In February, W. Rochelle Calhoun ’83 announced her resignation as executive director of the Alumnae Association. Mary Graham Davis ’65, president of the association, wrote, “The Alumnae Association has enjoyed the executive director leadership of Rochelle Calhoun for the past five years. She has made a tremendous mark on the association and on alumnae and students, and we will miss her as she moves on to become the dean of student affairs at Skidmore College. Prior to taking on the executive director position at the association, Rochelle held a number of administrative positions at Mount Holyoke, including director of diversity and inclusion and acting dean of the college.
“Rochelle will be part of all our spring reunion events, and will depart for Skidmore after June 30. This will give us time to fête her accomplishments and provide an appropriate farewell tribute. Meanwhile, the board of the association will commence a search to fill the executive director position, and we hope to have our new director in place this fall.”
A tribute to Rochelle and her impact on the college and the association will run in the summer Quarterly. Please send any accolades for possible publication to Emily Weir (eweir@mtholyoke.edu or c/o Alumnae Association of MHC, 50 College St., S. Hadley, MA 01075-1486.
Photo by Paul Schnaittacher
As announced in the spring Alumnae Quarterly magazine, W. Rochelle Calhoun ’83 will step down as executive director of the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College this June.
Mary Graham Davis ’65, Association president, has announced the cochairs of the search committee that will recruit a new executive director. “We are pleased to announce as cochairs Dr. Susie Beers Betzer ’65, recent past president of the association and former trustee, and Joanna MacWilliams Jones ’67, a recent association board member with a strong human-resources background in education and nonprofit work,” she wrote.
The chairs have selected the other committee members, who are Pat Crane Furnivall ’50, Cynthia L. Reed ’80, Karen M. Hendricks ’76, Carrie K. Field ’97, Lisa M. Utzinger ’02, and Sandra A. Mallalieu ’91.
Nominations: To nominate someone for the executive director position, please contact Joanna Jones at jjones@edc.org.
Applications: You may apply online at this site. Detailed information about the position is below.
ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION OF MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE
South Hadley, Massachusetts
May 2008
Opening for Executive Director
Mission Statement
The Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College is an independent organization that serves a worldwide network of diverse individuals, cultivates and celebrates vibrant connections among all alumnae, fosters lifelong learning in the liberal arts tradition, and facilitates opportunities for alumnae to advance the goals and values of the College.
ROLE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Reporting directly to the Association Board of Directors and responsible to its President, the Executive Director will lead the work of the Association, through the engagement of the volunteer leadership and staff of the Association in concert and collaboration with the College.
The Executive Director will:
• Carry out the mission of the Alumnae Association to achieve its goals and reach the vision: the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College is a world-class organization that is valuable, visible, relevant, and inclusive
• Work with the volunteer Alumnae Association Board leaders to support, guide, advise and help with the Board’s responsibilities
• Lead the implementation of the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan and prepare for development of the next Strategic Plan based on ongoing measurements
• Utilize recent measurement tools effectively to analyze and guide the Association’s work
• Develop, implement, evaluate, and sustain successful programs to benefit alumnae and students
• Develop, implement and evaluate programs to support the Association’s and the College’s missions focusing on 1) collaboration with admission, development, career services, academic departments/centers, and information technology and on 2) connecting with the intellectual life of students and alumnae across the decades
• Make students and alumnae aware of the benefits and services of the Association and involve them wherever they are globally
• Celebrate the activities and connections of alumnae around the globe, recognizing their “purposeful engagement with the world”
• Champion the collaborative relationship with the College to maximize the expertise and value of the staff of the Association and the staff of the College
• Promote purposeful and effective use of technology
• Manage the operations of the Association: The Association is comprised of 19.5 FTE staff and an annual operating budget of approximately $2.4mm. The office manages external and internal relationships with alumnae and the College, reunions, enrichment and travel programs, club activities, communications activities including the Alumnae Quarterly, and the stewardship of its comprehensive database management information system also used by the College
IDEAL QUALITIES AND CAPABILITIES
The Executive Director must have technological sophistication, administrative acumen, strategic planning skills, savvy, and leadership qualities to work effectively with the Association’s Board of Directors and volunteer leadership and with the President of the College, her senior administrative team, and the wider campus community. S/he will be a person of intellect, vision and stature to serve as the leader, spokesperson, and embodiment of the Association on a day-to-day basis.
The successful candidate will possess the quality of mind and generosity to create positive momentum in furthering the relationships with alumnae, students, and the College community. Ability to maintain key relationships with College staff and the MHC Board of Trustees is essential.
The Executive Director must have substantial management experience, ideally including the not-for-profit sector, in a complex environment with a culture of working with teams to make decisions. The Executive Director will have financial knowledge including experience with budgets, financial reports and updates, and redeployment of people and money to achieve new initiatives when they are established. Experience with pressures of fiscal realities and agility within constraints is important.
Experience as a team builder and mentor to staff is essential. The successful candidate will possess at minimum a Bachelor’s degree, with an advanced degree preferred. Candidates should have at least ten years of work experience with at least five years in positions related to this work with progressive leadership responsibility. Some experience in not-for-profit is essential (paid or volunteer). The position requires travel as well as work on evenings and weekends.
Personal qualities must include superb communication skills (both oral and written). This leader must be a charismatic person of cultural breadth and global perspective, be unflappable, and possess the ability to work with multiple styles. The Association seeks a person dedicated to the missions of the Association and Mount Holyoke College and their commitment to diversity and community. The Executive Director will have a commitment to excellence in providing service to alumnae and in the continued education of women for leadership roles in a global community. S/he should have a strong work ethic, know how to find balance in life and encourage others to do so. Finally, s/he will have a sense of humor and know how to have fun in career and in life.
PROCEDURE FOR CANDIDACY
Screening of candidates will commence on July 1, 2008 and will be completed in the fall. To apply, include your resume, a cover letter and names of three references. Nominations may be sent in confidence to the Co-chair of the search, Joanna Jones, at jjones@edc.org.
The Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to fostering multicultural diversity in its staff. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply.
BACKGROUND: THE ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION AND THE COLLEGE
The Alumnae Association
Mission Statement
The Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College is an independent organization that serves a worldwide network of diverse individuals, cultivates and celebrates vibrant connections among all alumnae, fosters lifelong learning in the liberal arts tradition, and facilitates opportunities for alumnae to advance the goals and values of the College.
The Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College has served some 130 years of graduates who by example and contribution to their College and their communities have reflected the mission of the College. From the earliest alumnae who as teachers and missionaries brought educational opportunity to distant nations, to the most recent graduates, many from those same corners of the earth, the message has been one of inquiry, civility, leadership, service, and perseverance. At present there are 33,000 active alumnae.
The Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College is a separately incorporated 501(c)3 entity, governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and existing in partnership with the College. The purpose of the Association is to enhance and cultivate the connections among alumnae while facilitating opportunities to advance the interests of the College and cooperating in its work. The goals of the Alumnae Association are outlined in the Strategic Plan for 2005-2010, listed below.
Policies of the Association are set by an elected President and a 12-member Board of Directors, who reflect the broad spectrum of alumnae interests and concerns. The Executive Director serves as an ex-officio member of the Board and leads the Association and its staff in implementing these policies.
The volunteer activities are led through several standing committees: Alumnae Quarterly, Alumnae Relations, Awards, Classes, Clubs and other groups, Finance, Nominating, Nomination of Alumnae Trustees and Alumnae Honors Research. Through its committee structure, the Association provides wide support for its diverse constituencies in this country and abroad. Current taskforces working on future direction include: Engagement Taskforce -- new initiatives for significant interest groups, professional development and networks and other findings from the recent Alumnae Survey; the Global Taskforce – working on extending program and outreach across the global population of Alumnae; the Communications Taskforce – working on a communications strategy for the Association and cooperating in reducing redundant communications across the Association and the College which includes use of internet technology.
The Association maintains a sophisticated database, which is also used in development, admission and career advising activities of the College. The Association and the College cooperate on information management policy. Other current areas of cooperation with the College include a new strategic initiative for executive education and extensive interactions with the Career Development center for both students and alumnae.
Strategic Plan – 2005-2010
Vision Statement
Relaunch the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College as a world-class organization that is valuable, visible, relevant, and inclusive.
Goals
Goal I.
Alumnae Connections: Serving a Global Network
Develop the Association into an integrated global organization, ensuring that core benefits are accessible to alumnae around the world.
Develop the technological infrastructure and maintain the information necessary to provide alumnae with active, global, and around-the-clock connections.
Foster opportunities for alumnae to participate in lifelong learning, both on and off campus and online.
Goal II.
The Alumnae Association and the College: Forging a Powerful Partnership
Actively identify and develop initiatives that enhance our working relationship and build new partnership opportunities.
Goal III.
Campus-wide Collaborations: Linking to Students, Faculty, and Administrators
Provide current students, faculty, and administrators with a strong and rewarding relationship with the Association by informing them of the benefits available to them and by creating opportunities for students to experience those benefits while still on campus.
Goal IV.
Effective Board Governance: Achieving Strategic Goals
Organize the Association’s structure, staff, and volunteer workers to meet the needs and priorities of the Alumnae Association and its members.
Create annual plans that will enable the Association to achieve this multiyear strategic plan.
The College
Mission Statement
Mount Holyoke College reaffirms its commitment to educating a diverse community of women at the highest level of academic excellence and to fostering the alliance of liberal arts education with purposeful engagement in the world.
Founded by Mary Lyon in 1837, Mount Holyoke College is the oldest continuing institution of higher education for women in the United States. Its mission is historically resonant and highly relevant. For more than 165 years, Mount Holyoke has upheld a tradition of diversity, community of purpose and rigorous intellectual inquiry. The College is a liberal arts institution, defining these as the arts of thought, perception and judgment, the arts that foster humanity and civility of spirit. It places these arts at the center of its life. The College embraces new forms of knowledge, and offers its students an education that responds to the needs and challenges of the twenty-first century. As one of the most respected liberal arts colleges, the College emphasizes opportunities to make life-long connections, to develop global awareness and an ability to deal with complex social issues, and to become leaders.
The College is governed by a thirty member Board of Trustees that meets three times a year and conducts much of its business through eight standing committees. The President, Joanne Creighton, serves as leader of educational policy and chief executive officer of the College and works closely with the Trustees. The Dean of Faculty & Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College & Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for Development, Vice President for Finance & Administration, Vice President for Enrollment & College Relations, Director of Library, Information, and Technology Services and Chief Information Officer and College Librarian on the Katherine Johnson Hatcher Endowment, Executive Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives, Associate Director of the Communications Office, and Assistant to the President & Secretary of the College comprise currently the President’s senior administrative team.
Mount Holyoke’s 2100 students, from across the nation and nearly 70 countries, live in nineteen residence halls on an 800-acre campus of rolling lawns, trees, and lakes located in the Massachusetts town of South Hadley, 90 miles west of Boston and 150 miles north of New York City. Mount Holyoke has taken a leadership role in integrating technology throughout academic and co-curricular life. Mount Holyoke is a member of Five Colleges, Incorporated, a consortium that includes Amherst, Hampshire, and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts. Mount Holyoke was a pioneer in developing off-campus internship programs. Each year more than one third of the junior class experiences international life and higher education through study abroad programs. The Frances Perkins Program is designed for women beyond the traditional undergraduate age who wish to initiate, continue or enrich their undergraduate education. With a faculty student ratio of 1:10, the exceptional Mount Holyoke faculty of over 200 is composed almost equally of women and men.
Above: Barbara Lippert ’76 of Adweek (second from left), and Pamela Maffei McCarthy ’74
of The New Yorker (center right) led a discussion on trade and mass-market magazine journalism.
The screen behind Elizabeth Spiers, founder of Gawker and Dead Horse Media, had a banner headline eliciting chuckles from all corners of the room: cryingwhileeating.com.
“There’s never going to be a ‘crying while eating’ magazine or TV channel,” Spiers said. But in an age where traditional print media are scrambling to hold on to subscribers and searching for traction and profit, such niche markets have taken hold on the Internet. Online pioneers like Spiers may hold the key to how we get our news in the future.
This was the subject of a winter conference, The Future in Communic@tions, coproduced by the Alumnae Association and the MHC Office of Communications. As the printed word adapts to life with the Internet, alumnae working in communications gathered to network with students and each other—and to hear about their profession’s future.
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Two young alumnae whose promise and sustained achievement are consistent with the humane values Mary Lyon exemplified in her life received Mary Lyon Awards in February. The award honors young alumnae who graduated no more than fifteen years ago.
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Would you like to spend an afternoon immersing yourself in Spanish? Want to know more about women leaders in South Africa? The Back-to-Class program offers more than twenty classes on the Friday of each Reunion weekend (May 23 and 30) for returning alumnae and their guests. With no cost and no homework, there’s just the pure pleasure of enriching your mind. Sign up when you register for the weekend. Or arrive Thursday night (we’ve got plenty of rooms on campus) to register and ensure a seat.
Photo by Paul Schnaittacher
Chef shares Quick and easy recipes
Members of the Mount Holyoke Club of Fairfield Villages grabbed their whisks in January and joined chef Nicole Straight for an interactive cooking class featuring easy-to-make meals—in fifteen minutes, no less—for singles or families. “We had eleven alums and one daughter turn out for the class,” said organizer Kathleen Turland ’90. “It was a lot of fun.” Dishes prepared in class at Christopher Peacock Cabinetry in Greenwich included Baja fish tacos, moo shoo beef, and spinach tortellini with garlicky swiss chard. “I have already made the fish tacos at home with great success,” added Turland. Check out Straight’s Web site and cookbook.
