FAQs

What is the Alumni Association Selection Committee (AASC)?
The Alumni Association Selection Committee (AASC) consists of at least six members elected by the MIT alumni community. The AASC meets annually to review prospective nominations for the MITAA Board of Directors, and in turn selects the newest members of the Board and the Board’s president-select. The AASC chair is a past president of the Alumni Association Board and is appointed by the Board. AASC members cannot be current members of the Association Board. Read more details about the AASC and view the current members.

Who can vote?
All MIT alumni are eligible to vote in this election.

Why is it necessary to log in to the Infinite Connection to cast my vote online?
Since only MIT alumni may vote in this election, we need to authenticate your alumni status. The ballot is posted on a secure part of the MIT Alumni Association site so that we can protect the privacy of your vote.

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Why should I vote?
Your vote helps to ensure that experienced leaders who care about our global MIT alumni community shape the future of our Alumni Association.

What are the eligibility requirements and desirable attributes?
AASC ballot candidates should be very familiar with the programs and activities of the Association and have a commitment to the Association’s objectives of service to alumni and MIT. They should have no less than five years of experience as volunteers for the Alumni Association and/or MIT with well-rounded service in multiple roles. Candidates should demonstrate strong leadership skills, possess experience on multiple fronts of Alumni Association activity, and should be candidates whom you believe will select the best leaders on your behalf.

How are AASC members elected?
Members of the AASC are elected at-large in an annual ballot open to the entire alumni community. The election is conducted using the preferential voting method, in which voters are asked to rank the candidates. An electronic ballot is made available to the alumni community on February 1, and votes must be cast by February 29 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Newly elected members of the AASC will begin their term at the start of the next fiscal year (July 1).

How did the candidates on this ballot get nominated?
Alumni standing for election are nominated by your peers, including alumni volunteer leaders in clubs, classes, and affinity groups; members of the Board of Directors; and other committees such as the Leadership and Talent Pipeline Committee.

What is preferential voting?
The AASC election is conducted using a preferential voting technique called Single-Transferable voting. Single-Transferable voting is the standard system used for translating ranked ballots into multiple winners.

This form of voting works optimally when voters rank all or most of the candidates. The rankings indicate which candidate you would like your vote transferred to in the event that your favorite candidate has enough votes already or stands no chance of winning.

To determine the winners of the election, the standard preferential voting algorithm that carries out the calculation requires a random seed so that votes may be redistributed in a random, unbiased, and verifiable manner. To this end, the 2024 MIT Alumni Association Selection Committee Ballot will use 12345678 as the random seed.

I don’t know any of the candidates―should I still vote?
Yes! AASC members are elected at large by the entire alumni body. Review the candidates’ statements and records of MIT involvement and decide who you think best demonstrates strong leadership skills, familiarity with the programs and activities of the Association, and a commitment to the Association’s objectives of service to alumni and to the Institute.

Can I campaign for or encourage voting for a specific individual who is up for election?
In the spirit of fairness and in keeping with other election practices in place, no campaigning or soliciting votes for a specific candidate is allowed. Individuals and alumni groups are encouraged to share general information about the election with their peers and constituents.

When and where will the results of the election be posted?
The newly elected AASC members will be posted on the AASC site shortly after the election, and all voters will be notified of the election results via email.

FY2024 Alumni Association Selection Committee Members:

Chair:
Hyun-A C. Park ’83, MCP ’85
Term Members:
James S. Banks ’76
Clinton C. Blackburn ’08 (term ending June 30, 2024)
Kendall Bryan ’88, SM ’89
Angie Chatman SM ’88
M. Lily Datta Peyrat ’94
Sharon A. Israel ’86
Yolanda Lau ’02
Nelly A. Rosario ’94 (term ending June 30, 2024)
Wayne Stargardt ’74, SM ’75
Judy E. Stein ’78 (term ending June 30, 2024)