Correction appended
The 31 members of the Board of Trustees meet four times per year to discuss the current state of the University and make recommendations for the future.
Many of them are CEOs, company presidents and partners in law firms, including President and Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs Gary Cohn.
They play an essential role in ensuring that the University functions efficiently, yet many AU students have no idea who they are and what they do.
“I know the Board of Trustees at Penn State fired Joe Paterno, but I don’t know what they do here,” said Maria Cribbs, a sophomore in the School of International Studies.
Trustees assist the University’s president in setting the direction AU will take in the future and work to implement a variety of University initiatives, according to the Board of Trustees’ Statement of Commitment.
Trustees are expected to contribute financially to the University as well.
“Trustees are encouraged, if their means permit, to give $10,000 or higher amounts annually,” according to the Statement of Commitment.
Their most important role is hiring, evaluating and, if necessary, terminating the University’s president, said trustee and partner at Arent Fox, Pamela A. Deese.
Deese joined the Board in 2001 after serving on the Alumni Association Board. She graduated AU in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and from the Washington College of Law in 1983.
Trustees are chosen based on leadership ability, connection to the University and influence over local, national or international affairs that could be used to benefit the University among other factors, according to the Board of Trustee’s Selection Criteria.
While being an AU alumnus is not a requirement for serving on the Board, 20 trustees are alumni.
Before joining the Board, trustees go through an extensive selection process. Any source can nominate a prospective trustee, but the Office of the Secretary, the Vice President of Finance and Treasurer, the Vice President and General Council, and the Trusteeship Committee must review all nominations.
There are 31 trustees, including three ex-oficio trustees, two faculty trustees and a student trustee. Of the 25 other trustees, seven are women. They represent a range of professions from real estate management to justice, and 11 are CEOs or presidents of their respective companies.
There are also three ex-officio trustees, including President Neil M. Kerwin, who are trustees because of the positions they hold. The board also includes two faculty trustees and one student trustee.
Trustees are required to serve on committees that focus on various departments and aspects of University affairs.
Deese sits on the Trusteeship, Alumni, Development and Communication and Campus Life committees. Her interest in campus life began when she worked as a resident assistant during her undergraduate years.
“It’s a pretty important aspect of each student’s education,” she said.
The committee’s tasks include reviewing the Student Conduct Code, going over code procedures and making sure the wording in the code is clear.
“We’re working at larger policy issues,” she said.
Executive Vice President and COO for The Bernstein Companies Marc N. Duber also actively participates in board committees, including the Executive Committee.
“I’m pretty passionate about the facilities,” Duber said, expressing particular interest working on the 10-year Campus Plan.
“It’s an awesome responsibility,” Deese said.
Duber agreed.
“I always try to give back to institutions that were good to me,” he said.
A previous version of this article said trustees train the University president; they hire and assess the performance of the president but do not train him or her. The article also said there are 25 active trustees, but all trustees are active although six trustees are ex-oficio, faculty and student trustees. All trustees are required to serve on a committees. The article also incorrectly identified Pamela Deese as the current chair of the Campus Life Committee; Deese is the past chair of the committee.
