Governance
Board Sets Policy, Provides Oversight
The Board of Directors is the governing body of the Alumni Association. Selection to the board is both an honor and a significant responsibility. The board is chosen by the Alumni Association Selection Committee (AASC), which also names the Alumni Association president. The board may also select at-large members.
The President's Committee is the executive committee for the board and is chaired by the association president. Other members include the president-elect, the two most recent past presidents, and other members appointed by the president.
The role of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors sets policy for the Association and is responsible for strategic oversight of all Association activities. Association budget oversight is one of the Board’s most important responsibilities. The Board executes policies through the executive vice president, other members of the Association staff, and thousands of volunteer alumni and alumnae.
Board members, who are typically leaders of alumni groups around the world, are called upon to act on policies, procedures, and the long-range agenda for the Association. Members bring a breadth of experience and points of view, which give the board the necessary diversity for its important role.
How the Association works with MIT
The Alumni Association Selection Committee selects, recruits, and nominates alumni for appointment to the MIT Corporation, the Institute's governing body. The Corporation sets policies that determine the future success of the Institute. Under the Institute by-laws, at least one third of the corporation's 45 term members must be alumni selected by the Alumni Association. At present, more than 80 percent of corporation members are alumni.
The Alumni Association reports to its Board of Directors—not the Corporation or the MIT President.
The Association's constitution and bylaws
MIT alumni have governed the Association since its founding on January 29, 1875, by a group led by Robert H. (Bobby) Richards 1868, the first president. The first constitution was approved three months later. See the full Constitution and Bylaws of the Alumni Association.