By now you should have received a questionnaire in your e-mail inbox
(or in your mailbox) from our alumnae directory publisher, Harris
Connect, asking for updates about you. If you have moved, changed jobs,
had a baby, or have been promoted—or even if things are exactly the
same—please let us know by completing the questionnaire. (If you
haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, you’ll receive a reminder
postcard or e-mail in early May with information about how to call in
to Harris Connect.) We’re preparing now for the next alumnae directory,
which will be published (in book form and online) in November. We’re
also converting to a new, more advanced data system, so when you send
that questionnaire, you help us make sure that your alumnae information
is 100 percent correct.
Robin Blaetz understands film. An associate professor of film studies at MHC, she has collaborated with the New York Times
in creating the immensely popular online course, Inside the Art and
Craft of Film, and more recently offered insight into the aural and
visual elements of film as part of the Lyon Lecture Series. The best
news is that Blaetz is also a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for the
Alumnae Association and is willing to speak to your club. Call or
e-mail Krysia Villón ’96, at kvillon@mtholyoke.edu for more information, or go to alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/volunteers/res/speakers/index.php.
Photo by Mary Noble Ours
The Nominating Committee has begun its triennial task of selecting
the next president to lead the Alumnae Association. The committee
strongly encourages alumnae to participate by recommending qualified
candidates. The president’s responsibilities include setting priorities
for programs and the budget, representing the Association on the
College’s Board of Trustees, communicating with College President
Joanne V. Creighton and senior staff, overseeing the policy function of
the Association board, evaluating the executive director, serving as a
role model for students and alumnae, and maintaining a strong Alumnae
Association with an increasingly global reach. Jill M. Brethauer ’70,
nominating committee chair, asks that alumnae submit candidates’
names—along with details about their qualifications—to her by e-mail at
Jill_Brethauer@alumnae.mtholyoke.edu, by phone at 724-443-6575, or by regular mail at 4046 Dickey Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044-9714.
In accordance with Article IV, Section 1, Paragraph 3 of the Bylaws, Mary Graham Davis ’65, president of the Alumnae Association, has appointed the following alumnae to serve as indicated. Terms end June 30, 2009.
APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Director-at-Large for Marketing (to 2009): Maureen McHale Hood '87, Cincinnati, Ohio. Alumnae Association Director-at-Large (elected), Affiliate Group Ad Hoc Committee, Communications Ad Hoc Committee; class agent. Former Reunion gift caller, class agent, Reunion welcome/hospitality chair; president, program chair, vice president and program chair, newsletter/directory editor, Cincinnati Club. Alumnae Medal of Honor. MBA, Georgetown University. Marketing director, Procter & Gamble.
Director-at-Large for Communications (to 2009): Adrienne Wild Skinner '77, Larchmont, N.Y. Alumnae Association Alumnae Relations Committee, Reunion gift caller, Cornerstone Representative. Former Reunion dinner chair, Reunion gift caller, class agent. Vice president, Partner Sales, Comcast Interactive Media. Former strategic account director, Yahoo!; executive vice president, GiftCertificates.com; vice president of sales and marketing, WebWide Guides Inc.; founder and president, WinStar Interactive; sales positions with Newsweek, ActMedia, and Whittle Communications.
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In accordance with Article VI, Section 2 of the Bylaws of the Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke College, the Nominating Committee has prepared and recommends the following slate for election at the Annual Meeting to be held on May 24, 2008. Each candidate has been fully informed of the responsibilities and rights of the position and has indicated consent to serve if elected. Alumnae may submit additional nominations according to the procedure outlined in Article VI, Section 4 of the Bylaws. Terms are for the three years ending June 30, 2011 unless a different year is noted.
FOR ELECTION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Young Alumnae Representative: Akua S. Soadwa '03, Brooklyn, N.Y. Former membership co-chair, New York Club. Founder, Gye Nyame Empowerment Project and A Touch of Soadwa. M.A., urban planning, design, and development, Cleveland State University. Urban analyst, N.Y. State Banking Department.
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The following bylaws amendments (changes are in bold type) will be considered at the annual meeting of the Alumnae Association on May 24.
Article IV, Board of Directors
Section 1, Membership
2. Elected members. All members of the Board except two approved members-at-large shall be elected by the Membership.
3. Appointed Directors. No more than two (2) members-at-large may be appointed by the President to serve as shall be determined by the President, but in no event shall a term of an appointed director run beyond the term of the President appointing her.
