Alumni Association Bylaws

Section 1 - Purpose

The purpose of the Alumni Association (Association) is to support the continuing excellence of Oberlin College, including the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music, and to foster communication between the College and its alumni and among alumni. The Association’s principal mission is to create a community of active alumni volunteers in support of the institution. It is within this mission to support the College in its fundraising efforts.

Section 2 - Membership

All persons who have attended Oberlin College at least one term and whose entering class has graduated are members of the Oberlin Alumni Association. Holders of honorary degrees conferred by the Board of Trustees and any person awarded associate membership in the Association by the Alumni Leadership Council are non-voting members of the Association

Section 1 - Purpose and Goals

The Alumni Leadership Council (Council) is the leadership body composed of members of the Association who manage the business of the Association, set strategic goals, and implement the Alumni Association bylaws. The Council shall discuss, review, and provide feedback on programs and policies that directly affect Oberlin College and its alumni.

Goals. The goals of the Council are to:

a. Foster alumni’s strong, lifelong connections to fellow alumni, current students, and to the Oberlin institution.

b. Enhance alumni support to the College through both services and direct financial contributions.

c. Secure the relevance and long-term health of the Association through programming and the identification and cultivation of diverse alumni leadership, volunteers, and groups.

d. Ensure that activities of the Association are strategically aligned with the College’s goals and that the Association provides input to College programs and policies.

Section 2 - Membership; Terms of Service

The Council shall be composed of the following members of the Association, each of whom shall be entitled to vote as a member of the Council and each of whom shall be selected pursuant to the processes set out herein for each position:

a. the President of the Association;
b. the Immediate Past President or President-Elect of the Association, as applicable;
c. the Secretary/Communications Officer of the Association;
d. three Chartered Group (as hereinafter defined) members;
e. the Trustee Search Committee Chair;
f. the Admissions liaison;
g. the Careers liaison;
h. the Annual Fund/Ambassadors liaison;
i. the Class Officers liaison;
j. the Multicultural Alumni Leadership Council (MALC, as hereinafter defined) liaison;
k. the Regional Programming liaison;
l. no more than three student members; and
m. no more than eleven at-large members.

Past Presidents of the Association shall serve as non-voting, ex-officio members of the Council.

The Executive Director of the Association (the “Executive Director”) shall be a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Council.

It shall be the goal of the Council to have at least 15% of its membership be alumni of the Conservatory of Music, or, if the percentage of alumni of the Conservatory is greater than 15% of the entire membership of the Association, to have the membership of the Council have representation of such alumni that is the same as the percentage of Conservatory alumni in the overall alumni body.  

In addition, it shall be the goal of the Council to have at least one member who resides outside the United States or attended Oberlin as an international student, and to have at least one member who was an undergraduate athlete. The Council will strive to have a membership that is reflective of the diversity of the membership of the Association with respect to, including without limitation: race, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and geography. 

No officer or employee of the College may serve as a member of the Council or its committees, other than the Executive Director.

Section 3 - Meetings; Quorum; Notice

a. The President of the Association shall call an in-person meeting of the Council during Fall term of each year (the “Annual Meeting”). The President of the Association shall also call at least two additional meetings of the Council, each year. The President may call a special meeting of the Council with ten days’ notice. At the written request of 10 members of the Council, the President shall call a special meeting of the Council.

b. A quorum shall be one more than half of the Council members currently serving and eligible to vote. Members attending a meeting via teleconference have voice and vote and are considered present for purposes of quorum. 
c. The President of the Association or a majority vote of the ALC may open meetings to College employees or the public. 

d. Written notice of each meeting shall be sent to all members of the Council no fewer than ten (10) calendar days in advance of the meeting.

e. Unless otherwise specified in this document, an action of the Council shall require a vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. When an online vote is called by the President, an action of the Council may be approved by affirmative online vote of a quorum of the Council.

