Stop the Alumni Monopoly

By J. Lawrence Scholer | Monday, May 13, 2002

Alumni affairs at Dartmouth have become increasingly complicated over the years. I can only imagine how disheartening it is for concerned alumni to see how mired in bureaucracy the alumni committees have become.

Enter the Dartmouth Alumni for Open Governance, a group of alumni concerned with the current trend that places the Association of Alumni in the hands of a select few. According to Alex Wilson '01, a member of the DAOG, 'In recent years...the College has gradually reduced the role of alumni and centered what power remains in a small, cooperative group of alumni 'leaders' that is increasingly self-perpetuating, if not directly chosen by the College administration itself.' The College has recently undertaken a number of large projects—the SLI, for example—with little or no input from the large body of alumni.

It is no surprise, then, that alumni support is decreasing. Why should alumni take an interest in Dartmouth affairs when there is little chance that their voice will be heard?

Alumni, however, have a chance to make a statement in the coming week. The Association of Alumni is holding their annual meeting on May 18 at 1:30 P.M. in 105 Dartmouth Hall. This meeting is a continuation of the Association meeting held last December. Yes, this meeting is uncharacteristically scheduled, but to delve into this situation is an exercise in futility, with enough bureaucracy to make one ill. The Association of Alumni seems to make matters much more complicated than necessary—just think of the recent Trustee Election.

The date of this upcoming meeting may well be problematic. The weekend could be one of the busiest in Hanover—with the spring weather and, of course, Green Key Weekend. Many alumni argued that the meeting be held the Tuesday following Commencement, but their request was denied. Holding the meeting on June 11 is very practical. Many alumni will be in Hanover for their class reunions, and the campus will be less crowded and the out-of-town alumni won't be hard-pressed for lodging. Finding adequate lodging on Green Key Weekend could be immensely difficult, if not impossible.

The DAOG (Log on to its new website: www.daog.org) also will meet on the weekend of May 18 and hope to reverse the current trend in the alumni ranks. The DAOG seeks to once again give all alumni a voice in the governance of the College.

Dartmouth alumni should be furious that their voice is no longer heard or, for that matter, wanted. Ideological views aside, that the largest group affiliated with Dartmouth is being ignored should set off warning bells for every alumnus and alumna.

Stop the Alumni Monopoly

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