Board of Trustees

In furtherance of the mission of the University of Puget Sound, the Board of Trustees has committed itself to developing the policies and securing the resources necessary to bring the University to “the next level of excellence.” Consequently, the Board has established the following key priorities for the University [Board Organization and Committee Responsibilities, revised May 13, 2022]:

1. Further enhance the university’s ability to attract, support, inspire, and retain a diverse teaching faculty and staff of the highest quality.
2. Further develop and maintain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive academic curriculum grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and a strong co-curriculum integrated with the curriculum.
3. Further enhance the university’s ability to attract, retain, and inspire a diverse student body of exceptionally high quality, able to meet and benefit from the academic challenges and opportunities for deep learning, intellectual and personal growth, and strong outcomes offered by a Puget Sound education.
4. Further develop and maintain a physical plant, library, equipment, and technology necessary to support a first-rate academic and co-curricular program, while also advancing institutional commitments to environmental justice and sustainability.
5. Increase the endowment, pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, deepen community engagement, and secure the other resources necessary to support excellence within the faculty, the staff, the student body, and the academic and co-curricular program.

Key Responsibilities

1. Set mission and purposes
2. Appoint the president, provide appropriate support for the president, and monitor the president’s performance
3. Assess board performance
4. Ensure strategic planning
5. Review the educational program
6. Ensure adequate resources
7. Ensure good management
8. Preserve institutional independence
9. Relate campus to community and community to campus
10. Oversee conflict resolution and legal affairs

Board meetings typically unfold over two days, and include an executive session with the president; workshops on key strategic issues; meetings of policy and operating committees; meetings of policy sub-committees; opportunities to engage with members of the campus community; and a business meeting. Board members are elected to three-year terms, which may be renewed for a total of nine consecutive years. Trustees may be re-elected following a mandatory one-year break in service.

Executive committee

Members of the board’s executive committee are the chair; chair-elect; vice chair; treasurer; chair, Academic and Student Affairs; chair, Finance and Facilities; chair, University Advancement Committee; chair, Governance Committee; university president; two at-large trustees; and four ex-officio members (members who serve by virtue of their respective offices):  the chair of the Faculty Senate, chair of the Staff Senate, the president of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound, and the president of the Alumni Council.

Ex-officio members do not vote on matters brought before the executive committee, but provide context and perspective that informs decision-making. Each ex-officio member is invited to provide a written report and to address the full board at each business meeting.

Policy and operating committees

The board accomplishes its work through policy and operating committees. Each committee reports its activities to the full board and brings forward as needed motions that require ratification by the full board at each business meeting.

Policy committees. Trustees typically serve three-year terms of service on one of three policy committees: Academic and Student Affairs, Finance and Facilities, and the University Advancement Committee. The Finance and Facilities Committee also has three subcommittees: the Facilities Subcommittee, the Investment Subcommittee, and the Real Estate Subcommittee.

One faculty member (nominated through the regular Faculty Senate committee selection process and appointed by the board chair for a three-year term),  one staff member (nominated by the chair of the Staff Senate and appointed by the board chair for a two-year term), and one student (nominated by the ASUPS president and appointed by the board chair for a one-year term) serve on each of the policy committees and participate in discussions on matters brought before the committee on which they serve. Staff members, in alignment with their work responsibilities, provide support for and participate in the policy committees.

Role of faculty, staff, and student representatives. Each faculty, staff, and student representative to a board policy committee has the opportunity and obligation both to bring institutional perspective, as trustees do, to discussions regarding the university as a whole and to represent faculty, staff, and student concerns in the area of that committee’s focus; to review meeting materials in advance and be prepared to ask questions; and to engage in discussion on issues brought before the committee. Faculty, staff, and student representatives are expected to share information with their respective constituencies.

Operating committees. Operating committees include the Audit, Risk Management, and Compliance Committee, the Governance Committee, the Compensation Committee and the Honorary Degree Committee. Operating committees are typically trustee-only. The Honorary Degree Committee includes faculty and student representatives.
 

