John B. Patton established an Alumni Council for the Department in 1966. Robert R. Shrock was an early chair. Beginning in 1992 members were permitted who were not alumni, and the name was changed to the Advisory Board. The Board's by-laws now state the purposes of the Board to be: to advise and aid the Department chair and faculty on long-range planning, policy and program development; to assist in resource development for the Department and to promote relationships between the Department, its alumni, and organizations and individuals outside the University.

The Board has organized various forums on geoscience employment for students and has also tried to aid the Department by applying pressure to the College and University when inter-department and inter-School issues have come up. Board members also organize (and sometimes sponsor) alumni gatherings in locations such as Houston, Denver, Indianapolis, and the San Francisco area. Beginning in 1995, at the urging of Board members Malcolm Boyce, Dan Tudor, Stanley Anderson, and Department Chair Lee Suttner, the Board spearheaded a successful five-year campaign to increase the Department's endowments. These and other gifts have helped to establish two named Chairs and two named Professorships in addition to funding several graduate fellowships.

The Board typically meets on the Bloomington campus in early October each year. The most recent meeting of the Board had occurred October 27-28, 2005. Members serve 3-year terms, and the current membership is given below. Issues that need to be brought before the Board should be addressed to Simon Brassell , Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences.