My objection to the proposed constitutional amendments is informed by nearly a decade on the Alumni Board: as Outreach Committee Chair, Nominations Committee member, Alumna Trustee, plus chapter steering committee member. While I applaud the proponents’ desire to improve the AB’s effectiveness, I find the following troublesome:
• Absence of a clear “problem statement” makes it difficult to assess whether the proposed changes will help. While the “Proposal” states the “goal is to increase alignment,” what is misaligned and how the proposal will solve the undefined problem are unclear.
• While the “Proposal” calls for “all alumni board members [to] have term limits,” it only limits terms for Chapter Directors and Alumni Trustees. The latter limit derives from the Reed Board of Trustees governance rules, but the former appears arbitrary.
• Removal of most chapter leaders from AB membership has alienated several hard-working, committed chapter volunteers at a time when other controversies still reverberate within the alumni community. I recommend the AB work to heal rifts in our community through more inclusive, not exclusionary, actions.
• Alternatively, Nominations Committee focus on matching skills needed for each AB position, plus training/coaching on effective meeting management, may better address AB effectiveness concerns.
Respectfully,
Marcia Yaross, ‘73
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