Accountability to Colgate Alumni Initiative
Colgate University is not “owned” by the small circle of
the Board of Trustees and more specifically the Executive and Nominating
committees, the president, provost/dean of the faculty, dean of the college,
even though every financial, academic and structural policy decision is
authored and passed by this handful of people.
Ironically, they were chosen by each other and are accountable only to
each other.
Here’s a fresh idea: The Board of Trustees has an obligation
to be accountable and transparent to the more than 50 % of alumni who fund
the school, and the 65% or so of parents and students who carry the financial
burden for all students.
Why not give alumni the right to vote for a majority of the Board
of Trustees?
We propose a petition effort asking
the Board of Trustees to support a change
to the Colgate Charter by the NY State Legislature, recommended by the
NY State Board of Regents and the Department of Education to allow a
majority of the Board of Trustees to be elected by Colgate alumni.
To leverage the petition, we’ve established a special “Accountability
to Colgate University Alumni
Fund” through the nationally recognized Donors Trust (www.donorstrust.org). Alumni
may make tax-deductible contributions to the Fund. Funds will be
invested by Merrill Lynch and held for up to five years to September
1, 2012. When the Charter is changed to allow trustee elections
by alumni, the funds will be distributed to Colgate University. If
alumni are denied the right to vote for trustees, the monies will go
to other beneficiaries previously named by the donors. |
