The Ivy Council derives its authority from the undergraduate students, student groups and student governments of the eight Ivy League colleges and universities. Each school maintains an Ivy Council Chapter, led by one or two Head Delegate(s). The structure of the Ivy Council is a result of a Constitutional Review Committee convened in 1997 to organize the Ivy Council as a non-profit organization, and subsequent revisions in 1998, 2004 and 2008. The Ivy Council is divided into three governing boards: the Steering Board, the Legislative Council, and the Board of Governors.
The Steering Board
The Steering Board is the ultimate student authority within the Council's organizational structure. Articulated through a circular hierarchy to promote collaboration and shared importance, the Council’s Steering Board is comprised of the Executive Board, Head Delegates from each member school, and the Chairperson for each of The Ivy Council’s major programs (the Ivy Leadership Summit, IvyCORPS, Ivy Life, Inter-Ivy, High School Outreach, and International Exchange).
The Executive Board is comprised of the President, the Vice President for Internal Affairs, The Vice President for Policy, the Vice President for External Affairs, the Vice President for Finance, the Vice President for Programs, and the Vice President for Communications.
The President oversees all functions of the Executive Board, and functions as the liaison between the Steering Board and the Board of Governors; the Vice President for Internal Affairs manages and aids all Ivy Council Chapter delegations; the Vice President for Policy aids student governments in policy and information-sharing and oversees the Ivy Policy Colloquium; the Vice President for External Affairs oversees all efforts that engage student groups, external corporations and organizations, and international exchange; the Vice President for Finance maintains the budget and all fundraising efforts of The Council; the Vice President for Programs oversees The Council’s hallmark programs (Ivy Leadership Summit, IvyCORPS, Ivy Policy Colloquium and Ivy Life); the Vice President for Communications manages all external marketing and publicity efforts of the Council, as well as internal communications.
The Legislative Council
The Legislative Council consists of all chapter delegates from each member school. In Legislative Council matters, each school retains four votes (one held by each voting delegate), expected to represent the views of the undergraduate student bodies of their respective schools.
Ivy Council chapter membership is intended to consist of, at minimum, an eight member delegation from each Ivy League student government. The chapter is responsible throughout the year with reporting Ivy Council business to their home institution's student government. Of the eight delegates from a given school, four are designated as "Voting Delegates," including one individual also designated "Head Delegate." The Head Delegate is responsible for maintaining close contact with the Executive Board of the Ivy Council, which is to include the regular reports of his or her student government's agenda and work to the Vice President for Internal Affairs. The Head Delegate is the official representative of the Ivy Council to his or her student government.
Each chapter is also required to have its own Treasurer, Secretary, ILS Liaison and IvyCORPS Liaison. The chapter Treasurer is charged with the task of creating an annual budget for the delegation and with collecting and transmitting all monies to the Executive Treasurer. The chapter Secretary is responsible for maintaining accurate records of chapter matters, as well as collecting information for hard-copy and electronic-copy Ivy Council archives and an active alumni list. Finally, the chapter Ivy Leadership Summit Liaison and an IvyCORPS Liaison are responsible for maintaining close contact with the chairs of these events so as to ensure the helpful participation of their school in the planning and production of the event. Chapter officers may be appointed by the Head Delegate, chosen by the student government, or selected through internal election, depending on a given school's Constitutional requirements.
Overseeing the entire Ivy Council organization is the Board of Governors. Seated in June of 1998, the Board is comprised of distinguished alumni of the Council and other individuals who provide sound advice on all its operations. The Board strives to conduct its business in a manner that ensures that the Council remains student-led and student-directed while guaranteeing the organization's fiscal integrity. You can learn more in the 'Board of Governors' section.
The Board of Governors
The Board of Governors came into being shortly after the Ivy Council was reconstituted in April 1998. Primarily made up of alumni from the member schools, the Board of Governors provides a historical link to the foundations of the Ivy Council, projects that have been done in the past, resources of expertise, fiscal management of the 501c3 tax exempt status, and counsel for the officers and committee members of the Ivy Council. Currently, the Board of Governors is made up of ten young professionals involved in areas of education, government, law, public service, event planning, national defense, and finance with backgrounds from five of the member schools. Board of Governors members serve renewable four year terms and strive to have a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and school affiliation. In the Ivy Council’s short history, the Board of Governors has had representation from all member schools, legal counsel, and school administrators.
The Board of Governors is separated into three committees for its operation. The first is the Internal Development Committee which works with the Ivy Council to groom strong performers within their student years on the Ivy Council to make a continuous commitment to the organization. The Internal Development Committee confirms nominations to the Board of Governors and is also guiding the Alumni Activation Project to create a registry for alumni interaction and involvement. The second is the Finance Committee that works with the Treasurer in ensuring compliance to IRS law and good accounting practices. The Finance Committee is the focal point for accepting tax-deductible donations for the Ivy Council and ensuring that those donors are appropriately recognized. The third group is the Programs Committee that serves as a knowledge based for the Ivy Council’s major events such as IvyCORPS and Ivy Leadership Summit. The Programs Committee assists with locating professionals for speaking events and with perspective on event planning. In all instances, Board of Governors members are cognizant and respectful of the student-led and student-directed nature of the Ivy Council.
For additional information on the Board of Governors, please contact Chairman Raghav Chopra (Yale), Vice Chairman Alex Cosmas (Columbia), Soren Bech (Yale), or Zach Goldstein (Princeton).