Business meeting

Board meetings typically conclude with a business meeting in which reports are heard from the board chair, the president, ex-officio members of the executive committee, and chairs of board committees. Motions are brought forward at the business meeting for action by the full board. Business meetings are open to students, faculty, and staff. The board chair and committee chairs reserve the right to convene a portion of each business meeting in executive session for trustees only.

The president’s cabinet and staff colleagues support the work of the board by providing information and expertise in their areas of responsibility.  The vice presidents who work most closely with the board committees are:

• Academic and Student Affairs:  Provost, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Vice President for Enrollment
• University Advancement: Vice President for University Relations
• Finance and Facilities: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Academic and Student Affairs (ASAC)

a. Focus on the quality of the instructional staff and student body and on the overall direction and quality of the curriculum and the co-curriculum by:

(1) Monitoring the university’s performance in meeting its goals of attracting, supporting and retaining a faculty, staff and student body of the highest quality and providing an educational program of the highest quality; and

(2) Monitoring the university’s performance in meetings its goals of attracting, supporting, and retaining an increasingly diverse and talented student body, faculty and staff.

(3) Developing policies designed to enable the university better to reach these goals.

b. Review and make recommendations concerning proposed changes in the curricular or co-curricular program, which require Board approval.

c. Review and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the Faculty Bylaws, Faculty Code, ASUPS Constitution, ASUPS Bylaws, Student Integrity Code and related governance documents or policies requiring Board approval.

d. Act in accordance with the Faculty Code on recommendations concerning faculty promotions and grants of faculty tenure.

Finance and Facilities Committee (F&F)

a. Recommend appropriate long-term financial indicators and review their effectiveness with the goal of enabling the university to plan for and acquire adequate resources to support the educational program and to achieve the next level of excellence.

b. Consider and make recommendations concerning a campus master plan, which projects the long-term physical boundaries of the campus and major construction projects.

c. Review, monitor and make recommendations concerning the annual operating budget proposed by the President as well as major financial transactions not provided for in the operating budget.

d. Review and recommend to the Board of Trustees modifications to debt and debt-related policies.

e. Review and recommend to the Board of Trustees modifications to the Designation of Unrestricted Funds Policy.

f. Review and act upon the endowment investment and spending policy as recommended by the Investment Subcommittee as well as proposed financial policies with respect to assets not included in the endowment.

g. Review and act upon the gift acceptance policy as recommended by the Investment Subcommittee and the Development and Alumni Relations Committee, including reporting to the Board of Trustees if the committee does not accept a change recommended by either.

h. Review and make recommendations concerning major facilities projects and the planned major maintenance schedule upon advisement by the Facilities Subcommittee to ensure that campus facilities meet the needs of the educational program and are adequately financed and maintained.

University Advancement Committee (UAC)

a. Oversees all university fundraising activity including fundraising for identified endowment, facilities, and operating objectives. During periods when the university is engaged in comprehensive campaigns, the committee works closely with the Campaign Steering Committee (which reports through the University Advancement Committee).

b. The committee periodically reviews advancement-related policies and plans to obtain gifts in support of the university’s mission, including:

(1) Fundraising priorities and goals;

(2) Annual fund solicitation and participation strategies;

(3) Initiatives to raise endowment and facilities gifts; and

(4) Comprehensive and special-purpose campaigns.

c. Oversee all activity associated with the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations and the Alumni Council. Work with alumni and parent volunteer boards toward the attainment of identified university objectives involving constituent engagement, including outreach to Puget Sound's minoritized alumni, parents, and friends in an effort to involve them in the life of the university. Members of the committee may serve on task forces and ad hoc committees designed to create, alter, or monitor alumni and parent relations activities. 

d. Oversee communications strategies and activities related to development, strategic communications, and alumni and parent relations, including Arches magazine, president’s annual report, media coverage, and other communication vehicles that advance and support relationships with alumni, parents, and donors.