Hamilton College Class President Job Description

Class Presidents and Alumni Council
Under the Alumni Council reorganization enacted in June 2018, Class Presidents now solely compose the Class Leadership Committee (CLC) and remain constituent voting members of Alumni Council. 

The Council meets twice annually — on Fallcoming and Reunions Weekends — together with the following other committees: Equity and Inclusion, Hamilton Career Network (HCN), Nominations, and Regional Affairs. Collectively, these committees are the “Alumni Board.” Class Presidents are expected to attend these meetings in person or virtually to conduct Council business.

The mission of Class Presidents
The College relies on Class Presidents to perform an ambassadorial function, serving as sympathetic intermediaries between classmates and the Alumni Office. On the one hand, Presidents convey and advocate for the reasoned concerns of classmates; on the other, Presidents may interpret and explain for classmates the positions and policies of the College on matters of interest to alumni.

In a word, it is incumbent on Class Presidents to “Know Thy Classmates,” keeping the pulse of their sentiments and seeking opportunities to bring them closer to life on College Hill today.

Accordingly, Class Presidents are charged with encouraging “total engagement” with the College from their classmates across four key areas: Connect, Attend, Volunteer, and Give. To monitor engagement progress in each area, Class Presidents receive periodic statistical updates from the Alumni Office on the performance of their class.

These metrics are based on industry best practices for engagement. “Connect” tracks registrations on My Hamilton, the College’s online alumni community. “Attend” tallies attendance at on- and off-campus events. “Volunteer” records service commitments, like serving as a class committee member or assisting the Career Center with professional networking for students. “Give” enumerates donors to Hamilton for any purpose during the current academic year.

Using these statistics, Class Presidents work with the Alumni Office to set yearly targets and devise strategies for increasing engagement by classmates.

Finally, Class Presidents serve in two other important ways. As a matter of routine, Presidents are asked to compose, or assist with composing, obituary messages to the class when a classmate dies. And, in quinquennial anniversary years, Presidents assume the role of Reunion Planning Chair, leading a class committee through the yearlong process of planning and delivering a reunion weekend that is at once memorable and satisfying socially, intellectually, and philanthropically.