Section 4 - Committees of the Alumni Leadership Council

a. The Council shall have standing committees. 

i. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the President-Elect or Immediate Past President, and the Secretary/Communications Officer. The Executive Committee shall determine the specific time and place for the Council’s meetings and develop Council agendas.
ii. The Leadership Development Committee (LDC) will have up to eight (8) other members drawn from the membership of the Council. Annually, the LDC shall recommend a slate of nominees for membership on the Council as officers, chairs, and members and shall be responsible on an ongoing basis for managing a process of identifying, recruiting, and training alumni volunteers to serve on ad hoc committees and for recruiting and nominating persons to serve as members of the Association’s committees described in Article III, section 6, below.

a. The LDC shall have two co-chairs: the Immediate Past President or President-Elect; and a Standing LDC Co-Chair, appointed for a two-year term concurrent with a Past President returning as co-chair. 

iii. The Awards Committee shall consist of up to six (6) persons, one of whom shall serve as the Chair, who shall be drawn from the members of the Council, including but not limited to Past-Presidents of the Association. Any member of the Association may serve, at the request of the Awards Committee Chair, on an advisory basis for the purposes of discussing one or more of the awards, and will not be a voting member. 

b. Formation. Additional committees of the Council may be established to carry out the work of the Council. 

c. Membership, Terms. The members of Association Committees (other than the Executive Committee) shall be appointed by the LDC. Committee chairs shall be nominated by the LDC and ratified by the Council. Committee members shall serve three-year terms (unless otherwise set out herein). A committee chair may not serve as chair more than three years except with the approval of the Council. The President of the Association or the President’s designee shall be an ex-officio member of each committee.

d. Committee Meetings. Committees may set their own meeting dates and times. Attendance at meetings of committees is restricted to committee members and invited guests. Non-members may attend only upon approval of a majority of the committee members voting. A staff member designated by the Executive Director to support the work of an ALC committee may attend meetings in consultation with its chair.

e. Dissolution. A committee may be dissolved by a vote of the Council.

f. Ad Hoc Committees and Task Forces. The Council may form ad hoc committees and task forces and may appoint the members of such ad hoc committees and task forces.

Section 5 - Removal

a. Each member of the Council is required to make a financial contribution to the College annually. Failure to make such an annual contribution may be considered grounds for removal from the Council.

b. Each member of the Council is expected to abide by Oberlin’s Volunteer Code of Conduct. Failure to abide by Oberlin’s Volunteer Code of Conduct may be considered grounds for removal from the Council.

c. Each member of the Council is expected to attend meetings, either in person, or via teleconference technology. Missing more than three consecutive meetings may be considered grounds for removal.

Section 6 - Financial Contribution

a. Removal. Any member of the Council who fails to perform the prescribed duties, such as failing to attend three consecutive meetings of the Council or failing to make an annual contribution (Section 5 of this Article), may be removed from the Council. In the event that a Council member is so removed, the LDC shall nominate a replacement for that member.  The actions of removing a Council member and adding a replacement member shall be accomplished by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Council voting.

b. Resignation. Any member of the Council may resign from their position by informing the Executive Director or a member of the Executive Committee in writing. 

c. Replacement. In the event that a Council member is so removed or resigns from their position, the LDC shall have the authority to nominate a replacement for that member. Such replacement shall be ratified by the Council in a timely manner to fill the remaining portion of the term of the vacant position.

Section 7 - Selection of Members

a. Members of the Council other than the President, President-Elect/Immediate Past President and Secretary/Communications Officer shall be selected as follows:

i. Prior to the annual meeting, the LDC will present a slate of candidates to the Council for ratification by either an online or in-person vote; 

ii. The Trustee Search Committee Chair and the at-large members shall be selected by the LDC, in consultation with the Executive Director;

iii. Student members (with a goal of at least one Conservatory student at all times) shall be selected by the LDC from nominations received from students, faculty, and staff;

iv. Any Chartered Group interested in having representation on the Council shall submit an application as described in Article VI and forward the name of two candidates, in order of preference, from its Group to the LDC, which shall select the nominee to be included in the slate upon selection of the Group’s application by the Council; 

v. MALC shall put forward its own nominee for representation on the Council, as described in Article VII; and

vi. The LDC, in consultation with the respective offices of the College, shall solicit names of Association volunteers interested in serving as the ALC liaisons for Alumni Recruiting Network (ARN) Volunteers, Annual Fund Ambassadors, Careers, Class Officers, and Regional Programs and shall select one representative from each group. 

The voting members of the Council shall be divided into three classes, with the members in each class serving staggered, three-year terms, typically beginning at the end of the Annual Meeting of the Council and continuing through the conclusion of the third Annual Meeting following their appointment. No member of the Council may serve more than six consecutive years on the Council, except the President, if, immediately preceding election to the office of President-Elect, the President has already served on the Council for a term of three or more years.

Article 1 - Officers

The officers of the Alumni Association shall be the President, the Immediate Past President or President-Elect, and the Secretary/Communications Officer.

Section 2 - Eligibility; Limitation on Terms

Any member of the Association who is not at the time of the election or while serving as an officer an employee of the College is eligible to serve as an officer of the Association.  The President may not serve more than one and the Secretary not more than two (2) consecutive terms in their respective offices.

Section 3 - Terms of Service

The President shall serve a two-year term as President, preceded by a year as President-Elect, and followed by a year as Immediate Past President. The Secretary/Communications Officer shall serve a two-year term to commence with a new President-Elect. During the first year of the President’s term as President, the immediate former President shall serve as Immediate Past President. At the end of the President’s first year in office, the Council shall elect a President-Elect, who shall serve in that capacity during the President’s second year in office. At the end of the President’s term in office, the President-Elect shall succeed to the Presidency and the President will become the Immediate Past President.

Section 4 - Duties of Officers

a. The President is the executive officer of the Association and shall call and preside at each meeting of the Council as its Chair. The President shall be an ex-officio member of each committee, except for the Trustee Search committee. Among the President’s most important responsibilities is maintaining communication with the College through regular contacts with the President of the College and the Board of Trustees.

b. The Immediate Past President or President-Elect shall serve as the executive officer of the Association in the absence of the President and shall perform any other duties delegated by the President. The Immediate Past President or President-Elect shall serve as co-chair of the LDC. When necessary, the President may ask an earlier Past President to fulfill the duties of the Immediate Past-President.

c. The Secretary/Communications Officer shall be responsible for communicating with the members of the Association regarding the work of the Council and Association. The Secretary/Communications Officer, working with the Executive Director and the President, shall prepare periodic reports on the Association’s activities. The Secretary/Communications Officer, working with the Executive Director and staff, shall oversee all minutes of the Council prior to their distribution and shall be responsible for monitoring the Association’s official documents. The Secretary/Communications Officer shall serve as the executive officer of the Association in the absence of the other two officers. In addition, the Secretary/Communications Officer shall perform any other duties delegated by the President.

Section 5 - Selection of Officers

During a President’s first year in office as President, the LDC chair will alert the Council and LDC at the Annual meeting to the upcoming officer vacancies and discuss potential candidates and solicit recommendations. The Officer Selection Committee shall consist of the chair of the LDC, the current President, Secretary/Communications Officer, and the Executive Director. Prior to the second meeting of the Council of a President’s first year in office as President, the Officer Selection Committee shall meet to discuss potential candidates and alternates for President-Elect and Secretary/Communications Officer. If warranted, other recent officers of the Association may be consulted for more input on potential candidates. Before the Second Meeting of the Council, the President contacts the candidates and, if necessary, the alternates to determine their willingness to assume the office. Once the candidates confirm their willingness to serve if selected, the proposed slate of officers will be presented to the LDC for approval at the Second meeting of the Council. At the third meeting of the Council, the proposed slate of officers will be presented to the Council for approval.  

If either the LDC or the Council does not approve the slate of candidates, the Officer Selection Committee shall meet to recommend an alternate slate of officers, which slate shall be presented to the LDC and the Council (who may meet to discuss the slate by video or conference call). Once a slate of officers is approved, the new officers’ terms shall begin at the end of the next Annual meeting.

Section 6 - Committees of the Association

a. Formation. Committees of the Association may be established to carry out the work of the Association. A new committee shall be formed by a Council vote. 

b. Membership; Terms. Except as set out below, any member of the Association may be appointed to committee membership. The members of committees, including committee chairs, shall be nominated by the LDC and subject to ratification of the Council. As appropriate, the LDC will solicit Oberlin College staff for recommendations to committees that work with their departments. The President of the Association or the President’s designee shall be an ex-officio member of each Association committee, except for the Trustee Search Committee. Committee members shall serve three-year terms (unless otherwise specified by the LDC), and no member may be permitted to serve on any one committee more than six consecutive years, aside from time served chairing a committee. A committee chair may not serve more than three years as chair except with the Council’s approval. Members of the Association who are not members of a committee may serve, at the request of the chair of the committee, on an advisory basis for the purposes of conducting the business of that committee and will not be considered voting members.

c. Authorized Committees. The following committees are authorized, and, if established, shall operate according to guidelines adopted by the Council for each:

i. A Regional Programming Committee; and

ii. A Trustee Search Committee.

d. Committee Meetings. Committees may set their own meeting dates and times. Attendance at meetings of committees is restricted to committee members and invited guests. Non-members may attend only upon approval of a majority of the committee members voting.

e. Dissolution. A committee may be dissolved by vote of the Council.

f. Ad Hoc Committees and Task Forces. With a vote, the Council may form ad hoc committees and task forces and may appoint the members of such ad hoc committees and task forces. 

g. Financial Contribution. Each member of an Association committee is required to make a financial contribution to the College annually. 

h. Removal. Any member of a committee of the Association who fails to perform their prescribed duties, such as failing to attend three consecutive meetings, failing to make an annual contribution, or failing to abide by the Volunteer Code of Conduct may be removed from a committee. The LDC, in consultation with the committee chair, shall have authority to remove a committee member and nominate a replacement.

Section 1 - Administration of Class Officer Procedures

The Executive Director shall administer the procedures for selecting class officers and shall monitor their performance.

Section 2 - Nomination and Selection of Class Officers

Prior to graduation, the members of each senior class of the College shall select from among the members of the class a Class President and at least one other officer and may select any additional officers that they deem appropriate. The officers shall serve until the class’s fifth year reunion. During that reunion year and each reunion year thereafter, a call for class officer nominees shall be distributed to all members of the class and officers shall be recruited to serve until the next reunion year. Each member of the class may nominate one or more class members for each officer position to be filled. In the case where there is a contested election, a ballot with information about the nominees will be distributed to all class members whose contact information is known at that time.

Section 3 - Class Officer Vacancy

If any Class President ceases to serve, the Vice-President of that class, if any, succeeds to the presidency for the remainder of the former Class President’s term. If no Vice-President is available to succeed to the presidency, the Executive Director, in consultation with the President of the Association, shall appoint a President to serve for the remainder of the term.

Section 4 - Duties of Class Officers

The Class Officers have a key role in furthering, within their respective classes, the goals of the Association. The Class President shall serve as the executive officer of the class for all matters, shall call and preside at any meeting of the class, and may establish and appoint the members of any class committee as deemed appropriate, except in the case of 50threunion committees. Except as delegated to any other officer by the class, the Class President is also responsible for coordinating reunion plans with the Class Vice President and a reunion committee; communicating with the members of the class at least annually about activities at the College, alumni volunteer opportunities, and matters concerning the class; and providing class notes, web updates, award nominations, and contact updates for members of the class.

For cluster reunions, the Class Officers are expected to productively work together with the other Class Officers in their cluster to create a fun, stimulating, and meaningful reunion that appeals to the vast majority of potential participants. In the event that the Class Officers do not fulfill the responsibility of reunion planning in a timely manner, the Executive Director, in consultation with the President of the Association, may appoint alternative leadership for reunion planning.

The Class President is encouraged to support the fundraising efforts of the Class Ambassadors, especially during a reunion gift campaign. As part of the agreement to serve as a key volunteer, all Class Presidents are required to make a financial contribution to the College annually.

