Boards of Trustees

Membership of Boards

The process of selection of board members varies among the many types of institutions of higher education operating in the United States. The means for selecting members is generally set out in the governing documents of colleges or universities, in the form of statutes or similar legislative provisions for state institutions, or in some form of charter if the institution is private in nature. For both public and private institutions, the governing documents contain rules about the number and length of terms board members may serve. Additionally, the number of members can range from less than 10 to more than 30.

For public institutions, selection is often made by the governor of the state or by the state legislature. In some cases, members are selected by the board of governors of the entire university system, while in other situations, members are directly elected by the public. Over the years, efforts have been made to remove the appearance of conflicts of interest in membership by prohibiting persons or their spouses from being board members if they occupy specified public offices or are employed by the state. Exceptions to this general rule are often made for ex officio members, such as student government presidents, presidents or former presidents of institutions, and other high-ranking public officials whose agencies have direct involvement with colleges or universities.

The majority of members come from the world of business; academics are rarities on boards. Board members tend to be prominent individuals with substantial leadership and executive management experience; also, many members are often distinguished alumni. The representation of women and minority groups has improved in recent decades but still lags behind equitable demographic representation. Insofar as membership on boards is seen as a great honor, members are rarely compensated for serving and receive reimbursement only for expenses related to board business.

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