Charles E. Haldeman Jr. '70 reports on status of Governance Committee
effort
The Governance Committee of the Dartmouth Board of Trustees is moving
forward with its review of the Board's composition and method of selecting new
Trustees. Newly appointed Chair Charles E.
Haldeman Jr. '70 updated the College community recently in a letter sent to
alumni. The full
text of Haldeman's letter and other materials relating to the review are
available.
Charles E. Haldeman Jr. '70
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Haldeman noted that this Web site has been created to provide background and
updates on the process, and is also the mechanism through which alumni can send
their thoughts to the committee. He added that questionnaires seeking feedback
from current Trustees, Trustees emeriti, and alumni leaders have also been
sent.
Many alumni have already used the Web site to communicate with the
committee, said Haldeman, and he invited others to continue to submit
feedback.
"I wanted to provide an update on where things stand with this process and
make sure that alumni are aware of how they can make their voices heard," said
Haldeman in his July 9 letter. Noting that the committee has begun gathering
information on best practices in governance from a wide variety of educational
and nonprofit institutions, Haldeman said he believed that the feedback
received so far "reflects our alumni's deep commitment to, and passion for,
Dartmouth." Members of the Governance Committee also spoke with alumni at last
month's Commencement exercises, at reunions, and at other Dartmouth events.
"As chair of the Board I intend to maintain an active dialogue with my
fellow alumni," Haldeman wrote in his letter. He added that the Board of
Trustees is committed to direct communication with alumni and others on
important College matters and emphasized the two-way nature of that commitment.
"We want to hear your views directly from you," Haldeman wrote.
The current review
effort was announced in June, following the Trustees' meeting in Hanover.
In a memo to the full Board, the Governance Committee noted that Dartmouth
Trustees have assessed Board structure and effectiveness several times over the
past 50 years. Among the changes recommended in one such review effort was the
2003 decision to gradually expand the Board from 16 to 22 members. "Since that
time," the memo continued, "numerous questions have been raised about whether
the size, makeup, and selection process best allow the College to seize the
opportunities before it and to address the challenges it faces, both now and in
the future. Concerns have also been expressed about whether the processes for
nominating Alumni Trustees might be improved and whether there are alternatives
that would better serve the interests of the College ... To enable Dartmouth to
maintain a position of strength and preeminence, we believe it is incumbent
upon the Board to consider these matters periodically to assure that the Board
will have the necessary blend of talents, backgrounds, and interests to enhance
its overall effectiveness."
By LAUREL STAVIS
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