The Alumni Corporation Board of Directors (ACBOD) visited campus this past weekend from September 6-8 to attend meetings with President of the University and Professor of Philosophy and Religion Rebecca Chopp and meet one-on-one with students to encourage networking.

As an ACBOD staff member for the past 15 years and the current Vice President of Alumni Affairs, RuthAnn Loveless attended meetings with ACBOD. Each member serves on three of the current nine standing committees: athletics, awards, advancement, district clubs, nominations, career services, technology and communications, University relations and admissions and student aid.

In addition to meeting with Loveless and attending committee meetings, ACBOD met with Chopp and Board of Trustees Chair Chris Clifford. The Board also concluded a yearlong strategic planning process during the weekend.

“Student interaction is always a highlight of each visit. To have a chance to interact with current students, the board hosted a networking session on Thursday night and invited members of the [Student Government Association] leadership, the [Colgate Activities Board] executive board, and the Student Leadership Team to join them for dinner on Friday night,” Loveless said.

As a selective group of Colgate graduates, ACBOD is comprised of 55 members who reflect the diversity of Colgate Alumni. As an advisory board, ACBOD convenes in the fall, in January and in April to discuss issues such as student programs, leadership initiatives and Colgate affairs with Chopp, Colgate University administrators and current Colgate students.

“The Alumni Corporation Board of Directors is an advisory board comprised of 55 alumni. Each year, there are 10-12 open positions. Alumni are selected from a nominated pool of 300 candidates. Among other criteria, volunteer service to Colgate is one of the most important considerations when selecting new board members,” Senior Administrative Assistant at Office of Alumni Affairs Vicky Stone said.

In an interview on Monday, Loveless also emphasized the importance of dedicated volunteer service to Colgate as a nominating factor.

“The single, most important quality we look for among the 300 nominations for the Alumni Corporation Board of Directors is alumni dedication to volunteer service to Colgate University,” Loveless said.

After the board’s visit this past weekend, ACBOD plans to return in January for its second meeting of the year.

“The most important of the three campus visits is in January, when Alumni Board members come to Colgate to host ‘Real World,’ a very widely-attended and very influential program that aims to make seniors aware of job options, internships, graduate school and issues they will face after graduation from Colgate,” Loveless said.

Considering the advisory nature of ACBOD, the January reunion brings the purpose of communication between alumni and current students to the forefront.