Article VI, Nominations and Elections
Section 1, Nominating Committee
2.a. Members Rotation. … The number of members of the Nominating Committee shall be determined by the Board.
Article VII, Standing and Special Committees
Section I, Standing Committees
There shall be the following standing committees of the Board: Alumnae Honors Research Committee, Alumnae Quarterly Committee, Alumnae Relations Committee, Classes and Reunion Committee, Clubs Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating Committee, and Nomination of Alumnae Trustees/Awards Committee.
Section 4, Composition and Responsibilities of Standing Committees
2.a. Alumnae Quarterly Committee Composition. … Editor of the Quarterly shall be an ex officio member of the Alumnae Quarterly Committee without vote.
4.b. Classes and Reunion Committee, Responsibilities. The Classes and Reunion Committee shall be a resource to encourage, support and coordinate class organization of alumnae and to be responsible for reunions.
5.a. Clubs Committee, Composition. The Clubs Committee shall include the chair and eight members elected by the Alumnae Association membership.
5.b. Responsibilities. The Clubs Committee shall be a resource for alumnae who organize or wish to organize into a club based on their geographic location or an affiliate group based on special interests and to encourage, motivate and coordinate with such clubs/affiliate group.
7.a. Nomination of Alumnae Trustees/Awards Committee, Composition. … No member of the Nomination of Alumnae Trustee/Awards Committee, with the exception of the chair, shall be a member of the same class or from the same club area as any other member of the committee.
Notes from the Alumnae and Students of Color Conference
If there was one thing that Mount Holyoke students took away from November’s Alumnae and Students of Color Conference, it was that our older sisters went through a great deal for us to enjoy the safe space we have today.
The first-of-its-kind conference brought together a diverse group of nearly 150 alumnae and students. Keynote speakers included Ninotchka Rosca, founder of GABRIELA, the women’s-rights organization of the Philippines; and Debra Martin Chase ’77 (above), Emmy nominated motion picture and television producer.
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Mini-reunions are hot.
From on-campus visits to Las Vegas blowouts, classmates are gathering in ever more diverse locations and vowing to continue the tradition the following year. Organizers know that in between official reunion years, mini-reunions are a great way to stay connected with classmates who are dispersed geographically and professionally but remain united emotionally.
Women from the 1940s and 1950s are most active in organizing mini-reunions, says Joni Haas Zubi, associate director of classes and reunions. Their generally flexible schedules allow them to meet on campus, midweek, and during the school year to drop in on classes with current students, considered a particular pleasure. Overnight stays are usually spent at Willits-Hallowell Center, and meals are scheduled to include talks by faculty or staff members.
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The art of procrastination is as old as Mount Holyoke. In the early years, students listened to the radio or chatted with their neighbors instead of starting a paper. Today we also have all the dangers of procrastination that come with the World Wide Web. Among the most lethal is YouTube.
A popular Web site that allows users to share videos for free, YouTube engages viewers with activism, tutorials, television shows, political debates, music, and home videos. You simply type a few keywords into the search engine and wait for it to retrieve relevant videos.
The site includes both commercial productions, like clips from the television show “So You Think You Can Dance,” and independent films and home videos. You can listen to music for free online before buying it. You can also find entire episodes of television shows on YouTube.
For students, it’s a great way to keep track of what’s going on outside the Mount Holyoke academic bubble as well as an inexpensive way to access different forms of entertainment. It’s common to find a group of students clustered around a computer taking turns showing their friends their latest YouTube finds.
YouTube has MHC-specific applications, as well. For example, if you search “Mount Holyoke College” on YouTube, you will find videos of the Laurel Parade from different years, and a clip of the trees near Lower Lake in full bloom. YouTube is also a great way to learn something practical, such as honing your skills in tai chi or learning to play a musical instrument. And there’s even a program that helps nonprofits spread word of their organizations’ goals and activities.
As we push into this age of new media, Web sites like YouTube are becoming more relevant—and prevalent—in day-to-day life. YouTube’s popularity and use have skyrocketed since my first year at MHC. It makes me wonder what tools of procrastination will be available to the class of 2020.—Anindita Dasgupta ’08
In February, W. Rochelle Calhoun ’83 announced her resignation as executive director of the Alumnae Association. Mary Graham Davis ’65, president of the association, wrote, “The Alumnae Association has enjoyed the executive director leadership of Rochelle Calhoun for the past five years. She has made a tremendous mark on the association and on alumnae and students, and we will miss her as she moves on to become the dean of student affairs at Skidmore College. Prior to taking on the executive director position at the association, Rochelle held a number of administrative positions at Mount Holyoke, including director of diversity and inclusion and acting dean of the college.
