A Window Into Dickinson’s Board of Trustees
Photo by Dan Loh.
by Alumni Council President Bruce Ruchlik '89
This year, for the first time since I graduated in 1989, I spent a week on Dickinson’s campus between Alumni Council and Board of Trustees meetings on consecutive weekends. I worked remotely during the week and split my time between The John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center, which has offices and meeting spaces available to alumni, and Denim Coffee at the Quarry, a vibrant café in what was the Kappa Sigma fraternity when I was a student.
Throughout the week, I attended Amy Wlodarski’s music class and lectures by Beverly Daniel Tatum and Lauren Ashley Smith ’06 and on Trends Shaping the Global Marketplace. I had dinner in the dining hall with Clara Blackwell ’26, student body president, and her leadership team before attending a Student Senate meeting. I visited the Spring Activities Fair and a WDCV radio show, saw exhibits at the Goodyear and Trout galleries and watched the men’s basketball and women’s squash teams compete. The most gratifying aspect of the week was interacting with dozens of engaged, friendly and ambitious students. At a student networking session that week, I met Grace Morrison ’26, who asked about the difference between Dickinson’s Alumni Council and Board of Trustees and how students and recent graduates can get in an article last year and will now share a brief description of the Board of Trustees, which I was elected to because of my role as Alumni Council president.
What is the Board of Trustees?
As the college’s governing body, the board has authority on a range of topics, including determining Dickinson’s purposes; setting policies, procedures and programs relating to faculty and staff; approving the annual budget, including tuition and fees; and monitoring the college’s financial condition. The board approves financing for new construction, deferred maintenance and major renovations of existing physical facilities, fundraising goals and academic or honorary degrees, among other things. Board members are assigned to two standing committees that address these topics during three annual on-campus meetings and periodic virtual meetings throughout the year.
Does the board run Dickinson?
The trustees, who are elected by the board based on their engagement with the college, “exist to implement policies, not tactics.” They are not involved with the daily operations of Dickinson but focus on the big picture, asking hard questions and rendering approvals on or challenging recommendations made by the president and his staff that significantly impact the Dan Loh health, well-being and future strength of our alma mater.
How do new board members get educated?
I was assigned an invaluable mentor, Chuck Silverman ’88, and went through an extensive new trustee orientation at my first meeting with the president and members of his staff and the board’s executive committee. We are expected to thoroughly review all materials provided in advance of our meetings. Karen Neely Faryniak ’86, chief of staff and secretary of the college, and Jennifer Dobyns P’21, executive assistant to the president, are our trusted guides throughout the process and keep us organized.
In response to Grace’s question, students are invited to apply for two Alumni Council roles (student ambassador and young alumni ambassador) or to one board position (Young Alumni Trustee). Alex Rojek ’25, an analyst at Huron Consulting, is one of the current young alumni ambassadors. He told me his experience has surpassed his expectations and his engagement has prompted him to become more involved in his region and to encourage others to apply.
Please send any comments, questions or requests to brucerychlik@mac.com.
Read more from the spring 2026 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
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Published June 9, 2026