Each fall, the Alumni Council, the primary representative body of Bowdoin's more than 20,000 Bowdoin alumni, returns to campus to discuss ongoing projects and initiatives during a three-day Alumni Council Fall Volunteer Conference.
Alumni Council members participate in social and educational events, assist in fundraising, and foster inclusiveness in the greater Bowdoin community. Eight new members were welcomed into the council at the Fall Volunteer Conference.
This year's conference included a tour of the new Park Row Apartments, keynotes by President Clayton Rose and THRIVE director Jessica Perez, visits to Bowdoin classes, and even a lobster bake. Throughout the conference and committee meetings, members emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to keep Bowdoin alumni connected to the College and its current students.
The Council will help with this effort by creating and supporting more programming that focuses on the needs of alumni and current students particularly in the areas of career engagement, diversity, and first-generation students.
Other ways the Alumni Council has made an impact for Bowdoin are through their efforts to create and support the online networking tool Switchboard, speed networking, LGBTQIA events, and internship and career opportunities.
Funded Internships
A highlight of the conference was hearing from the two student recipients of the Alumni Council's Internship Fund in Memory of Maurice B. Littlefield '41.
Cole Crawford '20 talked about his journey in Israel, where he was able to excavate a 2,000-year-old military encampment that proved that the Romans maintained a military presence in the Galilee.
Audrey Reuman ‘21 told of her work at the Center for Psychiatric Research at Maine Medical Center Research Institute. She worked on a study collecting data on young people as part of a project designed to better understand the interaction of emerging symptoms of mental illness and social context over time.
With the Council’s financial support, Cole and Reuman were able to pursue these internships without the barrier of cost.
The History
Bowdoin’s Alumni Council was founded in 1914 with a membership of twelve alumni who were elected by a general alumni ballot. The Council first convened at Commencement that year and has been very active ever since.
Contact the Alumni Relations office at alumni@bowdoin.edu for additional information or visit the Alumni Council web site.
Membership
The Alumni Council comprises up to thirty-two members, appointed to four-year terms. Each member of the Council serves on two of its six committees:
- Awards Committee
- Career Engagement Committee
- Communications Committee
- Diversity Committee
- Executive Committee
- Nominations Committee
