Alumni Council Executive Committee Meeting Minutes, January 21, 2006

Welcome—Hope Palmer Bramhall ’56
Hope shared news about the Boston campaign kickoff celebration last night and what a great evening it was. Joe Boulos had announced that the campaign had reached $117 million toward the $235 million goal. Alumni were energized, and the student musical performances were amazing. Both performers were from Maine. Hope also mentioned that the Alumni Council Executive Committee heard about Integrated Marketing at Colby and that the Student Affairs Committee hired an outside consultant, who was to interview 175 students concerning desired changes in student life and campus culture. Hope asked for a motion to accept the October 22, 2005, council minutes.

Committee Reports/Updates

Admissions and Financial Aid Committee
Janice Wood Parsons '65 shared the news that the first round of early decision applicants had a 1310 average for SAT scores, and 40 percent of the incoming class was admitted by the early decision process. There are about 15 to 20 ALANA initiatives planned, with outreach to specific schools (such as in Boston) to encourage students to consider Colby. These ALANA initiatives are very important to the process of attracting new students to Colby. There is a legacy event in Boston planned for early May 2006. There are also retention yield events scheduled in April for Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Chicago, Denver. and Los Angeles.

Alumni Fund Committee
Jessica D'Ercole Stanton '92 reported that the committee had had a guest speaker, Wayne Loosigian P'05, director of annual giving at Phillips Exeter Academy, to suggest ways to improve the Alumni Fund volunteer program for the class agents. As of December 31, 2005, Colby had raised $1.5 million toward its goal, and it was 8 percent ahead of last year. There are strong matching gifts along with strong reunion classes this year. The number of donors is up slightly over last.

Athletics Committee
Christopher Vickers '87 reported on the fall Colby Night event at Family Homecoming Weekend, at which Alex Wilson '73 was honored as C Club Person of the Year and the Shiro brothers were honored. The Colby-Bowdoin football game at Bowdoin in November was attended by more than 300 alumni. One goal of the committee is to find ways to better interact with and have an impact on current students. Chris also indicated that all 32 teams now have faculty liaisons. Art Brennan '68 met with first-year football players. Basketball and ice hockey players also have had alumni networking components. The committee will target six new teams for an alumni mentoring component next year. For the spring event honoring the Carl Nelson Award winner, the committee plans to invite all athletes to share in the ceremony, not just the senior award winners and their families.

Awards Committee
Boyd "Bird" Allen '75 announced the award winners for this year. For service to the College, Colby will recognize the following 2006 Colby Brick recipients: Hope Palmer Bramhall '56, David Sortor '56 and Rosemary Crouthamel Sortor '56, A. Francis Finizio '66, Paul Mercier Edmunds Jr. '71 and Jane Hight Edmunds '71, James W. Bourne '81 and Laura Littlefield Bourne '81, and H. Alan and Dorothy Hume. The Ernest C. Marriner Distinguished Service Award recipients are Peter Lunder '56, D.F.A. '98, and Paula Crane Lunder, D.F.A. '98. The Outstanding Educator Award recipient is Jeanne O'Brien Crocker '76. The Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient is Jeannette Benn Anderson '61. The Charles W. Bassett Faculty Award recipient is Richard "Pete" Moss (history). And the Edson V. Mitchell Distinguished Service Award is not being awarded this year.

Career Services Committee
Patricia Whittemore Jenkins '67 reported that 15 committee members met with career Sservices staff members Cindy Parker and John Kappas. The first ever Jan Plan about career options was held in January. Participants spent three weeks at Colby and a fourth week in Boston with alumni. Networking visits took place at the Boston Globe and in law, Massachusetts government, and finance, and they involved first- and second-year students. They also organized individual job shadow opportunities based on the students' particular interests, and the students stayed with alumni volunteers in the area. Cindy shared the fall alumni career initiatives on campus and said that formalization of the internship process is awaiting approval from the Faculty Academic Affairs Committee.

Nominating Committee
Peter Merrill '57 reported on the vacant slots for alumni trustees. Bill Goldfarb '68 and Tim Hussey '78 have been renewed for a second term. John Devine '78 and Todd Halloran '84 have accepted the nomination for a first term and will be listed in the winter issue of Colby magazine as required by the bylaws. There are three new mentor-at-large openings, and selected candidates have been contacted. There is one vacancy for the Class of 1989.

Other Business
Hope Palmer Bramhall '56 reminded everyone to write their class representative letters and to highlight news about how everyone can help with career mentoring and admissions diversity recruiting efforts, in addition to their usual work on the council.