Class Officers are expected to demonstrate an interest in alumni activities occurring in their locale. They are expected to abide by the Volunteer Code of Conduct.  Failure to abide by the Volunteer Code of Conduct may be considered grounds for removal as a Class Officer.

Section 5 - Class Officer Representation on the Council

Class Officers shall select one Class President to serve as a representative of all Class Officers for a three-year term on the Council. This will be accomplished by soliciting interest among Class Presidents and taking nominations from Officers. The vote will occur through online voting by Class Officers, who will be sent a ballot of nominees and the nominees’ statements of interest.

The Alumni Office will tally the results and report them to the Council, which will affirm the Class Officer representative. In most cases this will be the nominee with the most votes; however, the Council retains the right to also consider factors that will maintain diversity of representatives on the Council.

Section 6 - Half-Century Club

The members of each class that is celebrating or has celebrated its fiftieth reunion are members of the Half-Century Club, which holds a reunion annually.

Section 1 - Formation

Members of the Association who live in major metro areas with large alumni populations and who desire official standing as a Chartered Regional Club of the Oberlin Alumni Association may form an initial steering committee and submit to the Council a preliminary charter and a letter of intent that:

a. states the proposed geographic area to be served and goals of the club;

b. lists the names of the volunteers who will serve as the initial steering committee, including a Regional President; and

c. provides that each member of the group’s steering committee has reviewed, agreed to, and signed the Expectations and Responsibilities of Oberlin Chartered Regional Clubs document wherein members of the proposed organization agree to abide by the Bylaws, policies and procedures of the Association and foster the interests and continuing excellence of the College. If the Council acts favorably on the request, the organization may begin to function as an official body of the Association. 

Section 2 - Membership

Each member of the Association who resides within the geographic area served by a local or regional alumni organization shall be entitled to participate in the organization’s activities and to nominate, vote for, and serve as any officer of the organization. Alumni visiting from out of town may join Chartered Regional Club public activities subject to capacity, registration, and similar considerations.

Section 3 - Withdrawal of Recognition

The Council may, as it deems appropriate, change the Chartered Regional Club’s bylaws, policies, or procedures; remove any officer or leader of the Chartered Regional Club; appoint a substitute officer or leader of that Club; or withdraw the Association’s recognition of it in the event that the Council determines that one or more of the following have occurred: a Chartered Regional Club is not abiding by the Bylaws, policies and procedures of the Association; the group’s actions are inconsistent with the purposes of the Association; the group is inactive as evidenced by its failure to advise the Alumni Office of contact information for current officers; or the group has failed to provide the Council with its annual report; or otherwise is not serving the best interests of the Association.

Section 4 - Support for Less Populated Regions

Alumni living in a region with fewer than 400 alumni are not required to establish a Chartered Regional Club in order to receive support from the Alumni Office. Alumni in these regions who would like to host an event are encouraged to contact the Regional President (if one exists in their area) or the Alumni Office to coordinate planning and timing of the event.

Section 1 - Formation

Alumni who are bound together by common characteristics or interests may wish to form groups at their own initiative for purposes that are consistent with those of the Association.

Section 2 - Recognition as Chartered Group

In order to be chartered by the Association, a group must apply to the Council for review of the group’s name, charter, purposes, plans and operation. Upon concluding that the group is consistent with the Bylaws, policies and procedures of the Association, and that the group does not contravene the purposes of the Association or the College, the Council may recognize the self-defined group as a chartered group of the Association.  The status of any group is subject to annual review by the Council. A list of currently active chartered groups is available on the Association’s web site.

