Hamilton College Class President Job Description

Class Presidents and Alumni Council

The Class Leadership Committee (CLC) keeps the pulse of the alumni body’s sentiments and translates them to the College, while also bringing classmates closer to each other and to life on College Hill today. The committee comprises a chair and vice chair as well as class leadership teams (Class President, Class Correspondent, and Class Gift Chair) representing each class. The members also oversee various aspects of reunion planning and execution.

The Council meets twice annually — on Fallcoming and Reunions Weekends — together with the following other committees: Equity and Inclusion, Hamilton Career Network (HCN), Nominations, Kirkland, 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 Class President is the ambassador for her/his class year and a constituent voting member of the Alumni Council. Class Presidents are sympathetic intermediaries between classmates and the Advancement Office: they convey and advocate for reasoned concerns of classmates and may explain the positions and policies of the College on matters of interest to Hamilton and Kirkland alumni. They keep the pulse of classmates’ sentiments and seek opportunities to bring them closer to life on College Hill today. 

Accordingly, they are charged with encouraging “total engagement” with the College from their classmates across four key areas: Connect, Attend, Volunteer, and Give. He or she is keen to motivate classmates to volunteer, give, attend events, and connect with the College and is updated from the Advancement Office on the performance of their class. 

On his/her team are the Class Correspondent and Gift Chair. Presidents are asked to compose, or assist with composing, obituary messages when a classmate dies. 

This position will demand more interaction during reunion years. They will assume the role of Reunion Planning Chair, leading a class committee through the yearlong process of planning and delivering a reunion weekend that is memorable and satisfying socially, intellectually, and philanthropically.