Amid an undergraduate student workers’ strike, financial concerns and the looming threat of demographic shifts causing a dropoff in admissions, Clark students have begun to question the leadership and governance structures at the very top of the University. While Dean Kiem and President Fithian are familiar administrators, less is known of the Clark University Board of Trustees (BoT). The BoT plays a key role in determining major decisions for Clark, including the setting annual budget, strategic planning and overall governance of the University.
Who is on the Board of Trustees?
Clark’s Board of Trustees currently comprises thirty-one members, though the BoT bylaws state that the total membership can range from thirteen to forty. Of these thirty-one, two are life members, twenty-one are term members, seven are alumni-nominated members, and one is an honorary member. An additional six members also serve as officers.
On a demographic level, twenty-one members, or 56.8 percent, are men. Five members, or 13.5 percent, are people of color. Thirty-three, or 89.2 percent, are Clark Alumni. Two are full-time Clark administrators: David Chearo, Assistant Secretary for the BoT and Clark’s Vice President for Planning, and Anne Randall, BoT Assistant Treasurer and Clark’s Interim Chief Financial Officer.
Many members are donors to the University and have buildings named after them, including Sumner Tilton Jr., Ron Shaic, and David H Strassler.
How are Board of Trustees members chosen?
To become a term— or regular— member, any individual may be elected by affirmative vote by the existing board. One alumni-nominated member is elected to the board each year from a list of three given to the BoT by the Alumni Association. At least one alumni-nominated member must hold a graduate degree from the University.
Once elected, a term or alumni-nominated member serves an initial term of six years, and can be elected to an additional term of four years. They can only serve ten consecutive years, though they can be re-elected to the board after a one-year hiatus.
Any term or alumni-nominated board member is eligible to be elected as a life member by a two-thirds majority of the board. Additionally, board members can be elected as honorary members by a simple majority. Honorary members do not have voting rights at full meetings, but are eligible to serve and vote on task forces. They are elected to serve four-year terms with no term limits.
What does the Board of Directors do?
The Board of Trustees holds three regular meetings each year, but additional meetings can be called at any time by the Executive Committee or by at least eight regular members. The officers are in charge of running meetings and consist of a Board Chair, Vice Board Chairs, Secretaries, and Treasurers. The President of the University, David Fithian, is appointed by the board to serve as the University’s Chief Executive Officer and attends all meetings. The board is also responsible for setting the president’s salary.
Within the BoT, several committees meet at least three times throughout the year. There are five permanent standing committees: Audit and Strategic Risk, Board Governance, Executive Committee, Finance, and Investment. Additional committees may be established by the Board depending on the needs of the University. The Board can also institute task forces to tackle specific short-term projects or issues. Committee and task force members are appointed by the Board Chair each year and serve terms of one fiscal year.
The BoT may invite faculty, staff, and students to be guests or observers at regular board and committee meetings. While these guests/observers may provide input or advise the board, they are not allowed to vote on any issues.
Conclusion
While the Board of Trustees are just one part of Clark’s administration, they wield immense influence and power over the direction of the University. All information about the selection and activities of the BoT can be found in the BoT bylaws, which are available to the public on Clark’s website.
