance structure, better communication channels with the trustees and College administration, a fair trustee nomination process, and modernized voting methods for election of (Alumni) Association officers and representatives."

In an accompanying message, Bill Neukom '64, Chairman, notes that if the proposed constitution is approved, the trustees look forward to working with the Alumni Liasion Board, saying it "would contribute materially" towards a goal of enhancing the level of engagement between the Board and Alumni.

Full text available here (Speaking of Dartmouth).

Comment on this here.

UPDATE (9/20/06): Click here to view the letter printed in the Dartmouth