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Alumni Board News

On July 31, 2010, the Alumni Board concluded a vote of the Ford School alumni body that sought approval to modify the constitution & by-laws in two ways (as described below). The bylaws proposal has passed pending approval of the UM Alumni Association.

1. Adjust board composition to integrate the new pool of Ford School BA students and alumni

We recommend modifying the current election system for the next few years to allocate one seat to a BA graduate and five seats to graduate degree holders (MPP, MPA, or PhD graduates). Until now six seats have been available each year and, by default, were designated for graduate students. In conjunction with this adjustment in the allocation of seats, the board recommends a work experience eligibility requirement. This requirement specifies that an alumnus/a - from any degree category - must first have a total of two years of professional work experience before seeking election. A student representative, elected by graduate students, currently serves on the board for a one year term. The board recommends adding a BA student representative, elected by current BA students, to the board.

Rationale:
With the development of an undergraduate (BA) program at the Ford School we have a tremendous opportunity to enrich the Alumni Board and enhance overall engagement of the alumni community. During our discussions it became clear that we needed to integrate the perspective of BAs as they begin their careers, while retaining the core functions of the board to best assist the Ford School. The board agrees that in integrating our BA alumni it is our desire to keep reasonably proportional representation for the various degree holders. A recent BA graduate has been appointed to the board for a two-year term and took part in these discussions.

2. Allow the Alumni Board to adjust its governing constitution and bylaws, making the updating process more closely aligned with that of other schools within the U-M.

Rationale:
The bylaws and constitution govern the Alumni Board itself (not the Ford School) and address operational and membership related areas such as numbers of seats, meeting process and schedule, election of officers, approval of meeting minutes, etc. Currently, any potential edits to the governing documents must be brought before the entire Ford School alumni body for consideration.

We recommend vesting the Alumni Board with the power to amend the constitution and by-laws. The board's modifications to these documents would remain subject to approval by the University of Michigan Alumni Association. The proposed change would make our governing documents more similar to those in use by Alumni Boards at other U-M schools.

The Alumni Board believes that this process change will improve the effectiveness of the Board as it works to advise and assist the Ford School, in part by reducing an administrative burden. The adjustment will enable the board to be more flexible and responsive to developments with the Ford School's activities, as well as efficiently address minor logistical points - such as the process for approval of the minutes - that are now cumbersome and outdated.

Members of the Alumni Board take seriously our responsibility to serve as informed representatives of the entire alumni body of the Ford School. We are charged with staying closely engaged with current events and priorities at the school. We welcome input, questions, and suggestions throughout the year from all alumni. Please note that the ability of non-board alumni to propose amendments to the governing documents is preserved. Moreover, any changes to the documents that govern the Alumni Board would be communicated to the full alumni body.

The recent bylaws vote took place via electronic ballot. If you did not receive an electronic ballot via email, please contact Jennifer Niggemeier at jennig@umich.edu to ensure that we have your current email address on file.