Section 3 - Name; Purposes

a. A chartered group may select its own name, except that the terms “committee,” “task group,” and “task force” are reserved for groups whose members are nominated or ratified by the Council.

b. A chartered group may define its own purposes for organizing, provided that they are consistent with and do not contravene the purposes of the Association; and, further, a group’s purposes may be more limited or broader than those of the Association, except that no group may have such purposes or take such action that would jeopardize the College’s tax-exempt status.

c. Chartered groups of the Association fall into five generally defined types:

• Activity: a group of alumni who have an activity in common. For example: Oberlin Steel Alumni Association (OSAA).
• Identity: a group of alumni who have an identity in common. For example: Oberlin Alumni Association of African Ancestry (OA4).
• Interest: a group of alumni who have an interest or belief in common. For example: EnviroAlums.
• Professional: a group of alumni who have a profession in common. For example: healthcare professionals or orchestra members.
• Religious and spiritual: a group of alumni who have a religion or spirituality in common. For example: Oberlin Christian Alumni Association (OCAA).

Section 4 - Membership; Officers; Communications

A Chartered Group may establish the terms and criteria for membership in the group provided that:

1. all operative criteria are public;
2. membership is restricted to alumni; and 
3. membership is open to all alumni who qualify under the established criteria.

Each Chartered Group shall select its own chair, co-chairs or other such officers as it deems appropriate.  When selecting a steering committee, attention should be paid to diversity of membership.  The names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of all current officers are to be submitted to the Alumni Office, which shall be notified immediately of changes.  Groups may communicate on their own letterhead directly with any person or persons in the College, provided that such communications expressly and accurately identify the group as distinct from the Association or the Council.

Section 5 - Financial Support; Administrative Support

Any financial or in-kind support from the Association or the Alumni Office shall be at the sole discretion of the Executive Director.  Chartered Groups may receive administrative support from the Alumni Office including: 

1. initial development and continuing maintenance of the group’s membership list;
2. assistance with logistical arrangements, but not direct costs, for meetings of the group;
3. assignment of an Alumni Office staff member as liaison to each chartered group.

Section 6 - Reporting

The chair or other officer of each chartered group shall report, either in person or in writing as designated by the Council, at least annually at the Annual meeting of the Council, on the membership, agenda, finances and activities of the group during the preceding twelve months, on plans and agenda for the coming year, on any changes in the group’s charter, and on any other matters concerning the group that the President may specify.

Section 7 - Membership on the Council

Each chartered group may apply to have a representative on the Council in accordance with Article II, Section 7.

Section 8 - Inactive Status and Termination of Chartered Groups

a. Inactive Status. If the group (i) does not satisfy the reporting obligations set forth in Section 6 of this Article for two consecutive years, or (ii) does not respond to requests from the Secretary/Communications Officer addressed to the last designated leadership of the group, then the group will be placed in inactive status. To be restored to active status, a group must submit the report described in Section 6 of this Article.

b. Termination. A Chartered Group shall cease to be recognized by and affiliated with the Association by vote of the Council. Termination of recognition may be based on a determination that:

i. the group has been in inactive status for two or more consecutive years;

ii. the group is not in compliance with the Bylaws, policies or procedures of the Association; 

iii. the group’s actions are inconsistent with the purposes of the Association; or

iv. the leadership of the group informs the Council that it wishes to be dissolved.

Section 1 - Membership

The Oberlin Alumni Association of African Ancestry (OA4), Network of Oberlin Asian Alumni (NOAA), Oberlin Lambda Alumni (OLA), and the Oberlin Latino/a Alumni Association (OLAA), all of which are chartered groups as of the date of adoption of these Bylaws, shall designate persons to serve on the Multicultural Alumni Leadership Council (MALC). Each of these groups shall designate up to two persons to serve on the MALC, one of whom shall be an officer of that group and the other of whom shall be another member of the group’s steering committee. 

In the event of formation and being recognized as an identity-based chartered group, as described in Article VI, Section 3 above, such group will be granted the opportunity to participate in the MALC.

Section 2 - Meeting Frequency

The MALC shall meet at least once each year to discuss issues of common concern among such multicultural alumni groups.

Section 3 - Representation on the Council

The MALC shall select one of its members to serve as a representative of the MALC for a three-year term on the Council.

