Alumni Council Representative Ed Witz ’89 speaks to students during SophoMORE Connections 2019.
For 100 years, the Colgate University Alumni Council has served as a conduit between Colgate and its graduates. Within the last 18 months, the organization has conducted an internal audit of its work, developed new plans and structures to improve its efficiency, and renewed its commitment to the Colgate community at the beginning of the University’s third century.
Guided by an updated mission statement and committee structure, the council’s three annual meetings on campus continue to include reports from the University’s president and vice presidents. In committee, members engage in more detail with administrators from a variety of offices. Committee assignments are based on areas of expertise and interest and now include: academic life, alumni engagement, awards, campus connections, career initiatives, communications, and nominations. Council members also interact with students in various ways while on campus.
A report on all of these conversations can be found on our webpage. The council’s report is also distributed via email by the council’s regional directors. (To confirm your preferred email address, review your online community record here.) These meeting summaries are intended to bring graduates into the room alongside their representatives and inspire conversation among the broader alumni community. “We encourage every member of the Colgate community to be in touch with council members with questions, comments, and concerns,” says Council President Melissa J. Coley ’79. “These conversations allow us to convey thoughts back to the administration — either immediately or during our next round of meetings. The Alumni Council is here to represent the perspectives of the University community, knowing that it is challenging to bring 30,000 people into a session at Benton Hall.”
The council’s winter 2019 report reflects the array of topics brought to the table last January. Council members interacted with students and alumni participating in the SophoMORE Connections program at networking receptions, as well as with faculty during committee meetings, such as Division Directors Ernie Nolan and Nancy Reis discussing the process for reviewing and updating the core curriculum. A detailed presentation on the long-term residential life program was given by Vice President and Dean of the College Paul McLoughlin, and council members provided feedback.
Read the full report at colgate.edu/alumnicouncil, and visit the page this June for more information from the All-Class Reunion meeting. You will also find contact information for your era and regional representatives as well as a copy of the council’s new strategic plan.