Here at the Association of Yale Alumni, we facilitate two critical functions in which all alumni can participate: the election of new trustees for the Yale Corporation and the selection of individuals who receive the Yale Medal, the highest recognition given for service to the university.

Elections for the Yale Corporation
Every Yale graduate is eligible to vote in the annual election of a new member of the Yale Corporation -- the university's highest governing body. (Yale College students become eligible five years after graduating.) Yale's president and a small group of sixteen alumni constitute the working members of the Corporation. Ten of these sixteen are appointed by the Corporation itself, while the others are elected by the alumni, one each year for staggered six-year terms.

The process starts with the AYA's board of elected alumni volunteers. The chair appoints a nominating committee comprising at least six AYA board members plus four others: the Chair of the University Council, the Secretary of the University, the Vice President for Development, and one member of the Corporation. The committee then asks senior faculty, the Yale administration, and a broad range of alumni to suggest candidates.

This committee meets from April through January, conducting research and considering all suggested candidates. The committee applies three basic criteria: unusual distinction in the candidate's primary field; breadth of engagements outside that field; and evidence of the highest level of integrity and capability for the collaborative work required of a trustee. The final ballot has two to five nominees, which may include candidates named through a petition process as well as those chosen by the committee. Alumni should receive their ballots shortly. Please help shape Yale's future by examining the makeup of the Corporation and voting.

The Yale Medal
The Yale Medal is the highest award presented by the AYA. It is conferred solely to honor outstanding individual service to the university. Since its inauguration in 1952, the Yale Medal has been presented to 246 individuals, all of whom showed extraordinary devotion to the ideals of the university and were conspicuous in supporting Yale in a wide variety of engagements. The award is usually conferred on alumni, but it can be conferred on any person whose volunteer or other service has had an extraordinary and lasting impact on the life of the University.

The Yale Medal award committee consists of eight or more AYA board members, plus the executive director of the AYA, the Provost, the Secretary, the Vice President for Development, the Assistant to the President, one member of the Corporation, and three members of the faculty. This committee solicits nominations each year from a wide array of university and alumni constituencies.

Traditionally, the medal awards were announced in February and presented at a spring banquet. Due to changes in the AYA's spring program, the Yale Medal Dinner for 2004 and beyond will be held in the fall. This coming fall, the dinner will take place on Friday, November 12, in conjunction with the AYA Assembly. The committee accepts nominations for the Yale Medal throughout the year. You may obtain a nomination form online at www.aya.yale.edu/yalemedal or by calling the AYA.