Section 1 - Authority

The nomination and election of Alumni-elected Trustees shall be conducted by the Alumni Association in consultation with the Secretary of the College and in accordance with the Bylaws of the College. The mechanism for this election shall be determined by the Alumni Association and its leadership and submitted for advance approval by the Board of Trustees. The mechanism shall take effect only upon any such approval by the Board of Trustees. The Oberlin College Board of Trustees shall ratify the election of all Alumni-elected Trustees.

Section 2 - Annual Election

At least one Trustee shall be elected each year by the full Alumni, to hold office for four years.

Section 3 - Possibility of an Alumni Leadership Council Election

In two of every four years, a second alumni-elected Trustee seat will be vacant. The Council may, by a two-thirds vote, elect as Trustee, one candidate from the following groups:

a. An individual who has previously participated as a candidate in an alumni-elected Trustee election, including the current incumbent alumni-elected Trustee still eligible for another term and recent candidates who did not receive the most votes.

b. A past winner of the Alumni Medal, Distinguished Achievement Award, or Distinguished Service Award.

c. A past-president of the Alumni Association, other than the immediate-past president.

If the Council does not elect a Trustee in this way before November 1 in the year prior to the expiration of a current term, an additional candidate will be elected by the full alumni in the annual election.

Section 4 - Alumni Defined as Graduates

For the purpose of an election by the full alumni, the term “alumni” shall be defined to comprise the graduates of Oberlin College, and also all persons holding an honorary degree.

Section 5 - Nomination Process

The Trustee Search Committee will nominate one or more candidates for alumni-elected trustee positions and will send those nominations to the Council, which ratifies any nomination to stand for election.

a. The number of candidates nominated will be at least one more than the number of seats to be filled through the election and may be up to two more than the number of seats to be filled.

b. In carrying out its work, the Trustee Search Committee shall:

i. identify potential candidates through soliciting names from Alumni; through its own research; and through consultation with the Executive Director of the Alumni Association, the Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs, and the President of the College;

ii. conduct such background and/or reference checks and interviews as it deems necessary and appropriate; and

iii. secure each candidate’s approval to stand for election as an Alumni-elected Trustee.

c. The Trustee Search Committee, in consultation with the Council, shall maintain policies and procedures to enforce these bylaws. These policies and procedures are kept on file with the Alumni Association office.

Section 6 - Balloting

The College shall distribute the final ballot to the Alumni. Alumni may vote for candidates on the final ballot to fill the number of open seats. The Executive Director of the Alumni Association or his or her designee shall verify the votes and shall present the results to the Secretary of the College and the Director of Libraries, who serve as a board of Canvassers. In the case of a tie vote, the Council may decide between the candidates.

Section 7 - Ratification of Election Results by the Board of Trustees

The name of the winning candidate(s) shall be forwarded to the Board of Trustees to ratify the election of an alumni-elected Trustee at least 45 days before the start of that Trustee’s term.

Section 8 - Vacancy

In the case of the death, resignation, or removal of an Alumni-elected Trustee, the Council may nominate an individual from among the alumni to serve the remaining term of that Alumni-elected Trustee. In making this nomination for a successor to an Alumni-elected Trustee who was elected as part of a contested election, the Council shall consider the candidacy of individual(s) who received fewer votes than the winning candidate. This nomination shall be subject to the approval of the Oberlin College Board of Trustees.

Alumni volunteer groups shall meet on campus on the following schedule:

a. Class Officers – recommended attendance the first year of a volunteer’s service as a class officer and required attendance the year prior to a reunion year;

b. Ambassadors– recommended attendance the first year of an Ambassador’s service and required attendance the year prior to a reunion year;

c. MALC – every year; and

d. Trustee Search Committee – at least once per year.

Procedural matters affecting the Association, the alumni classes, the Council and its committees, the committees of the Association, the chartered groups, and the MALC are governed by the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, to the extent that those rules are applicable and are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of the Association.

These Bylaws may be amended following thirty (30) days’ notice to the members of the Council upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the Council voting on the proposed amendment at any meeting of the Council. Amendments to the Bylaws may not occur using online voting pursuant to Article II, Section 3(c).