COE Advisory Board
The vision of the COE Advisory Board is to provide guidance and support to all of the programs offered - allowing them to thrive and continue to develop. The Advisory Board assists COE financially, strategically, and politically. It plays a critical role in allowing COE to annually serve over 10,000 participants and to be a place where any student can find a positive outdoor experience, connect to classmates and Cornell, and learn about leadership, teamwork, and personal growth.
Cornell Outdoor Education welcomes new members to its Advisory Board. Most members of the Advisory Board are Cornell alumni, however, we welcome passionate educators and outdoor enthusiasts from a variety of backgrounds. The consistent factor is a strong belief in the efficacy of outdoor and experiential education.
The COE Advisory Board meets twice a year. Generally, the Fall meeting is on campus and the Spring meeting is at a location where outdoor activities can be mixed with the more formal business meeting. The business portion of the meetings generally lasts half a day. Realizing that Advisory Board members lead extremely busy lives, it is expected that members can make at least one meeting a year. In between meetings, Advisory Board members are asked to help promote COE on campus to upper administration and throughout the alumni and/or business community. Advisory Board members are expected to contribute or to raise a minimum annual gift of $3,500 (arrangements can be made for members, particularly younger ones, who might not have the financial wherewithal to make gifts at that level). Depending on expertise, individual Board members may also be occasionally asked to serve on task groups addressing such issues as risk management, strategic planning, marketing, IT, etc.
The rewards of serving on the COE Advisory Board are many. Foremost is the satisfaction of seeing the growth and success of COE in helping students learn about themselves, their fellow students, and their environment. Advisory Board members are invited to join COE on invitational adventure trips around the world. Past trips have gone to places such as Alaska, the Alps, Yosemite, Baja, New Zealand, and the Wind River Mountains. At the annual Spring Advisory Board meeting, members and their families have the opportunity to practice or learn new outdoor skills including rock climbing, canoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and hiking. Finally, Board members find that serving with a group of like-minded, sharp, and adventure-loving colleagues is fun and inspiring in and of itself.
Contact Mark Holton at mh45@cornell.edu or 607-254-2798 if you are interested in joining the COE Advisory Board.